NAPSHQ 2 U
Providing NAPS Headquarter News to You
 
 
 
December 10, 2010

Louis Atkins
Letter from Louie

    

     NAPS resident officers and the USPS Headquarters leadership of Sales met Nov. 30 to discuss filling vacancies in the Sales organization after the current freeze is lifted and USPS acts to fill vacancies. The Sales group consulted with NAPS on a plan they are developing to provide a basic aptitude- testing model for all candidates for Sales positions.  The model will determine a candidate's potential to be successful should he/she be selected for a position.

     Earlier this year this same type of process was used as a precursor for the Short-Term Supervisor Selection process to judge the basic competency of a candidate prior to the actual review of eCareer applications and review panels. The Sales group currently has four different testing models that they are reviewing for use in their recruitment process.  NAPS has been asked for their feedback on requesting current Sales employees to volunteer in field testing these aptitude test models to determine whether any of them are valid for Postal Service Sales and, if so, which provides the most valid results.

     Individuals at all levels in Sales will be asked to volunteer in early December to validate each of the four aptitude-test models by actually taking each of the four model tests while they are on-the-clock. Each of the models varies in how they are constructed so it is important to determine the value of each in the selection of future candidates. None of the information that is collected from these four test models will be used for rating purposes for the individuals who volunteer to assist in this evaluation. Instead, it is the process of validating the testing that is the focus of this effort.

     Participation in this effort is totally voluntary and no records of individual's test results will be held in Sales. In fact, the Sales group will not be playing any role in the development and evaluation process, nor will Sales be told any individual's outcome in any of the four models. This process will be managed by USPS Headquarters' Selection,Evaluation, and Recognition department. This department is the unit that is responsible for developing new programs to ensure that the best candidates are selected for EAS positions.

     Individuals in Sales should be hearing more about this effort in the next several weeks and we want our members to know that NAPS Headquarters has already been briefed on the subject.  

Brian's Bits
Where Did My DCO
Deposit Go?

Brian Wagner

     I have had a few calls that branch treasurers did not see their September DCO deposit on their October bank statement.  That DCO deposit will show up in a branch's November bank statement and the October deposit will be on the December statement. The timeframe for the DCO deposits works like this.

     NAPS HQ normally receives the dues withholding file from USPS HQ, in a text format, the last week of the month.  Our DCO system automatically calculates the dues withholding, direct pay, and associate member dues amounts per branch, unless otherwise noted on an individual branch report for occasional manual adjustments.  NAPS retains its per capita share per branch and the remainder of the dues received are sent to each respective branch.

     Before a DCO deposit can be made, Fairlie Benson, our DCO Coordinator, will cross-reference the branch's DCO amounts with the overall funds received for that specific DCO period to ensure it balances. Once balanced, the individual branch dues amounts are given to me.  I physically enter those amounts into an ACH bank program to transfer the funds to each respective NAPS account.

     Depending on when NAPS HQ receives the USPS file and the time involved to review and balance the DCO amounts, a branch should expect to receive the previous month's DCO deposit at the end of the following month.  For example, August DCO would be received in September, September in October, and so on. 

     On occasion, if NAPS receives the USPS file late in the month, the DCO deposit may arrive in the first week following the second month of the dues withholding. This happened for the DCO periods for September and October.

     Once I make the initial DCO bank deposit to a branch, it should take a day or two for the funds to post to the account, unless the deposit is entered on a Friday.  Then the DCO deposit is expected to be posted on the upcoming Tuesday.

     However, to ensure your DCO deposit gets to your NAPS account timely, it is imperative that NAPS HQ have the correct bank routing and account numbers for each NAPS branch bank account.  Banks are regularly being bought and sold, which can change a bank's routing number.  Each month, NAPS HQ receives a list of branch DCO deposits that were returned due to incorrect routing or account numbers. Or worse, the NAPS account has been closed.      

     At NAPS HQ, our goal is to ensure you receive your branch dues timely.  Therefore, if your branch is not receiving your DCO deposits double check your NAPS account information with NAPS HQ.

