NAPSHQ 2 U
Providing NAPS Headquarter News to You
 
 
 
Vol. 1 No. 2                                                                                         October 1, 2010
 
 
Louis Atkins
Letter from Louie
    
     There are many new changes occuring here at NAPS headquarters as we continue to improve our operations to better service our membership.  Beginning today, you will be able to access information from NAPS in a variety of ways. By calling 1-877-667-NAPS (6277), our toll-free, hot-line number, you will receive weekly updates from me as well as the other resident officers. We are also today introducing NAPSHQ Facebook and Twitter pages. Visit www.naps.org for more information on accessing these websites.  
    We have also begun an internship program here at headquarters. Our internship program is centered around legislative and membership initiatives and will consist of college students from accredited universities and colleges in the Washington, D.C. area who are interested in receiving college credit for their work here at NAPSHQ. In the coming months, we will provide you with more information about this program.
     I, as well as the other resident officers, am continuing our efforts to improve working conditions for our membership. It has come to our attention that some members in the field are being told to verify, by signing and returning an instruction form, that they have read instructions that are already an established part of their assigned duties. It has long been the position of NAPSHQ that there is no need to sign acknowledgment of what is already established as Postal policy.
     The Postal Regulatory Commission will also rule shortly on the exigent rate increases request that the USPS submitted.  As we all know, this request has been controversial as it is above the rate of inflation but USPS believes it is necessary to cover the cost of operations.
     Finally, if there is anything that we can do at Headquarters to improve our service to you please let us know.
Brian's Bits
Processing 1187s
 
Brian Wagner
     Don't hang on to those 1187 membership forms.  All 1187 applications (originals) should come directly to NAPSHQ, via US Mail, along with a photocopy.  The reason we need the original is that USPS Shared Services requires us to provide them with a document that includes an original signature.  If you send an 1187 directly to Shared Services, they will process it.  However, it bypasses our NAPS Dues Check-Off (DCO) program. Therefore, we are delayed in getting that new member into our system, which also delays their Postal Supervisor, access to NAPS.org and other information they may receive from their NAPS Area VP or new branch. The process is delayed until we cross-reference that new member with USPS Shared Service's and our DCO lists. 
     When you send the 1187 directly to NAPSHQ, it is processed immediately in the DCO.  We then send the original application to a special post office box developed by Shared Services to receive our 1187's. This system has resulted in very few, if any, delays in processing new member applications.
     There is one sticking point we need your help on.  On occasion, local recruiters do not send us the applications as soon as they are completed.  Some branches wait until their next branch meeting to accept a new member. This is not necessary or required to be a NAPS member.  Also, an 1187 received by NAPS via fax or e-mail is not always accepted by Shared Services.  Again, Shared Services requires an original employee signature on the 1187, because it involves money allocation from the member's paycheck.
     We process approximately 1,000 new applications each year. Depending on the date that we receive applications, it could take a local branch up to two months to see the new member on the DCO.  This is because there is the roll-over from month to month and the fact that our DCO report is 60 days behind real-time.  Should local branches see extraordinary delays in seeing new members on their DCO, please contact me or NAPS Headquarters.  Your efforts to increase membership are greatly appreciated. 

 
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Membership Musings
Becoming an Associate Member
Fairlie Benson
 
     When a dues-withholding NAPS member retires from the Postal Service, their name is listed on the DCO with payroll status flag "RET" (retired).  By the next calendar month, their NAPS membership is automatically canceled and purged from the database.  If the retiree would like to become an associate (retired) member of a NAPS branch, they must contact the branch of their choice.  Associate membership is not automatic upon retirement from the Postal Service. 

     The local branch then notifies NAPSHQ when they gain or lose associate members.  Once an associate is registered at NAPSHQ, our database deducts associate
per capita ($1.75 per pay period per associate) from the monies returned to the branch on the DCO.  Associate members pay annual dues of at least $45.50 directly to their local branch.  Dues payment is managed between the branch and their associates.  
     To register a new branch associate, NAPSHQ requires the officers to provide the full name, full social security number, branch 
number and mailing address of the associate.  Please mail this information to our headquarters at: 1727 King Street, STE 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-2753.
     However, if NAPSHQ receives advanced notice that a member will retire and become a branch associate, we can save and reuse their information for their associate profile.  Associate registration occurs a month after the regular (dues-withholding) profile is purged from the database.   Please click here, to e-mail us with questions.

