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2nd
Quarter
2011
Just a
few weeks ago we went to Washington for the Texas legislative trip
and had the opportunity to visit with our congressional
representatives, or in some cases with their staff. It is a
difficult task of changing opinions in D.C. however we were able to
get several congressional representatives to sign on to HR 1351.
This is a bill which would provide financial relief to the Postal
Service by properly recalculating the Postal Service CSRS payments.
On June 23rd,
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the chairman of the House Oversight and
Government Reform Committee, and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL), chairman of
the committee's subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service
and District of Columbia, introduced a comprehensive postal reform bill
in the House of Representatives. This bill would repeal the right of
Postal employees to bargain over Health care and life insurance
benefits.
This bill
would appoint a committee that would have the power to change or nullify
YOUR NEGOTIATED COLLECTIVE BARGANING AGREEMENT. The Issa bill
would also permit the Postal Service to eliminate a day of delivery and
wipe out at least 35,000 letter carrier jobs.
Brothers and
Sisters, you have heard me talk about these issues in the past, however
the future is now. We will either become E-activists, write letters and
make phone calls to our congressmen, and get on board with
automatic contributions to COLCPE, or we will lose the battle.
We need to take our heads out of the sand (or whatever other dark place
it may be) and face reality. There is a segment in Washington D.C. that
is out to destroy working men and women, and bust your union.
The Executive
council in Washington, the officers of the TSALC, your Branch officers,
cannot get the job done alone. WE need every rank and file letter
carrier to write letters to their congressperson and senator in support
of HR 1351 and to oppose the Issa/Ross proposed legislation.
What happens
now is up to all of us. Either we step up to the plate and fight in
unity for our rights, our jobs, and our families or we can put our heads
between our legs and kiss our butts goodbye. The choice is yours.
Yours in
solidarity
Michael R.
(Mike) Lee
4th Quarter
2010
Members;
We are at the
beginning of a new year and with it we are confronted with new
challenges. After the results of the November elections we now have a
new makeup in the political arena. Regardless of your political
affiliation this new congress will present several challenges for Letter
Carriers. In addition we now have a new PMG (Patrick Donahoe) who is set
on attacking the wages and benefits of Postal employees.
In the very first
session of the 112th congress a bill (HR122) was introduced by Gingrey
of Georgia and was co-sponsored by reps. Joe Barton and Sam Johnson of
Texas. This bill, the Federal Employee Accountability Act of 2011 would
amend title 5 of the US code “to limit the circumstances in which
official time may be used by a federal employee”. If passed this bill
would not permit employees to be in official paid capacity when acting
as a union representative. To put this in ‘layman’s’ terms this bill
would mean that anyone acting as a union representative could not do so
while “on the clock”. This would effectively either do away with your
right to representation or mean a significant increase (several times
the current dues) in union dues.
The Postal Service
with the support of several republican congressmen, is attempting to
eliminate one day of delivery. This would mean a reduction of at least
35,000 letter carrier jobs and about 80,000 total Postal Service jobs.
In addition reducing delivery days would result in a loss of customers
and a corresponding loss of revenue, which would accelerate future cuts
and cause a downward spiral.
I know that I have
preached this in the past, but if we do not come together as a united
group we will not survive this round of unprecedented attacks on our
wages and benefits.
Keeping your head
buried in the sand is not going to make these problems go away.
I came to work for the
U. S. Postal Service in 1973, which was during the very first collective
bargaining agreement negotiated by our wonderful union. Working for the
Postal Service has enabled me to support my family, purchase a home,
raise my children, put food on the table, and save a little for
retirement. None of this would have been possible without the pay
raises, increases to benefits, and the workers rights afforded to all of
us solely because of the collective bargaining agreements negotiated on
our behalf by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of LETTER CARRIERS.
The new PMG has stated
his intention to reduce labor costs and to increase the number of
temporary employees with NO benefits. In addition there have been
suggestions of changing the retirement formula to the high 5 years as
opposed to the current high 3 year formula. (This would result in a
significant reduction to your retirement annuity) There have been
suggestions to reduce health benefits and also to increase the employee
portion of health insurance premiums.
The members of the
N.A.L.C. have fought long and hard to attain the wages, rights and
benefits that we as carriers enjoy today. Do you intend to sit idly by
as these negotiated benefits are slowly (or not so slowly) taken from
us?
Those heroic members
of this union who put their jobs on the line and went out on strike in
March of 1970, and who walked on picket lines for the right to negotiate
a collective bargaining agreement should not have their hard work go for
naught. We are the future that those brave members fought for. We must
now take up the struggle and fight not only for ourselves, but for the
future generations, and to honor those who fought before us.
It is absolutely
imperative that all members get involved and be prepared to take action
when called upon. I urge every member to sign up as an E-activist so
that you can receive updates from National and stay informed as to what
is occurring on the National level. I strongly urge, implore, recommend,
and beg (if I have to) that each and every member of this union go to
the phone or computer and sign up for automatic COLCPE contributions
NOW. Of course if you are independently wealthy and only deliver mail
because you have nothing better to do with your time then you don’t need
to worry.
It is time for each
and every one of us to stand and be counted, to have our voice heard and
to be prepared to write letters, make phone calls, and contribute
whatever it takes to save our jobs, our pay and our benefits. Please
join me in this effort. .PS if anyone has questions, please feel free to
call me (817) 691-1379
In Solidarity
President Branch 5938
District 6 Report
First of all let me thank the membership
for electing me as their district six representative of the TSALC. Now
Brothers and Sisters let’s get down to business, we have a tough road
ahead of us as letter carriers and union activists. We must keep a
watchful eye on Washington and help to ensure that HR 22 and/or the
proper form of S1507 passes into law. Since being elected as your
representative at the State convention I have attended Branch meetings
in Arlington (BR.2309) and Fort Worth (Br.226) to speak about these
important pieces of legislation and to impress upon the rank and file
membership the importance of being an automatic contributor to COLCPE. (
H.E.B.BR 5938 gets to hear it at every meeting) During my time as your
district Rep. I intend to make at least one meeting of every Branch in
the District. Brothers and Sisters it is imperative that we greatly
increase our numbers in automatic contributors to COLCPE ( payroll
deduction)
5 dollars per pay day to help to
preserve your rights, benefits, and JOB is not much to ask.
Our Brothers and Sisters who came before
us struggled long and hard to build this Union and to achieve the
benefits that we enjoy today. It would certainly be a shame if we do not
do all in our power to preserve our job and benefits for ourselves, our
families and those future letter carriers and NALC members to come after
we are gone. Please, if you are not on payroll deductions for COLCPE go
to the phone or computer and do it now. If you already contribute to
COLCPE then talk to a friend or co-worker and get someone else signed
up. P.S. If anyone would like me to attend their Branch meeting or just
wants to contact me my e-mail and phone # are available below
Michael R.(Mike) Lee
district 6 board member
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