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League News Recent Headlines November 23, 2009 - Postal Service Announces Short-term Supervisor Selection and Placement Process October 9, 2009 - Remarks of Postmaster General/Ceo John E. Potter At The National Press Club Washington, DC October 9, 2009 - FERS Sick Leave in DoD Conference Agreement September 28, 2009 - The Postal Service has not planned to offer a monetary incentive to Postmasters. September 4, 2009 - LEAGUE Wins Holmes EEO Class Action Case. July 30, 2009 - LEAGUE Executive VP Mark Strong Testifies Before Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service & The District Of Columbia. July 24, 2009 - The Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Relief Act Of 2009 Introduced. June 26, 2009 - The House unanimously approved a bill that could increase the pensions for hundreds of thousands of federal employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). May 21, 2009 - Hearing to Evaluate the Postal Service’s Cuts in Operations and Network May 6, 2009 - Reduction Timeline — RIF Avoidance and RIF Process / 2009 Effective May 11, 2009 - PO Box Fee Increases Reviewed - FAQ April 14, 2009 - Article on NPA written by LEAGUE Executive Vice President, Mark Strong. April 3, 2009 - LEAGUE President Update to Recent Postal Hearing on Hill, Retirements, NPA March 27, 2009 - Summary of Testimony before the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service & the District of Columbia. March 25, 2009 - View the Testimony of Postmaster General Potter, Chairman BOG Gallagher and League President Mapa before the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service & the District of Columbia of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the U.S. House of Representatives US Postal Service Announces Major Organizational Changes to Include District Closings FERS Sick Leave Bill Gets OK from House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform The amount Postal employees pay for their health care premiums will not be part of the full, formal version of the President's budget Historic Kentucky ice storm - League Postmasters working togather A Do Not Mail bill, has been introduced in New York by Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn Text of PMG Potter's Testimony to Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management. The LEAGUE and Other Management Associations Meet with USPS on NPA issues. VER Irrevocable Date Change; If you are a Postmaster, field EAS, Field PCES, or Area Office EAS & PCES, eligible for early retirement, the irrevocable date for your decision has been changed from January 16, 2009 to February 9, 2009 Latest Postal Industry News Briefs - December 2008 Freeze Announced - effective immediately all Area and District job postings are frozen until further notice including laterals and downgrades VER effective date change, you can elect to change the original effective date from March 31, 2009 to December 31, 2008, or January 31, 2009 or February 28, 2009 Policy clarification for NPA Goals, Objective Setting Discussions and Behavioral Objectives Perhaps you've heard that the Postal Service has gone to Congress asking for a handout. Well that is not the case at all. Latest Postal Industry News Briefs - November 2008 League rejects Postal Service proposal to forego or defer NPA increases or payouts for FY 2009. Postal Service OIG opens public blog. View VER Offering and Steps (PDF) Voluntary Early Retirement Timeline Released Postal Service representatives met with us on POVs and a pilot program that is slated to go nationwide soon - the SSA Revenue Goals System Voluntary Early Retirement Authority VERA Approved by OPM for all EAS and Postmasters field positions Postal Service announces a freeze on any further postings for field administrative EAS hires. LEAGUE President Charley Mapa testified before the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 10, 2008.s VERA (early out) is being offered to most crafts, some supervisors but NO Postmasters The House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment that would require the United States Postal Service to study the cost-effectiveness and fuel consumption of a five-day delivery system. League President Testifies before the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service & the District of Columbia Focus group at Postal Headquarters to work with issues covering the Variance Programs 20 LEAGUE Members Recognized as Growth Award Winners USPSNEWSLINK EXTRA - MEET THE NEW PRICE LEADER - We now have unprecedented pricing flexibility and we’re going to use it! Sunsetting of Mechanized Stamp Vending Adverse Action Counselor Training Evolves to Meet Increasing Demands PAY INCREASE F0R POSTMASTER RELIEF(PMR) Award Issued, Ending Arbitration With Rural Letter Carriers Union Route Count Dates for 2008 and 2009 Congressional Subcommittee on Social Security met to hear testimony on the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) Designing a Rate Setting System (Part 2) The Westchester District has received approval to increase the hourly rate of pay for PMRs to $15.00 The Automated Workforce Projection System (AWPS) is now being implemented in all parts of the country Box Rents: 50 Percent of Nation’s Post Offices Move to New Fee Group Bruce Evans from Postal Headquarters contacted the League in reference to two minor inaccuracies regarding the pay package Joint Statement on Pay Package by The LEAGUE and NAPUS. EAS Pay Package FY 2007 - 2010(PDF) League's Agenda Items for the upcoming USPS Consultative Meeting Designing a Rate Setting System (Part 1) League President, Charles Mapa Testifies Before The Subcommittee On Federal Workforce, Postal Service, And The District Of Columbia, Of The Committee On Oversight And Government Reform Of The US House Of Representatives League Honors Senator Susan Collins for Postal Reform Efforts November 23, 2009Dear Leaguers, For quite some time now, the Management Associations have challenged Postal Headquarters on the significant number of supervisor vacancies and we are, therefore, gratified that something is finally being done about it. Please note that this process opens on December 29. Also significant is that it is open to all EAS and career bargaining unit employees. For those of you Postmasters who have been waiting for an opportunity like this, here's your chance. Others may have identified clerks, carriers and other bargaining unit employees that you thought would make good supervisors. If you have a supervisor vacancy or think that you qualify for one, do your own SWCs now to prepare for this process. Short-Term Supervisor Selection and Placement Process Memo Respectfully, Charley Mapa President, League September 28, 2009Dear Leaguers, We have had some inquiries as to whether or not the Postal Service had planned to offer a monetary incentive to Postmasters similar to the incentive that has been offered to mail handlers and some APWU employees. Immediately after receiving notification that an incentive was to be offered to some craft employees, the LEAGUE and NAPUS sent a joint letter to Postal Headquarters requesting that a like incentive be offered to Postmasters. Recently we received a response from Doug Tulino, Vice President, Labor Relations, to our request. Mr. Tulino reminded us that the incentive was offered to employees that have been identified as being in groups that are critically overstaffed, and where complement needs to be reduced. Postmasters are, of course, not in a function that is overstaffed; if a Postmaster leaves the service, his or her position needs to be refilled. While the League has suggested that allowing Postmasters to leave with a monetary incentive frees up positions into which we can move employees from overstaffed groups, Postal Headquarters has not informed us that this option is being considered. Mr. Tulino closed his message with this statement; "Despite the complement reductions that have already taken place, postmasters and others throughout the organization are doing a highly commendable job, as evidenced by the record levels of service being achieved across the country....The challenges associated with the deployment of our