FederalDaily - September 18, 2006
APWU Challenges USPS Rate Proposal
A new analysis by the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) shows that proposed increases in the price
of postage would expand a U.S. Postal Service policy that shifts costs from large corporate mailers
to small businesses and individual citizens. New rates requested by the Postal Service would increase
discounts to major mailers who presort their mail, forcing small businesses and individual customers—who
do not presort—to pay more, the APWU said Sept. 14. The analysis looked at USPS data provided
to the Postal Rate Commission. The analysis also found the suggested presort discounts are considerably
larger than the costs the Postal Service would avoid as a result of work-sharing. Also, if discounts
were “properly set,” the union says, postage for patrons who do not presort their mail
could be increased to only 41 cents per first-class letter instead of 42 cents, as the USPS has proposed.
To see more, www.apwu.org/news/webart/2006/webart-0652-kobe-testimony-prc-060914.htm
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Report Says All-Volunteer Military Faces Challenges
America’s all-volunteer military has been an overwhelming success, but faces an unprecedented
challenge posed by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said a new book published by one think tank. The
book, published by RAND Corp. and written by Bernard Rostker, a RAND senior fellow who served in the
Pentagon, said the all-volunteer U.S. military has emerged as the world's strongest fighting force,
attracting recruits who are better educated and more skilled than those who served in the U.S. armed
forces during the military draft. But questions remain about the current manpower needs of the military,
the book said. After four years of war with mounting casualties in Iraq—as well as a separate
insurgency in Afghanistan—the military has experienced recruiting shortfalls for the first time
since the late 1970s, it reported. To see a synopsis of the book, entitled, “I Want You! The
Evolution of the All-Volunteer Force,” go to: www.rand.org/news/press.06/09.14.html
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Union Applauds Training Measure in Port Bill
A port workers union has applauded the mandatory training provisions contained in a new port security
bill that also would impose deadlines on worker background checks. Edward Wytkind, president of the
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), applauded the Senate on Sept. 14 for the passage of
a bipartisan amendment from Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., that was included in the port security legislation,
requiring mandatory security training for all port workers. As the first people on the scene, well-trained
workers at ports can be used to help mitigate damage, assist first responders and provide post-incident
information, Wytkind said. However, most port workers have received little or no information about
how to respond to a security breach at the ports, he said. The House already has approved a seaport
security bill and the two versions must be reconciled in conference. To see more, go to:
www.ttd.org/pressrel/2006/PR091406_Kerry_Amendment_on_port_worker_training.pdf
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