The Nolan Award, issued July 25, rejected NALC's argument that local parties are free to negotiate "additional or longer wash-up periods" without reference to the "dirty work/toxic materials" criteria set forth in Article 8, Section 9 of the National Agreement. However, the Award does not invalidate any existing wash-up provision.

NALC President William H. Young said that while NALC was disappointed with the Arbitrator's ruling, the effect of the Award is limited.

"It simply means that in those rare cases where we must defend an existing wash-up agreement, or are seeking to add a new one, we will have to address the issue of dirty work," Young said. "Of course, it remains NALC's position that all letter carrier work is dirty work."

Young added that NALC is presently exploring the option of raising the question of dirty work at the national level.

Article 30.C of the National Agreement provides that LMOU provisions added or modified during one local implementation period may be challenged as inconsistent or in conflict with the National Agreement only during the local implementation period of the successor National Agreement. Further, paragraph 6 of the national Memorandum of Understanding regarding Local Implementation states that "LMOU items existing prior to the 2001 local implementation period may not be challenged as inconsistent or in conflict, unless already subject to a pending arbitration appeal."

Accordingly, existing local wash-up provisions which were negotiated prior to the 2001 implementation period may not be challenged by management, unless they are covered by a pending arbitration appeal.

Secretary-Treasurer Jane E. Broendel has advised individuals attending the Washington, D.C. Secretary-Treasurers Seminar Sept. 26-27 and not staying at the Washington Court Hotel on Capitol Hill that they may want to switch their hotel reservations to avoid a possible strike by UNITE HERE!

Although the Washington Court Hotel on Capitol Hill--where the seminar will be conducted--will not be affected, UNITE HERE! members have authorized a strike at the following 14 Washington, D.C. hotels:

In addition to the Washington Court, other Washington union hotels that are NOT INVOLVED in the possible strike are:

Branch Secretary-Treasurers who have not already registered for one of the three Seminars being held this Fall can now choose only between the September 26-27 Washington, D.C. seminar – where there are still a few openings available – and the November 7-8 Hollywood, CA seminar. The October 17-18 St. Louis seminar is full.

NALC President Young, center, and PMG Jack Potter, 2nd from right, join winners at annual Hero of the Year ceremony. L to R are: David Bartaway, Br. 2184, Western Wayne County, MI; Don Brown, Br. 3166, Warwick, RI; Nevin "Boomer" Markel, Br. 204, Colorado Springs, CO; Victor Soto, Br. 2502, Las Vegas, NV; Young; John Frierson, Br. 3126, Royal Oak, MI; Richard Fischer, South Florida Br. 1071; Potter, and Kurt Spaller, West Coast Florida Br. 1477.

NALC President William H. Young and Postmaster General John E. Potter led scores of union and postal officials honoring letter carriers September 15 in Washington for their heroic and humanitarian actions to assist others in the communities they serve.

Joining in praising the carriers at the annual "Hero of the Year" award luncheon was Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-RI.

Young presented the top awards to National Hero of the Year Kurt Spaller, a member of West Coast Florida NALC Branch 1477, who helped evacuate scores of elderly residents from a massive condominium fire in St. Petersburg, and to National Humanitarian John Frierson of NALC Br. 3126 in Royal Oak, Michigan, who donated life-saving bone marrow to a two-year-old leukemia victim and formed an organization to encourage minorities to sign up for the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry. (See August 20 NALC Bulletin).

	Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-RI, left, chats with Warwick, RI Br. 3166 Secretary Don Brown, who accepted Branch Service Award on behalf of his branch.

Young noted that letter carriers represent the front line of safety as they serve homes and business along their routes each day, saying they "sense danger and recognize trouble, they are on the scene and willing to act, and their patrons and the general public reap the benefits. For them, to serve means to protect, to assist, to help every citizen at any time the opportunity arises."

Postmaster General John E. Potter noted that thousands of letter carriers and other postal employees also perform heroic and humanitarian deeds, but are "very humble about it. It's just what they do."

"They don't think that they've done anything out of the ordinary, yet they are heroes," Potter said. "We have to take a lot of pride in our citizenship."

Also honored at the event were: Richard Fischer of South Florida Br. 1071 as Eastern Region Hero for helping lift a mangled vehicle to free a trapped baby under a car in Coral Springs; David Bartaway of NALC Western Wayne County, Michigan Br. 2184 as Central Region Hero for risking his life to divert a truck from people attending a festival in Trenton, MI, and Victor Soto of Las Vegas, Nevada Br. 2502 as Western Region Hero for saving a boy from a raging pit bull dog.

Nevin Markel of Colorado Springs, Colorado Br. 204 was presented with the Special Carrier Alert Rescue Award for heeding a call for help by Spanish-speaking patrons and helping to deliver a baby, and Warwick, Rhode Island Br. 3166 was honored with the NALC Branch Service Award for a quarter century of support to blood drives and the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry.

Despite soaring medical costs, active and retired letter carriers can be proud that their union's health plan – the NALC Health Benefit Plan – will retain all of the same high level of benefits for enrollees in 2005, while continuing to offer rates competitive with others in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program (FEHB).

NALC Plan rates for 2005, announced September 13 by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) includes modest increases in employee contributions similar to those being experienced throughout the FEHB system.

OPM said FEHB enrollees in 2005 plans who have self-only coverage will pay an average $4.32 more biweekly, while those with family coverage will pay on average $9.99 more biweekly. NALC's plan cost for active postal employees will increase $4.89 biweekly for self-only and $9.90 biweekly for family coverage.

NALC President William H. Young and Director of Health Benefits Thomas H. Young said letter carriers and their families should examine very closely the benefits that the NALC Health Benefit Plan provides, along with the rates, and then compare them with other plans during Open Season.

"We know NALC will hold its own in any comparison," they said.
Administered and operated by the union, the NALC Health Benefit Plan provides active letter carriers, annuitants, and other postal employees with top quality benefits that include medical services provided by physicians, inpatient and outpatient hospital services, emergency treatment, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and NALC's prescription drug program.

Employee contribution rates effective in January 2005 for active letter carriers and annuitants in the NALC Health Benefit Plan are:

NALC members not currently enrolled in the NALC Health Benefit Plan will have an opportunity to join the Plan during Open Season which will run from November 8 through December 13.

This is a summary of some of the features of the NALC Health Benefit Plan. Detailed information on the 2005 NALC Health Benefit Plan can be found in the official brochure. Before making a final decision, please read the Plan's officially approved Brochure (RI71-009). All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations, and exclusions set forth in the official brochure.

The projected accumulation for the fifth of eight regular cost-of-living adjustments under the 2001-2006 National Agreement stood at $26 following release September 16 of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for August.

The fifth COLA will be based on inflation between July and January 2005 and will be payable in the second full pay period following release of the January, 2005 index.

The $26 annual accumulation equals 1 1/4 cents per hour or $1 per pay period.

The fourth COLA of $624 annually was announced last month and took effect on September 4. It will be reflected in carriers' September 24 paychecks.

The projected accumulation toward the 2005 retiree COLA remained at 2.6 percent following release of the August 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 remained at 2.8 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.