employee resources to where they are most needed must include appropriate consideration of these workload issues." In the coming months, thousands of clerks will be taking advantage of the monetary incentive to leave the Postal Service. It is the opinion of the LEAGUE that this could lead to disastrous results in many post offices that will lose valuable clerks. The League has formulated a plan that, if implemented, could offer considerable relief to impacted post offices. We will be sharing this plan next week with Postal Headquarters in a meeting that will include the LEAGUE, NAPS, and NAPUS. Many thanks to those of you who responded to our solicitation for ideas on how we might get coverage into impacted post offices. Respectfully, Charley Mapa President National League of Postmasters July 24, 2009Leaguers, Below is a letter announcing Senator Tom Carper's introduction of S1507, The Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Relief Act of 2009, which was introduced yesterday July 23, 2009. S 1507 embodies a proposal drafted by OMB as an alternative to HR 22. Both the legislative language and an explanation are attached. The League supports this measure. Current resistance to HR 22, in spite of 370 + co-sponsors, is that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), scores the bill at about $2.5 billion; in other words, it will impact the Federal budget by that sum overall. We've all been asking how moving around our own money in our own trust funds should cost the Feds anything, but the CBO insists that it does, so.... Anyway, although there is no official CBO score on S. 1507, OMB says that the attached proposal should "score" less than HR 22, which should make it more acceptable than H.R. 22 to just about anyone. You can see that, rather than being front-loaded, i.e., asking for more money in the early years of the obligation, it is back loaded, i.e., it has shifted the heavier burden toward the end of the obligation, when the economy will be in better shape. If enacted, this will save the PS about $6.3 billion in the short term, and that is a big hunk of money. That money would have to be made up over the long term. The bill also allows the Postal Service to borrow an additional $2 billion on an emergency basis, without violating the borrowing cap. Originally, OMB was trying to get it so that this proposal didn't score at all, but CBO apparently hasn't agreed. This bill clearly is a short term measure. Other measures are needed for the long term, including revisiting and recalculating the exact amount that the Postal Service needs to pay to full fund its obligation. According to the analysis of Postal Service's OIG, the payments the Postal Service are scheduled to make are greater than they need to be, and that if the current schedule was maintained, by 2016 the Postal Service would have overpaid by some $13.2 billion. Thus, we believe that the overall schedule needs to be adjusted, a task too complicated and too politically charged to accomplish by the end of the summer. Hence, S 1507. Respectfully, Charley June 26, 2009The House unanimously approved a bill that could increase the pensions for hundreds of thousands of federal employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). The measure credits the unused sick leave of retiring FERS employees toward their time-in-service when calculating their pensions. There are roughly 1.4 million employees in the FERS. Employees under the older Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) have always had this benefit. The House approved the measure, called the Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act of 2009, by a 404-0 vote. It now moves to the Senate, which stripped similar provisions from a bill giving the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco. The bill also allows FERS employees who leave and then return to federal service to get credit for their previous service and to redeposit their retirement annuities so they can receive a pension for their entire federal service. CSRS employees already have this benefit. But CSRS employees also would benefit from the bill if it gets passed. It would let CSRS employees who choose to work part-time at the end of their careers collect their full annuities. The bill also extends locality pay to Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories, which currently only get cost of living adjustments (COLAs). The region would begin transitioning to the locality pay system starting in January 2010, when employees would receive one-third of the locality pay percentage for the rest of the U.S. In 2011, those employees would receive two-thirds of the locality pay percentage. And in 2012, they would receive full locality pay. COLAs are based on higher cost of goods and services in regions while locality pay aims to close the pay gap between public and private-sector employees. Employees who are paid COLAs get smaller annuities when they retire because locality pay boosts base salary, which can be counted toward their annuity calculations. May 21, 2009WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia held a hearing entitled, “Nip and Tuck: The Impact of Current Cost Cutting Efforts on Postal Service Operations and Network.” "In the simplest words I can find, we can no longer afford the costs of six-day mail delivery," said USPS Sr VP of Operations William Galligan. "In my mind, it is no longer a question of if, but rather when, will economics require this change," he said. "Unfortunately, as mail volume continues to plummet, even [the legislation, H.R. 22] will be insufficient to close the gap between costs and revenue," Galligan said. "That is why we must make fundamental changes to our service network -- including reduced delivery frequency." This hearing is a part of a series of hearings the Subcommittee is conducting to examine and discuss the Postal Service’s current operational and financial challenges. Wednesday’s hearing, in particular, will examine the status and impact of the United States Postal Service’s cuts in operations and services, and recent efforts to optimize its network and improve efficiency. “The Subcommittee and the American people are alarmed by reports that show that just halfway into this fiscal year the Postal Service already has a loss of $2.3 billion. To further complicate things, Postal officials see no signs of improvement and anticipate a total loss that almost triples that amount by year’s end,” said Chairman Stephen F. Lynch. Reports from the first half of this fiscal year reflect that the Postal Service’s total revenue loss is $2.3 billion, compared to fiscal year 2008’s total loss of $2.8 billion. These losses, coupled with the recent decision to reduce costs by closing six of its 80 district offices, eliminate positions across the country, and offer another round of early retirements make the Subcommittee’s hearing very timely. In light of USPS’s current financial pressures, Wednesday’s hearing aims to generate effective short and long term strategies to reduce costs and improve efficiency at the Postal Service. “The Postal Service has made tough decisions to cut costs by consolidating facilities, realigning carrier routes, shortening post office hours, and the very unpopular, raising of postal rates. The Subcommittee will examine the impact of these cuts on postal employees and customers, assess whether these actions go far enough, and explore what additional opportunities the Postal Service can undertake to remain viable.” Witnesses’ testimonies, the Chairman’s opening statement and a 10:00 a.m. live broadcast of the hearing can be found on the Subcommittee’s website,federalworkforce.oversight.house.gov May 6, 2009April 14, 2009Dear LEAGUER: Please read the following article on NPA written by LEAGUE Executive Vice President, Mark Strong. Much talk has been generated about the motivations of the League of Postmasters regarding the Mid-Year NPA adjustments. Careful reading of Mark’s article will show that any agreements made were for the good of the vast majority of Postmasters. The Mid-Year adjustments were part of a cohesive package that would transform NPA into the motivational process that it should be. Making NPA Changes at