April 7, 2026 A former rural carrier in Florida was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $650,000 in restitution for falsely claiming workers’ compensation. The former employee suffered an injury at work in 2000. She filed for benefits with the Labor Department’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Program, or OWCP. She … Read more
January 22, 2026 A computer error caused a FECA benefits recipient to receive more than $18,000 through no fault of his. But his failure to turn in financial information meant that he couldn’t escape paying it back. Case K.C. and U.S. Postal Service, No. 24-0459 (ECAB 12/04/25) What Happened A mail carrier filed an occupational … Read more
Despite OSHA and protections from our contract, the U.S. Postal Service remains one of the most dangerous places to work. In fiscal year 2023, 34,472 employees were injured or had occupational diseases, with five employees killed on the job.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expires after January 27, 2023. The law made it easy for postal workers diagnosed with COVID-19 to get workers comp coverage and get Continuation of Pay, wage loss compensation, medical coverage, and death benefits. In the future it will be very difficult to prove that you got COVID-19 at … Read more
The U.S. Postal Service’s package volume and weight have increased as First-Class Mail has declined, representing a change in mail mix. The OIG found a correlation between total package weight and letter carrier injuries. The OIG found that the Postal Service has no specific protocols in place outlining how a carrier should deliver a heavy … Read more
From: Liz Powell <epowell@apwu.org> Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2022 Subject: OWCP Regional Resource Assistant Local/State Presidents, APWU Family As per our discussion on Monday’s call, if there is anyone in your local/state who is knowledgeable and actively involved in OWCP matters, that you would like to recommend to serve as a Regional Resource Assistant(s), please … Read more
The Postal Service will roll out the Safety and Health Management Tool on Oct. 1. The tool, also known as SHMT, will replace the Employee Health and Safety (EHS) accident reporting process and the functionality of the old Safety Toolkit. The SHMT will help nonbargaining staff at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, and in the … Read more
At the United States Postal Service®, lifting and handling injuries are a major contributor to lost workdays from injuries. Additionally, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, back disorders are one of the leading causes of disability for people in their working years. With the Postal Service’s increased emphasis on package delivery, … Read more
