Mailhandlers
Local 301
971 Worcester Rd.
Natick, MA 01760
(508) 651-2227
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Branch Offices
| 109th Congress Passes Postal Reform Bill |
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Fianl Effort At Post Reform for 2006 Results in Passage Of Bill The 109th Congress Pasess Postal Reform Legislation, ending a decade of efforts to pass legislation. 109th Congress Passes Postal Reform Bill in Waning Hours On December 9, 2006, The 109th Congress accomplished the unexpected and passed HR 6407, the latest version of Postal Reform Legislation. The Final version of the Bill is expected to reach President Bush's desk for signature in the coming week and it is expected that he will sign the bill. The final version of the Postal Reform legislation had many of the most objectionable elements removed from it, most notably any attempts by Congress to control our collective bargaining process, increase retirement eligibility age, privatize financially lucrative portions of the USPS business for corporate profit or to hand off the single-piece parcel business and with it, mail handler jobs to the private sector. One unfortunate portion of the bill that has been retained in its' current form involves a provision requiring the imposition of a three-day waiting period for employees to receive benefits from Injury Compensation. Under the provision as written, employees can elect to use sick leave, annual leave or leave without pay for a three-day waiting period before receiving injury compensation benefits (If total period of disability exceeds fourteen days, then the three day period would be waived under the terms of the current legislation). Our National President, John Hegarty continues to pressure lawmakers to change or eliminate this horrible tenet from the final bill. HR 6407 provides legislative changes that are incredibly important to the long-term economic viability of the USPS. It is expected that the return of billions of dollars currently placed in escrow funds to the Postal Service to cover the USPS share of rising retiree costs will alleviate considerable financial pressure on the Postal Service. Further, the subject legislation will release the USPS from the requirement of funding employees military credited retirement time. The US Treasury will be required to pay for that, as it does with virtually every other Federal Agency. This change will have a tremendous positive effect on the financial outlook for the Postal Service. Other changes afforded to the Postal Service in the bill add rating flexibility, and additional clauses, discussed in more detail on our National Website are available for your perusal. Please continue to review your Bulletin Boards, your National Website and your Local Site for Updates. |