Mid-year - Executive Vice President, Mark Strong - click to view Charley Mapa, President, National League of Postmasters April 3, 2009Congressman Clevitz remarked that he had a problem with the fact that Mr. Potter had received such a large performance bonus (over $130 thousand) while the Postal Service operated in the red. BOG Chair Gallagher stated that Jack Potter’s bonus was not based the profitability of the Postal Service. With the great downturn in the economy, it is likely that demanding a Postal Service in the black ink is not a reasonable expectation. After all, the Postal Service could have lost $6 billion in FY 2008 instead of only about $2 billion. Efforts to minimize the losses should be rewarded. Likewise, bonuses for Postmasters and supervisors should have been based on like criteria, i.e., what was good for the Postmaster General should have been good for Postmasters. After all, it was the Postmasters and supervisors who actually captured almost all of the savings and, in many cases, the savings were based on the fact that Postmasters were working for clerks, carriers and supervisors. Capturing savings is just as important to the Postal Service as revenue when the Postal Service is suffering double-digit losses in mail volumes. With all of the early retirements of Postmasters (928), there is tremendous opportunity for career advancement. Postmasters interested in advancement should be preparing their profiles now to be prepared to submit them for Postmaster vacancies. I have requested from Postal Headquarters the ability for Postmasters to put in for non-competitive lateral appointments to office they may have a good reason, whether it be for a hardship or otherwise. So far, Postal HQ has remained noncommittal, even though such laterals were permitted in the past. Even if they were permitted, it would leave the same number of Postmaster vacancies available for District personnel impacted by the Postal Service’s downsizing efforts. Besides preparing your profile, researching your potential post offices is a must. Visit those post offices now that you may be interested in applying for. Talk to the current OIC to see what the office’s revenue and TOE are as well as the makeup of the staff. See what the office’s staffing levels are, for, as you know, it is almost impossible to get hiring done. Get a good idea what the demands of any particular post office might be before you apply. Don’t let the allure of a bigger paycheck be your only criteria for picking an office. Seriously consider what the impact of taking that new post office might have on your work day, your off time, your community life, your marriage and your children. If possible, contact the retiring Postmaster. He or she may not have retired simply because he wanted a chance to do something new. It might be that the demands of his particular office were consuming him, and he was no longer willing to sacrifice his family and his life for the post office. Taking an early retirement may have been the only way out of a nasty predicament for him. Ask surrounding area Postmasters about the District manager and POOM if you are applying for an office outside your current area. Good District leaders can make things much more palatable, while poor POOMs and District managers can make working in that new post office a living hell. You don’t want to be praying for the next early out to come soon after you accept your new position. After carefully considering all of the above and you are up for the challenge of a new office, go for it! You may be a perfect fit for that post office of your dreams! Get ready now. Postal Headquarters has informed us that posted Postmaster positions will be filled in 60 days of their posting date. In my testimony to Congress last week, I had the opportunity to touch on the plight of the many FLSA exempt Postmasters working extremely long work weeks. What I did not share with them was that I have been hearing from more and more non-exempt Postmasters who have been working ‘off the clock’. Often this is in response to some ‘absolutely no overtime’ edict issued by a District manager or MPOO. Let me remind you that these edicts do not overrule Federal Law. If you are a non-exempt Postmaster who has been put into a position where you’ve got to work overtime, claim it … you’ve earned it. If your POOM threatens you, please remind him or her that you are entitled by law to be paid for overtime. If he or she persists in asking you to violate the law, he or she is violating the law. You should have your District coordinator, or branch president contact your manager of Human Resources or your District manager to discuss the problem. That should end the controversy. You also have recourse through the OIG hotline. That shows you how serious this matter is. I don’t know of a single Postmaster or supervisor who would dream of asking his employees to work for free; for an MPOO to expect it of his Postmasters is a despicable act and should be dealt with accordingly. Over the next several weeks we will see many displaced District folks filling Postmaster positions. In many cases, these people have had no experience in running a post office, or they may not have done that for a long time and are very rusty. Certainly they are not used to the many superfluous reports, scans, telecoms and other micromanaging ‘tools’ employed by Districts (unless they were on the generating end of any of all that). In typical LEAGUE manner I know that you will reach out to assist and support them. Include them in your network. Try to make their transitions smoother; in the long run that welcome that you extend will make things better for all concerned. You will benefit because you have expanded your LEAGUE team support; the Postal Service will benefit because it will have a group of leaders working together to streamline operations and provide better service to our customers. Recently, we had some changes to our Postmaster and supervisor NPA. The changes were only part of much needed change. The management associations were ready to request that the process be shut down as it was simply not motivating many Postmasters. Once we can get all of our recommendations implemented we will have a program that works for managers and the Postal Service. As the greatest majority of Postmasters have unattainable revenue and expense budgets, we know we have to get some changes made there. The workhour rate adjustment is implemented nationwide in a haphazard manner. Postmasters who think that they are doing a great job TOE-wise find that they have failed a month before the end of the fiscal year. How is that for motivation? With some changes to NPA/PFP, there is hope for the programs survival. Without the changes, it needs to be replaced with something that works. Read Mark Strong’s article in the May issue to get a better understanding of where we are trying to go with NPA/PFP. Something that has already become a victim of the dismal postal economy is annual Postmaster training. Not to worry—LEAGUE state convention season is upon us and it provides Postmasters opportunities for some phenomenal training and information sharing! Get involved in your state convention and commit now to attend the LEAGUE University at our National Convention in Buffalo New York. Niagara Falls is calling you… Charley Mapa , President League of Postmasters March 27, 2009Dear Leaguers, You’ve read the testimonies that have been provided; so let me give you a summary of our hearing before the House Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia. This hearing, of course, was to discuss the financial situation of the Postal Service. The hearing itself went well and despite its length, was quite interesting. At some time or other during the hearing, practically every subcommittee member at least stuck his head in for at least a short time (with a few notable exceptions). The subcommittee chair is Stephen Lynch, Democratic Representative from Massachusetts who has a deep family tradition with the Postal Service as many of his relatives are now, or have been in the past, employed by the Postal Service. The ranking Minority member is Jason Chaffetz, Representative from Utah. The testimony began with PMG Jack