Day one of the APWU of Wisconsin Fall Seminar and Council of Locals has come to a close. Click Here to see a few of the photos that have been posted on Facebook.
The Lyle Krueth Dinner/Roast is scheduled for later tonight.
Friday, October 29, 2010
RETIREMENT PLANNING - TRICK OR TREAT?
By Tammy Flanagan, National Institute of Transition Planning - October 29, 2010
The secret is finally out: the Office of Personnel Management still processes retirement claims in 2010 much the same way it did in 1920. The process remains paper-based, requiring a human being to sift through the paperwork documenting an employee's career to be sure that he or she is receiving the proper retirement benefit. [Full Story]
Source:GovernmentExecutive.com
The secret is finally out: the Office of Personnel Management still processes retirement claims in 2010 much the same way it did in 1920. The process remains paper-based, requiring a human being to sift through the paperwork documenting an employee's career to be sure that he or she is receiving the proper retirement benefit. [Full Story]
Source:GovernmentExecutive.com
Thursday, October 21, 2010
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Second Early Out Payment Scheduled for Oct. 29
APWU Web News Article 116-2010, Oct. 19, 2010
Former postal employees who retired or separated from the Postal Service in 2009 as part of the negotiated Early Out Incentive agreement are entitled to receive an additional $5,000, tentatively scheduled for Oct. 29, 2010.
Those who participated in the retirement incentive program received $10,000 as part of the agreement in 2009. The final $5,000 payment is scheduled to coincide with the Pay Period 22 payroll.
Checks will be mailed with other paychecks from the Postal Data Center to the local office where eligible retirees were employed. Those who choose to retrieve their checks in person should contact the office in advance to determine where they should report. Those who prefer to have checks mailed to their current address should provide a written, signed request to the highest-ranking postal official at the installation where they were employed.
Retirees are encouraged to join the APWU Retirees Department to stay in touch with postal friends and retirees; learn more about retiree benefits and issues, and assure and protect benefits. To join, visit the Retirees Department Web page for an enrollment form, or download one at www.apwu.org/dept/retiree/retjoinform.pdf.
Former postal employees who retired or separated from the Postal Service in 2009 as part of the negotiated Early Out Incentive agreement are entitled to receive an additional $5,000, tentatively scheduled for Oct. 29, 2010.
Those who participated in the retirement incentive program received $10,000 as part of the agreement in 2009. The final $5,000 payment is scheduled to coincide with the Pay Period 22 payroll.
Checks will be mailed with other paychecks from the Postal Data Center to the local office where eligible retirees were employed. Those who choose to retrieve their checks in person should contact the office in advance to determine where they should report. Those who prefer to have checks mailed to their current address should provide a written, signed request to the highest-ranking postal official at the installation where they were employed.
Retirees are encouraged to join the APWU Retirees Department to stay in touch with postal friends and retirees; learn more about retiree benefits and issues, and assure and protect benefits. To join, visit the Retirees Department Web page for an enrollment form, or download one at www.apwu.org/dept/retiree/retjoinform.pdf.
Postal Service Denies Plans for Oshkosh Town Hall Meeting
By Chris Hrapsky
Postal workers in Oshkosh say a town hall meeting will take place in November to discuss the potential closing of the mail processing facility in the city. It's a claim the U.S. Postal Service denies.
Postal Service workers in Oshkosh fear their plant is one step closer to shutting down for good. [Full Story]
Source: WBAY TV Green Bay, WI
Postal workers in Oshkosh say a town hall meeting will take place in November to discuss the potential closing of the mail processing facility in the city. It's a claim the U.S. Postal Service denies.
Postal Service workers in Oshkosh fear their plant is one step closer to shutting down for good. [Full Story]
Source: WBAY TV Green Bay, WI
USPS facing millions in fines for ‘willful’ safety violations
Thursday, October 21st, 2010
The United States Postal Service is set to lose tens of millions of dollars for a series of “willful” health and safety violations at its processing facilities across America.
While desperately searching for possible cutbacks to stem its multi-billion dollar losses, the organisation is being sued by the federal government for what are described as an “indifference to employee safety and health”. [Full Story]
Source: Post & Parcel
The United States Postal Service is set to lose tens of millions of dollars for a series of “willful” health and safety violations at its processing facilities across America.
