[April 27th]

Commentary from the Washington Times

"The Postal Ploy For More Money"
Edward L. Hudgins is director of regulatory studies at the Cato Institute and author of "Mail @ the Millennium: Will the Postal Service Go Private?"

What he is suggesting to the political and economic community at large is very anti-labor and very much a threat to our livelihood. Would you like to see what this man has to say?
Read the article here.

        [April 20th]

Clerks NOT Required to Buy Alternative Uniform

Recently, the APWU has been flooded with calls from window clerks and locals because managers of post office operations and marketing managers are claiming that workers who do not qualify for a uniform must wear white or light blue button-down shirts and navy blue or gray bottoms. Regardless of what managers have said, the Union has NOT agreed to this, reported APWU Clerk Division Director Cliff Guffey and Assistant Clerk Director Tommy Thompson.

Read the APWU's official position on this issue.

        [April 14th]

What kinds of illnesses or injuries might be compensated
by Worker's Compensation?

Injuries or illnesses are typically covered only when they "arise out of and in the course of employment." There needs to be a nexus between the accident that caused the injury/illness and the scope of your employment duties. Examples of compensable injuries are those caused by lifting heavy equipment, slipping on a wet or oily surface, defective machinery, or fires or explosions. Many state workers' compensation programs preclude coverage for injuries which occur while you are not acting within the scope of your employment - such as while you are playing football with friends on your day off. But closer examination of the situation should be made - if you were injured while playing football at a company sponsored picnic there may be coverage.

Illnesses which "arise out of and in the course of employment" can be covered under the workers' compensation system where the working conditions present unusual or extraordinary risks of contracting an illness - such as coal miners being able to recover for black lung disease or computer workers for carpal tunnel syndrome. Careful inquiry into the hazards arising out of the scope of your employment can determine whether the illness is one that is common to everyday life as opposed to risks of illness that are present in your particular employment situation.

Pennsylvania Federation of Injured Workers (PFIW)
Issue #3, April 2, 2001

        [April 14th]

Pennsylvania Federation of Injured Workers

The Pennsylvania Federation of Injured Workers is a statewide grassroots organization empowering injured workers to speak for themselves and to meet their medical, legal, and social needs through individual counseling and collective action.

Who can join? Any worker who has been injured or been made ill on the job; any family member of an injured worker; and any person in the community who supports the mission of the federation. The cost for members is $10.00 a year. Attorneys and Doctors have a different membership fee.

Who may attend Chapter meetings? Anyone union or non-union; an injured worker, or family member of an injured worker; or anyone in support of injured workers. Attorneys are not to attend meetings unless they have been approved beforehand to be on the Attorney Panel. Never are insurance affiliates to attend. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Visit us at The Pennsylvania Federation of Injured Workers.

        [April 13th]

Politics as Usual

President Bush has made his position on labor and minority/women's rights crystal clear.
Read more about it.

        [April 10th]

Saturday Delivery Eliminated?
Read the APWU Response by Vice President Bill Burrus.

"The Postal Board of Governors has announced a study of cost-savings associated with reducing delivery service to five days and consolidating postal facilities. The American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO vigorously opposes any effort by postal management to reduce the service to the American public that we have provided over the past 225 years. The delivery of mail to the homes of every American home 6 days a week, exclusive of Sundays and Holidays is intertwined in the nations fabric of life and should not be curtailed to achieve cost cutting measures."

Continue reading Bill Burris's letter....

        [April 10th]

Electronic Technician Update

Read the latest information (a "rebuttal" letter) from the APWU's Jim Lingberg
at the APWU website.

        [April 4th]

Patrick McShane Memorial Scholarship

Members can learn about the rules for the PMAPWU's Patrick McShane Memorial Scholarship
at the Metro News page.

        [April 3rd]

USPS Targets 75,000 Job Cuts

The U.S. Postal Service said it will cut $2.5 billion in costs and 10 percent of
its work force in a bid to minimize or delay the postage rate increase it had
planned to propose this summer.

Some postal watchers, however, say the cuts, announced March 27 at the National Postal Forum in Orlando, Fla., do not go deep enough to put the agency back on sound financial footing.

The cost-cutting plan, which is in addition to a $1 billion freeze on facility construction at more than 800 sites announced March 8, would trim $2.5 billion from postal operations by 2003, Postal Service officials say.
{From the Federal Times 4/3/01}

        [April 2nd]

Pittsburgh Metro Members Can Register Online...

for the Solidarity Picnic scheduled for Sunday, June 24th!

You can access either the printable/mailable form, or the online registration
form from the Upcoming Events page, where you will find an itinerary for the
day's events and a link to Sandcastle Riverplex, where the picnic will be held.

If you would like to go directly to the online registration form,
try Register Online today!

        [April 1st]

Information Alert

Members can learn about the APWU's Accident Benefit Association
by visiting their site on the web.