[June 246h]

APWU FMLA Forms Now Available at Our Own Website

We have made available, online for you to download, the five different FMLA forms that the APWU urges you to use when applying for FMLA leave. There are also two additional forms for veterans to use that are related to, but not included in FMLA procedures.

Visit the PMAPWU FMLA Forms Download page.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to properly view, download, and print these forms. Don't have it? Go get it free at Adobe's website.



Have questions about FMLA? Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the
FMLA Questions and Answers page as well. These questions and answers were the product of a joint process between the APWU and the USPS.

        [June 24th]

Letter Carrier Shot at Local Shopping Plaza

The Allegheny County coroner's office has confirmed that a postal worker who was shot at an area shopping center this afternoon has died.

US postal inspectors say Clayton Smith was shot in the back at the Crafton-Ingram Shopping Center around 2:00 pm.

Witnesses claimed they heard what sounded like a firecracker-- and only seconds later they say they heard a man calling for help.

Smith was taken to Allegheny General Hospital for surgery, but he died several hours later, according to the coroner's office.

Homicide detectives and postal inspectors have sealed off a section of the shopping center as they investigate the shooting. They are not releasing any further details, and have made no arrests. They say they have no idea as to a motive, but believe robbery was not the reason for the shooting.

        [June 24th]

Eight-Digit Employee ID Numbers to Replace Social Security Numbers

The Postal Service notified the APWU this month that it would begin using eight-digit employee identification numbers to replace the use of Social Security numbers on employee records. The new employee identification numbers will be included on earnings statements beginning pay period 14-03 (dated July 3). Absent a business need for the Social Security number, the employee identification number will replace the Social Security number in all postal systems, beginning with the Time and Attendance System (TACS).

In a meeting on June 12, 2003, the Postal Service said it wants to remove Social Security numbers from any documents or reports that are available on the workroom floor to help protect employees from identity theft. Social Security numbers will continue to be part of payroll information because the USPS must report the numbers to the Internal Revenue Service. With the substitution of employee identification numbers, however, Social Security numbers will gradually become less visible on printed material.

The Postal Service will randomly assign numbers to current employees, assuring that employees who work side-by-side or spouses don't have sequential numbers. The computer systems will automatically assign the next available number to new hires. The switch to the eight-digit numbers will be gradual.

        [June 20th]

General Time Line Set for Early Outs
Burrus Update #12-03

Executive Vice President Cliff Guffey and I met with postal officials today to discuss implementation of the agreement to offer early retirement to eligible APWU-represented employees. A general time line has been established for management to notify eligible employees, for employees to express their interest in early retirement, and for workers to make their final decisions

Postal headquarters will instruct area-level officials to identify eligible employees and send them Letters of Interest for Early Retirement. The letters will require a response by a specific date. Postal headquarters will also instruct managers to review the personnel file of each employee that is considered eligible to ensure they meet the criteria for early retirement. A specific date for the initiation of the process will be determined at the area level, and is mutually expected to begin by the second week of July.

It is expected that voluntary early retirements will take effect during October 2003 and February 2004, so they will not adversely affect operations during heavy mailing periods. The final determination on dates will depend on the number of employees in an installation who elect to retire early and their skills.

At the time early retirement is approved for an employee, a specific date will be established for termination of their USPS employment. In those circumstances where employees who elect to retire cannot be replaced from the existing complement, discussions will occur on other means of replacing them through reassignment, training or transfer.

Contrary to announcements by some area-level postal officials, opportunities for early retirement will be offered to all eligible APWU employees, pursuant to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and within the rules established by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Agreement has been reached to hold a tripartite meeting with officials of OPM. The meeting will be held at the earliest possible date, depending on the availability of the three parties.

Bill Burrus, National APWU President

        [June 18th]

Postal Early Out Offer Almost in the Mail
by Mike Causey, FederalNewsRadio.com

The U.S. Postal Service, perhaps as early as this week, is expected to announce a limited early retirement program for employees in the clerk craft. The USPS estimates it has about 16,000 more clerical employees than it needs, and the early-outs (Voluntary Early Retirement Authority) could be offered to 8,000 or more employees.

During an early-out, workers under the old Civil Service Retirement System can retire on immediate annuity at any age after 25 years service, or if they are at least age 50 with at least 20 years service. Normally they must be at least age 55 with 30 years service to retire with immediate benefits, including continued health coverage.

Many postal workers, who are a few years shy of being able to retire on immediate annuity, have been bombarding the USPS and the American Postal Workers Union for word on the VERAs. The contract between the union and the government's largest agency promised that the Postal Service would request VERA authoritiy from the Office of Personnel Management. At the time it was thought the early-outs would be offered between April and October of this year. But there was a problem...