Potter. Mr. Potter centered most of his testimony on the financial status of the Postal Service and the need for HR 22 to give the Service relief of about $2.4 billion of payments annually (for more info on this issue go to our position paper on HR 22 under legislation on this webpage). The PMG emphasized repeatedly the need also for the Postal Service to go to 5-day delivery. After his prepared testimony, Mr. Potter was grilled for a while first on two issues. These issues were his salary and his home loan through Countywide home loans. You have read my opinion regarding the PMG’s salary on this website on my President’s Message. Much time was expended getting answers to questions on each of these issues. More importantly, Mr. Potter was asked about various options regarding HR 22. He responded that the Postal Service would be best served with 8 years of relief. He stuck to his guns on the need to go to 5-day delivery, speculating that this move would save the Postal Service more than three billion dollars a year. Following Mr. Potter’s testimony, Carolyn Gallagher, Chairman of the Board of Governors and Dan Blair, Chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, testified. Chairman Gallagher answered on onslaught of questions regarding the PMG’s salary and bonus, the upshot being that Mr. Potter deserved the pay and bonus that he received, both were given as prescribed by law, and both were more than deserved by Mr. Potter. Mr. Blair and Ms. Gallagher both supported the 5-day delivery concept, and Mr. Blair stated that the structural adjustment would save about two billion dollars for the Postal Service. Phillip Herr from the GAO and David Williams, the Inspector General for the Postal Service, were up next. Of note were Mr. Kerr’s remarks, which were closely noted by the Subcommittee, that the GAO thought that the relief given to the Postal Service should be for two years, not eight, and Mr. Williams assurances that Mr. Potters Countrywide loan is being thoroughly investigated and his assertions that HR 22 should save the Postal Service just under two billion dollars annually. fter about 5 hours and three interruptions to allow subcommittee members to vote on issues back on the floor of the House, the Presidents of the management associations, Ted Keating from NAPS, Dale Goff from NAPUS and I, Charley Mapa from the LEAGUE were able to testify. Common to all testimonies (mine is included in full on this webpage) were our urging of support for HR 22 and the reduction of bureaucracy through the elimination of layers of postal management that may be redundant and counter to a streamlined postal operation. Mr. Goff and I put in considerable effort to show the essential role that a post office plays in the life of a rural American community. I spent some time showing how destructive our shortage of employees and oppressive district management practices can be to the professional and personal well being of Postmasters. We felt that before the Postal Service jumped into 5-day delivery we needed to closely examine how it will affect the workweek of a post office, as well as how it will affect the percentage of Americans who think that Saturday delivery is extremely important. Judging by some of the comments made by Subcommittee members, I am sure that we made a very good case for rural post offices. The physical and mental toll on Postmasters due to the workload placed on them needs to be further investigated by this subcommittee. As the day was running long, and each of us had other appointments, we left before hearing the testimonies of the four union presidents, but I do know that each is in full support of HR 22. Charley Mapa, President, National League of Postmasters March 25, 2009March 20, 2009US Postal Service Announces Major Organizational Changes to Include District Closings Organizational Changes District Closings It will take approximately 5 months to close down the functions performed at the impacted districts. We expect this to be finalized by the end of August 2009. Impacted employees will be given 5 months notice to look for a placement within the Postal Service. If unable to do so, the employee will be given a RIF notice on June 24, 2009. Once the RIF notice is received, the employee then has 60 days before their employment status with the Postal Service will end on August 28, 2009. Function 1 – EAS positions In excess of 1400 EAS positions in more than 400 facilities will be eliminated in mail processing operations. These positions are being eliminated based on a mathematical computation designed to readjust our management-to-craft employee ratio to factor in the thousands of craft employees who have left the Postal Service in the last several years. An employee who is impacted by this decision will be given 4 month’s notice to look for placement within the Postal Service. If they are unable to do so, the employee will be given a Specific RIF notice on May 27, 2009. Once the RIF notice is received, the employee has 60 days before their employment status with the Postal Service will end on July 31, 2009. Additional information on the elimination of these positions will be provided. March 19, 2009FERS Sick Leave Bill Gets OK from House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform On Wednesday, March 18, 2009, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform gave its support to H.R. 958. The bill would amend title 5, United States Code, to make unused sick leave creditable, for purposes of the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) in the same manner as provided for under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Congressman James Moran (VA-8) introduced the bill February 10, 2009, and it had 36 cosponsors around the time it was referred to the House Committee. The Congressional Budget Office has reported that FERS people would gain approximately $150 in their annual retirement payment. Moran said that this measure would reduce the number of federal employees calling in sick in pre-retirement weeks due to a “use it or lose it” scenario. March 5, 2009Dear Leaguers, We've heard so much over the last few days regarding President Obama's budget for 2009, especially the portion regarding the amount Postal employees pay for their health care premiums. Of course, this caused much consternation among all of us. This is what our Legislative Counsel, Bob Brinkmann, has provided regarding that issue: "The summary version of the budget that President Obama sent up to the hill contained a provision that suggested that postal workers bear the same proportion of the costs of their benefits as do other federal workers. Our understanding is that putting that provision into the summary budget was an error, and that it has been rectified. The full, formal version of the President's budget that will be submitted later in the year will not contain that provision. " At this point, it seems that what was a big issue, has become a non-issue. Respectfully, Charley Mapa President National League of Postmasters Featured Article: Historic Kentucky ice stormDear Leaguers, Attached is a preview of an article that is going to print for our next article. Its author, Peggy Smith from Kentucky, writes about how terrible things were in Kentucky, just about a month ago, during our Legislative Forum, which she and several other Kentucky Leaguers were forced to miss because of the extreme icy weather in Kentucky. In her article she gave credit to the League for helping out her situation. So much thanks to Bob Bittner for pushing this situation. I was in the basement of the Rayburn congressional building getting ready to eat lunch with the California delegation when I noticed that I had received not one, but two, messages from Bob. Bob said, "Charley, I don't know what you can do, but things are horrible up in Kentucky. The Postmasters are all at work with no electricity, heat or running water, can't we help?" The Rayburn building may be in the most powerful city in the world, but I didn't feel too powerful down in that basement! I thought of the person at Postal Headquarters who would react most quickly to this crisis based on a mostly unsubstantiated report from Kentucky. I called that person (who