News

Yesterday in Washington, the United States Senate adopted S.1789, also known as the 21st Century Postal Service Act, by a vote of 62 to 37. UNI affiliates National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) campaigned for months for amendments to the bill, as they seek sensible solutions to the Postal Service's financial situation.

While the unions were able to secure some of the their desired amendments, the final version of the contains several elements the unions oppose. If enacted, the bill would return to USPS $11 billion in overpayments to one of its pension schemes. Yet the bill does not address the larger surplus in the other fund and fails to fully lift the future health care payments that have crippled USPS finances in recent years.



The bill also calls for a continuation of current service standards, including six-day delivery, for a period of not less than two years. Although an amendment to immediately allow five-day delivery was defeated, NALC was disappointed, saying in a statement that switching to five-day delivery could cost as much as 80,000 postal jobs.



NPMHU credited its activists' lobbying for the defeat of amendments which would have "privatized the USPS, forced retirement eligible employees to leave postal employment, abrogated union contracts, ended collective bargaining, and restricted political rights of unions and members."



APWU noted that the bill, while improved, fell short of the mark.  “Although the bill will provide the USPS with limited relief from the requirement to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees, it does not provide sufficient relief. As a result, the USPS will not have access to the capital it needs to meet the challenges of the future."



With S.1789 passed in the Senate, consideration of postal reform will now return to the House of Representatives. All three unions have urged their members to be on the ready to fight for sensible legislation that will return the Postal Service to sustainability and protect their jobs.



For more on the affiliates' reaction to yesterday's developments, see the following links below:



APWU Statement

NALC Statement

NPMHU Statement