Today the Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee marked up S. 1507, a bill that would provide
short-term financial relief to the Postal Service by restructuring the
congressionally-mandated payments into the Retiree Health Benefits Fund for
future retirees. The bill, which was supported by the NALC in its original
form, had several amendments offered to it. Thanks to our e-Activists in
several states across the country, we were able to defeat 7 of the 11
amendments, including one that would have required a move to 5-day delivery
and the elimination of more than 20,000 city carrier jobs.
Unfortunately, one of the four amendments approved was an anti-labor
provision that we consider a 'poison pill.' The amendment would instruct
arbitration panels to "consider the financial condition of the Postal
Service in making any decision." The amendment is not necessary since
arbitration boards already take postal finances into account. Worse, by not
listing other factors that should be considered by boards, the new language
has the effect of giving short-term financial conditions preeminence over
other relevant factors.
We cannot support S. 1507 with the arbitration amendment. It is very
disappointing that Committee members would interfere with postal collective
bargaining and seek to put a thumb on the scale in favor of postal
management in the next round of bargaining. We will lobby to eliminate the
amendment from the final bill and we're committed to resisting its inclusion
in any legislation that emerges from Congress.
We will keep you posted as we move ahead. Thanks to all of you that have
helped us get this far.
In Solidarity,
