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  November 12, 2010

Louis Atkins
Letter from Louie

     There is a lot of speculation about how the Postal Service will be managed by our new Postmaster General Pat Donahoe. I have worked with Pat as he has served in a variety of positions from his current position as Deputy Postmaster General back to his days in the field. I have always found that he has had the time to meet with NAPS and to fully discuss issues that we have had.

     In addition to listening, he has been proactive in working out solutions to problems when he has had the opportunity to do so. With that said, I can commit that I intend to work closely with our new Postmaster General and take full advantage of the open door policy that he has extended to NAPS. I also commit to you, our members, that I will not be shy when it comes to bringing our issues to the new Postmaster General and attempt to work out solutions that are best for both our members and the Postal Service.

Brian's Bits
NAPS Investment Update

Brian Wagner

 

     Our NAPS investment portfolio had a positive return for the month of October.  Our PNC Bank investment report indicates that NAPS investments increased by approximately $232,000, this past month.  This positive change resulted in our total investment portfolio to end the month with an overall market value slightly above $10 million. 

     Our current asset mix is 4.04% cash; 39.67% fixed income; and 56.29% equities.  I am scheduled to meet with our PNC investment advisor on November 29 to discuss what effects the mid-term elections may have on the financial markets, the expected market trends, and what NAPS' investment options may be for 2011. 

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SWC Update    

    

     The resident officers have completed postal service logo discussions with the Postal Service that were previously initiated by the executive board during our recent board meeting. The discussions concerned the use of the automated SWC for Customer Services and the immediacy with which the Postal Service was implementing staffing changes. It was NAPS' position that the automated SWC data may be incorrect and deserved an additional review.

     NAPS has been successful in achieving the issuance of instructions by the Deputy Postmaster General of the Postal Service to have a 30 day review period following a SWC review performed in a Customer Service operation that results in the loss of an EAS position in an office.

     Based on information from Deputy Postmaster General, Patrick Donahoe, there will be a 30 day period, prior to the ultimate reassignment of an impacted supervisor, where our local NAPS officers can review the automated SWC calculations and complete the manual SWC forms to determine the accuracy of the automated SWC completed by management.

      NAPS, at the local level, should initiate a review of any automated SWC that results in the reduction of an EAS position. 

      If you have any questions, direct them to your respective NAPS  Area VP.

Jill's Jot
    Are You Linked In? 
Jill
Jill Barrett
   

     You can access links to websites for some of our branches through the Members Only section of www.naps.org.  Just click on  "Links" in the menu.  You will find a list of the branches who have sent us their sites.  If you branch has a website and it is not listed, send it to us at [email protected] and we will be happy to add it to our list.

     You will also find links to the Postal Service and Postal related organizations, legislative sites and other links of interest.


Click here to see Louis Atkins' response to the PMG's retirement
Legislative Update

Deficit Commission Proposes Big Hits on Feds and Postal Workers, Retirees

Bruce Moyer 23

Bruce Moyer

NAPS Legislative Counsel

   

     The co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility on Wednesday released their recommendations for significant savings in federal spending.  As feared, the proposals would bring significant pain to the active and retired federal and postal workforce.

     Co-commission chairs Erskine Bowles and former Senator Alan Simpson in a preliminary document proposed:

  • A 3-year pay freeze on all federal employees;
  • A 10% cut in the federal workforce;
  • Increasing the federal "high-3" retirement formula to a "high-5" approach;
  • A significant increase in federal and postal employee contributions for retirement benefits;
  • Lower federal civilian and military retiree benefits, and 
  • Increases in federal and postal retiree premiums for health benefits.

     In addition the co-chairs would curb Social Security benefits and eliminate up to $100 billion annually in various tax breaks.

     Whether these draft recommendations become the final recommendations of the commission is highly uncertain.  President Obama's directive establishing the deficit commission and appointing its 18 members requires 14 of the panel's 18 members to agree to any proposal for it to become the commission's official recommendation. 

  

For the full legislative update by legislative counsel Bruce Moyer, click here.

 

To sign up to receive Bruce's legislative updates, click here.

From the Intern...

Mama Grizzly Stole the Democrat's Mojo

David
David Finklestein 

     In the days leading up to the mid-term election, Sarah Palin invoked her famous Grizzly bear analogy in reference to the Republican surge. She warned Washington to "look out because there's a whole stampede of pink elephants crossing and the estimated time of arrival for them stampeding through is November 2, 2010."

     Adhering to  Palin's calls, I couldn't sleep at all Tuesday night because I was afraid of confronting a Mama Grizzly on my journey to NAPS headquarters. Fortunately, Obama, Pelosi and Reid fought back, preventing the Mama Grizzly clan from taking both houses, and costing any more Democratic careers. Well, whether you are a Mama Grizzly bear, pink elephant, donkey, gerbil, or a witch from Delaware, this upcoming congressional session is going to be very interesting.

     In the days following the midterm results, John Boehner, the future Speaker of the House, vowed to dismantle the healthcare "monstrosity." Shortly after this vow, via Twitter, Pelosi said that she would seek the minority leader's job because she was, "driven by the urgency of creating jobs and protecting Social Security and Medicare."

