New Resources Available for Veterans
On June 7, the APWU posted three new resources compiled for APWU members who are Veterans of the Armed Services. The first is the APWU Guide to Veterans Rights and Benefits, produced by the Industrial Relations Department. The others are the Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Guidebook and the 2020 Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors – 2020 Edition.
These resources contain valuable information for veterans and active members of the reserve units of the armed forces. They are available on the Veterans’ Issues page under the “For Members” tab on apwu.org, as well as at the bottom of this article.
The APWU Guide to Veterans Rights and Benefits is a reference guide created to help veterans understand their rights and benefits as employees of the Postal Service. The guide covers Leave Accrual, Wounded Warriors Leave, Employment and Reemployment Rights, Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) rights and Retirement Credit for Military Service, among other issues. It also covers the various laws relating to veterans at work.
The VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Guidebook and 2020 Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors – 2020 Edition are also now on the page to be easily available to APWU members. The guidebook covers the full range of mental health services available to veterans through the VA, including PTSD treatment, suicide prevention, crisis line, substance use disorder treatment, and other services. The second resource provides veterans information on various grants, allowances and other benefits available through the VA.
“The APWU encourages our members who are veterans of the armed services to avail themselves of their earned rights as well as to be fully involved in the union and the continuing struggle to improve the rights and well-being of postal workers and defend and expand the public Postal Service,” said President Dimondstein.
Printed copies of the APWU Guide to Veterans Rights and Benefits were mailed to all the APWU members we have identified in our membership records as veterans. The union gets this information from the USPS database and we are aware that there are holes in it. If you are a veteran of the armed services and do not receive your guide by July 15, please email veterans@apwu.org to request one.