The NALC has survived Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Regan, and George W. Bush, so we can certainly survive John Boehner and the new Republican-led Congress. We must also remember that the Democratic Party still controls the White House and the Senate; two out

For more information on how you can contact your Congressional representative, go to www.nalc.org.

Now is the time for us to act quickly and gather our co-sponsors for the bill. We want to get as many as we can before it goes to full committee, possibly as early as next week.

When asking your Member of Congress to co-sponsor the legislation, please make sure to include the major points below:

Fairly recalculate the USPS surplus in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) using a methodology that uses fairness and equity by using an employee's high three salary when computing the annuity.

Would return assets paid for by RATEPAYER and EMPLOYEE contributions (not TAXPAYER funds) to the Postal Service's sub-account in the CSRS.

Once the accurate "postal surplus" is determined by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the agency would then have 90 days to write regulations with directions for how and when these funds will be transferred to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Fund (PSRHBF).

This legislation does NOT repeal or in any way address the legally mandated prefunding payments into the PSRHBR; it simply fixes the massive over-funding to the Postal CSRS account and transfers it to the PSRHBF. Additional legislation would be necessary to repeal the scheduled pre-funding payments to the PSRHBF in the future.

The date of transfer for the overpayment is less important than the acknowledgment by Congress and the OPM that the USPS has sufficient assets to cover all their retirement obligations; the Postal Service already has $37 billion in its PSRHBF and can access that until which time they would need the transfer to occur.

Please keep your comments focused on these talking points and let me know if you have any further questions. NALC will be sending out an e-Activist at the end of the week asking for grassroots efforts to gain co-sponsors, but we wanted you all to make the first contact with your Congressional offices.

THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND COOPERATION.

Now here are the members of the New York City Congressional delegation thatare not currently co-sponsors of HR-173
:Charles Rangel - 15th
Jose Serrano - 16th
Ed Towns - 10th
Joe Crowley - 7th

If your congressional representative is a co-sponsor, please call that person to offer thanks for his/her/their support. If they are not currently on board as supporters, you should let them know that we need them to support our perspective, just as we support them on Election Day via COLCPE and through the Carrier Corps, and more importantly, with our vote. Here is a toll-free number to the Congressional switchboard: 1-877-762-8762. It is an easy process. Tell the operator the name of your Congress member, and they will connect you to that person's office. Another number you can reach is: 1-202-224-3121. Once you reach a staffer for the congressional member, let it be known that a constituent who is a NALC member needs them to co-sponsor HR-173, and fight for the continuation of 6-day delivery. For more information, go to www.nalc.org.

I want to remind everyone reading this article that the changes made to the health care plan did not happen because we are nice people, the changes happened because the NALC and organized labor are a potent political force. We, my brothers and sisters, are a major force in the halls of Congress because those of us who contribute to COLCPE are E-Activists and members of the Carrier Corps and we are always ready to pick up the phone when an elected official takes our support for granted. As I write this article, the filibuster proof Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate is no longer.

Republican Scott Brown is now the Senator in the state of Massachusetts. We may not even have health care reform, but the outcome of that election should in no way shape or form, take away from the fact that the NALC is fighting a brave fight on behalf of its members. For more information, go to www.nalc.org or www.nylcbr36.org.

Health Care will be reformed in the very near future, but in the meantime, carriers must get involved, and every letter carrier should call all three of these Congressmen, and let them know that they are disappointed in their decision to vote NO on health care reform. Once the bill passes in the Senate, it comes back to Congress for another vote, so we must hold them accountable. The toll free number to the Capitol switchboard is 877- 851-6537. All you have to do is ask to be transferred to the respective member of Congress; in this case, the ones I mention above, and let them know how you feel about their vote on health care. I know there are plenty of Staten Island residents in the station who are assigned to Trinity, and the other stations in the Church Street hub, so we need you all to step up and let Congressman McMahon know that we voted for a Democratic majority in Congress, not a Republican one. We must all work on exercising our political muscles because there are many battles left to wage. Remember the call you make may be the one that changes a vote in our favor.

