Please come here for the lastest issues that effect our lives as letter carriers. There certainly will be many. Through our congressional email directory you can communicate with your elected official on the issues that effect you! Stay tuned. And thanks again!!!

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Contacting Congress Courtesy of Branch 466

Emails

I know a lot of you have all had the same emails I get almost daily requesting donations to help fight the GOP. First off we are not fighting every Republican. While I agree we have more support from one party then the other we can't make it a blanket statement. We have friends in both parties and some independents as well. Our National Legislative Department decides who those friends are and where we should send support. I combat these requests for donations by telling these people I do contribute but through my Union using COLCPE. These other agencies, supports groups or whatever you want to call them have their own agenda. I know that my Union has my interests and concerns as their agenda and will use the money I send them to get the best return on that money. They only ask for a few dollars each time but so does our Union. If you aren't already a COLCPE detonator then sign up. If you don't want to have money taken from your pay each pay period then send a check for what you can. Every little bit counts towards helping the Union to preserve your jobs. Nothing is too little unless it is nothing at all.

Andy Kearney

Branch 725

Workroom Floor

With all the news from the Congress and Senate about proposeds bills and the uncertainty of our futures I hear more and more chatter on the workroom floor about our demise. People are scared and I understand that but they are listening to the wrong people. We need to make an effort to correct the information these people get and counter the rumors when we can. Here is what I want you all to do.

1. When you hear someone giving misinformation on the workroom floor correct that information. If you get called out for talking politics then tell them they need to address the others giving the false information out as well. It works both ways.

2. When you hear the parking lot lawyers spout out their uninformed opinions on what is happening challenge them. Give them the facts and where to find them. Then ask them where you can find the facts to support theirs.

3. Encourage more members to get involved. If it means signing up to be an e-activists to get updates, attending a Union meeting, singing up for COLCPE or any in a list of things we will need people to do in 2012 closer to election day.

4. Reach out to people you know that may not know what the facts are and give them the fact sheets or tell them where to get them.

5. Tell all your members to sign up at Congress.org to see how their elected officials vote on all the issues.

The information our own members have is paramount. When they know they can inform their customers, family and friends on the facts and not what misinformation we see in the press on a daily basis. It is up to us to make everyone else aware of what the real problems and issues are. We need to be more aggressive in our efforts to make sure those facts are made known to everyone we can reach.

Andy Kearney
Branch 725

Thanks!

I want to thank my wife Barbara, Joe Pease, Diane McGuire, Bill Mellon and Jimmy Watson for their help in obtaining signatures for the petition to save six day delivery on Veterans day in Media. I would also like to thank all of those like Karen McPoyle who went out of their way to get as many signatures as possible. I don't know what the total was because both Jimmy and I were mailing them in bunches to National. But, it is nice to see that more and more of you are getting involved to help us protect our jobs.

Latest petition

While we were at the National Rap Session we were asked to commit to getting 10 times our membership in signatures for this petition. It is to save six day delivery. While a lot of you may think that is a good idea because you would have Saturdays off you better think again. Once we start going backward we won't be able to stop that momentum. We need to preserve six day delivery. If not for us then the customers we serve. A lot of people, and especially the elderly, depend on us being there for them. With Holidays it would even be worse for them not getting the service they depend on. This petition is not only best for them it is for us as well. Print it out and have your family and friends sign it and get it back to the Union Office so we can collect them all and send a message to the Congress and Senate. The job you save may be yours or someone you care about.

Get the petition Here!!!

Meeting with Congressman Meehan

Once again Jimmy and I met with the Congressman about the state of the Postal Service. Along with us Bob Zigmont as well as Tri-County APWU President Mark Hennessy and Vice-President Carol Ann Santosusso. We spent a little more then a hour discussing our concerns about the bill that Congressman Issa is proposing. Obvisously you are aware that Saturday delivery and the prefunding are our major concerns. Issa is our biggest person of concern since he has quite a bit of leverage as Chairman of the House Oversite and Government Reforms Committee. While his bill may not pass through Congress as it stands there may be some areas that will effect us greatly when if it goes to Committee. Deals are made in order for one item to be added or subtracted. How this bill ends up is a turkey shoot. Nobody can predict that. What the Congressman wanted from us were all the facts and what is most important to us so he can fight to preserve them. We are still pushing forward with HR 1351 but Issa's position makes it easier to get things out of Committee and onto the floor of Congress. We all felt after the meeting that the Congressman is trying to do what is right by us, the Postal Service and the people we serve. Being on Issa's Committee he is taking a lot of heat for doing that and we told him how much we appreciated it. As things develop I will keep you all posted. We all have a feeling that things are going to start moving more rapidy very soon.