While desperately searching for possible cutbacks to stem its multi-billion dollar losses, the organisation is being sued by the federal government for what are described as an “indifference to employee safety and health”. [Full Story]
Source: Post & Parcel
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
History of the Combined Federal Campaign
A brief history of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) will demonstrate why it is one of the largest, most successful, and convenient workplace giving programs in the United States. Programs offer a myriad of choices for giving and it is convenient for federal employees to participate. The CFC allows participants to chose to give to organizations at the local, national, and international level. No other workplace giving program offers this type of variety of choice and convenience for charitable agencies.
Prior to the 1950's workplace giving campaigns in the federal government were an uncontrollable free for all which not surprisingly produced poor results. At times supervisors applied pressure to employees to give and quota's were wrongly established. Employees were asked to give throughout the year and there was no established order in how things were conducted.
In the 1950's President Eisenhower took steps to correct the prevailing situation. Various campaigns were assigned to particular times of the year. Local United Way Campaigns were conducted in the Fall and National Health Agencies and International Service Groups were assigned to the Spring. The American Red Cross drive was done in Spring if it was not part of the local campaign in Fall. Although this was an improvement there was still more work to accomplish.
President Kennedy came up with the concept of a combined giving campaign and in 1964 this idea was introduced with experiments around the United States. This program proved to be very successful along with the innovation of payroll deductions. Under President Nixon in 1971 the modern day CFC was born.
The CFC has over 1600 national and international agencies where employees can designate their contributions. In addition hundreds of local organizations exist allowing employee to contribute to the charities in their own home town. The payroll deduction systems make it easy for agencies after applying to receive quarterly checks. The CFC has proven to be very successful growing tremendously each year. The concept of a combined campaign with payroll deductions laid the foundation for one of the most successful workplace giving programs in history.
Prior to the 1950's workplace giving campaigns in the federal government were an uncontrollable free for all which not surprisingly produced poor results. At times supervisors applied pressure to employees to give and quota's were wrongly established. Employees were asked to give throughout the year and there was no established order in how things were conducted.
In the 1950's President Eisenhower took steps to correct the prevailing situation. Various campaigns were assigned to particular times of the year. Local United Way Campaigns were conducted in the Fall and National Health Agencies and International Service Groups were assigned to the Spring. The American Red Cross drive was done in Spring if it was not part of the local campaign in Fall. Although this was an improvement there was still more work to accomplish.
President Kennedy came up with the concept of a combined giving campaign and in 1964 this idea was introduced with experiments around the United States. This program proved to be very successful along with the innovation of payroll deductions. Under President Nixon in 1971 the modern day CFC was born.
The CFC has over 1600 national and international agencies where employees can designate their contributions. In addition hundreds of local organizations exist allowing employee to contribute to the charities in their own home town. The payroll deduction systems make it easy for agencies after applying to receive quarterly checks. The CFC has proven to be very successful growing tremendously each year. The concept of a combined campaign with payroll deductions laid the foundation for one of the most successful workplace giving programs in history.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
PRC Denies USPS Rate Increase Request
The Postal Regulatory Commission in a unanimous decision has denied the US Postal Service the emergency rate increase it requested earlier this year.
PRC Chair Ruth Goldway said that while the USPS made its case that the recession was an “extraordinary” circumstance, she found that the rate changes requested were actually related to long term market changes.
PRC member Dan Blair concurs in the decision, but does not believe the USPS proved the recession was an exceptional circumstance.
In answer to questions asked at the news conference, Goldway said “Our decision is final.” She also said, however, that she doesn’t know if any of the parties will appeal to the courts.
Goldway also said that the USPS could implement a 1.6-2% increase under the normal price cap process.
Statement of PRC Chairman Ruth Goldway
Full text of the decision
Text of the PRC’s press release:
Washington, DC – The Postal Regulatory Commission today issued Order No. 547 in Docket R2010-4 denying a Postal Service request for an average 5.6 percent rate increase. The Commission found that the Postal Service failed to justiff rate increases in excess of its statutory CPI price cap.
