February 14, 2014
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Jay's Notes
Brian's Scoop
Seth's Slant

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Numbers Current as of 2/14/2014

SPAC funds raised in 2014:
 $27,822

National Per Capita Average:
$1.06 per member

  

Year-To-Date SPAC numbers:
  (organized by NAPS region) 

SPAC Aggregate Totals:

1.      
Eastern$12,176
2. Central$3,693
3.       Western$3,408
4.       Northeast$2,824
5.       Southern$2,665

 

SPAC Per Capita Totals:


1.  
Eastern$2.26
2.       Central$0.84
3.       Western$0.62
4.       Southern$0.55
5.       Northeast$0.46


Payroll Deduction or OPM Allotment aggregate totals:

 

1.Central$2,418
2.Southern$2,107
3.Eastern$1,886
4.Western$1,765
5.Northeast$1,469


Number of Members who contribute to SPAC via Payroll Deduction or OPM  Allotment:

 

1.       Central
77
2.       Eastern59
3.       Southern51
4.       Western40
5.       Northeast30


2014 Legislative Training Seminar Registration

To register for the LTS, click here.

To reserve a room at the Marriott Crystal Gateway, click here.


Each month, one lucky new member sponsor will receive a $25 gift card. For more details on the "Motivating Membership" drive, please review the August 2013 issue of The Postal Supervisor!  

 

June 2013:

Sharon Guydon, Branch 80

 

July 2013:

David Lum, Branch 375

 

August 2013:

Bart Green, Branch 36

 

September 2013:

Linda Donnelly, Branch 497

  

October 2013:  

Kay Randle, Branch 369   

 

November 2013: 

Jerry Wilfling, Branch 463

 

December 2013: 

Jared Hawkins, Branch 199    

 

January 2014: 

Peter Marth, Branch 387

 



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Louie's Letter 
A Victory and A Warning

Louis Atkins
Louis Atkins


 

Last week, the United States Postal Service and all of it's associated stakeholders won a partial victory after the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee reported S. 1486, The Postal Reform Act, out of committee. While this bill is nowhere close to perfect, it is a foundation for real, common sense solutions to the core problems facing the USPS. While NAPS has concerns with specific items within the legislation, failure to pass any type of legislation at all will result in dramatic and potentially disastrous consequences for the USPS. 

 

We are already getting a preview of what life could be like without the required legislative reforms. Specific RIF notices have already been mailed to those EAS employees who are still impacted.  It is imperative that everyone that received a notice finds another position by April 18, 2014 or you will be separated from the USPS. 

 

Vacant EAS positions are plentiful with an urgent need to fill them. You may have to change to another functional area or location. In the future, there may be more favorable positions to which you can apply.  

 

While some may regard this transition as yet another challenge, you should not view it as a dead-end. The Postal Service is seeking to alleviate some of the existing pressure on the EAS workforce through these vacancies, many of which have sat unfilled for years. 

 

By taking on new challenges and new responsibilities, you are becoming an active part of the solution. Adequate staffing has been one of the areas of contention that NAPS has had with the USPS for many years during the decline in volume and revenue.  

 

While there has been some movement resulting from the possibility of legislation moving through the Congress, any extended delay could jeopardize any gains witnessed by the EAS workforce. 

 

Addressing the issues that are facing the USPS cannot be done by just one sector of individuals; it will take the combined efforts of all stakeholders to truly return the USPS to sustainability and prosperity. 

 

Our lawmakers must step up to the plate and end the partisan bickering and pass the reform that we need. We, as postal employees, have an equally challenging task ahead of us. We must be willing to change and adapt to the new realities facing the postal workforce. Whether that involves learning a new specialty or moving to a new office, we must be prepared to do what is necessary to move the Postal Service forward.

 
Jay's Notes
Postal Reform Moves Along

Jay New
Jay Killackey



As we hit the mid-point of February, the NAPS Legislative Team is placing the final touches on this year's LTS program. During opening ceremonies, Ronald Stroman, Deputy Postmaster General of the United States, will update us on the postal perspective of current legislation. 

 

We will also be addressed by the USPS Vice President of Labor Relations, Doug Tulino, who will give us an overview of the USPS health plan proposal that is a major part of S. 1486. This presentation will be important for delegates to learn more about the plan that the Senate will be deliberating on in the coming weeks.

 

The NAPS Legislative Team will also provide presentations on effective ways to improve fundraising at the local level for our SPAC (Political Action Committee) and provide just-in-time training on the issues that our delegates will be lobbying for in their trips to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.  

 

Delegates will be trained and groomed on all aspects of current legislation so that meaningful discussions can be held in the Halls of the Congress.

 

Since both the House and the Senate are in session during this year's LTS, we expect a higher percentage of meetings to be conducted face-to-face with the Member of Congress. This is a unique opportunity to meet with the individuals who will cast a vote on the future of the Postal Service. 

