FederalDaily.com > APWU Announces Tentative Contract

FederalDaily - December 7, 2006

APWU Announces Tentative Contract

American Postal Workers Union (APWU) President William Burrus on Dec. 6 announced his union and the U.S. Postal Service had reached a tentative four-year contract agreement. The contract was slated to be presented to the union’s Rank-and-File Bargaining Committee on Dec. 7. USPS said the contract, if approved, would extend until Nov. 20, 2010, and affect about 272,000 employees in the clerk, maintenance and motor vehicle crafts. The Postal Service reached the tentative pact under an extended bargaining deadline as it worked to reach national agreements with APWU and two other postal unions—the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union. A fourth union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, broke off negotiations with the Postal Service days earlier and announced it would enter arbitration. For more, go to: www.apwu.org/news/webart/2006/webart-0681-negotiationsupdate061206.htm.

House OKs Help for Wounded Vets

The full House unanimously approved a measure to allow congressmen to directly lobby employers in their districts to hire wounded combat veterans. The measure, H.Res. 1070, passed on the House floor Dec. 5 at the urging of its sponsor, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. Hunter said the resolution was necessary to clear up an ethics question over whether a lawmaker was legally permitted to intervene on behalf of veterans who were seeking employment. “Congressmen have a great deal of influence with businesses in their districts,” Hunter said during the floor debate. “They should be allowed to help our wounded veterans.” Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the transition from military service to a civilian career can be difficult, with veterans age 20 to 24 experiencing a jobless rate three times the national average, Hunter said. Since the 9/11 attacks, more than 19,600 servicemembers have been wounded in combat.

Americans Perceive Red Tape in Fed Jobs

According to a new poll, some Americans say they wouldn’t want a federal job because of what they perceive as excessive red tape, strict regulations, an unwieldy bureaucracy and unsavory political implications connected with the work. The Gallup Organization joined with the nonprofit Council for Excellence in Government to conduct the poll, which looked at ordinary citizens’ attitudes toward federal employment. Only 3 percent said they were current or former members of the federal work force, said the report, released Dec. 5. Twenty-five percent of those polled said they wouldn’t want a federal job because of the red tape and related issues. Another 7 percent said they simply didn’t trust the government. On the brighter side, Americans think government jobs offer good benefits and security. In reaction, Linda Springer, director of the Office of Personnel Management, said if pollsters had surveyed actual federal employees, the outcome would have been different. To see more, go to:
www.excelgov.org/UserFiles/File/Within%20Reach%20But%20Out%20of%20Synch.pdf

Gates Says No to Draft

President Bush’s choice for Defense Secretary ruled out reviving a draft in response to questioning by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Neb., during a confirmation hearing Dec. 5. “No sir, I do not,” nominee Robert M. Gates told a panel of senators, when asked by Nelson whether he saw the need for a draft to shore up recruitment efforts. “When people perceive that joining the services is not a direct ticket to Iraq, our numbers are going to be increasing,” Gates said. Nelson said Gates seems to be open about Pentagon decision-making. “The current strategy in Iraq is not working, so we need someone who will speak openly to Congress and the American people about the situation,” Nelson said. To see more, go to: http://billnelson.senate.gov/news/details.cfm?id=266330&