Councilman Bill DeBlasio won the Democratic Party runoff and will be the party nominee in November for Public Advocate, and Councilman John Liu won the runoff for the office of Comptroller, but Bill Thompson won the Democratic Party nomination for Mayor. It was good to let the candidates for citywide office know that NALC Branch 36 is going to be a major force when it comes to city and state politics, so give yourself a pat on the back, those who were able to come to our general membership meeting for our Candidates Night.

Those of us that know that President Harry Truman proposed Medicare in the forties, and it was not until Lyndon Johnson's administration that it became law. Remember, it took almost one hundred years from the Emancipation Proclamation to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. President Clinton had his hagds full with trying to reform health care during his presidency, and now President Obama has a similar battle. The point I am trying to make is we must never give up the fight on Capitol Hill, because yesterday's gains are yesterday3 gains. We must continue to fight on the legislative front. Please, if you do not contribute to COLCPE, please sign up for payroll deduction now. If you are not a member of the carrier corps, please become one now. For more information, go to www.nalc.org.

Now let's talk a little about Albany. We received some bad news from the dysfunctional state capitol. Through all of their infighting, the state Senate managed to deal a major blow to the state's letter carriers on May 26th by vote of 50 yes and 11 no, but the.bill titled S.4408 passed in the state Senate. Just to let everyone know what S.4408 is, the bill was introduced by State Senator Carl Kruger. As written it will allow private companies, e.g. FEDEX and UPS to deliver paper under the election law of the Board of Elections. The Assembly version has now been sent to the State Assembly and we must now wage a fight to prevent it from becoming law. The bill in the Assembly is titled A.01286. Before I move on to what has to be done in order to keep the bill from passing in the Assembly, I want to inform every letter carrier reading this article that not one State Senator from the city voted against S.4408. Please let your local State Senator know, that you are displeased with their decision to vote in favor of S.4408 and also make sure you keep it in mind during the election season. To find out who your representative in the State Senate is, go to http://www.nysenate.gov/. Now let's move on to the fight we must wage in the State Assembly to prevent A.01286 from passing in that chamber and preventing it from getting to the Governor's desk. Please notify your local Assemblyman or woman and ask them to please vote against A.01286. The link to find your Assemblyman in case you don't know is as follows: http://assemblyman.state.ny.us/

This article would not be complete without mentioning our friends on the Hill. As I was writing this article, I received an e-mail from the NALC in reference to HR.22. I will include part of what was sent to me in the following sentences. 'The subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia marked up H.R.22 today and passed it by a unanimous vote this legislation will allow the U.S. Postal Service to pay its share of contributions for annuitants health benefits out of the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Fund." This is a big victory in the fight to get HR.22 to pass in the Congress, but I want to thank all of the Branch 36 members who made this possible by contacting their Congressional representatives. There is still work that needs to be done and we must not rest until it passes first in the Congress and then in the Senate and then it gets to President Obama's desk and he signs it into law, but I am a firm believer in the proverb that says, "The journey of one thousand miles begins with just one step." In the meantime, I encourage every member of Branch 36 who isn't already on board to sign up to contribute to COLCPE through payroll deduction.

I have included Senator Sepcter's number in this article so that letter carriers residing in the state of Pennsylvania can let him know that we'need him to support the Employee Free Choice Act The number to his Washington, D.C. office is as follaws: (202) 224-4254.

I also want to congratulate President Barack Obama on his first 100 days in office. The AFL-CIO recently sent out email highlighting some of the initiatives President Obama has put forth on behalf of working families which I want to share with all of you. They are:
Expanding the State Child Health Insurance Program to cover an additional 4 million children.
Creating the task force on middle-class working families;
Rescinding anti-worker executive orders put in place by former President Bush.

Let's hope that the next hundred days President Obama can reform our ailing health care system, get to work on creating good paying green jobs and get onboard trying to get the 20 senators that have not co-sponsored EFCA to support the right'to join a union. On another note, I want to thank all of the letter carriers who contacted their members of Congress. We were the first state to have all of our members of congress as co-soonsors of HR-22.

