Category: Legislative

October 20, 2023 The Federal Retirement Fairness Act (H.R. 5995) was reintroduced on October 19 by Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), and David Valadao (R-CA-22). The Federal Retirement Fairness Act (FRFA) would allow eligible employees who converted from temporary to career positions to “buy back” time towards their retirement. Prior to 1989, postal workers who began as non-career employees were able to make additional contributions to their retirement benefits to make up for time lost when […]

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APWU members are continuing to advocate for the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, H.R. 82 and S. 597. These bills were introduced by Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA-06) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), with a number of bi-partisan original co-sponsors in both chambers. The Act would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which unfairly reduce, or sometimes eliminate, Social Security benefits for millions of federal annuitants. The WEP and GPO penalize […]

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At our national convention in August 2022, Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence reflected on her time in the House of Representatives as a postal champion and how her long career in various roles at the USPS laid the foundation for a life of public service. With her recent retirement from Congress, Representative Lawrence wants to utilize her passion for strengthening the public Post Office by seeking a position on the Postal Board of Governors.  The APWU has […]

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At our national convention in August 2022, Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence reflected on her time in the House of Representatives as a postal champion and how her long career in various roles at the USPS laid the foundation for a life of public service. With her recent retirement from Congress, Representative Lawrence wants to utilize her passion for strengthening the public Post Office by seeking a position on the Postal Board of Governors.  The APWU has […]

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Prefunding Mandate Scrapped, Landmark Bill Provides Billions in Relief to USPS On Wednesday, April 6, President Joe Biden signed the Postal Service Reform Act into law at a White House ceremony. President Mark Dimondstein and Legislative and Political Director Judy Beard were invited to witness the signing ceremony and represent the APWU.   “This is a historic achievement for our union,” said President Dimondstein. “Congratulations to every postal worker who has organized for over a decade […]

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In a historic moment, the Senate passed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 on March 8 with a vote of 79-19. The House passed the bill last month with a vote of 342-92. The legislation will now go to President Biden’s desk, where he will sign it into law. The enactment of Postal Reform marks a turning point in the fight to protect and strengthen the people’s public Postal Service. “It is not an exaggeration […]

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As we near the end of the year, it is critical that Congress take up the Postal Service Reform Act of 2021 (H.R. 3076) before the end of session. This legislation, which has broad public support, will provide the Postal Service with much-needed financial relief by eliminating the 2006 pre-funding mandate (PAEA) for retiree health benefits. In addition, this bill maintains 6-day delivery, mandates more frequent reporting on service performance, and includes Medicare integration.  In […]

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On November 3, President Mark Dimondstein, national officers, local leaders, members and staff from the APWU joined the League of Women Voters, People for the American Way, Black Voters Matter, the Democracy Initiative and other organizations, including other unions, in a rally outside the White House. The protestors called on President Biden to either “fix or nix” the Jim Crow-era filibuster in the Senate, and move swiftly to pass meaningful voting rights legislation. The filibuster allows a minority of members in […]

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Last week, Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI) and Ranking Member Rob Portman (R-OH), of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led a bipartisan coalition of 20 original co-sponsors in introducing the Postal Service Reform Act of 2021 in the Senate (S. 1720). This is a companion bill to legislation introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R. 3076) on May 11 by Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Ranking Member James Comer (R-KY) of the House Committee […]

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On May 11th, Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Ranking Member James Comer (R-KY) of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform introduced the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act. The new bill is scheduled to be marked up on Thursday, May 13th, 2021.   The bipartisan bill is an important step on the road to saving our public Postal Service. The bill will place USPS on the path toward financial stability by taking the critical step […]

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The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) held a confirmation hearing on April 22 for President Biden’s three nominees to the U.S. Postal Board of Governors: Anton Hajjar, Amber McReynolds, and Ronald Stroman. The nominees testified before the Senate committee alongside Kiran A. Ahuja, who was nominated to be Director Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Earlier this year, APWU members and supporters petitioned the Biden Administration to swiftly nominate governors to the Board […]