  Whether you like Pelosi or not, nobody can deny her fighting style, ensuring that the Democrat's platforms and accomplishments will be preserved. With all this harsh rhetoric from both sides, many political pundits believe Congress will be unable to pass any substantial piece of legislation. Despite this reasonable claim of a lame duck session, I personally am more optimistic. There won't be any historic pieces of legislation like Health Care or another stimulus, but Congress will come up with ways to decrease the deficit, while ensuring domestic economic growth. To accomplish these, Pelosi and Boehner will have to work together and pound out compromises.  In these compromises, we must ensure that the interests of NAPS and the Postal Service are protected.

     I am asking NAPS members to write and call their representatives and remind them how vital the Post Office. Remind them about the millions of jobs that depend on the Post Service and without this agency, America wouldn't have one of the most efficient and dependable mail carriers in the world.

David Finklestein, a graduate from Shepherd University, is NAPS' legislative intern.

Jay's Notes
The elections are over...Now what?
James Killackey
James Killackey
      

     Now that we have been given the results of the 2010 elections, our work is cut out for us here at NAPS Headquarters. With all the changes in  Congress, NAPS is establishing a communications plan for both our elected representatives and our own members. This plan will crystallize and explain the issues that we have before us to solve the Postal Service's financial crisis.

     When our communications start to roll out to all the elected members of Congress, they will know why we support the continuation of six-day delivery because we will let them know the importance of day-certain delivery of mail and the perils of the alternatives. 

     We will explain the importance of the Private Express Statute that prohibits companies without security or experience to be handling something as sacred as a person's private mail. They will be educated on just what we do and the fact that our operating funds do not come out of taxpayer funds.

     We have a message to provide, not just to the Congress, but to every one of our members and the general public too! Look for the information to come to you in the near future and share it with everyone you come in contact with.

  

Click here to see a video of Executive Vice President Jay Killackey's response to the mid-term elections.

Fall Executive Board Recap
     
For the video recap of the Fall 2010 Executive Board Meeting with narration by NAPS President Louis Atkins click here.

NAPS Website Redesign

  


NAPS Headquarters has heard members' complaints about the current website and will be redesigning the site to make it more user friendly. We need your help! Click the survey link below and let us know what you would like to see in the new site. Together we can create a website that will further the cause of the National Association of Postal Supervisors.

Click here to take the NAPS Website Redesign Survey
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 toward 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
Congress' New Leadership
Seth Lennon
   
     With the smoke clearing from the post November midterm landscape, both parties are charting their course for the looming 112th Congress. With the Republicans assuming control in a stunning electoral wave, gaining 60 seats in the House of Representatives and erasing the Democrats super-majority in the Senate.  This represents a stark reversal from where both parties were 730 days ago. With their firm mandate in tow, the Republicans  are preparing  to iron out their agenda for two years.  Key to how this agenda unfolds for  both parties going forward will be their respective leadership teams within the Congress. With the decisive victory in the House of Representatives, we will examine that "brave new world" first.

     For the Republicans, John Boehner is the man of the hour and as the presumptive Speaker of the House. Mr. Boehner will be tasked with advancing the small-government agenda for the Republicans. Boehner has a reputation as a dealmaker, which could potentially translate into compromise going forward in the Congress.

     The new presumptive Majority Leader, Eric Cantor of Virginia, is a Republican stalwart whose positions have been in line with Republican orthodoxy when it comes to his votes on issues like national security, gun control and free trade. So far, he has given every indication that he will continue to be a firebrand for the right.

     The Wild Card of the Republican Leadership could be the new Whip, Kevin McCarthy of California. While he has been in lockstep with Boehner and Cantor during the lead up to the midterms, McCarthy's record of governance is more in line with a centrist. During his time as Republican leader of the California State Assembly, McCarthy built a reputation as a consensus builder and was an ally of moderate Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

     Meanwhile, despite their historic defeat, there is little indication that the Democrats will change their leadership team, notably at the top where current Speaker Nancy Pelosi will assume the post of Minority Leader at the beginning of the 112th Congress. Pelosi has broad support from the progressive wing of the Democratic Caucus and with most of her opposition from the "Blue-Dog" conservative wing of the party being wiped out in the midterms, Pelosi's hold on power has actually been strengthened, not diminished.

     The fight to watch will be for Minority Whip, where current Majority Leader Steny Hoyer will fight for his old job with current Majority Whip and Pelosi ally James Clyburn of South Carolina.  The fight was neck and neck until the early part of this week, when multiple sitting committee chairs circulated a letter supporting Hoyer. This letter could tip the balance in Hoyer's favor.

   With all of this new change, the NAPS agenda hangs in the balance. While there is a chance that our issues could get lost in the noise of the "big ticket" items such as health care and the economy, there is a distinct possibility that our issues could see some movement, especially if leaders such as Boehner, McCarthy and Hoyer ignore party orthodoxy and choose to govern from the center. This early in the game, however, we can only wait, see and hope.

Register for LTS 2011 NOW! 

     Last year, 450 NAPS members attended the annual Legislative Training Seminar. With the many issues facing the Postal Service, it's important that NAPS members attend LTS this year.

Click here to register

Haven't booked your hotel room at the Omni yet? Click here.

Changing Your Email Address 
 
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Happy Veteran's Day!

 

NAPS would like to honor all of our members who served our country in the armed forces. Thank you for your service.

 

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