Settlement near in letter carrier talks?
Update: Postalmag.com suggests that maybe the rumor arose from the fact that NALC National Business Agents are meeting in DC, but says that was a previously scheduled meeting.
It’s just a rumor at the moment, so stay tuned. One hint is that the NALC’s web site abruptly removed the prominent ‘Contract Rap Session’ box from its web site:
Monday:
Today:
If the contract includes the change in health benefits favoring the NALC plan at the expense of the others then I will vote against it.
unreal that NALC would try to get everybody to join union insurance or pay 13% more and this was proposed by union
It’s just a website update. If you look, it’s still on the site under Postal Bulletin for 2/1.
Why don’t all you rumor mongers just catch a breath and calm down.
Sounds like a sellout if you ask me. I hope it does not cost us like the APWU?
Is there an agreement? I heard a rumor that there was.
I vote that the NALC update their website daily to keep us informed. This would prevent some of the “rumors”.
If the NALC would keep us better informed, it would cut down on the rumors and anxiety. In many ways the certainty of any contract would be better than no contract. But one thing is sure, it can hardly be worse than what the APWU received. Burrus makes Young look like a genius and a pitbull in the negotiating arena. Have to admit though that I am shocked the NRLCA actually turned down an offer and am sad over how few members of the other unions even bothered to vote on their contracts.
If the NALC and the USPS have reached an agreement I hope that the NALC medical insurance is atleast the same if not better than Blue Cross is now. If not I feel that alot of the members will end up staying with the plan they have now. It will cost more but for the coverage that Blue Cross gives you compared to the NALC it is definately worth the additional money.
The reason Bill Young wants to shift our health coverage from FEHBP to NALC is that the NALC Health has been in dire fanancial straits for the past 5 years.
5 Years ago in the Postal Record they said the Plan was in danger of going belly up if it didn’t more signups.
If it goes belly up, the National Union is going to lose a lot of money. Young’s desire to put us ALL in the NALC plan is to prop it up financially and to secure it’s future operation. AT THE EXPENSE OF THE MEMBERSHIP!
He is not avocating this to benenfit the members, he wants it to benefit the financial bottom line of the National Union.
If this happens I will vote against the new agreement.
Where is the Union way? Has our national sold us down the river? Ramming the NALC health plan down our throat by hanging the carrot infront of the horse. (Post Office pays 85% for the NALC plan all others 72%.) Cutting the 6 day work week to 5 days? What are going to happen to all the T-6 positions? I’d never thought that I would see the Union give jobs back to the Postal Service. Early out? Not enough information to vote yes…..
It is amazing that this contract proposal sacres me!!!! This actually sounds like something that management would offer. We are getting our butts kicked every day with pivoting, DOIS, and route exams. There is nothing that stops this. I actually think that this is the worst contract proposal I ever seen in my 19 year postal career.
You guys are not informed enough to voice any opinion. It was stated at the rap session the NALC Health would now have the same or better benefits then Blue Cross with the added enrollment. Also do all of you know the Postal Board of Govenors wants to contract out all our jobs . If someone retires they want to put the job out for bid to contractors. In some offices there are more Highway contract routes then city routes. Our leader know all the facts and have all the interests of every letter carrier in mind when they make decisions. Do you think they wanted to change what we have now. They were forced to take the high road and not let the current administration privatize the USPS through the back door. I just wish some of you who voice your opinions would investigate all the facts before running at the mouth. Some other uninformed employee might listen to your advise.Then we might all have to look for another job.
when we gave up the right to strike we lost all bargaining power. Bring back the right to strike.
the right to strike is great for somebody sitting on his ass at home and retired. but for those of us raising children, a strike would be worse than the sound of this contract. it’s real easy for an idiot like you to sit home and scream strike, esp since you’re not going to be out there walking the picket line, worrying about feeding your kids. MORON.
I am surprised we dont have more union employees more concerned with this contract than what we do. Where is our voice, and when did we get a chnace to make a difference. As of now, I have not been asked for a vote or what I think of a five day work week, and why I can not contract myself on the sixth day, Saturday. We will have to pay more for medical eventually… Period. Inflation doesnt go down, have we not learned from experience and loses of other unions. We get payed well for what we do, anybody can do it, sure its not for everyone. As of this point I think the union NALC is more concerned with there terminal exsistence than the present paying union employee. If this five day work week passes IM OUT… Because I think they are more concerned with there jobs than ours. Get us a contract, we all need to work ande support our lives, and (I) Think we get payed pretty dam well..
Anon & Carrier X,
I am well informed. I don’t hide behind an anonymous name to post my lemming’s type attitude for the NALC. If the NALC wants to force us into their health plan it will backfire. Ever hear the old saying, “never put all your eggs in one basket”? Less competition may give us the NALC plan a boost now, but it will cost in the long run. I am a dues paying member now, but if I have to drop out to pay the additional costs for MY CHOICE of health plan with that dues money, then its only because its being forced upon me. Another point, I am not the only one at my office that has this viewpoint either. So I would suggest that some more detailed information be posted about what is being asked for at the NALC website before calling for any vote.
Troy & Brad and the rest of you cry babies.
Do you think our National leaders make decisions that are popular to everyone’s needs or do they make decisions for the majorities needs. Dont you realize the only reason you have a job and the benefits you now enjoy is because of all the hard work and struggles our past brothers have fought for. Look up the word union in the dictonary. You are one member. What have you done for your fellow union member. Do you attend meeting and actively participate in your union. The leaders of this union are just like you one member one voice. You can choose to complain and write your opinion of how bad the NALC is and what they should do or do something about it. Maybe you should read the history of this great union and see what other letter carriers worked hard for by uniteing together to make the the lives better for all letter carriers. We have hundreds of thousands of members and decisions are not always popular to everyone. Our leaders were one member just like you who chose not just to sit back and complain or drop out. You have a choice to be a voice in this union or just complain when you make judgements without all the facts. I challenge all of you to become active members of you union and make the future better for all of us.
