Early Retirement Rumors:

Again, APWU Says: Don’t Go!

Burrus Update 07-2010, April 8, 2010

Rumors about Voluntary Early Retirement offers are once again circulating throughout the Postal Service, and employees are evaluating the possibilities.

Let me state plainly:

• There have been no discussions with postal management about offering new monetary incentives as an enticement for retiring.
• If incentives are contemplated at some future date, the law says they must be negotiated with the union.
• Any rumor that monetary incentives are under consideration is false.

In recent years the Postal Service has offered Voluntary Early Retirements (VERs) — without monetary incentives — without the union’s involvement. Management may do so again in the future.

The APWU has challenged these VER offers in the appropriate forums. As we noted in grievances protesting non-incentive VERs, the National Agreement requires the payment of severance pay to employees who voluntarily terminate their employment through early retirement.

We await final disposition of the dispute. In the meantime, it is very likely that postal management will pursue further reductions in the employee complement through Voluntary Early Retirement offers.

The union repeats the advice we offered regarding prior VERs without incentives: Don’t Go!

William Burrus
President