Healthcare Changes
Covering Your Love Ones

     On March 23,  President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, (ACA), Public Law 111-148.  Several provisions of the ACA will affect eligibility and benefits under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program and the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) beginning January 1, 2011.
      Open season will be in November again and the changes effective January 1, 2011.  Note that the benefits letter is from the Office of Personnel Management and the Postal Service will issue appropriate guidelines.  
        Children from 22 - 26 are now covered. Children do not have to live with their parent, be financially dependent upon their parent or be students to be covered up to age 26. Married children can be covered. For more information on the ACA, please click
here.
 
NAPS Headquarters
1727 King Street
Suite 400
Alexandria, VA 22314-2753
www.naps.org

Jay's Notes
The Elections Are Coming...The Elections are Coming!

James Killackey
James Killackey
     In the past several weeks in my role as your Executive Vice President, I have been meeting with elected officials on Capitol Hill at both fundraisers and house staff meetings to further the efforts to secure a  remedy to the  Postal Service's funding requirements for the end of the fiscal year.
     We are working on a House of Representatives Continuing Resolution that could help fund this year's $5.5 billion payment to pre-fund future retiree's  health benefits.
     We are also working on our friends in Washington to get their co-sponsorship of HR 5746, written by Congressman Steven Lynch (D) MA. HR 5746 provides a solution to the current requirement of payments for pre-funding retiree health benefits by using the overpayments that were made by the Postal Service into the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). 
      How can you help? You can contact your Congressperson and ask them to co-sponsor HR 5746. Click here to send your Congressperson an e-mail. We need your help and it only takes a couple of minutes to send an e-mail to your Congressperson and let them know how you feel about this issue. Remember, it's just a couple of weeks before they are all up for re-election.       
     To view the bill, click here. To find a list of current sponsors, click here.   
 
Donate to SPAC!
 
Contributing to SPAC allows us to continue supporting those candidates who will continue to fight for not only the benefits of Postal Employees but for the preservation of the Universal Delivery System as a whole. With one click, your contribution can go a long way towards ensuring that we meet these goals. How much you contribute is up to you, but no matter what you give, your contribution will help ensure a bright future for NAPS and the USPS.
 
Seth's Slant
Analyzing the Delaware Senate Race
Seth Lennon
      With the 2010 Midterm elections less than 40 days away, voters are contemplating which direction they will cast their vote and where they want to move the country. Until the final vote is cast on November 2, this section will detail races that have a bearing on the long term future of the United States Postal Service and the federal workforce as a whole. Our first race of note will be the Delaware Senate race between Democrat Chris Coons and Tea Party activist Christine O'Donnell.
     Coons currently has a lead of 15 to 17 points over O'Donnell, but if the primary cycle's patterns hold true, we must expect the unexpected. With the Tea Party movement's ability to mobilize their activists, this could turn out to be a much closer election than we expect.    
      Now where do they stand on our issues? With Coons' background as a county executive, it would be safe to assume that he would be receptive to NAPS' issues and we hopefully will enjoy the same relationship that we share with  Democrat Tom Carper, the other Senator from Delaware. O'Donnell has not detailed any positions specifically dealing with the USPS; however, if one looks at the anti-big government tone of the Tea Party, there is a strong chance that O'Donnell may not be as receptive to our issues. 
     For more information on Chris Coons, please click here. For more information on Christine O'Donnell, please click here. 
NAPS Fast Fact
Did you know?
       NAPS first filed a lawsuit in 1973 against the USPS for the Job Evaluation Program (JEP.) JEP provided a $500 flat pay increase; a merit system for EAS employees and downgraded many positions. NAPS settled this lawsuit with USPS out of court in 1974.
 
Changing Your Email Address 
 
      If you need to change your email address, please click here. In the email, please include your name, branch number, last 4 digits of your social security number and old and new email addresses. NAPShq will not send this newsletter to USPS email addresses.
      If you cannot remember your Members Only password, please click here. and click on User/Password Help.
In the Next Issue...
NAPS logoThe Fall Executive Board Meeting begin Oct. 16 and end October 21. NAPSHQ 2 U will highlight portions of the agenda as well as headquarters' preparation for these important meetings.