The National Postal Mail Handlers Union joined forces with a leading veterans advocacy group, VoteVets, and three of its sister postal unions -- the National Association of Letter Carriers, the American Postal Workers Union, and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association -- to run a print advertisement in several prominent Capitol Hill newspapers. The ad was designed to help raise awareness on Capitol Hill of the devastating effects that H.R. 2309, introduced by Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), would have on the workforce of the USPS. In particular, the advertisement draws attention to the fact that tens of thousands of military veterans would be among the 120,000 postal workers laid off under the provisions of this anti-worker bill.
The ad ran in Politico, The Hill, CQ Today and the National Journal Daily on October 12 and 13 -- timed to coincide with the debate and vote on H.R. 2309 before the full House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Sadly, along party lines, the Republican-controlled Committee first passed various anti-labor provisions in this mark-up session, and then went on to pass this backward bill out of the full committee (see related story). Representative Todd Platts (R-PA) was the only Republican on the Committee to oppose the final bill.
The National Postal Mail Handlers Union and its many allies will continue their coordinated efforts aimed at stopping progression on this terrible legislation, which would, among other onerous provisions, grant authority to a newly-established control board to carry out layoffs, with complete disregard for the union contracts limiting such actions. The bill says that employees who are eligible for retirement must be laid off beforeemployees who are ineligible, and dictates that retirement-eligible employees with the longest service must be separated first. H.R. 2309 also calls for $1 billion worth of cuts inpost offices in the first year and $2 billion worth of cuts in mail processing facilities in the second year. If facilities are shuttered, veterans would be among the employees laid off, even if they are covered by the Veterans Preference Act. Our postal employees, our veterans, and our country deserve far better than this. Notably, an amendment offered during the hearing by Representative Bruce Braley (D-IA) to evaluate the impact of USPS layoffs on veterans was included in the final Committee bill.
The NPMHU continues to promote passage of alternative legislation, H.R. 1351 introduced by Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA), which provides a positive framework for change, and which will allow the USPS the breathing room it needs to implement measured and responsible changes to both its infrastructure and its workforce. We encourage all Mail Handlers to contact their Members of Congress to “Just Say No to H.R. 2309,” and to solicit their support for H.R. 1351.
