Clint Burelson

Undermining the Union in the Legislative Arena – More Concessions from APWU President Guffey

August 6, 2013

The Senate and the House are both considering bills that if passed would radically accelerate the dismantling of the Postal Service. APWU President Cliff Guffey recently made concessionary remarks that indicated APWU compliance for Congress to take more away from postal workers and further reduce service to the American public. Therefore, as a union, we will have to work even harder to overcome President Guffey’s damaging remarks in order to defeat these bills. (Note: As this article was about to be published, the four major postal unions wrote a joint letter to Senator Harry Reid objecting to the Senate bill where Democrats have a majority. President Guffey signed the joint letter, which helps to make up for his previous concessions to Congress.)

At the recent hearing, on July 17, 2013, held by the full committee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, President Guffey testified that he thought postage discounts to the large mailers were appropriate and in response to questioning from Republican Darrell Issa (CA), the Chairman of the Committee, President Guffey expressed agreement with the large mailers, the Postmaster General, and Issa, that the least desirable option of all the proposed postal reforms is to raise postage rates. A review of past hearing comments by President Guffey show similar concessions.

President Guffey Thinks Discounts to Large Mailers are Appropriate
During his opening testimony at the July 17th hearing, President Guffey was making the important point that the Postal Service is an effective and relatively inexpensive service compared to other countries. Guffey then stated,
As a matter of fact, I think we looked at England. England is .6 of a pound, so it is a dollar a letter and there are no discounts.
I think […]

By admin|August 6th, 2013|Postal Reform|0 Comments

Excerpts from House Hearing on July 17, 2013 – “A Path Forward on Postal Reform”

On July 17, The House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee, chaired by Republican Congressman Darrell Issa (CA) held a hearing regarding the Postal Service entitled, “A Path Forward on Postal Reform.” Testifying before Congress were APWU President Cliff Guffey, Postmaster General Pat Donahoe and Quad Graphics CEO Joel Quadracci (testifying on behalf of the mailing industry).

Their written testimony, which is longer and includes items not in their verbal testimony can be viewed here. In their testimony, each of the parties provided the elements of Postal Reform that they supported. The elements cited in each of the written testimonies are as follows:

Donahoe Elements of Postal Reform in Written Testimony
1. Require USPS Health Care Plan
2. Refund FERS Overpayment and Adjust Future FERS Payment Amount
3. Adjust Delivery Frequency (Six-Day Packages/Five-Day Mail)
4. Streamline Governance Model
5. Provide Authority to Expand Products and Services
6. Require Defined Contribution Retirement System for Future Postal Employees
7. Require Arbitrators to Consider Financial Condition of Postal Service
8. Reform Workers’ Compensation
9. Right to Appeal EEOC Class Action Decisions to Federal Court

Quadracci /Large Mailer Elements of Postal Reform in Written Testimony
1. Rightsizing, consolidation, streamlining of facilities
2. Affordable amortization schedule for pre-funding health care
3. Allow USPS access to FERS/CSRS overpayments to do as they wish
4. Allow USPS outside of FEHB to seek cheaper plans
5. No price increases above CPI
6. Change to 5 Day Delivery Schedule
7. Require arbitrators to consider mailer’s interests
8. Allow USPS to retire employees of age on OWCP

Guffey Elements of Postal Reform in Written Testimony
1. Repeal pre-funding requirement
2. Allow USPS access to FERS/CSRS overpayments to do as they wish.
3. Over funding should be calculated on the basis of actual Postal Service costs.
4. Repeal CPI cap
5. We oppose proposals to create a new class of business […]

By admin|August 4th, 2013|Postal Reform|0 Comments

Why A Change In APWU National Officers is Needed

In 1970, courageous postal workers participated in an illegal strike against the US government and won substantial increases in wages and benefits for postal workers nationwide. “Wildcat” postal workers defied even their national officers who were against the strike. In the years following the strike, APWU’s reputation for collective action won us additional improvements.

Many of us fought hard to protect and improve upon those gains. And yet in one tragic contract negotiation, we shamefully, gave much of those hard-earned gains away. Following the weakness demonstrated in negotiations, management accelerated consolidations. They are currently running rampant over the union and the public interest.

Seemingly invisible to the national officers, yet parked like a parasite at USPS headquarters, the large mailers are directing the USPS to dismantle itself, destroy family wage jobs, and turn a democratic institution into a corporate advertisers’ dream.

I am running for national office to correct these tragic losses and to rebuild our valuable union. To have a successful plan for action, we first need an accurate analysis. Here then, is my brief assessment of some important issues.

The USPS is part of a $900 billion dollar mailing industry. The large corporations in the industry are banks, insurance companies, media/communication corporations, and other Wall Street companies. The rich owners of these corporations pushed the crisis inducing 2006 PAEA legislation, consolidations, cutting service to the public and converting family wage jobs to lower wage jobs. Mailing and media industry corporations are not telling the public the truth of the financial situation at the Post Office.

We cannot afford illusions. Our current contract has the most substantial givebacks and concessions of any negotiated contract in the history of the APWU. For example, the union negotiated Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) […]

By admin|July 23rd, 2013|Candidate|0 Comments

300 Word Candidate Article for APWU Magazine

Over the years, the owners of large corporations in the mailing industry influenced Congress and the USPS to make changes benefiting themselves at the expense of postal workers and the communities we serve. The large mailers pushed the harmful 2006 legislation that created the false financial crisis at the USPS.

Prior to contract negotiations, the union’s position was that a false crisis existed because of the pre-funding requirement in the 2006 legislation. During contract negotiations, we had an opportunity to expose corporate influence undermining the USPS and gather public support. Instead, national officers agreed to real concessions to help the USPS survive the false crisis.

Our current contract has the most substantial givebacks and concessions of any negotiated contract in the history of the APWU. For example, the USPS can convert full-time jobs to 30-hour NTFT assignments in up to 50% of all Clerk jobs at the plants and in 100% of all Clerk jobs at the stations. The USPS can have up to 20% of Clerk Craft employees district-wide be non-career employees instead of the previous 6% limit for all crafts. These and many other concessions are devastating.

Misleadingly, national officers sold the contract as a “win-win” agreement. Shamefully, not one national officer spoke publicly against the tentative agreement. The worst negotiated contract in the history of the APWU was not the best we could get.

I have almost 30 years experience as a steward and local president. I believe our strategy for success is to increase democracy in our union, fight corporate influence on the USPS, gather community support, and coordinate our actions to maximize the power of our great union. There is strength through democracy. I request your support and your vote for the Members […]

By admin|May 31st, 2013|Candidate|0 Comments