usually avoids the limelight), left a voice message on his phone describing the emergency situation in in Kentucky, and went about my business. Next thing I hear is that there are some very happy Postmasters in Kentucky who have electicity, water and heat. See, you can get good things done through Headquarters; I only wish that it was always that easy! Thank you Bob and my unnamed contact at Postal Headquarters! Charley February 17, 2009 - Mail Moves America Legislative Update:SB 2132, a Do Not Mail bill, has been introduced in New York by Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn). The bill is a variation on the standard Do Not Mail bill we have seen in that it is styled as a “Do Not Offer” registry. It exempts only existing business relationships and verbal or written requests from the customer. Non-profits appear to be exempted by definition, in that the bill defines a “direct mail marketer” as one who mails for financial profit or commercial purposes. This is a refile of SB1403 from the 2007-2008 session, which never received initial consideration in the Senate. However, the November elections brought the Democrats in control of the Senate, so the dynamic is somewhat different now. There are two other bills we are watching in NY that are not Do Not Mail bills per se, but could have a limiting effect on mail in the state. This makes the fifth DNM bill we have in 2009, two in CT, two in FL and now one in NY. The Legislative Committee of MMA is reviewing response options. FYI, as of this writing, there is no update on the non-binding resolution before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Ben Cooper Executive Director Mail Moves America 1155 21st Street NW/ Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036 January 15, 2009 - NPA Issues MeetingDear Leaguers, The link below is a copy of the minutes of a meeting held January 14, at Postal Headquarters between the representatives and leaders of the management associations, NAPS,NAPUS, and the LEAGUE and Postal Service Headquarters. We have been unsuccessfully trying, over the last few years, to engage the Postal Service in meaningful dialogue regarding PFP/NPA, however, at our meeting we may have turned the corner towards coming into compliance with Title 39 of the U.S. Code which states in part that the management associations will directly participate in the planning and development of programs affecting pay. It is our hope that our recommendations will be given very serious consideration, in fact, we'd like to see that they are all implemented. We believe that the Postal Service and its managers will all benefit from an improved NPA/PFP process. The portions of the minutes that appear in red are clarifications added by the LEAGUE. Many thanks to Presidents Dale Goff, Ted Keating and their teams for their participation, and of course, many thanks to LEAGUE Executive Vice President Mark Strong for joining me on behalf of the LEAGUE. Respectfully, Click to view minutes (Word Document) December 16, 2008 - VER Irrevocable Date ChangeDear Leaguers, If you were identified as a being a Postmaster, field EAS, Field PCES, or Area Office EAS & PCES, eligible for early retirement, the irrevocable date for your decision has been changed from January 16, 2009 to February 9, 2009. No reason was given to us by Postal Headquarters and this apparently does not change the offer to elect an earlier date than March 31, 2009 (see newsbreak of December 9 below). The Postal Service will be mailing you the attached letter. Revised - Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) Offer Letter – New Irrevocable Date (Click to view) Acknowledgment Of Irrevocability Of Voluntary Early Retirement Decision form. (Click to view) Respectfully, Charley Mapa December 11, 2008 - Latest Postal Industry News BriefsDecember 10, 2008 - Freeze AnnouncedAs information, the following message was just sent to the Area V.P.s and to the field from Tony Vegliante: Staffing changes will be made in the Field beginning early 2009. Due to these changes, effective immediately all Area and District job postings are frozen until further notice including laterals and downgrades. Any exceptions need to come through my office by contacting Bretta Bombac, Mgr. HR Integration and Support. Please proceed with current postings. The last date for processing PS Form 50s will be 1/16/09. December 9, 2008 - VER effective date change, you can elect to change the original effective date from March 31, 2009 to December 31, 2008, or January 31, 2009 or February 28, 2009Dear Leaguers, Just received this message from Postal Headquarters. As you can see from the following documents, Postmasters can designate dates earlier than the March 31, 2009 date specified on the original offer. ESA VER MEMO - December 9, 2008. (Click to view) Respectfully, Charley Mapa President, National League of Postmasters December 2, 2008 - Policy clarification for NPA Goals, Objective Setting Discussions and Behavioral ObjectivesDear Leaguers, Many of you have contacted me regarding your districts' including numeric targets in your core requirements for NPA goal setting. Core requirements are all about 'behaviors' for Postmasters. Your core goals should not be explicit, such as, "Raise retail revenue 5%" or implied, such as, "Increase retail revenue to SPLY". Note also from Ms. Gandhi's letter the references to "arbitrary targets" and "additional core requirements". You can see that this should be an interactive process "typically done during a one-on-one discussion" and, "evaluators must also afford the employees the opportunity to discuss the core requirements individually. Core requirements should never be mandated to all employees with no opportunity for the interactive discussion". I had request a policy clarification from Mangala Gandhi at Postal Headquarters, Ms. Gandhi was very gracious in issuing this policy letter. I hope that it provides the clarification you and your districts need to make this part of the process work as intended. Please feel free to share this with your fellow Postmasters and district personnel. USPS Objective Setting Discussions and Behavioral Objectives - December 2, 2008. (Click to view) Charley Mapa President, National League of Postmasters November 18, 2008 - Proposed legislative change Sought by USPSDear Leaguers, Many of you have certainly seen or heard so-called news releases and commentary over the last few days on the internet or the radio regarding the bailout of a government Agency, the United States Postal Service. You've perhaps heard that the Postal Service, like our huge financial services companies and the American automobile industry has gone to Congress asking for a handout, something to tide us over during these severe financial times. Well that is not the case at all. You've heard and read the rumors and commentary, now let's get down to some simple facts. The Postal service operated in a deficit for FY 2008. The fact that we operated in a deficit can be fully attributed to the more than $5 billion dollars that the Postal Service is required to pay into a fund that will pay for future medical benefits for retires (most of you and me). Had we not had to make this payment, we would have, thanks greatly in part to Postmasters' efforts in cutting costs and raising revenue, been profitable in a down year. The Postal Service, as you can see from the very good explanation put forward by our Legislative Counsel, Bob Brinkmann, is not asking for a bailout, it is, rather, asking to essentially refinance our the terms of our payment to the U.S. Treasury, and to pay obligations for current employee benefits from our already established fund. This will save the Postal Service over $2 billion, and is something doable because it is revenue neutral, i.e., it doesn't cost the government anything. That is the saving grace of this idea. If we were to go to Congress asking for a handout in this very strapped economy, their answer to us might likely be ,"No!". This option, one that Bob Brinkmann has worked on with other Postal leaders, is a very good option and one that is supported by all of the postal unions and management associations. Description of Recent USPS Proposal to Refinance Postal