March 2, 2012

 


Fi
Louis Atkins

Louis Atkins

Letter from Louie

 

 

For the past few months, the primary focus of your resident officers was to achieve a positive conclusion on our pay talks with the United States Postal Service. While we have made some progress in our discussions; the Postal Service's inability to compromise on pay-raises for EAS employees has forced us to proceed back into fact finding.  

 

While we believe that we are going to be able to negotiate an agreement on improving overall working conditions for all EAS employees; your resident officers believe that we must use all tools at our disposal to secure the compensation that our members rightfully deserve.  I believe that not taking this matter to fact finding would represent a breach of our duty to our members; especially considering the outcome of the craft pay negotiations.

 

Our pay talks are unfolding under the backdrop of the Postal Service's plan to consolidate its network of processing facilities in an effort to reduce costs and return to profitability. While we share the same goal of reducing costs and improving efficency; NAPS has stated time and time again that any restructuring efforts must be done in a way that maintains the high service standards that the American public have become accustomed to receiving.

 

In late February, the USPS completed the study of its infrastructure and unveiled its formal plan to push forward with plant closures and consolidations. NAPS contends that with this poorly thought out consolidation plan, along with the USPS's move towards reducing overnight delivery standards and advocating a Five Day delivery service model that the USPS is doing great harm to itself.

 

We all understand why we are in this position, the declines in volume and revenue tethered with an excessive retirement prefunding mandate have taken the USPS from record setting profits only six years ago to the very edge of insolvency. 

 

In addition, while the momentum in Congress for a solution seems to be lagging with election year politics fully in play, I do not see how the Congress can sit idly by and let the USPS fail.

 

We all need to be prudent with how we handle our finances, both professionally and organizationally. However, considering the blood, sweat, and tears that our members have poured into pushing the USPS forward; I believe it would be a great insult to not compensate EAS for their dilligence and hard work.

 

Jay's Notes
 

Make Your Voice Heard!  

James Killackey

Jay Killackey

 

 

As you know, NAPS has been working closely with key Senators in an attempt to modify the current bill that is pending in the Senate, S 1789. This bill was developed to help the Postal Service resolve its financial problems.

 

NAPS agrees with some of the provisions, but has made recommendations that we believe would improve the bill without the invasive surgery proposed by the original bill. We are enlisting support from a number of Senators who are receiving emails from postal employees and members of NAPS urging them to make small but significant changes in the language of the bill.

 

With the urgency of a resolution for the Postal Service's problems from Congress, we now have looming the announcement from the Postal Service, the closure of half of the processing facilities and the elimination of overnight local delivery of First Class Mail.

 

We need our United States Senators to heed our recommendations and make changes to the current language of S 1789 and to do it quickly. This is where all of our NAPS members come in. We need you to contact your United States Senator with an email today!

 

Here's how easy it is. If you click here, it will immediately take you to a pre-written email that you only have to find your Senators, add your name and address information and hit the submit button. 

 

Before you hit the "send" button, read the text of the message so you will know what we are asking for. It can't be any easier than this, can it? Since you've read this message up to now, go back and click the link and do your part to have your voices heard!

 

 


Seth's Slant

 

A guide to your first LTS 

Seth

Seth Lennon

 

Leonard Nimoy was best known for playing Mr. Spock in the iconic Star Trek television and movie franchise; during one of his portrayals of the role- he uttered a line that I think is appropriate for this time of the year- "For Everything There Is A First Time."

 

How does this apply to NAPS?  Well, when it comes to our annual Legislative Training Seminar, not everyone starts as a seasoned veteran. For everyone there was that first time heading to Washington to rally members of Congress on issues relating to the Postal Service. In addition, this year, there are a group of members who will be joining us here in Washington D.C. for the first time ever.  What do they need to know?  What can they expect?

 

When arriving in Washington D.C., there are a couple of things that our folks need to know. First; if you are arriving via Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, you have a couple of options at your disposal to get over to the Crystal Gateway Marriott. The first and most obvious is to use the Washington Metro System. D.C.'s metro is one of the easiest and most convenient mass transit systems in the world and it is easy to get from place to place. Arriving at Reagan, you will make your way to the Metro station and look for the Yellow and Blue lines that are heading in the direction of downtown Washington. I would also advise you to call your particular hotel to see if they have any shuttle services available to and from the airport.

