Via John P. Richards, President – APWU Pittsburgh Area Retiree Chapter

SOLD OUT?

The retiree establishment within the Union is abuzz over the administration’s embracing and supporting HR 756, known as the Postal Service Reform Act. This law, if enacted in it’s current draft, will drastically change our health ‘insurance’ delivery system. Several of many provisions within the proffer that we find onerous are as follows:

• Postal retirees, current and future, would be withdrawn from the Federal group to be created in a Postal retirees only smaller group. Group size determines rate structure.
• Current retirees (20%) who opted to decline Part B Medicare when they reached age 65, would be forced into Part B and Part D. This is required to be able to access the FEHBA supplemental insurance. The reason explained for access to Part D is unconvincing.
• As NARFE speculated, any tampering with our health coverage will be the beginning of the end of OPM management of our health benefits throughout the Federal Service as well as the Postal Service as we know it.

Rumbles are being heard from progressive APWU retiree activists that the proposal is a sell out that must be opposed. We agree.

Also in this edition:

– LETTER CARRIERS FOOD DRIVE MAY 13
– STAPLES BOYCOTT REVISITED