Retiree Health Benefits. (Click to view) Actual proposed legislative change Sought by USPS. (Click to view) November 12, 2008 - Latest Postal Industry News BriefsDocumentation Sought on Supervisors’ Work in Small Offices APWU’s Web news of Nov. 5, 2008, reported that APWU President William Burrus asked the Postal Service to provide documentation that will help the union track the amount of craft work performed by supervisors in small offices. The article noted that “rulings by Arbitrator Sylvester Garrett and Arbitrator Shyam Das have determined that historical practice sets the baseline for the amount of work that can be performed by Postmasters and supervisors in small offices.” Burrus noted that the information requested will help APWU determine whether management is shifting work from craft employees to supervisory employees. TSP Funds Slide in October Alyssa Rosenberg, writing on www.GovernmentExecutive.com on Nov. 3, 2008, reported that “every fund except the government securities option lost ground” in October. She noted that the S Fund, which invests in small- and mid-size U.S. companies and tracks the Dow Jones Wilshire 4500 Index, posted the largest October loss: its value fell 20.99 percent. The international (I) fund dropped 42.67 percent in 2008 and 46.95 percent since October 2007. Rate Hike for 2009: 5 Percent “Many catalogers are wondering what they can expect in terms of a rate hike in May 2009,” said writer Jim Tierney on www.multichannelmerchant.com. Tierney wrote that Dan G. Blair, chair of the Postal Regulatory Commission, offered his educated prognostication that “... the average increase for each class of mail will be approximately 5 percent. The actual rate cap will depend upon the behavior of the CPI between now and December.” Magazine Postage Increases The October 27, 2008, edition of deadtreeedition.blogspot.com reports that, “contrary to popular opinion in the industry, Periodicals rates could increase by more than the rate of inflation next year, especially for inefficient mailers.” It is noted that “the U.S. Postal Service seems likely to implement extra-high rate increases next year for Periodicals-class mailers who use sacks instead of pallets, especially if the sacks are not drop-shipped, several contacts say.” USPS is slated to announce rate increases for all classes of mail in February for implementation 90 days later in May. First-Ever Postal Service Layoffs David Yao, writing on labornotes.org recently, reported that “Postmaster General Jack Potter, after reporting losses of $2.3 billion in the fiscal year ending September 30, informed the unions that 16,000 craft employees (out of approximately 600,000) are not protected by contractual, seniority-based no-layoff clauses.” He went on to note “early retirement which, based on acceptance rates thus far, will have around 7,000 takers. In early 2009, when the number of early retirees will be known and income can be assessed for the traditionally profitable fourth quarter, there’s a chance that the first layoffs of craft employees may occur.” Acting Chief Postal Inspector Named PMG Jack Potter has announced the appointment of William Gilligan as Acting Chief Postal Inspector to replace Chief Postal Inspector Al Lazaroff, who retired Nov. 3, 2008. Gilligan has been the deputy general counsel at Postal HQ since May 2000. He began his postal career in 1973 as a clerk-carrier in Philadelphia and worked as a postal police officer and an Inspection Service analyst prior to becoming an attorney in 1987. Lazaroff retired soon after an ABC News “20/20” interview of October 16, 2008. October 30, 2008 - The League President and the other Management Associations reject Postal Service proposal to forego or defer NPA increases or payouts for FY 2009.League National President, Charley Mapa, Naps National President, Ted Keating, Napus National President, Dale Goff, along with Naps Executive VP Louis Atkins and Naps Secretary/Treasurer Jay Killacky met with representatives from Labor Relations at Postal Headquarters. The stated purpose of the meeting was to receive a response from the Management Association Presidents as to whether or not the Associations would agree to forego or defer NPA increases or payouts for FY 2009. Early on League President Mapa rejected Postal Headquarters’ suggestion that Postmasters give up Convention Leave. He cited how important this leave was to keeping Postmasters trained and informed and how valuable it was to the Postal Service just as it is to Postmasters. Napus and the League, do all the work putting the conventions together, pay for the meeting space, meals, and equipment, schedule speakers, develop training and spend time encouraging and motivating Postmasters. Postmasters pay their own transportation, lodging and meals. All the Postal Service has to do is provide for 5 days paid leave. President Dale Goff agreed wholeheartedly and suggested that Naps be afforded the same Convention Leave for its members. The Management Associations then asked for information from the recent agreement between the NALC and the Postal Service concerning route evaluations. The Postal Service responded that the goal of this agreement was to ultimately reduce the cost of delivery through the changes in the route evaluation process. In a change from the current method of route evaluations, the adjustments to routes will be data driven through the use of eight weeks of information from current computerized systems. The evaluations will be conducted jointly between the NALC and the Postal Service. The results of this agreement will significantly reduce and eliminate the costs that are involved in the current process. The Associations brought up several of the rumors that have flooded the field. According to Postal Headquarters most of them were unfounded. In short, there are no plans to consolidate Areas and Districts. There was some discussion on how we might deal with the changes in the workplace, then the discussion quickly turned to Postmasters and supervisors giving up or deferring their General Increases earned in FY 08. President Keating told Postal Headquarters representatives that there is no way to sell the idea to his membership and that Naps rejected the proposal, President Mapa cited the fact that Postmasters have worked under extremely demanding conditions for the last four years and that we would not give up what we had earned. President Goff stated that Napus also rejected the notion. A letter signed by all three Association Presidents officially rejecting giving up pay was presented to Headquarters personnel. The meeting was abruptly ended before any thoughts on how the Postal Service could save money could be presented. October 08, 2008 - BUSINESS FOCUS - MAKE EVERY VOTE COUNT - HOW TO HANDLE ABSENTEE BALLOTS WITH INSUFFICIENT POSTAGEMarilyn Walton (NAPS) is the election mail co-ordinator at the Sacramento plant. She wants all postal employees to be aware of how to handle absentee ballots with insuffiecient postage. Absentee balloting materials are now entering the mailstream. Some will be shortpaid or have no postage at all. See the note at end of this article. Employees need to be aware that absentee balloting materials are handled differently than other unpaid or shortpaid mailpieces — do not return them to the voter for postage. Absentee balloting materials are not to be detained. Any absentee ballot materials identified as shortpaid or unpaid will be accounted for according to Postal Service policy and will be delivered to the addressee. No absentee balloting materials will be detained or treated as unpaid mail, as directed by Postal Operations Manual section 171.3. Willful delay of absentee balloting material or other election material is a violation of policy, ethics and law. Shortpaid and unpaid absentee balloting materials must never be returned for additional postage to the sender. Postage must be collected from the election office upon delivery or at a later date. Uniformed (military) and overseas absentee ballots bearing an indicia “US Postage Paid 39 USC 3406” are not shortpaid and no additional postage is needed. Employees with questions or concerns about handling absentee balloting material should contact their