Postal Service Fails to Reach Agreements with Unions
 
 Washington Post logo
 NAPS vehemently disagrees with the opinions reached by the Washington Post in this editorial.

Editorial By the Washington Post

 

     THE POSTAL CRISIS accelerates. On Nov. 12, the U.S. Postal Service announced a loss of $8.5 billion for fiscal 2010, on top of a total loss of $6.1 billion for the two previous years. USPS owes $12 billion, just $3 billion below its legal debt ceiling. That's a problem, since it has projected a loss again next year yet must make $6.7 billion in retiree health and worker compensation payments by October. Only structural reform to employee wages and benefits - currently 80 percent of the operating budget - can stave off disaster. But current negotiations between USPS and two unions representing more than half of its workers have so far produced no resolution.

     The postal mess is especially poignant and depressing, because it epitomizes America's broader economic and political gridlock. To be sure, the Postal Service is the victim of society's technological success: In a world of text messaging and videoconferences, a "snail mail" business model is bound to wither. USPS has adapted, but not quickly enough. Postal rates remain under the control of inflexible regulators; Congress insists on six-day delivery and unprofitable local post offices in every district; federal law gives unions the edge in collective bargaining with postal management. The president's commission on deficit reduction recently endorsed reforms that would give USPS management flexibility to deal with such issues. But until now, no one has had sufficient incentive to make the tough decisions that could keep the Postal Service's debts from being the next multibillion-dollar commitment passed on to the federal taxpayer.

     What's missing is leadership, from both Congress and the White House, which has been basically silent about the Postal Service's plight. At the moment, postal unions are lobbying Congress to release USPS from its requirement to pre-fund about $5 billion in retiree health benefits, which might enable USPS to meet union contract demands and balance its books - temporarily. Congress must say no. Pre-funding is the only leverage lawmakers have to force a long-term solution. Management has already cut costs about as much as current law allows. If unions can't or won't contribute more to the postal service's long-term viability, then Congress must pass a law allowing labor arbitrators to shape agreements that will. The postal crisis is an opportunity for both the new Republican majority in the House and President Obama to show that they have heard the voters' cry for more cost-effective government - and that they intend to deliver it.

 

Click Here to view NAPS' response to this editorial.

Membership Musings
    Active Military Leave
Fairlie Benson
Fairlie Benson
  

     Is one of your branch members on active military duty?  If so, please inform NAPS HQ.  With notification from the branch, NAPS HQ will adjust the member profile so that no Per Capita Tax will be deducted from the monthly branch dues.  This demarcation is only for members on active military leave.  Please advise NAPS HQ when the member returns from active military duty so that we may re-activate their NAPS member profile.


From the Intern...

WikiLeaks and the Future

David
David Finklestein 

     Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, is probably the most infamous man in the world right now. From a little site called Wikileaks he has disturbed America's grasp on the world, sending a superpower to its knees. Assange's next target is Wall Street, which  he supposedly has thousands of files from a Bank of America executive's office. I am not going to debate the merits of his actions or accuse him of being a "cyber terrorist", but I do believe there are lessons that can be learned from this recent episode.

     Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, despite his recent focus on improving privacy settings, said in 2010 that "privacy is no longer a social norm and people no longer have the exception of privacy in the social media." Zuckerberg's pessimistic outlook of privacy is only used to describe the current social media atmosphere, but with the advent of Wikileaks, this quote can be applied anywhere. All companies, both public and private must realize Wikileaks can cause great harm to their entities in seconds. No legal action can prevent this harm from occurring because the second files are released on the internet, they can't be taken back.

     I don't believe that there is any imminent threat from Wikileaks on the USPS, but this doesn't mean that the USPS should feel invisible when it comes to protecting critical documents. The Post Office has been around since America's birth, and its legacy is largely based on public trust. This public trust must be protected in order to survive in an uncertain future of pending government cuts and layoffs. The Post Office must protect all documents, which if released could damage this almost "perfect" image. Also, at the local level, employees must realize that any email, posting on the internet or even conversation over the phone could easily end up in the wrong hands.