Currently we have 297 co-sponsors and every member of Congress from New York is onboard. We had a terrific turnout at our recent Congressional reception in Washington, D.C. Senator Kristen Gillibrand was nice enough to join us and the majority of the New York Congressional delegation came out to show their support. again, I urge all members of Branch 36 to get involved; we need friends in Washingon in these trying times.

Please contribute to COLCPE. Become a member of the Carrier Corps. and.you can also get involved by becoming an e-activist. Please go to www.nalc.org for additional information.
Respectfully, Robert Perez, Legislative Chair Branch 36.

On another note, I urge ali members of the NALC to contact their congressional representatives immediately and let them know the importance of supporting HR22.As.this article goes to press, we have 41 co-sponsors and I was assured by Branch 36 President Charlie Heege that Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney will be on board shortly. I made sure I contacted my Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez when I noticed that she had not co-sponsored the bill. So, all of you letter carriers who refuse to contribute to COLCPE, there is another way to get involved by calling, writing, oremailing your congressional representatives. The number to the Capital switchboard is 202-224-3 121. Again, this piece of legislation is URGENT. It will ease the financial burden the Postal Service has on its shoulders by alleviating some of the financial burden it faces by having to pay 80% of its future retiree health benefit costs by the year 2016. To get more information on HR 22, go to www.nalc.org. To find out who your congressional representative is, if you are not aware, you can also receive that information via www.nalc.org. While you are on the site, do not forget to put in your e-mail information in order to become an e-activist. I am happy to be coming on board as the Legislative Chair, and I look forward to bringing the Branch 36 family some news from the political frqnt.

“The Employee Free Choice Act is the only way we’re going to rebuild the middle class in America,” NALC President William H. Young told hundreds of activists from western, southwestern and southern states who came to Washington to lobby Congress.

Opponents of unions and workers’ rights immediately unleashed a tirade of scare tactics based on false descriptions of the legislation’s content, but it did not have much effect. The Senate bill was supported quickly by 40 senators, and the House version by 223 representatives. The legislation, H.R. 1409 sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-CA) in the House and S. 560 sponsored by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) in the Senate, would make it easier for employees in a workplace to establish a union, allowing recognition if a majority of them sign union cards. It also would require binding arbitration if initial negotiations for a contract reached an impasse.

Contrary to the opponents’ scare tactics, the workers could choose to have a secret ballot vote on union recognition. Under current law, the choice is made by employers.

At a congressional breakfast for NALC Regions 2 (Pacific Northwest) and 4 (Denver), Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR) stressed the importance of grassroots activism to get EFCA legislation passed and he praised the NALC’s political and educational activity.

“I encourage you to use all of your grassroots power to get involved and stay after people that are not with you, and stay after them and stay after them,” said Berry, who has been a strong advocate of greater workers’ rights during his years in office.

President Young noted that Berry has had to withstand a constant assault from his district’s largest employer, Wal-Mart, for his past support of labor reform, and assured him that NALC members will not rest until they have done everything possible to enlist supporters for EFCA.

Young emphasized that it will take the involvement of all NALC members — active and retired — and their families to be successful.

“We’re only going to make it if we can stick together,” Young said. “Every member of this union can do something. Every member of our union has skills.”

“We will make sure that whatever letter carriers can do to help President Obama, letter carriers will be there,” Young added. “Letter carriers will be there for change.”

When the last NALC Bulletin went to press on February 27, there were 57 House members listed as supporting the legislation authored by Reps. John McHugh (R-NY) and Danny Davis (D-IL).

Now, the number has jumped to 150.

NALC President William H. Young said union activists have just begun their effort, emphasizing that enactment of the law is absolutely essential if the Postal Service is to survive the nation’s economic crisis and the ongoing communications technology.

“We want every single member of the House of Representatives to attach their name to this bill,” Young said. “There is no excuse not to. If legislators are interested in maintaining an efficient and viable system of mail delivery for their constituents in the years ahead, they must vigorously support enactment of the bill.”

President Young is scheduled to testify March 25 before the House Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia on postal finances and expects to make it clear to all members of that chamber how important this legislation is to the future of the Postal Service.