 

 

Hopefully the snow and ice we have today in Washington will give way to warmer weather and the first signs of spring as delegates converge in the nation's capital.     

 

We look forward to greeting all the delegates to Washington and we plan to make your stay both memorable and productive.  

 
Brian's Scoop
A Love/Hate Relationship

Brian Wagner
Brian Wagner

 

 

 

Well, I have a Valentine's Day gift for you. We now have a new supply of NAPS PNC Visa $25 Gift Cards for those who sponsor new NAPS members. Great!  Unfortunately, this is going to be one of those love/hate gift card relationships.  Here's the scoop!

 

You may love receiving a $25 gift card for sponsoring a new member, but you may also hate having a limited time to use it. In our quest to replenish our supply of NAPS PNC Visa $25 Gift Cards, NAPS was informed by the bank that a new expiration date rule will be in effect on all new gift card orders. The new gift card expiration rule states; "The Card is valid until the entire value of the Card has been used or until the expiration date on the Card, whichever occurs first."  For the newest supply of NAPS gift cards just received the expiration date is December 31, 2014. 

 

However, for all future orders, the NAPS PNC gift cards will expire 12 months from the month the cards are actually ordered. As an example, if NAPS orders a batch of new cards in May 2014, then the cards' expiration date will be the last day of May 2015. The expiration date from the example will not change, even if you receive one of those gift cards in November 2014. You still only have until the last day in May 2015 to use up the value on the card.

 

Therefore, when you receive your next NAPS PNC Visa $25 Gift Card for signing up a new NAPS member, just remember to check the expiration date on the card and use the card before that date.  Fortunately, NAPS still has a small supply of our substitute American Express (AMEX) gift cards that we purchased this past December from the USPS. These AMEX gift cards have a longer expiration date. However, before NAPS orders another batch of PNC Visa gift cards, we will use up our current supply and then our supply of AMEX gift cards. 

 

You may be asking yourself what happens if a gift card expires and a balance remains. Does PNC bank keep the money? No.  Fortunately, the remaining balances on expired NAPS PNC Visa gift cards are returned to NAPS, which will be returned to our general fund. Therefore, all is not lost, except to the member that failed to use the entire balance.

 

Unfortunately, when you activate your new NAPS PNC gift card and have no activity for six consecutive months, you will be charged a monthly inactivity fee by the bank. Therefore, NAPS encourages you to at least use your NAPS gift card within the first few months of activation. 

 

What is important to know is that NAPS loves to reward our members who sponsor new NAPS members.  We want to keep this type of sponsorship going. Based on the changes we have experienced with this new gift card process, NAPS is going to look into other options that may provide the same kind of sponsor reward with less restrictions and fees. Until then, the sooner you sign up a new member, the sooner you receive your NAPS $25 gift card and the sooner you can start using it before the expiration date. 

 

I do want you to know that I, too, have a love-hate relationship -- with ice cream.  I love ice cream, but hate that Baskin Robbins isn't open 24/7. But I also love to share my ice cream flavor of the week recommendation - Baskin Robbins Love Potion #31.

 
Seth's Slant
Who is the USPS's best advocate? It's you.
Seth
Seth Lennon

 

 

 

Over the course of the last year, NAPS has worked hard to improve our profile with the Federal Issues Media (yes, there is such a thing.) Whenever a major legislative or regulatory development arises that impacts the United States Postal Service, NAPS immediately issues media releases that outline our specific stances on that particular topic.

 

This is important because our organization is in a unique position where we can discuss in a more systemic and broad manner that attracts support from multiple points within the political spectrum. NAPS has taken steps to develop relationships with several of the key stakeholders within the Federal Issues Media.

 

Take a look at who follows us on Twitter. A fair number of them are Federal Issues reporters for publications such as the Federal Times, Government Executive and even the Washington Post. This relationship building gives us an opportunity to develop a dialogue that prevents misinformation from being spread.

 

However, while we have developed solid working relationships with the national media, what about the thousands of local newspapers, TV stations and radio outlets? That's where you come in. 

 

For a long time, we have urged our members to become active advocates for the USPS 24/7, not just at LTS or when a major bill is due to hit the floor. As an informed consumer of local media, it is up to you spot facts that you know are incomplete, incorrect or just plain false. 

 

Earlier this week, a member heard a local radio personality talk about how the USPS was beyond saving and that tax dollars should not be used to save it. The member forwarded this information to NAPS Headquarters and in turn, we shared a lot of the information we had published to illustrate the real causes behind the Postal Service's financial difficulties along with some fundamental information about the USPS (mainly, the fact that USPS operations are not funded by appropriations.)

 

There is a great deal that the American public does not know about the Postal Service, some of which could be at the root of some of the anti-Government anger that has occasionally been directed at the USPS. Only by being active media consumers and taking action when you hear something that doesn't add up, will we get everyone on the same page.