“The Commission finds that the Postal Service has shown the recent recession to be an exigent circumstance but it has failed both to quantify the impact of the recession on its finances and to show how its rate request relates to the resulting loss of mail volume; therefore, we unanimously deny its exigent rate request,” said Chairman Ruth Y. Goldway.
The law requires the Postal Service to demonstrate that any exigent rate adjustments are due to the identified exceptional circumstances. This prevents a bona fide extraordinary or exceptional circumstance from being used as a general rate increase mechanism that would circumvent the price cap system.
The Postal Service’s recent volume losses and multi-billion dollar shortfalls are recognized. However, Commission analysis confirms that the Postal Service’s cash flow problem is not a result of the recession and would have occurred whether or not the recession took place. lt is the result of other, unrelated structural problems and the proposed exigent rate adjustments would neither solve nor delay those problems.
The Postal Service may be unable to continue to meet a statutory 1O-year payment schedule – averaging roughly $5.5 billion per year – to create a fund to pay future retiree health benefit premiums. lt has been unable to fund this obligation from operations, and has instead used up all of its retained earnings and drawn down from its $15 billion borrowing authority. Even with the requested increase, the Postal Service would be unable to meet this annual obligation either in 2011, or in succeeding years.
The Postal Service achieved over $6 billion in cost reductions in 2009. While volume declines outstripped cost reductions during the actual recession, Postal Service cost containment programs are producing results and work hours have declined faster than volumes in 2010.
Related Stories:
Statement of Postmaster General on PRC Ruling, Fully Paying Retiree Health Benefit Mandate
Press release
Five postal workers, three others indicted for mail theft in Alabama
postalnews blog
DMA praises PRC decision as a ‘job saving’ action
Press release
Senator Carper statement on PRC decision to deny rate increase
PRC Chair Ruth Goldway said that while the USPS made its case that the recession was an “extraordinary” circumstance, she found that the rate changes requested were actually related to long term market changes.
PRC member Dan Blair concurs in the decision, but does not believe the USPS proved the recession was an exceptional circumstance.
In answer to questions asked at the news conference, Goldway said “Our decision is final.” She also said, however, that she doesn’t know if any of the parties will appeal to the courts.
Goldway also said that the USPS could implement a 1.6-2% increase under the normal price cap process.
Statement of PRC Chairman Ruth Goldway
Full text of the decision
Text of the PRC’s press release:
Washington, DC – The Postal Regulatory Commission today issued Order No. 547 in Docket R2010-4 denying a Postal Service request for an average 5.6 percent rate increase. The Commission found that the Postal Service failed to justiff rate increases in excess of its statutory CPI price cap.
“The Commission finds that the Postal Service has shown the recent recession to be an exigent circumstance but it has failed both to quantify the impact of the recession on its finances and to show how its rate request relates to the resulting loss of mail volume; therefore, we unanimously deny its exigent rate request,” said Chairman Ruth Y. Goldway.
The law requires the Postal Service to demonstrate that any exigent rate adjustments are due to the identified exceptional circumstances. This prevents a bona fide extraordinary or exceptional circumstance from being used as a general rate increase mechanism that would circumvent the price cap system.
The Postal Service’s recent volume losses and multi-billion dollar shortfalls are recognized. However, Commission analysis confirms that the Postal Service’s cash flow problem is not a result of the recession and would have occurred whether or not the recession took place. lt is the result of other, unrelated structural problems and the proposed exigent rate adjustments would neither solve nor delay those problems.
The Postal Service may be unable to continue to meet a statutory 1O-year payment schedule – averaging roughly $5.5 billion per year – to create a fund to pay future retiree health benefit premiums. lt has been unable to fund this obligation from operations, and has instead used up all of its retained earnings and drawn down from its $15 billion borrowing authority. Even with the requested increase, the Postal Service would be unable to meet this annual obligation either in 2011, or in succeeding years.
The Postal Service achieved over $6 billion in cost reductions in 2009. While volume declines outstripped cost reductions during the actual recession, Postal Service cost containment programs are producing results and work hours have declined faster than volumes in 2010.
Related Stories:
Press release
postalnews blog
Press release
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