     Julian Assange was recently arrested in London and denied bail. There are rumors spreading on the blogs that he might be extricated to America, once the Department of Justice figures out what to charge him with. I think this will be the last we hear from Julian Assange and with impending criminal charges against him, Wikileak's death is imminent.  Assange and his Wikileak's creation was the catalyst behind a future where all public and private citizens will live in fear of critical, yet private documents circulating the internet.  

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

Jay's Notes
What Does The Proposed Federal Pay Freeze Mean to You

James Killackey
James Killackey

     Last week, the House of Representatives passed a Continuing Resolution to temporarily keep the federal government funded and running. One of the provisions that was included in the Continuing Resolution was language that supported President Obama's proposal to freeze the pay of government employees. 

     The President's bi-partisan deficit commission is also making some controversial recommendations that will affect all Americans -- like the changes to the current tax codes rescinding many current exemptions that American's enjoy and changes to Social Security benefits. The commission is also zeroing-in on federal workforce pay and benefits.

     Any deficit commission recommendation would still need to be approved by Congress and signed-off by the President.  The commission's recommendations, which must still be approved by 14 of the commission's 18 members , include reducing federal retirement and health insurance benefits, moving ahead with five-day delivery and closing unprofitable post offices, as well as reducing the Postal Service's vehicular fleet by 20 percent.

      Now would be a good time for all of our members to start contacting their elected officials and letting them know that you strongly object to the commission's proposals. Let them know that you object to any changes to retirement benefits calculations from the high three-years of your employment to a high five-year calculation, because the high-three calculation was part of the condition of your employment when you started working for the Post Office.

     You need to let your elected officials know that you do not want to see any increases in your health care payments while the Postal Service's contributions to your benefits are reduced. This is another one of the conditions that you started your employment with. You don't want to see any increases in minimum retirement ages or reductions in benefits because again these were conditions that you had when you started your employment.  NAPS already has joined with other federal and postal employee and retiree organizations in opposing the commission's draft recommendations, and you can read our letter on the NAPS website.

     All postal employees have been sacrificing every day for our customers. Through the efforts of our supervisors, managers and postmasters we have reduced thousands of jobs and saved billions of dollars for the Postal Service in just the last several years. Your Congressperson and Senators need to hear from you as they deliberate the future of the Postal Service. Your voice needs to be heard in Washington too!  

    
Resident Officers Discuss
The Issues
 
     Louis AtkinsJames KillackeyBrian Wagner

Seth's Slant
Keep Your Foot on the Gas
Seth Lennon
     Days ago, President Obama unveiled his proposal to freeze the salaries of all Federal Employees to combat the ever-rising debt within the federal government. While Postal officials have not indicated any desire (at this point) to be lumped in with this declaration, the writing on the wall is very clear; a bullseye has been placed on the pay and benefits of all Federal Employees. Employees of the USPS will more than likely find themselves in the crosshairs as regulators and legislators are looking to cut anything that can be perceived as excess spending, regardless of taxpayer consequence.
     With the New Year approaching us, this fact reinforces the reality we face, the USPS needs the help of the Postal Community as a whole to survive.  We must find ways, outside of cutting pay and benefits and eliminating positions, to relieve the USPS from some of its crushing fiscal burdens.
     The 112th Congress convenes in January and our NAPS legislative network must engage itself immediately if we want to make any headway in accomplishing our core legislative goals.              
      Between the beginning of January and when we open the LTS in late March, we must all strive to lay the groundwork to ensure that when our folks hit the ground on Capitol Hill, we can all be effective NAPS legislative activists.
     Senators Tom Carper (DE) and Susan Collins (ME) have legislation in the works that to varying degrees will aid in our quest to aid the Postal Service financially through relief of retiree pre-funding requirements and examining the business model to see if additional sources of revenue can be generated. A recently held hearing on the financial future of the USPS was held in front of a subcommittee for the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Reform did create some points of optimism. However, our foot must remain on the gas, for our work has only just begun.
      The President's proposal must be seen for what it is, a reality check. Take time to start educating yourself right now and become legislatively engaged. For our reality is simple:  failure to act and act decisively could have dire consequences for the Postal Community and the nation as a whole.
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

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