Our Visit To Congressman Patrick Meehan's Office

On our trip to Washington for the Congressional breakfast we had scheduled a meeting with Congressman Patrick Meehan. A lot of us were unsure he would actually make that meeting and instead send an aide to meet with us instead. To our surprise he did actually sit down and talk with us and for about 20 minutes. We clarified our position on HR 1351 to him and think he may be someone we might be able to work with right now. What we need from you is to call his office, send and email, write a letter or better yet do all three and ask him to support this as well. For those of you who do not know what HR 1351 is please read it. It is very important not only to the financial stability of the Postal Service that a lot of you take for granted, it is also protecting your bargaing rights come this next contract. The financial status of the Postal Service is important to all of us.

click here to view H.R. 1351

Any support you can give should be done. The security of your job may depend on it.

Politics and How it Affects Us

I went to the rally in Media and heard from officials from various AFL-CIO Union Locals about the aftershock of the last election and how it will impact us in our jobs and our home lives. PA Governor Corbett wants to cut the buget for PA at any cost. Unfortunately that means OUR cost. By taking money away from local schools the local Communities will only increase your property taxes to make up that gap. They also want to cut funding to State funded Universities. A lot of low and mid income people depend on that funding so they may send their children to College in hopes of a better life. The average increase in tuition may be $5,000 a year acording to a University of Temple expert. And that and the increase in property taxes may mean the difference between a lot of families being able to see their children go to College or not. Make no doubt about it. That is what they want to do. To erase the middle class and keep everyone in the lower class right where they want them. The haves and the have nots. No chance to better yourself or your children. You were born a loser and a loser you will always be.

We are One rallys across the nation are letting them and everyone else know that we are not going to stand by and let this happen. We are fighting back and hard. We will make life for them a living Hell until they show us the respect that our founders have fought so hard for us to enjoy. The rallys were scheduled on April 4th for an important reason. It was the date on which Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. He did not die on that date, as one speaker at our rally said, he was murdered so he would be taken away from us. He was in Memphis on that date in support of the Sanitation workers right to organize as a union. His fight for rights of all people of any color, race or religion to enjoy all the benifits and rights this country was founded on along with the better distribution of wealth made him the target of the assassin. We all need to get the people that are making his hard work go backwards in time out of office the next election. Watch what they say, but more importantly what they do. All the people that pained to get us all the rights we enjoy today, along with Dr. King are looking down on us and expecting us to keep that flame burning and not let it die out. You might not be able to do much but you can do something. Anything you do will move this effort forward. Attending a rally, making a phone call, sending a letter. Combined all these efforts will beat down the efforts to erase the middle class and the efforts to erase all our hard earned and deserved rights. Don't just stand there - do something - anything.

February 18, 2011

As you can read on our Local's website the story of Wisconsin Governor is trying to break the backs of the Unions in his State Capital. For more on this story you can also see here This is only the beginning. More Governors will be watching to see how this works out. If he is successful they will follow suit and quickly to reduce their budgets at the expense of hard working Union members. They of course will look to get their pay raises and benefits protected for themselves and staff members. Don't take this lightly. It may effect every Union Member in the country down the road. This is what all of us worked so hard to prevent this past election. For every step back we take in collective bargaining, job security and benefits it will take us two steps forward later to make any headway. Get involved and become an e-activist. If reading these articles don't make you realize how important this little gesture on your part is necessary I don't know what else will. The more emails and letters our Public Officials get from us letting them know we will not stand by and allow our hard fought rights to be taken away from us the more they will realize that it might not be such a good idea to alienate us. And if they don't they won't be seeing another term.

Andy Kearney
Branch 725
CDL PA District 7

Obama's Help

I am encouraged by the message that President Obama is going to address the financial situation of the Postal Service. For more on this article please read the story on our Web Site. But, from all indications this is exactly what we have been fighting for. We don't need a bailout and people don't need to worry about their taxes going up because we are not funded by taxes. The fears of people that one of those two were going to occur where not valid ones. All we need is for the government to reimburse the money we overpaid to them in the first place and change the structure of how we fund future retirees. We would have not been in such a financial crisis had this happened earlier.

A lot of credit goes out to all of you who have worked hard to encourage all of our Representatives to see this. You come at all levels. President Orlando down to all the e-activists who forward those letters to the elected Officials on all levels to show them how we feel. We also show them our numbers and we need to encourage our co-workers to do the same thing to increase the pressure when needed. I would ask every e-activist to get just one co-worker to sign up and if we only get a fraction of them to actually do so we are in better shape. Read the article and knowing how we have pleaded with everyone to get behind this and by the results you will see it does work.

Not an e-activist yet but would like to become one? Here is the link to sign up. We would appreciate all the help we can get.

E-Activist Sign-up

Writing Congress

The letter is the most popular choice of communication with a congressional office. If you decide to wrtie a letter, this list of helpful suggestions will improve the effectiveness of the letter:

Your purpose for writing should be stated in the first paragraph of the letter. If your letter pertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it accordingly; e.g., House bill: H.R. _____,Senate bill: S.____.

