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No. 04-10 May 14,
2004 |
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Key
House Committee Approves Reform Bill
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H.R. 4341
Headed to House Floor On 40-0 Vote;
Retains Bargaining Rights and Six-day Delivery |
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NALC
President William H. Young comments on House committee
approval of postal reform bill in address to hundreds
of letter carriers at Pennsylvania Congressional Breakfast
May 13. |
Letter carriers won a significant victory
on the road to postal reform May 12 when the House Government
Reform Committee voted 40-0 to report out H.R. 4341, The
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2004, and sent
it to the House floor. It was the first time in over three
decades that major postal reform legislation has won committee
approval in the Senate or House.
The bipartisan document contains several
points critical to the NALC and letter carriers: retention
of universal service to all Americans, six-day delivery
of mail, and Private Express Statutes, and continuation
of collective bargaining rights. A new Postal Regulatory
Commission would not have power to alter collective bargaining
agreements or establish pay comparability standards.
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NALC e-ctivist Alert!
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NALC Members who have signed
up as e-Activists should go online for a new message
from President Young on the postal reform bill
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NALC President William H. Young praised
the leadership of chief sponsor Rep. John McHugh (R-NY),
who headed a special panel on postal reform, and House Government
Reform Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) as well as the other principal
cosponsors: Committee ranking Democrat Henry Waxman (D-CA),
and Reps. Danny Davis (D-IL), and Candice Miller (R-MI).
"While it is not a done
deal . . . this is a good first step," Young said.
Young told hundreds of activists from Pennsylvania
at their congressional breakfast May 13 in Washington that
the NALC is off to a good start and praised carriers in
Philadelphia Region 12 for having the highest percentage
of e-Activists in the nation. But, he added, "There's
still work to be done."
"Just continue the effort
that you've already started and there is no doubt in my
mind that in a very short period of time, maybe as soon
as the beginning of next year, we'll be able to have one
big celebration ... as we enjoy postal reform," Young
said.
In a statement after tshe committee vote,
McHugh said the legislation would provide the U.S. Postal
Service with the flexibility it needs to operate successfully
in the 21st Century economy.
He said work will continue on refining
the bill for House floor consideration in the coming weeks.
NALC will continue to be involved in that process.
Major provisions of H.R. 4341,
as defined by the Committee, are:
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NALC
Drive Fills Food Banks;
Many Branches Set Records
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Union Receives
2004 World Hunger Award |
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The results are just starting to come in,
but by all indications the 12th annual NALC National Food
Drive was a resounding success with a number of branches
reporting record collections, some even as much as 80 percent
above last year's total.
The national total for the drive will be announced in
coordination with National Hunger Awareness Day June 3 and
a detailed report, including results from branches in all
50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin
Islands and Guam will appear in the July issue of the Postal
Record.
This year's drive was held on a few days after NALC received
one of the highest tributes from the anti-hunger movement
– the 2004 World Hunger Year-Chapin Award for exemplary
work and dedication on issues of hunger and poverty –
at an awards dinner May 3 in New York City. Also receiving
an award was Postmaster General John E. Potter, for USPS'
cosponsorship of the NALC food drive.
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The
World Hunger Year Award is presented to NALC by Emmy-award
winner and anti-hunger activist Tom Chapin, right, at
awards ceremony May 3 in New York City. Accepting the
award on behalf of President Young is NALC Public Relations
Director Drew Von Bergen, national coordinator of the
food drive. |
In California, FoodShare – the food bank for Ventura
County -- issued a press release calling the drive "a
huge success" and saying it collected 50 percent more
than last year, enough to feed 350,000 people over the summer.
"This food drive was poetry
in motion, demonstrating what the community can accomplish
when we work together," the organization said.
Across the country in Jacksonville, Florida, NALC Branch
53 President Russ Dill was checking to see if this year's
collection of 380,047 pounds – a more than 81 percent
increase from last year – had set an all-time branch
record. Among the promotions by the branch was a float in
the annual Shrimp Festival Parade in Fernandina Beach.
Newspaper headlines told the story:
"REGIONAL FOOD BANK SETS
DONATION RECORD" – The Oklahoman, Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma.
"POSTAL FOOD DRIVE BRINGS
IN MORE FOOD THAN EXPECTED" – The Evening
Times, Sayre, Pennsylvania.
"POSTAL FOOD DRIVE SURPASSES
GOAL" – The Daily Nonpareil, Council
Bluffs, Iowa.
"MAIL CARRIERS SMASH FOOD
DRIVE DONATION GOALS" – St. Cloud Times,
St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Throughout the nation, thousands of rural carriers assisted
city carriers in collecting the food donations, with strong
encouragement from National Rural Letter Carriers union
President Dale Holton.
Communications Workers President Morton Bahr also provided
support, sending a message to all CWA locals urging members
to participate in the drive.
Branch coordinators should submit their official results
immediately to NALC headquarters so a national total can
be recorded and branch results be published in the NALC
Bulletin and Postal Record. Results must be received at
NALC Headquarters by May 27.
Additional information will be in the June issue of the
Postal Record and a full report on the food drive, accompanied
by branch-by-branch totals, will appear in the July Postal
Record. Reports will also be included on the Food Drive
page of the NALC website.
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NALC
Executive Council to Meet
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The 28-member NALC Executive Council will meet May 24 to
28 to discuss proposed amendments to the NALC Constitution
and resolutions that have been submitted for consideration
at the 64th Biennial NALC Convention in Honolulu. The Executive
Council also plans to discuss new processes to adjust routes.
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Fourth
COLA at $416
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The projected accumulation for the fourth
of eight regular cost-of-living adjustments under the 2001-2006
National Agreement stood at $416 following release May 14
of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical
Workers (CPI-W) for April.
The $416 annual accumulation equals
20 cents per hour or $16 per pay period.
The projected accumulation toward the
2005 retiree COLA stood at 1.8 percent following release
of the April CPI-W. The 2005 retiree COLA will be based
on the increase in the CPI-W between the third quarter of
2003 and the third quarter of 2004.
The 2005 COLA for Federal Employees Compensation
Act (FECA) participants stands at 2 percent based on the
latest figures. The 2005 FECA COLA is based on the increase
in the CPI-W between December 2003 and December 2004.
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NALC
Activists Swarm Capitol Hill
for Postal Reform
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NALC legislative activists from Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware,
West Virginia and the District of Columbia grabbed
the eyes and ears of their Senate and House members
as Congress moved forward on postal reform legislation
during the past few weeks. They also attended legislative
briefings, rap sessions, and congressional breakfasts
and receptions. Top row, (l-r) show President Young
with House Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis
(R-VA); Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) expressing
a point as Maryland/DC NALC President Hugh McElroy
observes; West Virginia NALC President Joe Paden
greeting Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). In second
row, (l-r) show Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) making a
point addressing the Region 13 congressional breakfast
on postal reform and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) addressing
Region 13 breakfast. Third row, (l-r) show Delegate
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) makes point under watchful
eyes of Virginia NALC President Gail Burton-Jones
and Delaware NALC President Al Castagno; Illinois
NALC President Ron O'Brien (l), with Region 3 NBA
Neal Tisdale (c), and Chicago Branch 11 President
Jim Canada at Illinois congressional reception;
President Young and Region 9 NBA Judy Willoughby
chat with South Carolina NALC President Ron Vincent.
Bottom row (l-r) show Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)
is welcomed by Executive Vice President Jim Williams
and Vice President Gary Mullins at Pennsylvania
congressional breakfast, and Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA)
thanks carriers for making legislative trip to Washington.
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© 2001-2005 National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO |
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