As hundreds of grassroots activists swarmed across Capitol Hill, President Young met with Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), a long-time champion of letter carriers and the Postal Service. Carper, who serves as chairman of the Senate Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the USPS, agreed to work with the NALC and other postal unions to strengthen the Postal Service in this time of crisis.

“I am thrilled that once again our friend, Sen. Tom Carper, has agreed to lead the way,” Young said.

In another development, the current issue of The Nation magazine includes a strong endorsement of the bill, under a headline “The USPS Still Matters.”

“This bill cannot solve all the Postal Service’s problems, but without it, the continued viability of the Postal Service is in serious jeopardy — which is why the major postal workers unions, the APWU and the NALC, both support the legislation,” the magazine said.

It added: “The Postal System remains a critical and fundamental part of the nation’s communications and commerce infrastructure, and providing timely delivery at affordable rates is still essential to the nation. Please voice your support by asking your elected reps to support HR 22.”

Now, President Young needs all letter carriers to help out.

“H.R. 22 won’t solve all the Postal Service’s problems. We all have a lot of work to do,” Young said. “But make no mistake about it: Without H.R. 22, the continued viability of the Postal Service is in serious trouble.”

As the NALC Bulletin went to press, 57 members of the House of Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors of the legislation which is sponsored by Reps. John McHugh (R-NY) and Danny Davis (D-IL).

Check the list below. If your representative is not listed, please call them at the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 22 today. If you don’t know who your representative is, you can find who it is by going to www.nalc.org and clicking on “Legislation & Politics” in the Departments Section. You can also see a fact sheet on H.R. 22 and an updated list of co-sponsors.

There are no plans to eliminate six-day delivery. NALC is working with the Postal Service and other postal organizations on a common-sense approach to overcoming the economic crisis. Neither the American public, nor the postal industry, nor the key leaders of Congress, nor the NALC support any reduction in service.

Making the reduction of days of delivery THE answer is a red herring that the media has misleadingly laid at the doorstep of Jack Potter, the postmaster general. While Potter asked Congress for the flexibility to temporarily and selectively reduce the frequency of delivery if conditions worsen dramatically, he made it absolutely clear that eliminating a day of delivery was the last thing he wants to do. As NALC has done, Potter called on Congress to enact sensible financial reforms to correct the schedule for pre-funding retiree health benefits. That would protect retiree benefits
while freeing up current funds to help the Postal Service overcome the devastating effects the financial meltdown has had on the U.S. economy.

The United States Postal Service is a critical part of the country’s financial infrastructure. In a time of national financial crisis – with tens of millions of citizens under distress, millions of jobs disappearing, millions of homes being foreclosed, retail enterprises shutting their doors, factories closing – the very last thing this nation needs is to fracture the service that binds the nation together. The continued appearance of letter carriers delivering the mail to the doorstep of every home and business and bank and credit card company six days a week is absolutely essential to economic recovery.

Existing law requires USPS to do something no other agency of the federal government, no state or municipal government, and no private company in the Fortune 500 (or as far as we know, anywhere) is required to do: to pre-fund its retiree health obligations. Not only that, it requires that it pre-fund 80 percent of these costs over the next eight years – even though the very few companies that voluntarily pre-fund these benefits amortize them over 30, 40 or 50 years. While it certainly makes sense to gradually pre-fund such long-term obligations, it makes no sense to maintain such an onerous schedule.

In 2006, Congress mandated pre-funding to the tune of $5.5 billion to $5.7 billion per year over the next 10 years. It has already paid $32.6 billion into a special fund for this purpose. On top of this, USPS pays about $2 billion per year for its share of current retiree health premiums. To avoid unnecessary service cuts, Congress should enact H.R. 22, a bipartisan bill that will allow USPS to pay for its current retirees’ health premiums out of the existing retiree health fund. Such a change would save USPS $2 billion a year while it continues to build up its retiree health fund for the future. Indeed, if H.R. 22 were enacted, USPS would still be pre-funding its future retiree health obligations at a greater rate than any company in America.

NALC will vigorously resist any legislative attempt to slash the number of days of delivery. NALC members should consult upcoming Bulletins and future issues of The Postal Record for the latest information on this important issue.