NALC Protests ‘Contracting Out’ Moves;Takes Issue to Lawmakers in Congress

Young, Potter NALC News Bulletin (PDF) reach agreement to resume contract bargaining: NALC President William H. Young and Postmaster General John E. Potter reached agreement March 20 to resume bargaining for a new National Agreement. They set April 6 as a deadline to reach a settlement. Young and Potter also agreed that, in the event talks fail and an impasse remains, mediation would be waived and the impasse would go directly to binding arbitration. NALC continues to protests USPS’s ‘contracting out’ moves and plans to take the issue to lawmakers in Congress

Young and Potter also agreed that, in the event talks fail and an impasse remains, mediation would be waived and the impasse would go directly to binding arbitration.

“I believe it would be in the best interest of both the city letter carriers we represent and the Postal Service if we can reach a contract agreement,” Young said. “But it has now been four months since the expiration of the last National Agreement and this process must come to a conclusion.”

Young added, however, that while he accepts PMG Potter’s interest in continuing contract talks, he rejects unequivocally the Postmaster General’s outrageous position on contracting out letter carrier jobs.

Young said he had received official notice of the USPS’s intent to contract out the work of 10 full-time regular carrier positions in Reno, Nevada.

“The Postmaster General said he was going to do nothing to stop the outsourcing of the 10 city carrier jobs in Reno,” Young said. “As a result, the NALC will initiate a national-level grievance to block the Reno move.”

Young added that it is startling that the first place postal management would attempt to contract out existing letter carrier positions would be in the home state of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. NALC immediately sent a copy of the notice to Senator Reid.

Contracting out city carrier work has started to creep across the nation. Other recent reports have been received from Oregon, New York, Florida, and California.

Congressional Backing
NALC has received a positive and strong bipartisan response from members of Congress when they were advised of the USPS contracting out action: “We’re going to be with you.” In meetings with New Jersey House members during their annual lobbying excursion, NALC legislative officials from that state received unanimous backing to stop this ill-advised and destructive practice in the bud.

Young noted that every single member of Congress contacted to date has expressed their support of NALC’s position against contracting out.

“The NALC’s number one legislative priority is preventing outsourcing of our jobs,” Young said. “We’ve had enough. We’re going to stop it right dead where it is.

‘No further’ is the name of this game.” “We’re going to end up with everyone working for the lowest pay, no benefits,” said Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) at the state’s annual congressional breakfast March 15. “This trend has got to stop. We’re going to be with you.”

Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), bluntly explained his position on outsourcing letter carrier jobs: “My commitment is to be with you, to work with you.”

“I don’t believe in outsourcing,” said Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ). “I don’t believe in privatization.”

“I support whatever you want to do,” said Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (R-NJ).

“I don’t think we need to privatize (city carrier jobs) to contract routes.”

Two other New Jersey Democrats, Rush Holt and Bill Pascrell, warned of the dire consequences of the policy.

Holt said contracting it “is a genuine threat” to the Postal Service, and Pascrell added that outsourcing is part of a “conspiracy to undermine the middle-class workforce” and cut benefits to workers.

Look at Walter Reed Medical
Young pointed to the experiences at the Army Medical Center in Washington, which has evolved into a national scandal and brought several resignations as an example of what happens when government jobs are contracted out.

“The shocking revelations of how contractors have mis-managed Walter Reed should have alerted those who see contracting out as the correct path for the Postal Service to step back and reassess this decision,” Young said. “I see no evidence that is occurring and that troubles me greatly.”

Young also met with leaders from the mailing industry and said he believes they do not favor this action.

“One of them confided to me: ‘We always undervalue the skills of the positions that we look to contract out, and it is never as easy a solution as it might appear’,” Young said.

Mailers Involved
Young said these mailers believe, as he does, that future letter carriers must be well motivated and possess even greater—not lesser—skills than today’s letter carrier if the USPS is to survive.

“Neither of us believes that necessary level of dedication and skill will be found among unscreened, non-motivated, poorly compensated workers,” he said. “It took just a couple of years to ruin Walter Reed hospital. How long do they think they will need to destroy the Postal Service that so many of us rely upon for the efficient, secure and safe delivery of our mail?”

Young pointed to a situation recently in Orange, California, where a contractor was hired to deliver mail. He decided the job was too tough and started stacking the mail up in his house.

When complaints over non-delivery were received, the postmaster responded that the problem was a contractor and there was little, if anything, he could do to resolve this issue.

How long will America tolerate that kind of response?

NALC News Bulletin (PDF)