Be courteous, to the point, and include key information, using examples to support your position.
Address only one issue in each letter; and, if possible, keep the letter to one page.

Addressing Correspondence:

To a Senator:
The Honorable (full name)
___(Rm.#)___(name of)Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington DC 20510

Dear Senator:

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Calling your elected representatives

To find your senator's and representatives phone numbers, you may use a searchable online congresional directory or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your senator's and/or representative's office. Remember that telephone calls are usually taken by a staff member--not the meber of Congress. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment.

After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message, such as: "Please tell Sentor/Representative (name)that i support/oppose (S.______/H.R.______)."

You also will want to state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill. Ask for your senator's or representative's position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your telephone call.

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Emailing Congress

Generally, the same guidelines apply as with letters to Congress. Find and e-mail senators and representatives directly from a website such as www.visi.com/juan/congress/index.html

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A Bipartisan Bill

H.R. 22 has been introduced in Congress to help relieve the postal service from immediately funding current retiree health benefits. If passed, it would allow them to spread out these required payments over a longer period of time. Last week there were 26 cosponsers; as of March 4,2009, there are 90. Congressman Sestak is already a cosponsor.

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At the Legislative workshop in Atlantic City,

we also learned that in the New Congress, " The Employee Free Choice Act which would make it easier for men and women to join a union in their workplace, will be introduced in the Senate First. This may help to eliminatemany hassles when versions of the bill are melded together after coming through each house.

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Jan 298L
The 1st bill passed by the Democratic Congress and signed by the President was a PayEquity Law. The bill makes it easier to sue an employer for pay discrimination. A women (Lily Ledbetter) worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber for 20 years in Alabama. She sued when she found out she had been paid less than the men she worked with. The Supreme Court ruled against her, 5 to 4. The law signed by President Obama overules that decision. The bill also applies to other forms of discrimination based on race, ethnicity or national origin as well as gender.

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I'm Just Saying
The Republicans talk about reducing Government and people get excited about that because they feel that Government is too intrusive into their lives. But, what they really mean is doing away with Public Service employees and not the people in power or their entourages. Just look across the river to New Jersey and you see how Governor Christie has created an environment where local townships and even larger cities like Trenton and Camden have had to make budget cuts. Police, Fire and other public workers are being laid off. Any mention of the people that surround Christie or any other public official? That may be happening here in Pennsylvania as well. PA also has a deficit. New Governor Corbett plans on selling all the LCB stores. Forget that Pennsylvania leads the Nation in state representatives and that along with their support staff creates more of a deficit problem. They tell you they are about reducing costs, well the LCB has raised 80 to 90 Million dollars in profit for quite some time now. So, where is the cost? That is over and above the wages and benefits they pay out to these workers. The State is facing a $4 billion budget gap and the sale would get them fast cash of $1 billion to $2 billion to offset that. But the profits from those stores would be lost forever. Meaning they would have to look elsewhere for that revenue. Higher taxes? That would be my guess. Also the long proposed tolls on a lot of roads running though the State that are not as of yet. This all has a ripple effect on everyone including some businesses like truck stops and mom and pop places on highways people, especially truckers, use. The cost of transporting goods will also have the ripple effect on the end price we pay for goods being transported through our state.

Now the Democrats are just as guilty for having their large staffs and allowing the deficit to get to a point where we have to cut Public Service Employees and they get to keep their people around. So don't get me wrong on that I am attacking the Republicans solely on this. We need to make our own investigations. Educate ourselves on just what causes these situations. Do an audit if you will of where the money is going and why services have to be cut. What I am saying is that too often the honest working man or woman is the first target for cuts. Easier to higher newer workers at a lower rate and without benefits once the dust clears. People will just be glad that the services were restored and not think about how this all happened.

Hey all elected officials of ALL parties. Before you cut one Police, Fire or any other Safety Person you better look into your own office and see how you have riding along on your ticket and think how many lives he may save or serve today. We all will be watching you and know who not to vote for next time.

Making Contacts
Patrick Meehan will be taking office soon. I have already contacted him with my desire to sit down with him and discuss our needs. I know there has been a lot of gloom and doom about the Republicans taking office in a lot of districts but we here in PA District 7 have been lucky to have a good working relationship with both Parties. It don't come easy and Bob Zigmont worked very hard to keep it that way. I will do my best to keep it that way. The last AFL-CIO meeting I went to they agreed that the National scene is not a true reflection of our local one. While on a National level there are a lot of Republicans working against us locally they have not. The demographics of our area prohibit them from going too far to the right. They need us as much as we need them. We can work together to achieve what we both need. I am confident that I will be able to keep that relationship that Bob has fostered with everyone and see that our membership is represented well. The bottom line is is it doesn't matter what party tag anyone has. It is what is in his or her heart. I'll find out just where Pat Meehan's heart is soon. And I will keep you updated on anything once it happens. Have faith in our efforts to do what is right by you.