Two major stumbling blocks have emerged that could slow the NALC’s long campaign to achieve comprehensive postal reform legislation. The impact of Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters in American history, and the U.S. Postal Service’s Board of Governors' recent announcement that it will oppose the existing postal reform bills have disturbed the legislative timetable outlined in my last message. The Senate may not be able to take up postal reform legislation in September, as originally hoped. I write to update you on the situation and to ask for your continued support as we work to overcome these obstacles.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana – as well as the need to replace two Supreme Court justices – means that the Senate is unlikely to take up postal reform legislation anytime soon. Indeed, Senator Susan Collins, sponsor of the Senate version of postal reform (S. 662) and the Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is sure to be tied up for weeks with hearings on relief efforts as well as with an investigation of the failures of the federal government’s initial response to the crisis in the Gulf States.

On top of a crowded Senate calendar, the announcement by the USPS Board of Governors on September 13 that it opposes S. 662 (as well as H.R. 22, the House version of the reform bill) raises doubts about the prospects for early action on postal reform. The Governors sent a letter to key Congressional leaders outlining the rationale for their opposition. They identified more than a half-dozen reasons for their position, but the core issue concerns the governance of the USPS under the reform bills.

As the governors stated in their letter: "Our primary concern is the issue of governance – that is, the role of the regulator versus that of the Board of Governors." It goes on to complain that both bills give too much power to the new Postal Regulatory Board while denying the USPS the "flexibility and authority to accomplish our mission." In other words, the Governors want more power to control labor costs and to set service standards free of interference by postal regulators.

Although the Governors’ communication highlights a number of problems with the reform legislation, many of which the NALC has concerns about, I am nonetheless disturbed that the Postal Service has once again failed to play a constructive role in the debate over postal reform. Too often the USPS has failed to offer workable alternatives to the provisions it opposes.

I want to make it clear that neither the hurricane nor the Governors’ opposition will deter this union’s determination to pursue postal reform legislation. However, these new stumbling blocks may make it necessary for us to pause and reassess our strategy. I plan to consult with key members of Congress and their staffers as well as with our allies in our pro-reform coalition of mailers and employee groups in the weeks ahead. Once we have a new game plan for moving forward, I will be in touch with you again.

I urge you to stay focused and committed to our long-term goal. We will overcome these stumbling blocks and find a way to move forward. With your help, we can and will succeed.

In Solidarity,