If  you've never been to a National Convention, you're going to want to be at Old Timer's Night on Saturday September 24th when National President Fred Rolando will speak to the assembly. Come hear what your National President has to say about contract negotiations and the future of the Postal Service. Stay for the open bar after dinner and mingle with your fellow union members. Tickets are just $20.00 for members and $35.oo for guests. Retirees are only $10. Help us fill the Hearthstone Manor for this very special guest.

 

                                          July 28, 2011

                Due to a last minute cancellation the MDA Golf Tournament is looking for a foursome to golf this Sunday. If you are interested, please contact Joe Quinlavin @ 213-3277 to claim the spot. Check the BUZZ link for details.

 

                                                     July 27, 2011

                 This morning President Bob McLennan appeared on the morning show on WBEN 930AM. You can hear his comments here. The Post Office was featured on WBEN most of the day with Tom Bauerle and Sandy Beach each hosting shows

dealing with the proposed closings of some area post offices. Although there was a great deal of good information, it was a bit startling to hear several callers claim that they could survive without the Postal Service. We can't help but wonder if Canadians thought the same thing last month when Canada Post went on strike and the government forced the carriers back to work to avoid an economic collapse.

                                                    July 12, 2011

                                                              

July 12, 2011

Robert McLennan
4845 Union Rd
Buffalo, NY 14225-1301

Mr. McLennan,

I am pleased to announce a special outreach event that will be taking place this month designed to address the needs of local veterans. Please join my office staff along with a variety of related Veteran Service Organizations on:

Friday, July 22^nd

1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Leonard Post VFW Hall

240 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga

Members of my staff along with representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and several other organizations will be available to assist veterans who need help with issues related to: service-connected disabilities, veteran pensions, education and training, business development, dependents and survivor assistance, social security, housing and foreclosure assistance, service medal acquisition, passports and visas, Bethlehem Steel cases and a variety of other issues.

Representatives from the Small Business Administration and Buffalo State College’s Small Business Development Center will be attending the event to showcase a variety of resources that are available specifically to veterans and their families. There will be information regarding SBA financing options—loans and grants, and one-on-one business consulting opportunities from writing a business plan to more advanced topics such as procurement and e-commerce.

Our service men and women are often faced with unique circumstances and accessing available services can be a frustrating process. This outreach event is designed to help veterans cut through the red tape by bringing people who can help directly to a location that is convenient and accessible. I hope that all veterans and their family members will take advantage of this unique opportunity to access these services under one roof.

Sincerely,

Congressman Brian Higgins
NY-27

 

 

                                          July 8, 2011

                          Branch 3 Attends the NYS Convention

                                  In Saratoga Springs New York

                                                                                                                                                             

 

              Branch 3 letter carriers join the NYS contingency by

demonstrating in front of Congressman Chris Gibson's office.

He is one of only five NYS Congressman who have yet to sign onto HR1351.

                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                      

    

                                                                                                                                                                       

 

 

June 24, 2011

 

                     Representative Issa introduces draconian postal reform bill

                          Misguided bill is 'a missed opportunity,' Rolando says

June 23, 2011 -- 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 today in the House of Representatives. Sadly, it fails to address the central cause of the financial crisis facing the Postal Service—the destructive and unique mandate to massively pre-fund future retiree health benefits that accounts for 100 percent of the Postal Service's losses over the past four years. Instead, the bill proposes radical changes that would recklessly downsize the U.S. Postal Service in a way that would seriously damage the $1.3 trillion mailing industry and the entire U.S. economy.

 

 

 

"We are very disappointed in the Issa/Ross bill," NALC President Fredric V. Rolando said. "We hoped for a more common sense, practical and non-ideological approach to an institution that has historically engendered strong bipartisan support. Instead, we got a draconian downsizing plan and a misguided and unjustifiable attack on hard-working postal employees who provide the most affordable and highest quality mail service in the world."

Rather than taking sensible action to avert a financial crisis that would result from the failure of the Postal Service to make the next unaffordable $5.5 billion pre-funding payment for future retiree health benefits (due in September), the bill seeks to take advantage of the pending cash crisis to force a massive downsizing and to launch a frontal assault on the pay, benefits and collective bargaining rights of postal employees. Indeed, it fails to even mention the massive surpluses in the Postal Service pension accounts that two private, independent auditors have confirmed over the past two years—surpluses that can and should be used to resolve the financial crisis caused by the pre-funding mandate.

