Following months of discussion with NALC officials, the Postal Service has decided to grant early-outs to eligible letter carriers in Louisiana and Mississippi affected by Hurricane Katrina. USPS informed NALC on December 12 that the opportunity for Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) by postal employees has been approved by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Statement of Interest forms are being sent by USPS to covered employees. They must be completed and returned with a postmark no later than December 30 for full-time employees and February 8, 2006 for part-time employees.

Forms and information were being mailed to covered full-time employees beginning December 15, and to covered part-time employees in mid- to late-January. Individuals meeting the requirements who do not receive a packet by December 18 (full-time) or January 29 (part-time) should contact their local USPS Personnel Office.

A formal VER Offer Letter for signature, along with retirement information, will be mailed by January 5 to full-time employees who return the Statement of Interest Forms, and by February 22 to part-time employees who return the form.

To be eligible, an individual must hold a position in the Louisiana District or in ZIP Area 395 of the Mississippi District, and be age 50 or older as of April 1, 2006 with at least 20 years of creditable service as of March 31, 2006; or be any age and have at least 25 years of creditable service as of March 31, 2006; or be a FERS employee, eligible for a reduced or postponed "minimum retirement age (MRA) +10 retirement" with at least 20 years of creditable service as of March 31, 2006. (Creditable service must include at least five years of creditable civilian and non-career service. Military service is also creditable once the five-year creditable civilian service requirement has been met.)

Full-time employee early retirement will be effective January 31, 2006, February 28, 2006 or March 31, 2006. Part-time early outs will be effective March 31, 2006.

Maximum allowable early retirements will be establish by USPS Human Resources for installations and positions. If the number of requests exceeds the maximum, retirement will be granted to those with the earliest retirement computation date, up to the maximum.

The projected accumulation for the seventh of eight regular cost-of-living adjustments under the 2001-2006 National Agreement declined to $395 following the December 15 release of the November Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), as the overall CPI experienced its largest drop in 56 years, brought on by a record decrease in gasoline prices.

The seventh COLA will be based on inflation between July and January 2006 and will be payable in the second full pay period following release of the January 2006 index. The $395 annual accumulation equals 19 cents per hour or $15.20 per pay period.

The accumulation toward the 2007 retiree COLA dropped to 0.4 percent following release of the November index. The 2007 retiree COLA will be based on the increase in the average CPI-W between the third quarter of 2005 and the third quarter of 2006. The accumulation toward the 2006 COLA for Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) participants declined to 4 percent based on the latest figures. The 2006 FECA COLA will be based on the increase in the CPI-W between December 2004 and December 2005, and will be effective March 1, 2006.

National Business Agent Art Buck, left photo, is interviewed by television reporters during four-city demonstrations December 6 at offices of Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO). In right photo, active and retired carriers engaged in informational picketing outside Bond's office in Jefferson City.

Bond has single-handedly held up floor action on S. 662, the critical legislation, utilizing a Senate privilege to place a ‘hold' on a bill that is particularly objectionable to a senator. In this case, Bond was acting on behalf of Hallmark Cards, Inc., which is headquartered in Kansas City.

Hallmark seeks to undermine language in the bill that would tie future postage rate increases to inflation, a measure acceptable to most other major mailers as well as NALC. NALC had hoped to get the bill through the Senate by the end of the year so work could begin on reconciling it with the House version passed in that chamber last July.

NALC President William H. Young wrote to Bond on November 30 (NALC Bulletin 05-21) asking him to lift his hold and allow an up-or-down vote. Bond refused to even reply to his letter. That's when NALC e-Activists, led by National Business Agent Art Buck and NALC's four regional field coordinators, went into action – while Bond was back home for the Thanksgiving break.

• Hundreds of carriers turned out in 15-degree weather on December 6 for informational picketing outside Bond's offices in St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City and Springfield.
• On December 6 and 7, dozens of active and retired carriers worked phone banks to call 6,300 NALC members in Missouri and urged them to call Bond's offices to demand a vote.
• In Washington, President Young conducted a "Radio Media Tour" of Missouri, being interviewed by broadcast reporters in that state. He also wrote a column on postal reform for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

By the end of the week, Bond told a Kansas City television news reporter that he expected to lift his "hold" in February. It was the first time he has committed to allowing a vote on reform.