 

Don't worry, your first experience with the D.C. metro will be a short one as you literally have to take one stop to the Crystal City station, located right next to the Crystal Gateway Marriott. Taxis are available if that is your preference or if you are arriving from one of the other D.C. area airports.

 

Once you arrive at the Marriott; your next event will be on Sunday morning where you will be registering at the site and then partaking in our Sunday series of activities. For first timers especially; I recommend that you take part in our First Timers training session directed by Bruce Moyer, NAPS Legislative Counsel. Bruce will bring our new attendees up to speed on what to expect during the course of the seminar and on your visits to Capitol Hill.

 

Monday is the "meat" of our program with the core of our Legislative Training Program headlined by Bruce Moyer and Executive Vice President Jay Killackey. Delegates will be brought up to speed on what issues they will be facing as they proceed on their visits. All of this leads to the trek up to the Capitol Hill on Tuesday where all delegates, first timer and veteran alike, will drive home the message that we have been pressing all year.

 

 



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Brian's Scoop

  

What's in Store at the

NAPS Store?

       

Brian Wagner

 

If you love NAPS and love to shop, then you will love to shop at the NAPS Store at www.naps.org. Our NAPS store just received a facelift.  What can you expect? Here's the scoop.

 

The NAPS Store now has pictures of the items available for sale.  There is no more sight unseen shopping.  We have our standard NAPS logo items, but we may add other products as we progress through this new shopping experience.

 

Most of the items at the NAPS Store are staples of NAPS officer pins, men's and women's NAPS watches, and a retirement certificate to name a few.  We have added the order form link to compute the totals of the quantities you wish to receive. You just need to add the dollar sign ($).  

 

Once you have your total, mail your form to NAPS headquarters along with your check or money order.  Prices included postage and handling.

 

The NAPS business card section is new to the store.  Many branch officers would like business cards, but don't need 500 at a time.  We developed a NAPS business card ladder to allow orders of 50, 100 or 500 cards.  The 500 business card order is in color with raised print.  The orders for 50 or 100 business cards are in color, without the raised print.

 

If you order business cards, make sure you include all the information you want printed on the card - name, NAPS title, address, phone, fax, email, etc.  Also, remember space is limited.  We print the orders for 50 and 100 cards in house at NAPS headquarters.  Before we print your business card, we will send you a proof for final approval. 

 

Once an order and payment are received, our turnaround goal to you is two-weeks, depending on our supply and if we have to make any special orders.

 

As we progress through our NAPS Store, we plan to offer other NAPS logo items, either through NAPS headquarters or through contract vendors.  However, we don't want to go overboard and over commit to products we may not be able to get.

 

The other option we have with the NAPS Store is to offer our officers and branches, "fire sale" type of items. As we start our 2012 spring cleaning, we are finding items in storage that we don't have enough to use for either LTS or a National Convention.  

 

However, there may be enough items for a NAPS Area VP, state or local branch  to use for an upcoming NAPS convention, training, retirement dinner, or  other NAPS event.  As we find such items, while supplies last, we will post them on the NAPS Store on a first-come/first-serve basis. Some items will have a cost while others will be free, with only the postage needing to be paid.

 

Speaking of free, we still have limited quantities of free items -- Historical Sketch, Back To Our Birthplace (narrative historical magazine), Membership (Dues) cards (continuous feed only), and the DDF/Postal Inspection Service Awareness cards listed on our NAPS Store for branch officers.  These items are great for helping increase membership. 

 

I know you are wondering what's in store for my recommendation for the ice cream flavor of the week -- Neapolitan.

 

 


Save America's Postal Service

 

NAPS has joined the four Postal Workers Unions in the fight to save the postal service. Please visit the link below to find announcements, background information, and important events.

 

www.saveamericaspostalservice.org

 

 

2011 Restructuring Documents

 

NAPS logo

NAPS RIF FAQs  

Additional RIF FAQs 

2011 Organizational Redesign Information 

2011 Organizational Redesign VER 

2011 Restructure-Westchester District 

2011 Restructure-Suncoast District 

2011 Restructure-Baltimore District  

2011 Special Incentive Off FAQs  

 

 


SPAC Alert 

 

 Have you donated to SPAC?  If not, visit  our Legislative Center's SPAC section  at www.naps.org to learn the many ways  to donate. You can also click here to    make a contribution via credit card.

 

 


  

Quote of the Issue!  

 

"Hindsight is notably cleverer than foresight."  

 

~ Chester W. Nimitz