Sample letters to Congresspersons and Senators. You may use "as is" or you may tailor these to say what it is you wish to say. You may even write your own letter, entirely. What is important is that you write. Hard copy letters still, today, have greater impact than e-mails.

Committee on Government Reform Special Panel on Postal Reform and Oversight http://reform.house.gov/ Panel on Postal Reform Announces Hearing Schedule - Rep. John M. McHugh, R-NY, who leads a special panel on postal reform and oversight, will hold three hearings in the next two months focusing on postal reform. (DMNews.com) March 23, 2004 The Postal Service in Crisis: A Joint Senate-House Hearing on Principles for Meaningful Reform - The Honorable David Fineman , Chairman , U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors: All of my adult life, I have been a strong believer in, and an advocate for, collective bargaining. I am opposed to the suggestion that a postal regulator should have any role in setting postal wages or wage standards. By the same token, I believe that for collective bargaining to be effective, everything should be on the table, including benefit programs. - Postal Service Rescue Debated - Snow says Postal Service losses mounting - McHugh: Postal Reform Urgently Needed - Postmaster general warns of sharp stamp price increase without changes - USPS, Treasury Debate Military Pension Responsibility March 12, 2004 Senate Approves Collins-Carper Amendment To Fund Postal Reform During debate on the Fiscal Year 2005 budget last night, the Senate approved an amendment sponsored by Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) to set aside funds to enact comprehensive U.S. Postal Service reform legislation. Senators Collins and Carper plan to introduce reform legislation next month. “This amendment puts the Senate on notice that we intend to move a postal reform bill this year,” said Senator Collins. March 11, 2004 Postal Service needs more flexibility, private sector execs say - Fred Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of FedEx, told members of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee to shut down the Postal Service or make changes that allow it to compete. Testimony from 3/11 Senate Hearing On Postal Reform March 9, 2004 Senate continues review of postal overhaul recommendations -Congress must include an inflation-based rate cap in its overhaul of the Postal Service, some of the nation's largest mailers testified Tuesday before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. The committee also discussed other possible reforms, including changes to the structure and size of the postal workforce, giving the Postal Service greater flexibility to enter worksharing agreements with private companies. Senator Collins: "the Postal Service is presently paying down $6.5 billion in debt to the U.S. Treasury, and its long-term liabilities are enormous—nearly $7 billion for Workers’ Compensation claims, $5 billion for retirement costs, and as much as $45 billion to cover retiree health care costs. “We cannot wait for a convenient time to reform the postal service. To do so is to put jobs and businesses at risk..” Testimony from 3/09 Senate Hearing On Postal Reform Feb. 24, 2004 Senate Postal Reform Hearing Testimony Blair - OPM | Young - NALC | Burrus - APWU | Holton - NRLCA | Hegarty - NPMHU Senator Collins is quoted as saying the postal workers compensation system must be reformed.  In addition to the workforce issues, however, Collins said her efforts would also streamline the postal rate-setting process and deal with "a host of structural problems," such as an excessive number of mail handling facilities Feb. 11 - CEOs Urge Congress to Enact Postal Reform FedEx, Pitney Bowes, ADVO, Time, Capital One, and RR Donnelley Among Nine Organizations to Testify on Wednesday - RR Donnelley CEO Testifies On Need for Postal Reform - Mailers to Congress: End Postal Status Quo, Implement Reform Now - DMA Optimistic About Postal Reform in 2004 - Pitney Bowes' CEO Testifies Feb.10 - Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers testimony (PDF) - Postcom's Essential Eight Principles of Postal Reform (PDF) - Gene A. Del Polito (PDF) Feb. 5, 2004 - Testimony by William Burrus, President APWU, AFL-CIO | William H. Young, President of the NALC | Walter M. Olihovik, NAPUS President | Steve D. Lenoir, President of League of Postmasters Feb.4, 2004 Witnesses Testimony Senator Collins Holds Hearing On Postal Reform Jan. 28, 2004 - Special Panel on Postal Reform and Oversight - Statement Of David Fineman, Chairman USPS Board Of Governors - Testimony Of John E. Potter Postmaster General/CEO More Testimony and Opening Statements (PDF)- John M. McHugh - Brain C. Roseboro - George A. Omas -David M. Walker Witness List for the Special Panel Jan. 28 Panel Begins Work on First President-Backes Reforms in More Than 30 Years Low-wage, no-benefit model poses threat to postal letter carriers - Welcome to the Wal-Martization of America—you don’t want to become part of it. (NALC Feb. 2004 Postal Record)

Presidents Commission on the United States Postal Service APWU President Burrus condems Commission Report in a Video Update - The video contains live excerpts of the  Postal Commission presenting their report. Some of the recommendations include: cutting the no-layoff clause, health and retirement benefits, outsourcing window clerks, vehicle maintenance, processing jobs and others that the Commissioners feel are "incidental" to mail delivery. (It is "rumored" that USPS at the National Level is already discussing the reduction of window clerks). To view the video from the APWU website Forward Executive Summary Chapter 1-Adapting to a New World: Universal Mail Service at Risk Chapter 2-Delivering the Mail: The Constant Mission of an Evolving Institution Chapter 3-Building a World-Class Business: Best Execution, Corporate Leadership at the Postal Service Chapter 4 -Protecting the Public Interest: Enhanced Accountability & Public-Policy Oversight Chapter 6-Aligning People with Progress: Building a 21st Century Postal Service Workforce Conclusion To view the entire version in .pdf format: President's Commission website. Bush’s Support Raises Hopes for Postal Reform      The chances for sweeping changes in how the U.S. Postal Service does business increase greatly with President Bush’s Dec. 8 call for postal reform legislation.      Bush met at the White House with the nine-member commission he appointed a year ago to recommend changes to how the Postal Service sets rates, closes unneeded facilities and makes other business decisions. Harry Pearce, co-chairman of the commission, said Bush did not express an opinion on the recommendations. However, the administration quickly issued a statement containing five guidelines for reform that Pearce felt were in line with the commission’s conclusions. (FederalTimes.com article) (more) Bush Administration Announces Principles for Postal Reform US Treasury Press Release NAPUS Praises White House Statement In Support of Postal Reform The McHugh Report - Lawmakers: Comprehensive Postal Reform a Priority in 2004 IT'S "PUT UP" TIME - by postal commentator Gene Del Polito APWU Bullentin - “This announcement signals the president’s commitment to passing legislation to overhaul the Postal Service,” said APWU President William Burrus. “His administration has shown that it can be extremely focused in accomplishing its goals, so we must be focused as well. Bush Installs Former PMG Albert Casey to Board of Governors President Bush went around Congress on Friday and installed 12 people, including Casey, to government panels after their nominations stalled in the Senate. The nominations had languished in the Senate for periods ranging from six weeks to 22 months. By approving them during the congressional recess, Bush bypassed the Senate confirmation process. [Note: Casey immediately after his appointment as PMG in 1986 eliminated a layer of USPS management by abolishing 42 district offices and Casey advocated abolishing Monday mail deliveries and abolishing standards for two-day delivery of first-class mail.] CEO Bush is Stacking the Deck Against Postal Workers While it is normal for a president to appoint members of his party to fill positions such as these, it is not normal for a president to fill so many positions by "recess appointment" or to appoint people that have already stated in writing that they want to destroy the very institutions that they must swear to preserve when they accept their appointments. It is quite obvious that some of these people will not live up to their oaths of office. The stakes are too high. We cannot afford to turn our backs when CEO Bush is sitting at the table and getting ready to play. We need to let others know what is happenning. ...Taken from THE NALC-VERMONT WEBSITE

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