Georgia State Association
of Letter Carriers
Proud to serve the Letter Carriers of this great state
of Letter Carriers
Proud to serve the Letter Carriers of this great state
OFFICER NOTES
VICE-PRESIDENT REPORT
By
JACOB ALSTON
By
JACOB ALSTON
Brothers and Sisters, all of the applications for the Royal E Smith Scholarship has been received and submitted to our selecting official. The result was received and our scholarship recipient for this year is GiaVall Barnes. Mr. Barnes plans to attend the University of Georgia in the fall of 2009. Gia Vall, is the Son of Gary Barnes who is a member of Branch 73, Atlanta. Congratulations to Gia Vall from the Georgia State Association of Letter Carriers.
I would like to say "thank you" to all of the Branches that contributed to the scholarship fund this year. Without your donations we would not be able to continue to present to the sons and daughters of letter carriers our annual scholarship.
I once again ask that all active letter carriers that are E-Activist members and those that are not, to contact your House of Representative Members, asking them to support House Resolution 22. H.R. 22 moves forward: On July 10 the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee marked up H.R. 22, the measure that would allow the Postal Service to pay its share of contributions for annuitants' future health benefits out of the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund for 3 years. No amendments were offered and the vote was unanimous. The full House of Representatives will vote on the bill once floor time is scheduled, and if it passes, it will be sent to the Senate. In the meantime, NALC has continued discussions with all 338 co-sponsors of the bill to ensure that they remain steadfast in their support as this measure moves forward. The passage of this bill will ease the financial burden on the Postal Service. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006-better known to carriers as "postal reform"- requires the Postal Service to prefund 80 percent of its future retiree health benefit costs by the year 2016. This costs the USPS at least $5.5 billion a year - on top of the $2 billion to $3 billion it already pays annually for current retiree health benefits. The USPS built the cost into their rates in 2006, but that was before the economic meltdown hit and the volume of mail began to plummet. The punishing schedule for prefunding is simply no longer affordable and our employer needs relief, immediately. Otherwise, layoffs, service cuts and facility closings could become a reality. (Part of the above paragraph was taken from the Legislation and Political Section of the NALC web site.) The entire Article on HR 22 can be viewed on the NALC website at www. nalc. org.
Another legislative issue to watch is the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which is supported by NALC.
Also for letters carriers covered by FERS and TSP (H. R 1804) has been passed by the House of Representative. This bill there is allows FERS employees to use their unused sick leave toward their years of retirement just like CSRS employees. The TSP Bill contain a new provision that allows the employer to automatic enroll all new employees into TSP.
All active Letter Carriers that have not signed up for payroll deduction, please sign up to donate to COLCPE. Please make a decision to donate at least $5.00 to our political action fund, by using one of the following ways: payroll deduction Allotment (you can now have three) or by having automatic deductions from your checking account. You decide, but please consider one or the other.
I would like to say "thank you" to all of the Branches that contributed to the scholarship fund this year. Without your donations we would not be able to continue to present to the sons and daughters of letter carriers our annual scholarship.
I once again ask that all active letter carriers that are E-Activist members and those that are not, to contact your House of Representative Members, asking them to support House Resolution 22. H.R. 22 moves forward: On July 10 the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee marked up H.R. 22, the measure that would allow the Postal Service to pay its share of contributions for annuitants' future health benefits out of the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund for 3 years. No amendments were offered and the vote was unanimous. The full House of Representatives will vote on the bill once floor time is scheduled, and if it passes, it will be sent to the Senate. In the meantime, NALC has continued discussions with all 338 co-sponsors of the bill to ensure that they remain steadfast in their support as this measure moves forward. The passage of this bill will ease the financial burden on the Postal Service. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006-better known to carriers as "postal reform"- requires the Postal Service to prefund 80 percent of its future retiree health benefit costs by the year 2016. This costs the USPS at least $5.5 billion a year - on top of the $2 billion to $3 billion it already pays annually for current retiree health benefits. The USPS built the cost into their rates in 2006, but that was before the economic meltdown hit and the volume of mail began to plummet. The punishing schedule for prefunding is simply no longer affordable and our employer needs relief, immediately. Otherwise, layoffs, service cuts and facility closings could become a reality. (Part of the above paragraph was taken from the Legislation and Political Section of the NALC web site.) The entire Article on HR 22 can be viewed on the NALC website at www. nalc. org.
Another legislative issue to watch is the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which is supported by NALC.
Also for letters carriers covered by FERS and TSP (H. R 1804) has been passed by the House of Representative. This bill there is allows FERS employees to use their unused sick leave toward their years of retirement just like CSRS employees. The TSP Bill contain a new provision that allows the employer to automatic enroll all new employees into TSP.
All active Letter Carriers that have not signed up for payroll deduction, please sign up to donate to COLCPE. Please make a decision to donate at least $5.00 to our political action fund, by using one of the following ways: payroll deduction Allotment (you can now have three) or by having automatic deductions from your checking account. You decide, but please consider one or the other.
THE PRESIDENT`S PERSPECTIVE
What a beginning to the new year! Health care reform ran into brick wall, the economy continues on its downward spiraling and of course the lost of a Democratic stronghold in the Senate only made things worse. Did I say worse? Well that was before THE SUPREME COURT decided that corporations were citizens and gave them the right to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence campaigns. If they are citizens then they should pay taxes like the ordinary citizen.
If you hadn't realize how important elections are, even special ones, then the midterm elections are even more important than ever. The lost of the filibuster proof majority in the Senate could eventually be the nail in the coffin of health reform, unless both parties put their personal desires aside and put desires of the people first. Like President O'bama , I'm optimistic that we will still get some form of reform. With midterms on the horizon, now is good time to commit to saving the few remaining labor friendly seats in the House.
A BIG THANK YOU to all of you that took steps to save your jobs by contributing to our political action committee, COLCPE. Please encourage your coworkers to lend a hand as well, because only 7% have signed up for automatic contributions. I'm still hopeful that the occasional giver will sign up as well, because it helps to know how much is coming in each month, when making contributions to candidates.
The suspension of the Georgia Letter was something beyond our control and the Executive Board is taking steps to get it back on track. However, we will need the support of you to accomplish it. More information will be forth coming.
Looking to see you at the steward training and state convention. Stay blessed
Don T.
If you hadn't realize how important elections are, even special ones, then the midterm elections are even more important than ever. The lost of the filibuster proof majority in the Senate could eventually be the nail in the coffin of health reform, unless both parties put their personal desires aside and put desires of the people first. Like President O'bama , I'm optimistic that we will still get some form of reform. With midterms on the horizon, now is good time to commit to saving the few remaining labor friendly seats in the House.
A BIG THANK YOU to all of you that took steps to save your jobs by contributing to our political action committee, COLCPE. Please encourage your coworkers to lend a hand as well, because only 7% have signed up for automatic contributions. I'm still hopeful that the occasional giver will sign up as well, because it helps to know how much is coming in each month, when making contributions to candidates.
The suspension of the Georgia Letter was something beyond our control and the Executive Board is taking steps to get it back on track. However, we will need the support of you to accomplish it. More information will be forth coming.
Looking to see you at the steward training and state convention. Stay blessed
Don T.