The nation’s postal unions (click title to entry - thank you) organized events at 492 locations across the country Tuesday in support of federal legislation that would relieve the burdensome requirement that postal employees pre-fund decades worth of retirees’ benefits. photo: Jim West | jimwestphoto.com.
That sounds like a lawsuit for the National Labor Relations Board.
I realize Issa wants to pander to constituencies and cronies. I realize there is legislation by Rep. Stephen Lynch to reverse the "W"rong Doing of the 2006 law.
BUT.
The 2006 laws has imposed a hardship and what appears to be very deliberate on an independent agency of the USA Government, the US Postal Service. The US Postal Service is a VITAL agency for many, many reasons.
There are also many reasons why this is a hardship and not just on the people that are due to be laid off, but, also a hardship on the country that will be forced to pay higher postal rates through private carriers, it will tax the economic recovery with more people on unemployment, people that are not easily reoriented into other employment as they have specific training and experience.
But, most of all, the Congress is deadlocked with extremists that will provide a near impossible task of passing the Lynch legislation. It won't be an issue once it gets to the Senate, but, to get it through the House will be a small miracle.
Hardship matters. The 2006 Law imposes an unfair hardship burden on the US Postal Service to fulfill retirement obligations in ten yeaes. What the hardship does is not only imposes undue burden on the Post Office, its employees and the nation, but, it sets it up for complete failure when it cannot meet their obligations to the nation. With such a failure; the OVERPAYMENT of funds into the retirement trust fund or whatever instrument the 2006 bill dreamed up, those monies would become the centerpiece to a private company takeover by demands of another hostile US legislature. That could happen if the House and Senate are both occupied by extremist GOP.
The US Postal Service Workers Union needs to take this before the National Labor Relations Board for a ruling that would include either structured relief form the 2006 law and/or for an independent arbitrator.to mediate the pension plans for a reasonable solution that sustains the services to the US Post Office as a vital element in the fabric of this nation. With an independent arbitrator the union could negotiate a pension/retirement contract separate from their working contract that would protect those funds from any takeover by hostile private elements while preserving jobs and upholding its contract with its employees.
Such an outcome would be a disincentive to any hostile takeover if that were the goal. The pensions and retirements would be protected in the face of any handover to private enterprise.
The US Postal Service has an obligation to this nation and that obligation has been set in stone with centuries of service. It is a vital instrument to this country and it cannot fail to carry out service that is not necessarily (By the nature of the beast) that efficient and/or streamlined.
If the US Postal Service were allowed to diminish in its capacity and eventually be legislated out of existence the people of the USA would lose a vital piece of their democracy. A democracy promised to them by their constitution.
Journalism is considered the fourth arm of the government and the US Postal Service in no different. Journalism is the fourth arm of the government through the understandings of the first amendment and the US Postal Service is as much a fourth arm of the government as it provides freedom of information and speech in the way mail delivery. Delivering news from family, political organizations, non-profit groups and others is just as much a part of the First Amendment as journalism is known to be.
The US Postal Service needs to pursue all venues including a lawsuit with the NTSB as well as seeking the Rep. Stephen Lynch legislation. There has to be a remedy and that is not an option!
