TOPICS
TOPICS
Postal Service starts discussions on early retirement offers
The U.S. Postal Service has started meeting with unions to discuss the voluntary early retirements it expects to offer at least 20,000 clerks and mail handlers in response to a decreasing volume of mail, an agency spokesman said Thursday.
Representatives from the American Postal Workers Union met with USPS officials on Wednesday to discuss the agency's plan for the voluntary retirements. APWU President William Burrus said USPS is required to bargain with the union over such programs.
"We do not oppose voluntary early retirements, but we do object to any plan to offer them selectively and exclude some employees from eligibility," Burrus said. "We also believe that for this VER, which is not the result of contract negotiations, severance pay must accompany an offer of early retirement."
The Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday approved USPS' request to create a voluntary retirement program for employees in the clerk, mail handler and some supervisory positions, said David Partenheimer, a USPS spokesman.
"The OPM action is only a first step," he said. "It authorizes us to offer the early retirements, but we need to work out the details."
Partenheimer said the number of employees affected will depend on eligibility requirements and other details of the program that remain under development. The agency has not yet established a timeline, he said.
The move comes after an announcement by USPS in late June that it would implement a reorganization plan designed to streamline agency operations. Partenheimer said the agency needs fewer employees because of continuing automation and technological advances as well as a drop in mail volume.
Partenheimer said USPS is "consulting with all the affected unions on this issue."
A spokesman for another major union representing postal employees -- the National Association of Letter Carriers -- said Thursday that the union is waiting for more information before commenting.
COMMENTS
- I think, if the postal service is going to offer an early out, it should be offered to all employees across the board. After all, automation effects carriers, too. We just heard that the flat sorters will result in 15% fewer city routes. Christine Zender Posted August 15, 2008 12:01 AM
- Why is it that the postal service has to go "fishing" to see how many employees will take the early out. Why can't they do like other companies and offer severance pay or incentives as a gratitude for the many years of service we've provided to them. Of course they won't because mail processors are looked upon by higher level managers as incompetent. The message for change and respect is a farce. They have the opportunity now to show the postal family right now that they are committed to help us maintain "status quo" doing retirement by offering something that we could resonably accept. However, I doubt the ever will so we must be prepared again to play their little game. I think the name of that game is "fishing". I would most certainly leave as a employee with 26 years of service if they wouldn't penalize for being under 55 years of age. Fred Posted August 10, 2008 2:43 PM
- It is thinking like that, Dan, that got this country in to the trouble it is in. This NOV. the American people will let you know what they think of that way of thinking. Retired ATC Posted July 17, 2008 10:11 AM