"I am extremely gratified that our week of action in Missouri played a role in changing his mind," Young said. "I hope this serves as a role model for all our e-Activists nationwide in the months ahead. Together we can help secure the future of the USPS and stand up for letter carriers and the American people at the same time."

President William Young has appointed Region 12 (Philadelphia) National Business Agent Timothy C. O'Malley to succeed Thomas H. Young Jr., who has retired effective at the end of the year following 11 years as Director of Health Benefits.

Timothy O'Malley	William Lucini

O'Malley, 54, was serving his second four-year term as NBA for the region that covers Pennsylvania and South and Central New Jersey.

To succeed O'Malley as NBA, Young appointed William J. (Bill) Lucini, who has been a Regional Administrative Assistant since 1995. O'Malley and Lucini are both members of Branch 157 in Philadelphia. They will take office January 2 and serve until the next NALC elections.

President Young praised the four decade of leadership of Thomas Young that began in 1962 when he started carrying mail in Whittier, California.

"Tom's steadying influence and his intelligent assessments of the problems that have faced both the health plan and the union have been a tremendous asset to me, to the Executive Council, and especially to all the letter carriers who have benefitted from his service," Young said.

O'Malley became a letter carrier in Philadelphia in 1970, just after the strike. He served in several branch positions before being elected branch president in 1989. He was elected as business agent in 1998 and re-elected in 2002.

President Young emphasized O'Malley's personal commitment to the membership.

"We all remember the bio-terror attacks of 2001," Young said. "Tim was constantly on the job and on the spot, working to assure the safety of our members and protect them from exposure to anthrax."

Lucini, 52, has been Region 12 RAA since 1995 after years of activity in Branch 157 including retirement and death benefit trustee, health benefits representative and an arbitration advocate.

Young appointed David Napadano, 49, president of Branch 22 in New Castle, Pennsylvania as a Philadelphia Region RAA. Napadano has been branch president for 22 years.

In another appointment, Young named longtime Chicago Branch 11 activist Jewel L. Jones, 52, as a Regional Administrative Assistant for Region 3. Jones has served as financial secretary of Branch 11 for the past three years and has held positions as health benefits representative, Mutual Benefit Association representative, sergeant-at-arms, and been a strong supporter of the NALC food drive.

Secretary-Treasurer Jane E. Broendel has announced that two sessions will be held in early 2006 – in Baltimore and Pittsburgh – of an updated educational program for Branch Secretary-Treasurers and other local and state officers chiefly responsible for financial administration in NALC branches and state associations.

The sessions, and accompanying materials, are designed to assist branch and state officers in managing the "business" side of their local union organization. The sessions are intended primarily for branch secretary-treasurers, but branch presidents or other branch and state officers involved in financial administration are also invited to participate, as space allows.

Broendel noted that taking care of branch business can be a complicated task, requiring several officers to contribute their time, energy and expertise.

"It is also a job that must be done correctly at all times," Broendel said, "not only because federal laws require it, but also because the members of our democratic union deserve no less."

The training sessions will cover all of the basics for secretary-treasurers:

The sessions, limited to 150 participants each, will be held:

Each session will begin at 8 a.m. on the first day and will conclude by 3 p.m. on the second day. Branches will be responsible for transportation and lodging. Rooms at each hotel have been blocked for Feb. 14 and 15 in Baltimore and March 6 and 7 in Pittsburgh.

Hotel reservations must be made directly with the hotel. Make sure to mention you want the special room rate for the NALC Secretary-Treasurer Seminar.

To register, fill out and immediately return the form below to NALC Headquarters. Note the dates by which the registration form must be received at NALC Headquarters. Sessions will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Registrants will be contacted if a class is already full.

Secretary-Treasurer Seminar Registration Form Register me for the NALC Secretary-Treasurer Seminar checked below: February 14-16, Baltimore, MD. (Registration deadline January 24, 2006) March 6-8, Pittsburgh, PA (Registration deadline February 6, 2006) Name ______________________________________________________________ Branch or State Position ________________________________________________ Branch # ______ Branch City ____________________________ State ___________ Your Address: Street ___________________________________________________ City_____________________________State_______ZIP__________ Return to: Secretary-Treasurer Jane E. Broendel National Association of Letter Carriers 100 Indiana Ave., NW Washington, DC 20001-2144