“WHY MUST I VOTE?”
Why must I vote? That’s the question on the table before us. Such a simple question you might think requiring no more than a casual response. However, nothing could be further from the truth. I know we have heard it before, “that this is the most important election of our lives.” However, the import of this forewarning cannot be underestimated. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIVES!!!
Rhetorically you might ask, “What makes this election any different than past elections?” Every election season warning bells sound forewarning of the threat of privatization coming to the Postal Service. What makes this threat any different than those issued in the past and more importantly how can my vote stop the threat of privatization?
Well, I’m glad you asked? As you may well know in 1970 the U.S. Congress passed into law the U.S. Postal Service Reorganization Act. The Act recognized the USPS as a quasi-independent government agency regulated by the Federal government but operated solely on monies from its goods and service. Secondly, the Act mandated postal management and postal unions to enter into Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) to include final/binding arbitration. Under the Act arbitrators were precluded from considering the financial state of the Postal Service when negotiating employees’ pay/benefit packages because it is a non-profit organization.
Through collective bargaining postal unions were able to negotiate fair competitive market wages with raises (not bonuses) and cost of living increases (COLA), fully funded retirement benefits, reduced health care premiums under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) at U.S. Postal rates rather than Federal Employees rates, no lay-off clauses, paid sick and annual leave and a whole host of other employee benefits and work environment protections.
Well, again you might ask what all of this has to do with my vote. One word answer, EVERYTHING!!! The Postal Reorganization Act is a matter of law which means Congress must pass new legislation before any new changes can be made to the way USPS is currently run and operated. This is exactly what happened in 2006 when the federal government was bleeding red in debt from two (2) unfunded wars and out of controlled spending. Needing monies to pad the federal deficit and unable to access the massive surpluses posted by USPS the lame-duck Republican Congress and Senate passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act by a voice vote.
Politicians who had long seen the USPS generate massive surpluses but were unable to access the monies because of the Postal Reorganization Act had finally found a way to gain access to the money. Under the pretense of prefunding future retirees (those hired after 2026) health care benefits the PAEA mandated the USPS to pay $5.5 billion annually over a ten (10) year period. Now massive surpluses have become massive deficits as the USPS teeters on the brink of collapse. The same politicians that created the national deficits and then passed the PAEA which raped USPS surpluses and turned them in massive deficits are at it again. Darrell Issa, Chairman, Oversight Committee, House of Representative has legislation pending that would literally dismantle the USPS as we know it. The bill would do among other things do the following:
(A) Create a panel referred to as the Postal Service Financial Responsibility & Management Assistance with a broad mandate.
(B) Empanel a separate body called Commission on Postal Reorganization (CPR) answerable to only Chair, Oversight Committee. Empowered anytime the USPS goes into default on any Federal Obligation i.e., prefunding of 30 days or more.
1st year would eliminate $1 billion in post office closures
2nd year would eliminate $1 billion in mail processing closures
(C) Authorized to force the parties to renegotiate Collective Bargaining Agreements
(D) Authorized to unilaterally modify contracts if the parties fail to reach an agreement in renegotiation i.e., reduce wages, benefits and working conditions.
(E)Force USPS employees to pay benefits at same rate as other federal employees i.e., health care, retirement etc. although USPS employees benefits are paid from USPS sales and service AND NOT tax payers.
(F) Eliminate binding arbitration
(G) Unilaterally close post offices and plants and lay off employees working at those locations.
Why must I vote? Because my livelihood really does depend on it!!!
VOTE EARLY UNTIL 11/02/2012 OR NOVEMBER 6, 2012
Why must I vote? That’s the question on the table before us. Such a simple question you might think requiring no more than a casual response. However, nothing could be further from the truth. I know we have heard it before, “that this is the most important election of our lives.” However, the import of this forewarning cannot be underestimated. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIVES!!!
Rhetorically you might ask, “What makes this election any different than past elections?” Every election season warning bells sound forewarning of the threat of privatization coming to the Postal Service. What makes this threat any different than those issued in the past and more importantly how can my vote stop the threat of privatization?
Well, I’m glad you asked? As you may well know in 1970 the U.S. Congress passed into law the U.S. Postal Service Reorganization Act. The Act recognized the USPS as a quasi-independent government agency regulated by the Federal government but operated solely on monies from its goods and service. Secondly, the Act mandated postal management and postal unions to enter into Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) to include final/binding arbitration. Under the Act arbitrators were precluded from considering the financial state of the Postal Service when negotiating employees’ pay/benefit packages because it is a non-profit organization.
Through collective bargaining postal unions were able to negotiate fair competitive market wages with raises (not bonuses) and cost of living increases (COLA), fully funded retirement benefits, reduced health care premiums under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) at U.S. Postal rates rather than Federal Employees rates, no lay-off clauses, paid sick and annual leave and a whole host of other employee benefits and work environment protections.
Well, again you might ask what all of this has to do with my vote. One word answer, EVERYTHING!!! The Postal Reorganization Act is a matter of law which means Congress must pass new legislation before any new changes can be made to the way USPS is currently run and operated. This is exactly what happened in 2006 when the federal government was bleeding red in debt from two (2) unfunded wars and out of controlled spending. Needing monies to pad the federal deficit and unable to access the massive surpluses posted by USPS the lame-duck Republican Congress and Senate passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act by a voice vote.
Politicians who had long seen the USPS generate massive surpluses but were unable to access the monies because of the Postal Reorganization Act had finally found a way to gain access to the money. Under the pretense of prefunding future retirees (those hired after 2026) health care benefits the PAEA mandated the USPS to pay $5.5 billion annually over a ten (10) year period. Now massive surpluses have become massive deficits as the USPS teeters on the brink of collapse. The same politicians that created the national deficits and then passed the PAEA which raped USPS surpluses and turned them in massive deficits are at it again. Darrell Issa, Chairman, Oversight Committee, House of Representative has legislation pending that would literally dismantle the USPS as we know it. The bill would do among other things do the following:
(A) Create a panel referred to as the Postal Service Financial Responsibility & Management Assistance with a broad mandate.
(B) Empanel a separate body called Commission on Postal Reorganization (CPR) answerable to only Chair, Oversight Committee. Empowered anytime the USPS goes into default on any Federal Obligation i.e., prefunding of 30 days or more.
1st year would eliminate $1 billion in post office closures
2nd year would eliminate $1 billion in mail processing closures
(C) Authorized to force the parties to renegotiate Collective Bargaining Agreements
(D) Authorized to unilaterally modify contracts if the parties fail to reach an agreement in renegotiation i.e., reduce wages, benefits and working conditions.
(E)Force USPS employees to pay benefits at same rate as other federal employees i.e., health care, retirement etc. although USPS employees benefits are paid from USPS sales and service AND NOT tax payers.
(F) Eliminate binding arbitration
(G) Unilaterally close post offices and plants and lay off employees working at those locations.
Why must I vote? Because my livelihood really does depend on it!!!
VOTE EARLY UNTIL 11/02/2012 OR NOVEMBER 6, 2012
