July 6, 2012 

Letter from Louie 

 

The USPS Credibility Gap

Louis Atkins

Louis Atkins

 

Needless to say, I am disappointed on how the Postal Service communicated the particulars of the FY 2011-2015 Pay Package to the field.  The way the message was constructed gives the impression that there are two separate pay packages; one for EAS employees who are members of this organization and another agreement for those EAS who are not NAPS members.

 

There has never been a time where there were two separate pay packages for USPS employees based on whether or not they are members of a recognized representative organization, nor will there ever be.  During the conclusion of the APWU negotiation process; the Postal Service's messaging represented an unbiased and accurate account of the end-result of the collective bargaining process.

 

NAPS has asked the Postal Service to release messaging that paints a crystal clear picture of the true outcome of our pay talks. These requests have met with resistance from officials at L'Enfant Plaza.

 

These events only continue to illustrate the Postal Service's inability to clearly message its policy positions to stakeholders. This has created a credibility gap not only between management and the postal workforce, but also between the Postal Service and policymakers on Capitol Hill. It would not be inaccurate to state that leaders in the House and Senate do not take statements from USPS leadership at face value. If the Postal Service cannot clearly communicate what it needs to move forward, then Congress will be unable to come up with solutions that will maintain our ability to serve the American public.

 

It is this credibility gap that has forced NAPS to oppose the Postal Service's efforts to realign health benefits for postal employees. Without a detailed and unbiased analysis of the Postal Service's proposals; NAPS is unable to determine if these changes are in the best interest of EAS employees. Until we get the facts we need to make a determination, NAPS will resist any effort to move away from the current health benefit structure.

 

In the meantime, I must remind everyone that this organization will continue to serve and represent our membership to the best of our ability. Though NAPS wants to represent Headquarters and Area level employees on pay and benefit issues, this representation is not available at this time.  However, these employee groups may reap other benefits of NAPS membership.  These include representation on disciplinary and adverse action, the use of our disciplinary defense fund, initiatives to improve workplace issues, and our lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill.

 

It is our goal to ensure our members and potential members receive unbiased facts and messaging as it relates to representation, pay, and benefits of all EAS employees.

 

Update on USPS Messaging on FY 11-15 EAS Pay Package

 

 

 The following statement was released on 7/6/2012 by the office of Douglas A. Tulino, Vice President, Labor Relations at the USPS;

 

The Postal Service announced on June 29, 2012, its final decision concerning changes in pay policies and schedules and fringe benefits for employees represented by the National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS).  This pay and benefits package resulted from the consultation process between the Postal Service and NAPS.  It applies to all field EAS employees, other than Postmasters, in positions that are represented by NAPS for purposes of the consultation process outlined in Title 39 U.S. Code � 1004.

 

The Postal Service will apply the same terms and conditions contained in its June 29, 2012, decision to headquarters and area EAS employees

Jay's Notes
 
The Next Step with PFP
James Killackey

Jay Killackey

 

 

The announcement last week by the USPS to force EAS employees to continue in a new form of PFP has rankled many members as well as misstatements that imply that NAPS does not represent Area and Headquarters employees.

While the USPS had the ability to impose the PFP system on EAS employees, NAPS did not negotiate ourselves back into this program. Since the FY2009 PFP debacle we have been objecting to PFP to no avail, even taking the matter to the USPS Office of Inspector General. 

 

Although a financial settlement is on the horizon for eRecourse appeals for FY2009, no amount of money can restore the credibility that the Postal Service has lost from through their poor decision making.

On the matter of representation, the statement that was issued by the USPS about our not representing Area and Headquarters EAS employees is incorrect. All EAS employees are free to exercise their right to participate in and join NAPS. The only difference in representation between Area/HQ and field EAS employees is that we do not meet at the table with the USPS to discuss pay for Area/HQ employees.

The individuals who developed the USPS statement were simply wrong on the facts. Our President made several contacts with USPS leadership relative to the half-truths in the release. However, the Postal Service has not taken any action to correct this statement nor does it appear that they intend to take any corrective action.  It is apparent that there is no sense of urgency in L'Enfant Plaza to honestly discuss the FY 2011-15 pay package.


