Dear Robert,
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,
Fred Rolando
President
Robert J. McLennan President
