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Oppose Coburn Anti-union Amendment to S 1507
An amendment to a bill to provide temporary financial relief to the cash-strapped Postal Service was adopted by a Senate Committee July 29, rendering the bill unacceptable to the American Postal Workers Unon (APWU), National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), and the Mail Handlers (NPMHU).
The amendment, offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), would require arbitrators to consider the financial health of the Postal Service when ruling on postal contracts.
"We oppose on principle, legislation that interferes with the collective bargaining process," said APWU President William Burrus.
NALC President Fred Rolandosaid. "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," he added.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Oppose Coburn Amendment to S 1507
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I urge you to oppose the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Funding Reform Act of 2009 (S. 1507). An amendment to the bill, offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and adopted by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, would require arbitrators to take the financial health of the Postal Service into account when ruling on postal workers' contracts. Under current law, arbitrators must consider the "comparability" of postal wages to employees in the private sector who perform similar work.
The provision renders the bill unacceptable to postal workers, because it interferes with our collective bargaining process. Arbitrators routinely consider the Postal Service?s financial status as part of the context in which negotiations are conducted. However, attaching this specific requirement to the law leaves workers at a severe disadvantage, and makes the bargaining process subject to manipulation.
S. 1507 was intended to provide short-term financial relief to the cash-strapped Postal Service, a goal I support. However, the Coburn amendment makes the bill unacceptable.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
August 02, 2009
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An amendment to a bill to provide temporary financial relief to the cash-strapped Postal Service was adopted by a Senate Committee July 29, rendering the bill unacceptable to the APWU, the NALC, and the Mailhandlers.
The amendment, offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), would require arbitrators to consider the financial health of the Postal Service when ruling on postal contracts.
"We oppose on principle, legislation that interferes with the collective bargaining process," said APWU President William Burrus. Under current law, arbitrators must consider the "comparability" of postal wages to employees in the private sector who perform similar work.
"In fact, arbitrators routinely consider the Postal Service's financial status as part of the context in which negotiations are conducted," Burrus said. "However, to attach this specific requirement to the law leaves workers at a severe disadvantage, and makes the bargaining process more subject to manipulation." The amendment would require arbitrators ruling on postal contracts to take into account the “financial health of the Postal Service.”
“Given the severity of Postal Service’s financial crisis, if this bill passes, we can anticipate that in the next round of negotiations, many of the things our members take for granted — such as cost-of-living increases, raises, and protection against layoffs — will be at risk.” Under current law, arbitrators must consider the “comparability” of postal wages to employees in the private sector who perform similar work.
“The APWU supported legislation that would have provided the Postal Service with relief from its financial crisis,” Burrus noted, citing the union’s support for H.R. 22. “But relief cannot be on the backs of postal workers who would be forced to accept wages and working conditions commensurate with the USPS deficit.”
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