Under VERA rules available at the time the contract was signed, the USPS could never qualify for early-outs. Reason: Under the old VERA rules early-outs could only be authorized for a federal agency that was either undergoing or about to undergo a massive reduction-in-force and/or downgradings, and relocation of workers to keep their jobs. And they couldn't replace those employees. That let the USPS out because previous union contracts contain a no-layoff clause for most long-time employees, and it also has a no-downgrading rule. In addition, it can't move employees more than 50 miles during a reorganization. Result: The USPS was ineligible for early-outs. Period. But...

Continue reading the article at here.

On a related note:

Early retirement will be for ALL crafts, President Burrus confirmed today. He will be meeting with the Postal Service on Friday. Further details will be provided at the APWU National Presidents' Conference this weekend June 21-23.

        [June 13th]

Recycle Old or Worn Out Computers-- FREE

The Dell Recycling Tour is coming to Pittsburgh on June 21, 2003, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

(From Dell's website:)

Dell and the National Cristina Foundation, in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon University Green Practices Program, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Resources Council, Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania, and Steel Recycling Institute are offering a free technology recycling day, Saturday, June 21, at Carnegie Mellon University, Morewood Gardens parking lot, enter from Forbes Avenue, just west of Morewood Avenue.

Pittsburgh area residents are invited to empty their closets and garages of unwanted computers, monitors, printers and other computer peripherals. The event's goal is to make recycling of computer equipment easy and affordable for consumers.

Drop off is free. Recycling of all computer equipment accepted is free of charge. Please remove all data from your computer's hard drive and any removable media such as floppy disks or PC cards.

Download the flier here.

        [June 13th]

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Has Issued Interim
Voluntary Early Retirement Rules

Voluntary Early Retirement Under the Homeland Security Act of 2002

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing interim voluntary early retirement authority (VERA) regulations. These regulations implement the VERA provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which apply to most executive branch agencies.

To read the text of the VERA interim regulations, visit the
Federal Register Document on VERA at the OPM website.

        [June 6th]

Join the Fight for Affordable Health Care In Western PA Working families in western Pennsylvania face a healthcare crisis. Skyrocketing costs are forcing families to choose between coverage and food on the table. With rate increases spinning out of control and hospital and insurance monopolies, there is no end in sight.

On June 13, SEUI janitors, other unions, community organizations, and concerned taxpayers will be asking the state government to take action.

Rally Friday, June 13 8:30 am
State Building, 300 Liberty Ave, Downtown Pittsburgh

Questions? Contact SEIU Division 29 Justice for Janitors at 412-471-0690

        [June 6th]

OPM Approves Early Retirement Rules
Update #8-03

The director of the Office of Personnel Management has approved new draft regulations governing Voluntary Early Retirements (VERA) and forwarded them to the Office of Management and Budget for final approval. Once 0MB approves the regulations, it will determine how to charge early retirements against the federal budget. The next step will be publishing the new regulations in the Federal Register for public comment. The APWU has been informed that the rules will take effect as soon as they are published.

I cannot predict a specific time frame for 0MB to complete its review, but it is expected to be acted upon expeditiously.

I attended a meeting last week with postal management to review the USPS process for offering early retirement opportunities to APWU-represented employees. The process will include the identification of eligible employees and notice to those employees of their eligibility. Once employees express an interest in retiring, they will have a minimum of 45 days to revoke their decision.

Upon the approval by 0MB, postal management will begin the VERA process. The APWU and USPS have agreed that local unions will be informed of the specific steps to be followed.

As more information is received, it will be shared in an update.
William Burrus, President APWU

        [June 1st]

Wages, Benefits Attacked In Final Days of Testimony

During the final two days of testimony before the Presidential Commission on the U.S. Postal Service, most of the witnesses were from the corporate world, and most of them painted a bleak picture of the future, placing a large part of the blame on the costs associated with postal worker wages, health care and retirement benefits, and collective bargaining rights.

Offering virtually a lone counterpoint for those most directly affected by the nation's mail-delivery system was William Clay Sr., who represented Missouri's 1st District in the U.S. House for 32 years and served a long tenure on the Postal Service's oversight committee.

"I have been disappointed that consumers have generally not been heard from at your hearings," Clay told the commissioners. "You have heard from vendors, large mailers, marketers, union representatives, and the Postal Service itself, but the voices of individual Americans who rely on the mail during their daily lives have been missing."

Read the entire article at APWU.org