We are communicating with our members who work in Area and HQ positions to let them know that NAPS DOES represent them and they have all the benefits of our services. I ask that our members trust their experience and their knowledge of the Postal Service, along with the information from their local and national level NAPS leadership, when contemplating the events of the last few weeks.

 

 

Seth's Slant

 

NAPS vs. Mother Nature

Seth

Seth Lennon

 

 

NAPS Headquarters was thrust right in the middle of one of the most historic weather events of all time placing us into a situation where NAPS headquarters officers and staff both realized how much we all rely on modern technology but also made us appreciate the innate human ability to adapt and to improvise to our surroundings.

 

On Friday, June 29, a rare and destructive storm system known as a derecho roared through the Washington DC metropolitan area. This storm, supercharged by the record high temperatures in our area left over 1.7 million people in the Washington D.C. metro region without power.  Included within the storm's path was the City of Alexandria, home to NAPS Headquarters. Our headquarters building itself was lucky enough to have power restored before the end of the weekend and those employees and officers who had lost power at home saw it restored by Monday evening.

 

However, when officers and staff returned to Headquarters on Monday morning; all had not returned to normal. The communications grid in the Washington D.C area had been disrupted to the point where phone and internet service were down on Monday morning.  Phones were slowly restored during the course of the day Monday, but throughout the week NAPS Headquarters found itself without internet service due to physical damage within our internet service provider's network. 

 

As NAPS has been continuing to embrace technology in order to service the membership; we have adopted more web-based programs that are more cost efficient and flexible. The modern internet infrastructure makes large scale outages a rarity, but when they do happen, it can cause things to grind to a halt.

 

Luckily, though quick thinking and a little ingenuity- NAPS was able to maintain a semblance of normal operations during the storm's aftermath.  NAPS Headquarters; using wireless enabled phones and laptops were able to maintain normal operations and remain open. 

 

As things return to normal; everyone will realize the reliance we place on technology and while it does enhance the quality of our lives; we do need to be prepared for that once in a while occasion where we might be without it. 

Brian's Scoop

  

National Convention Update:

Attention Associate Members

Brian Wagner

 

 

Not that I want to be like a "redundant report" at the Postal Service, but I want to again address a concern I heard at a recent NAPS state convention regarding Associate membership. Here's the scoop!

 

I am aware of some members who will be retiring at the end of July.  Congratulations.  As a friendly reminder, NAPS Associate membership is not automatic.  If you are planning to attend the National Convention as a branch delegate and you retire before the convention, you need to make sure you are listed as an Associate member in our NAPS membership database.

  

At the National Convention, I will provide the Registration & Credentials Committee a list of all NAPS members, both Active (USPS employed) and Associate (USPS retired).  This list will be used for membership verification as of August 13, 2012, one week prior to the start of the convention.    You may have been an Active NAPS member at the time you registered for the National Convention.  

  

However, if you have since retired, did you notify NAPS headquarters in writing that you wanted to become an Associate member?  If not, most likely you are not listed in our membership database as an Associate member.  Therefore, you would be ineligible to be a delegate at the National Convention.

  

It is extremely important that recent retirees verify their NAPS membership with their branch.

  

Your most recent branch DCO is for May 2012.  We will process the June DCO in mid-July.   Just as important, if you plan to be a delegate at National Convention and plan to retire, make sure you have completed and mailed an Associate Membership Form -1187A to NAPS Headquarters before August 13, 2012. 

  

If you recently completed an 1187A, but have not seen your name listed on your branch DCO as an Associate, please contact NAPS headquarters immediately, so we can investigate.  

 

We may have you in the system as a new Associate, but it was after the current DCO was processed. We want to avoid having any Associate member, designated to be a NAPS delegate, miss the opportunity to represent their branch and members at the National Convention.

 

As we celebrate our nation's birthday this week, I think it fitting that my ice cream flavor of the  week recommendation is -- Baskin Robbins' America's Birthday Cake� ice cream. God Bless America!


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, including how to make a recurring contribution via your USPS paycheck. 

 

You can also click here to make a secure contribution via credit card.

 


Call the toll-free NAPS hotline:
1-877-667-NAPS
 
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Quote of the Issue!  

  

"Among famous traitors of history one might mention the weather."             

 -Ilka Chase