Troy
Maybe you should consider not printing your name and become one of us Union lemmings. You state you are informed. If you were you wouldn’t be complaining about being forced to take the NALC Health Plan. Nobody will get forced to join any plan. It is your choice. If it was up to the NALC the USPS would pay our total premium for health care. It is the USPS that wants to reduce their contribution to our health plan not the NALC. The NALC chose to offer this up instead of being forced to pay more as the other unions have done. This is a chance to stay where we are and not agree to pay more. All other Federal employees pay 28% for health care. How would we fair going before an arbirtator pleading our case and win. Our leaders will inform us with all the information if a vote is needed.Maybe instead of dropping out of the NALC you should drop out of the USPS because it is postal management along with the postal Board of Govenor who want to take benefits away from you not the NALC
Please offer a buyout so I can exit this sinking ship.
DPS,MPS,Dois,3 bundles, pivoting…WHAT NEXT???
If people like Anon believes that the NALC insurance will be like Blue Cross/Blue Shield coverage now, he is definately mistaken. If you like to believe in fairy tales then do you believe in the Easter Bunny also? I believe in our Union and always will, but there are some points that stick in my throat. Maybe the hardliners need a reality check that not everything NALC negotiates for us is in our best interest all the time! If you think Brother Young has the pulse of the membership, when was the last time he carried mail in the snow, or in the rain?
becoming an active member of a union will not guarantee they are looking out for any one of us.
I will vote NO on any contract that tries to coerce me into the NALC health plan. I will even go as far as to withdraw from the union and use the saved funds to pay for the increase in cost of the plan I prefer (if it is ratified). As a long time dues paying member I would abhor this option, and would only do so as a means of protest. I prefer GEHA standard which has comparable benefits and much lower premiums and a broad base of membership (third largest). Here’s something to think about: If something were to happen to the NALC health plan (bankruptcy, scandal, law suit, whatever)then we would be stuck paying the nearly doubled premium rates for the other plans until the contract ran out. Then it would be a horrendous (if not impossible) battle to restore our current benefits. Never put all of your eggs into one basket! I am also being active in these posts. Does the NALC national website have such a forum for members to speak out? Not one that I could find. Did they take a poll of the general membership on this matter? Not that I recall. How come there has been no statement by Young which shows the actual #s & $ values of savings of the NALC plan vs the other plans? What are the overhead cost comparisons of the various plans? NO - I will not be a lemming. I will vote no unless more detailed information is provided.
Troy,
Maybe you should get out of the union now if you don’t believe or trust in what they do. Maybe you should do that because it must be the union who wants to take the benefits we do have now away from us, right? Talk to a casual and ask what they make and what benefits they have. If the USPS had their way that is exactly what we would be getting….nothing!!!!!!! Do you think we make over $500 a pay period more now than the start of the last contract because the USPS just wanted us to have it ????? This is not the time to complain about our union who has fought for everything we have today. Open your eyes brother, without the proposal our union made to the USPS, we would ALL be paying more for health care. The union had to come up with a way to not only keep our costs down, but save the USPS money in doing so. What they came up with is brilliant. You are not being force to change health plans, if you want to keep what you have you will just pay what EVERYONE would be paying without that proposal, I don’t understand why you can’t see that. After all it is not about YOU, it is about what is best for the majority of the membership
Mike,
I guess that the Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court Justices (being confirmed by those we voted into office) are all doing what’s best for our country all the time, right? As long someone is voted into a position, then they must never make a poor decision, right? Wrong!
I am an avid supporter of our great country and of our union, but I will not blindly accept what sparse information they give me as being solely in my best interests. What is good for a few is not always best for the whole. Pork politics ring a bell?
I asked for the NALC to come forth with more detailed information on the savings of the NALC plan over the others. As an example, why not support the less expensive GEHA plan (or any of the others with lower premiums) if your trying to save both the Postal Service and the carriers money? Why did the NALC not take a national poll on any of the proposals? Why does the NALC National website not have a forum for us to post on these matters?
You see, Mike, its not that I don’t believe or trust in the NALC’s purpose of protecting us carriers and the Postal Service as a whole; it’s that I don’t always trust that the best decisions for the long term are being made. I want more detailed information by which to base my final decision. I am simply annoyed that our great leaders have not stepped up to the task of providing us dues paying members the respect we deserve by providing that information.
Who wouldn’t want to work one day a week(sat) in retirement for $24.00 an hour? That’s a weeks pays for minimum wage ! Most postal employees are short sighted. Where else can you get this pay and benefits with no marketable skills?
It’s refreshing to see a foward thinking union president, bringing forth positive ideas.
As for the health benefit premiums ,the rest of the federal employees pay those premiums, as their premiums are not subsudized by the posal service. if you want cheap buy the Nalc plan. I for one am excited by this proposal , it’s a very positive step.
The carrier craft is the backbone of the service and Young is trying to protect future jobs, unlike the other crafts which have lost positions in droves.
Think foward ,and don’t be afraid to show up and WORK for your $50,000 plus benefits.
20 year veteran carrier living in one of the highest cola area in the country and think this job is secure. If you don’t like the service , go get one of those great high paying automaker,airline or IBM type jobs who have lost so much over the last few years!!
I am one of the seemingly few who actually works for their money and doesn’t whine about being overworked and underpaid. And I’m not a union member-i think that those who represent me should really REPRESENT me, and not just their own interests, or those of their “inner circle”. I do wish that someone would direct me to a place that will give me the straight dope on where the contract negoatiations are at this time.