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On February 27th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1319, the “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.” This bill promises to help stabilize communities across the country and provide emergency assistance to the working class. If passed in the Senate and signed into law by the President, the $1.9 trillion package will provide workers long-overdue and much-needed relief they deserve.  Many workers had hoped that the previous package which passed in December would have […]

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Statement by American Postal Workers Union President Mark Dimondstein on today’s Hearing on Legislative Proposals to Put the Postal Service on a Sustainable Financial Footing and the Nomination by President Biden to Fill Vacancies on the USPS’ Board of Governors I want to thank the chair of the House Committee on Oversight Committee and Reform, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, for holding today’s hearing on legislation that will allow the United States Postal Service to uphold its […]

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This week, both the House of Representatives and the Senate, re-introduced the bi-partisan USPS Fairness Act (S. 145 and H.R. 695). This legislation would repeal, in full, the onerous prefunding of retiree health care benefits which Congress required when it passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) in 2006. This law, forced the Postal Service to prefund its retiree health care benefits 75 years in advance, paying for retirement health care for individuals who […]

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During his campaign, President Biden promised to stand with workers, and direct the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) to implement stronger coronavirus safety standards to keep workers safe. On January 21, President Biden fulfilled one of his promises, issuing the “Executive Order on Health and Safety.” The order mandates that “the Federal Government must take swift action to reduce the risk that workers may contract COVID-19 in the workplace. That will require issuing science-based […]

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What is the Postal Board of Governors and what does it do? The Postal Service has a Board of Governors that is responsible for major decisions about the Postal Service’s operations, policies and expenditures. The Board’s responsibilities also include hiring and firing the Postmaster General. The Board is usually made up of nine members who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Why should we care about the Board? President-Elect Joe Biden […]

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We have entered the new year and, with it, a flurry of Congressional activity. Following the passage of H.R. 113, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act on December 27th (which included funding for the Postal Service), the House and Senate voted to override the Presidential veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, a bill that provides military funding. On December 28th, the House passed H.R. 9051, a bill which would increase the $600 direct payments provided […]

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In the face of continuous attacks on the Postal Service, voter suppression, and a pandemic, the APWU’s Legislative and Political Department launched Labor 2020 – our campaign to mobilize voters, elect leaders who will work to better the lives of working families, and guarantee the future of the public Postal Service. “APWU members knew that the fate of the Postal Service and the working class were at stake in this election,” said President Dimondstein. “That’s […]

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A changing political landscape offers new opportunities for the Campaign for Postal Banking to advance an agenda for expanded postal financial services. Of course, simply electing politicians who say they support us is only part of our struggle to secure and expand the public Postal Service. We must also hold them accountable to their commitments. In this case, the Democratic National Convention adopted a platform that includes postal banking and other helpful considerations for the […]

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On Monday, Judge Victor Marrero on the federal district court for the Southern District of New York issued the second nationwide injunction against the Postal Service on election mail. This case, unlike the case decided last week in Washington State, raised legal issues only about voting and voting rights. In a lengthy decision, the Court found that even if the Postmaster General did not intend his recent changes, ideas, and statements to impact election mail, […]

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Yesterday, Judge Stanley Bastian of the federal district court in Washington state issued a nationwide order prohibiting the Postal Service from making major operational changes before the November election. The lawsuit was led by the State of Washington, and it was joined by Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The Court was concerned that Postmaster General DeJoy was making or allowing operational changes or policies […]

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On Tuesday, headlines from news outlets across the country read: “Postal Workers Day of Action.” As the country continues to rise up in defense of the public Postal Service and against the new policies that have significantly delayed mail, thousands took to the streets under the banner “Save the Post Office.” An estimated 300 actions took place in almost every state. Postal workers; labor, civil & human rights activists; community allies; and lawmakers made clear […]

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Statement by Mark Dimondstein Postmaster General DeJoy’s mid-July implementation of a series of new policies slowed down and delayed the mail. These included the arbitrary canceling of overtime, limiting mail transportation runs, and demands that everything run on time, even if it meant leaving large quantities of mail undelivered. APWU members are deeply committed to our mission of serving the public with “prompt, reliable and efficient” services to all communities. This has been powerfully underscored […]

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