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Budget negotiators reject Saturday delivery cut, unfairly target future federal employees

NALC grassroots activists and the American public scored a huge victory when efforts to include elimination of Saturday mail delivery in the emerging budget agreement for 2014 failed.

NALC President Fredric Rolando reacted with gratitude and relief. “Thanks to the thousands of dedicated letter carriers, citizens and small-business owners who raised their voices in opposition to this misguided proposal to slash delivery service,” Rolando said, “Congress will not unwisely weaken the Postal Service or undermine our last-mile delivery network. Together, we have not only helped save tens of thousands of good jobs, but we have preserved a path for recovery and growth for the USPS in the future. This is a win for tens of millions of Americans and countless businesses throughout the country that rely on the Postal Service for the world’s most affordable delivery service.

“Congress must continue to reject any legislation that would lead to the elimination of Saturday mail delivery,” he added.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced on Dec. 10 that they had reached a deal to partially replace the across-the-board spending cuts (known as sequestration) that were called for by the Budget Control Act of 2011 with a package of alternative spending cuts and revenue raisers.

Ryan had proposed the Saturday delivery cut as a measure that would save $20 billion over 10 years, a figure NALC and others strongly contest.

Murray stood firm with the nation’s letter carriers and the American public and rejected the proposal.

But there was some bad news as well. Under the budget deal, federal and postal employees hired after Dec. 31, 2013, will be required to contribute 4.4 percent of their basic pay for Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) pension benefits, 1.3 percent above the 3.1 percent contribution rate for federal employees hired in 2013 and 3.6 percent above those hired before 2013. Despite the higher contributions, pension benefits will not be raised in return for the higher contributions, since agency contributions will be reduced by the same 1.3 percent.

Although totally unjustified and unfair, the increase in pension contributions for new hires was adopted after weeks of negotiations in which Ryan pushed for a proposal included in the House-passed budget: an increase of 5.5 percent in pension contributions for all federal and postal employees (present and future).

“Once again, Congress has singled out federal and postal employees for deficit reduction, even though our community has been repeatedly targeted in the past and we have contributed more than our fair share,” Rolando said. “There is now an irrational three-tier pension system for FERS employees, where different groups of employees will pay different amounts in payroll contributions, yet receive the same level of benefi ts. That’s totally unacceptable.”

NALC led an all-out push to save Saturday delivery for the American people and worked to prevent a massive 5.5 percent pay cut for letter carriers. We spearheaded a coalition to inform Congress, set up a toll-free phone line to connect letter carriers with their representatives in the House, and used our e-Activist Network to deliver thousands of messages to senators and representatives.

The union also worked with our allies, organized by Delivering for America and the Federal-Postal Coalition of unions. These allies included the other postal unions—APWU, NRLCA and NPMHU—and thousands of small-business owners, veterans, rural residents and senior citizens.

“I thank all of our allies and all of the NALC members who helped,” Rolando said. “I urge members who didn’t do their part this time to do so next time—and believe me, with the fight over postal reform just starting, there will be a next time.

“We will vigorously oppose any legislation that will lead to the elimination of Saturday mail delivery,” he said.

The House approved the budget deal on Dec. 12, while the Senate approved it on Dec. 18. President Obama signed the bill into law on Dec. 26.