supervisor or their District Political Mail Coordinator. NOTE: Balloting materials may be sent without prepayment of postage to and from 1) Members of the Merchant Marines and active service members of the Armed Forces, their spouses and dependents; and 2) U.S. citizens residing outside the territorial limits of the U.S. and spouses and dependents residing with or accompanying them. These balloting materials must have “Official Absentee Balloting Material — First-Class Mail” or similar language printed on the face of the envelope. (DMM 703.8.1) October 01, 2008 - VER Timeline Released The Postal Service has finalized the timeline for the VER (Voluntary Early Retirement) for Postmasters. This early out is being offered by Postal Headquarters in response to our request on your behalf. As you can see, the rollout begins very soon. For those of you considering pursuing this course of action, we encourage you to start investigating what impact leaving the Postal Service might have on your lifestyle. More information on the early out will be shared by The LEAGUE as soon as it is received. September 18, 2008 - Postal Service meeting on POVs and a pilot program that is slated to go nationwide soon - the SSA Revenue Goals System.Postal Service representatives met yesterday with leaders of Napus and the League. While the stated purpose of the meeting was to discuss the liability of Postmasters and other postal employees while using their privately owned vehicles (POVs) to conduct postal business, part of the meeting was used to discuss a pilot program that will be pushed out to the field soon. The discussion which centered around the use of POV was lively and touched upon the different scenarios in which Postmasters and others might be in the situation where the use of a POV may be possible and how employees would be covered by insurance in the event of an accident. Part of the discussion dealt with the differences in insurance from state to state and company to company. Though no agreement was reached in the meeting, through the healthy exchange of ideas, a couple of courses of action were decided upon. The League is optimistic that something good will come from this meeting regarding the use of POVs. Postal Headquarters representatives briefed the Postmaster organizations on a pilot program that is slated to go nationwide soon. Called the SSA Revenue Goals System, the process will track the retail performance of Sales and Service Associates (SSAs) at offices on the POS system. The system will generate a daily report on the retail performance that will be made available to Postmasters and supervisors. In turn, Postmasters and supervisors will be able to share the information with the SSAs during morning huddles to let them know where they stand as far as helping their post office or station reach retail revenue goals. According to Postal Headquarters, the pilot has shown that the SSAs like the system as it engages them in the day-to-day operation of their offices. The APWU apparently has supported the efforts. The greatest concern to the Postmaster organizations was the additional workload to an often already overloaded Postmaster or supervisor. We were assured that the input was minimal, but the return should be large. Time will tell how effective the program will be. August 28, 2008 - Voluntary Early Retirement Authority VERA Approved by OPM for all EAS and Postmasters field positions.As you know, in response to requests by a significant number of you, several weeks ago, the League sent a letter jointly with Napus to Postal Headquarters requesting a VERA or early out for Postmasters. Just moments ago I received the attached letter from Postal Headquarters stating that the Postal Service has received approval from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to offer a Voluntary Early Retirement to Postmasters. Judging from the tone of the attached letter, the Postal Service has set itself to the task of formulating the plan to offer the VER to Postmasters. If you have any inclination that you may participate by accepting an early retirement, start planning today by contacting your financial advisor to help you make your decision. Respectfully, Charley Mapa President National League of Postmasters USPS VERA Initial Approval Notice (Click to view letter) August 22, 2008 - Update - Earlier this week the Postal Service announced a freeze on any further postings for field administrative EAS hires. This reflects what is going on in some districts already, both for craft employees and supervisors and Postmasters. The League's stand has always been to vigorously oppose any move to close post offices in a wholesale manner and we work now with individual communities to do all that we can to see those communities are able to retain their post offices. All of the top leaders at Postal Headquarters have continually stated that post offices are not on the chopping block.Field Non-Bargaining Job Postings Letter (Click to view Details) Postal Service Recommends Vera for PostmastersThis afternoon, July 23, League President Charley Mapa was contacted by Bill Jones, HQ Labor Relations. Mr. Jones stated that, in response to the letter that his office had received from League and Napus, today the Postal Service had sent to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) their own letter recommending a VERA (early out) for Postmasters. For this process to go forward, OPM must approve the request. Mr. Jones was careful to point out that even if OPM approves the request, the Postal Service may not choose to exercise the option of an early out for Postmasters. If approved, and if the Postal Service decides to offer the VERA to Postmasters, the VERA will occur over the next two years. The request sent to OPM would cover all Postmasters, levels 11 through 24. As always, the League will stay on top of this issue and communicate any updates to you as soon as they become official. Charley Mapa President National League of Postmasters July 10, 2008 - LEAGUE President Charley Mapa testified before the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 10, 2008.The public hearing, which was held in response to a query by President Mapa to the PRC weeks earlier, included leaders of the APWU, NALC, NARLC, NAPS and NAPUS commenting on universal service and the postal monopoly. PRC Chairman Dan Blair called the dialogue important, saying it “aids our work” in “looking to the future” for where the Postal Service is going. Written testimony was submitted for online access through the PRC website, but the postal group leaders took questions from the commissioners after the initial presentations. President Mapa, in response to Commissioner Ruth Goldway’s question on how can the PRC measure the costs of universal service in economic terms, spoke about the value of the post office as the absolute center of a community. “As a Postmaster, they call me the face of the federal government,” he says. “Look at the U.S. Constitution and what it says the government gives to its people—the postal system, addressing universal service, is there.” President Mapa notes that the ever-evolving postal system reflects “form follows function,” where the growth of the system was created by the needs of the people. “It was not created as a well-defined entity, but happened on its own.” “Look at eBay,” says Mapa, “90 percent of the delivery of items sold is through the U.S. mail. As the cost of gas goes up, people go online and order; we’ll be seeing even more package mail generated in our changing economic times.” In summarizing the hearing, Mapa praised the management and union organizations for unity, with all speaking up firmly for the continuance of universal service and six-day delivery. At the LEAGUE’s request, the PRC is adding access on its website for testimony via the short video, “Post Roads,” a documentary on Past National President and Horatio, South Carolina Postmaster Steve LeNoir’s rural post office. A full report on the hearing will be printed in the next issue of the Postmasters Advocate. Click to view Written Testimony July 10, 2008 - VERA (early out) is being offered to most crafts, some supervisors but NO PostmastersThis morning I received the accompanying