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UPDATE NATIONAL
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NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS: 1101 Connecticut Avenue,
John F. Hegarty John F. President Hegarty National National President
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A F A N L I U N.W. • Suite 500
• Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 833-9095
CONVENTION COMMITTEES MEET AT NPMHU NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
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n the last few weeks, and continuing into late June, various committees comprised of delegates previously elected to the 2012 NPMHU National Convention are meeting at NPMHU Headquarters in Washington, DC. These committees have been meeting to certify and issue credentials for all of the delegates attending the Convention, to adopt rules and procedures for the selection of this year’s Election Committee, and to issue recommendations on constitutional amendments, legislative and political activities, and resolutions that will be debated and adopted during the upcoming Convention. As previously reported, this year’s NPMHU Convention is scheduled to take place in Portland, Oregon during the week of August 6. Already, in May 2012, members of the Credentials Committee met to review all delegate election protests, and to certify the official list of delegates and to issue their credentials. In addition, the Credentials Committee has ongoing responsibilities for monitoring and adopting changes in the certified delegates, so members of that committee have remained in constant communication
during the past several weeks. The Convention Election Committee also has completed its initial meetings, with the goal of implementing procedures and drafting rules necessary to conduct the first phase of the elections that will be held at this year’s Convention. This committee also has ongoing tasks to perform during the weeks leading up to the Convention, so its members will have to reconvene in Portland prior to the actual Convention in August. Meanwhile, the second week of June was the meeting time for this year’s Constitution Committee. That committee has completed its review of approximately one hundred proposals that were timely submitted from an array of members, shop stewards, officers, and Local Unions. Each and every one of these proposals was fully analyzed and debated by the members of the Committee, whose recommendations are now being finalized for presentation, further debate, and potential adoption by the delegates attending the Convention. With limited exceptions, the Convention held every four years is the only time that amendments
UNION
Mark A. Gardner Mark A. Gardner Secretary-Treasurer Secretary-Treasurer
to the NPMHU National Constitution and the Uniform Local Union Constitution may be made, so the adoption of amendments at the Convention is an important part of the NPMHU’s governance. Finally, the last two weeks of June will see meetings of both the Legislative & Political Committee and the Resolutions Committee. Once again, each and every proposal submitted from around the country will be reviewed and analyzed for possible recommendation to the delegates attending this year’s Convention. With many important legislative and political issues on the national agenda, the debate at the Convention is likely to be both lively and informative. Final written reports from these committees will be distributed, upon registration, to the delegates attending the NPMHU Convention in Portland. The opening day of the Convention is set for August 6, 2012, which happens to fall on the actual 100th Anniversary of the NPMHU, so this year’s Convention is certain to become an important part of NPMHU history.
DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR EARLY RETIREMENT INCENTIVE
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nder the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the NPMHU and the Postal Service on May 22, 2012, eligible Mail Handlers have until July 2, 2012 to choose to leave employment with the USPS (on or before August 31, 2012) and thus receive incentive payments totaling up to fifteen thousand dollars (for full-time employees). As previously announced, the MOU also provides for a moratorium on excessing in all facilities until at least August 11, 2012 (unless excessing was already scheduled). These provisions should enable the Postal Service to eliminate excessing in some facilities that will now have vacancies due to early retirements, and also should create vacancies closer to home for other employees who might be excessed from their installations after August 11. The monetary incentives included in the MOU are available (with
certain restrictions) to all Mail Handlers who are currently eligible for regular retirement, voluntary early retirement, and all other employees who may wish to separate from the Postal Service. Those Mail Handlers who are eligible for early retirement already should have received a package in the mail from the Postal Service with additional information. As for the approaching deadline, the MOU states that Mail Handlers who want to take advantage of the retirement or separation incentive “must indicate in a manner prescribed by the Employer on or before July 2, 2012, their intent to participate in the incentive program by indicating that they wish to take optional retirement, retirement pursuant to a VERA, or voluntary resignation and separate [from the Postal Service] effective August 31, 2012.” This deadline also is the date after which each individual’s decision to retire or separate is irrevocable.
NPMHU-USPS BARGAINING HEADED TO ARBITRATION
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he negotiations process between the NPMHU and the Postal Service over the terms of the 2011 National Agreement is headed for arbitration, as the mediation stage of the dispute resolution procedures has ended without success. Mediator Herbert Fishgold was unable to narrow the vast differences between the parties, especially because of the ongoing legislative uncertainty that currently faces the USPS before the Congress. The upcoming arbitration will be conducted under the supervision of a three-member panel, with a neutral arbitrator serving as chair of the panel. The parties are currently discussing selection of the neutral
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arbitrator; if no agreement is reached, the parties will ask the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) to produce a list of potential arbitrators, and the parties will strike names from that list until one remains. It likely will take several months to schedule, implement, and conduct the arbitration process. To the extent possible, the National Office will keep all Mail Handlers informed of developments through the various modes of NPMHU communications, including monthly bulletins and Contract Updates. Please continue to read these communications as they are distributed.
June 2012