Under the Issa/Ross plan, tens if not hundreds of thousands of good middle-class jobs, many of them filled for decades by military veterans, would be needlessly destroyed.

The core of the bill is the creation of two unelected groups authorized to take extreme steps to cut costs and reduce services, one to generate lists of post offices and facilities to be closed and one to serve as financial overseers with the power to alter or nullify collective bargaining agreements and to make other operational decisions to reduce expenses. The Board of Governors and Congress would be effectively marginalized under the bill.

The bill would allow the Postal Service to eliminate Saturday delivery—inconveniencing millions of residents and businesses—and would repeal the right of postal employees to bargain over health and life insurance benefits, a right won more than 40 years ago. It would also inject political issues into the process for resolving collective bargaining impasses and unfairly restructure interest arbitrations by giving pro-management factors top priority in the law.

 

 

 

"It seems the war on collective bargaining that we have seen in the states has come to Washington," Rolando said.

NALC is in the process of studying the lengthy Issa/Ross bill in detail. Meanwhile, the union will continue to work with the Obama administration and with leaders in the Senate from both parties to develop more moderate and sensible solutions to the Postal Service's problems.

We will also seek to work with Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and the bipartisan group of 153 other co-sponsors of his bill, H.R. 1351, to make progress in the House of Representatives. H.R. 1351 would allow the USPS to use its pension surpluses to cover its pre-funding costs, thereby resolving the immediate financial crisis without collateral damage.

 

 

 

"We regret very much that Representatives Issa and Ross have taken this approach. We view it as a missed opportunity," President Rolando said. "Historically, the constitutionally mandated Post Office has been an issue that has been spared the destructive impact of partisan politics. We remain hopeful that a more reasonable, bipartisan bill can be developed in the House using H.R. 1351 as the starting point."

 

The U.S. Postal Service has informed the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) of its intention to suspend its employer’s contributions for the defined benefit portion of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to conserve cash and preserve liquidity. The Postal Service has a FERS account surplus valued at $6.9 billion.

“We will continue to transmit to OPM employees’ contributions to FERS and also will continue to transmit employer automatic and matching contributions and employee contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan,” said Anthony Vegliante, chief human resources officer and executive vice president.

CSRS employees, FERS employees and retirees are not affected in any way.

For current employees, the Postal Service will continue to transmit to OPM employees’ contributions to FERS and also will continue to transmit employer automatic and matching contributions and employee contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan.

 

 

KATHY HOCHUL ELECTED TO CONGRESS

 

NALC and WNY UNIONS DELIVER VICTORY

 

In one of the most Republican districts in the nation, Democrat Kathy Hochul won the special election on May 24^th for the 26^th Congressional district.  The NALC and Branch 3 endorsed Hochul, COLCPE gave her $5,000 and President Rolando approved releasing Branch 3 member Doug Fordyce to work full time on the campaign for the last two weeks.  Branch 3 and Branch 210 in Rochester worked very hard to get a friend of the NALC elected to Congress.

 

BRANCH 3 VOLUNTEERS for KATHY HOCHUL in the 26^th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SPECIAL ELECTION

 

Doug Fordyce

George Pettapiece

Rich Byington

Don Karp

Nancy Hogan

Mark Kindron

Bob McLennan

Larry Kania

Mike Monaco

Jerry Kaczmarczyk

Fred Toporek

Pete Preziotte

Jack Thielmann

Ken Klopfer

Sue Keller Eleey

Bill Eleey

Kent Hankin

Paul Schnitzler

 

Kathy Hochul supports legislation to get the $75 billion back that the USPS overpaid for pension costs, she supports 6-day delivery, and she supports taxing millionaires and billionaires before talking away Medicare.  She also favors ending tax subsidies for oil companies and for corporations moving jobs overseas.

 

This election received national attention and is a great victory for unions and working people in WNY.  Nobody thought we could do it, but by working hard to get our message out and our members to the polls, organized labor made the difference.  This should inspire our members to get involved in politics and legislation in 2012, for the Congressional and Presidential elections.

 

Robert J. McLennan

President