e-mail from Postal Headquarters regarding a VERA (early out). I happened to be at the Postal Regulatory Commission testifying on your behalf for post offices, Universal Service, and the importance of the mail monopoly to the Postal Service and the American people. I'll have something in print on that soon. Note that the VERA is being offered to most crafts, some supervisors, and NO Postmasters. Also realize that these early outs may not be blanket offers nor may they be happening soon. Therefore, you may caution your employees not to sell their homes yet! Regarding Postmasters, over a week ago, we drafted a letter to Labor Relations requesting an early out for Postmasters. Dale Goff from Napus signed our joint letter and the letter was sent to Postal HQ. Postmasters need to remember that there has to be a good business reason for an early out for PMs; it won't happen just because Postmasters work hard. I will caution the Postal Service to be careful where they offer the early outs. It will be of little benefit to offer early outs to employees in facilities where a short-staffing situation already exists. Stay tuned for more information on this issue. Respectfully, Charley Mapa President National League of Postmasters June 30, 2008 - The House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment offered by Congressman Jack Kingston (R/GA-1) that would require the United States Postal Service to studyMay 12, 2008 - Charles W. Mapa, League President TestifiesApril 8, 2008 - Focus group at Postal Headquarters to work with issues covering the Variance ProgramsClick to view issues currently being discussed March 24, 2008 - 20 LEAGUE Members Recognized as Growth Award WinnersClick to view 2007 CMO Growth Award Winners Details March 20, 2008 - MEET THE NEW PRICE LEADER! We now have unprecedented pricing flexibility and we’re going to use it! Forget everything you thought you knew about how the Postal Service sets its shipping prices. Starting May 12, it’s a brave new shipping world!January 8, 2008 - The US Postal Service strategically developed its vending machines removal plan.December 28, 2007 - The Adverse Action Counselor program—which prides itself on having the best trained representatives for Postmasters will meet for intensive training in Washington, D.C., on Friday, February 29.2008December 17, 2007 - PAY INCREASE F0R POSTMASTER RELIEF (PMR)December 6, 2007 - Route Count Dates for 2008 and 2009In 2008, a national mail count will be conducted for twelve (12) working days beginning February 23, and ending March 7, 2008. All vacant and auxiliary routes will be counted. The only other routes to be counted will be those in which either the employer or the regular carrier opts for a count. The mail count will be effective at the beginning of the second full pay period in the calendar month following the count. In 2009, a national mail count will be conducted for twenty-four (24) working days beginning February 14, and ending March 14, 2009. All vacant and auxiliary routes will be counted. The only other routes to be counted will be those in which either the employer or the regular carrier opts for a count. The mail count will be effective at the beginning of the second full pay period in the calendar month following the count. November 6, 2007 - The Congressional Subcommittee on Social Security met to hear testimony on the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)While many postal groups had hoped to provide testimony, access to the hearing chamber was limited and, apparently, no postal groups were able to gain access to the hearing. We do have another avenue to have our voices heard on these very important issues. Here is your opportunity to have each of your voices heard. Please take the time to send a letter to the Subcommittee and encourage fellow Postmasters, postal employees, and any other Federal employees, active and retired, to write. Take the time to tell your story and be sure to include as many facts on your life as reasonable. Send your letter to: Subcommittee on Social Security Pensions and Family Policy Committee on Finance 219 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. Washington DC 20510. If you need to review these issues, go to Position Papers under the Legislation tab to find them. Let’s pull together to try to get some movement on these issues! League Legislative Counsel - Designing a Rate Setting System (Part 2)October 2007On October 9, 2007, the Westchester District sent to District Postmasters a directive stating that, “The Westchester District has received approval to increase the hourly rate of pay for PMRs to $15.00. This will become effective for all PMRs currently on rolls whose salary is below $15.00 as well as for any newly hired PMRs.” This is tremendous news for Postmasters across the country that have been seeking better pay for their PMRs, and for those PMRs who have been working for wages far below what they should have been. The National League of Postmasters commends the Westchester District in New York for doing the right thing in adjusting the pay for this very important part of our Postal Team. This move is especially gratifying for the National League of Postmasters whose president, Charley Mapa, has been pushing for fair pay for PMRs for many years. A few months ago he sent out messaging which reiterated the Postal Service’s own policy, which states that, the Area Manager, Human Resources (or designee) may approve rates (of pay) for new hires above the minimums. Those rules also state that the Area Manager, Human Resources, (or designee) may make salary adjustments, presumably for PMR currently employed by the Postal Service. President Mapa again encourages Postmasters and other League leaders to use this avenue to secure a more equitable pay rate for PMRs in their districts. President Mapa is hopeful that this particular action by the Westchester District is one that will be emulated by districts throughout the country as districts continue to recognize the value of PMRs and how valuable it is to the Postal Service to retain these employees, in part, through providing a pay rate commensurate with the duties of the position of PMR. The president has accepted an offer by Postal Headquarters officials to the Postmaster Organizations to meet with Postal Headquarters to talk about pay for PMRs. Mapa is eager to engage in these talks and is confident that the Postal Service will see the wisdom in providing good wages for PMRs. The National League of Postmasters has welcomed PMRs as members for about fifteen years and the League is always pleased when the Postal Service does something to benefit its members. The Automated Workforce Projection System (AWPS) is now being implemented in all parts of the countryBox Rents: 50 Percent of Nation’s Post Offices Move to New Fee GroupSeptember 14, 2007Bruce Evans from Postal Headquarters contacted the League in reference to two minor inaccuracies regarding the pay package announced below. The change to the minimums and maximums of all EAS grades will be 2% for FY 07 and FY 08, and 2.25% for FY 09 and FY 10. Regarding the Administrative Leave for bone marrow donations etc., the effective date will be January 5, 2008. EAS Pay Package FY 2007 - 2010.LEAGUE’s agenda items for the USPS Consultative meeting scheduled for Friday, July 20, 2007, at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, location of the 104th National Convention. The entire LEAGUE National Executive Board will be in attendance. League Legislative Counsel - Designing a Rate Setting System (Part 1)April 17, 2007, Washington DC, League President, Charles Mapa Testifies Before The Subcommittee On Federal Workforce, Postal Service, And The District Of Columbia, Of The Committee On Oversight And Government Reform Of The US House Of RepresentativesClick to view Testimony from President, Charles Mapa (PDF) League Honors Senator Susan Collins for Postal Reform EffortsSen. Susan Collins received the League's first-ever Samuel Osgood Award, named in honor of the First Postmasters General of the United States |
League EventsJuly 18 - July 22, 2010 National League of Postmasters Convention Town and Country |
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