[May 30th]

Postal Commission Considers New Pay System

Pay-for-performance could be included in a forthcoming plan to reform the U.S. Postal Service, most likely encompassing both employees and managers. Members of the Presidential Commission on the U.S. Postal Service are debating the concept, though details have not been ironed out.

Appointed in December to develop a blueprint for reforming the agency, the commission held the last of seven hearings Thursday in Washington. Very early in the proceeding, commission co-chairman Harry Pearce said several of the nine panel members were focused on building an incentive package into their recommendation to President Bush.

Read the entire article at govexec.com.

        [May 27th]

Patrick McShane Scholarship Winners

Three recipients of the Patrick McShane Memorial Scholarship were chosen in a chance drawing at the May 17th membership meeting.

Matthew Sargo
Son of Michael Sargo, Penn Hills Clerk

Sean Capperis
Son of Thomas Capperis, TR1 GMF Maintenance

Dayna Shaginaw
Daughter of David Shaginaw, AMF Clerk


Congratulations to the winners and best of luck to all applicants!

        [May 26th]

New Link

Be sure to stop by our Links page and check out a new link to a website filled with all sorts of news relevant to being a postal employee. The site is called Lu's News and Views and is run by a fellow APWU union member and representative, Lucille Caldwell.

        [May 25th]

Pittsburgh GMF Part of Biohazard Testing

The Pittsburgh General Mail Facility is one of fourteen mail sorting plants selected across the nation to host the testing phase of a new biohazard detection device developed in response to the anthrax mailings of October 2001.

The system samples the air around mail as it passes through sorting machines and issues an alert if it detects anthrax or other biological agents. Details are currently being presented in a slide-show format on the closed circuit televisions at the GMF break areas.

The new system is expected to go into operation in the AFCS area on June 30, 2003 and is planned for a 30 day test period.

        [May 22nd]

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the Solidarity Picnic Early Registration winner,
John Broniecki, who was among those who registered before May 16th, and were eligible for entry into a $50 prize award for early entries.

There is still time to register for the Solidarity Picnic... just click the link in the little window to your left to read more about the picnic details or to download a form that you can fill in and mail back to the Union Hall.

See you there!

        [May 20th]

LifeCare® Services for Postal Employees
By Desi Neurohr, Secretary-Treasurer

On Wednesday, April 30, 2003 Local Officers and stewards participated in a nationwide teleconference concerning LifeCare®, a resource and referral program that is part of the negotiated benefit offered through the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the APWU and the USPS.

LifeCare® is funded by the USPS and provides assistance and information to APWU represented employees when dealing with a variety of issues that we may face in our lives outside of the work-place.

LifeCare® services can be accessed by calling 800-873-4636, or via the Internet at www.lifecare.com. Take the time to read some frequently asked questions regarding LifeCare®. Members are encouraged to take advantage of this resource.

        [May 10th]

Supporting Postal Workers in Turbulent Times
An interview with William Burrus, Federal Times Online

As the U.S. Postal Service faces many challenges-- declining first-class mail volume, threats of bioterrorism and sweeping reforms that could arise from a presidential commission-- American Postal Workers Union President William Burrus must make sure the 370,000 clerks, maintenance workers and drivers his organization represents are not left behind.

To read the rest of this article, visit this page at FederalTimesOnline:
Supporting Postal Workers in Turbulent Times

        [May 1st]

The 2003 PMAPWU Solidarity Picnic



The seventh annual Pittsburgh Metro Solidarity Picnic will be held on Sunday, June 22, 2003. This year's festivities will once again be at the Riverplex Area at Sandcastle, in Homestead PA. The event begins at 11:00 AM and continues until 7:00 PM.

Volunteers are needed in all areas of the picnic day activities. Anyone wishing to volunteer may contact the union hall at the above number. Leave a message and phone number where we can reach you and someone will return your call.

The deadline for registration is Friday June 13th, 2003.No registrations will be accepted after the deadline. All members that plan on attending must pre-register to attend. There will be no unregistered, "walk-in" admissions on the day of the picnic. Also, there will be no refunds granted, so please plan ahead to avoid any conflicts.

Early registration is encouraged. Members that register by Friday, May 16, 2003 will have their names entered into a drawing in which $50.00 will be given away.

        [May 1st]

Postal Service Rejects 'Right to Strike' Proposal For Unions

The U.S. Postal Service backed off a proposal that would have given unionized workers the right to strike.

Agency officials Tuesday told a presidential commission on postal reform that allowing workers to strike-- and management to exercise lockouts-- during contract negotiations would be a "major mistake."

The idea was first floated in a transformation plan released by the Postal Service in April 2002. In that document, and during subsequent public appearances, agency officials suggested that adopting the 1926 Railway Labor Act, which governs both railways and airlines, would give labor and management the leverage they needed to force quick resolutions during contract negotiations.

To read the rest of this article, visit this page:
Postal Service rejects 'right to strike' proposal for unions