According to the Washington Post:
President Obama’s administration, with support from House Republicans, is pushing reductions to workers’ compensation for federal employees — to the consternation of fellow Democrats and his union allies.
Like the Obama administration, Rep. Tim Walberg (Mich.), the Republican chairman of a House Education and the Workforce subcommittee, cited “concerns” that workers’ comp benefits “are too generous and can discourage an employee’s return to work.”
The changes proposed by the Labor Department would save Uncle Sam money, but at the cost of cutting future payments to most workers injured on the job. But nowhere in the department’s recent statement to the House workforce-protections subcommittee did the agency provide evidence to back the administration’s concern about “disincentives” for the return to work. Washington Post
Additional information from the hearing:
Rep. Robert “Bobby” Scott (Va.) rejects proposals to cut workers compensation for federal workers:
The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing to review the Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposal that would cut workers’ compensation benefits for federal workers who have been disabled due to job-related injury. Democratic committee members fervently rejected the proposal as it would leave most workers considerably worse off than if they had not incurred the injury. Ranking Member of the full Committee, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24), emphasized how essential the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) is to federal workers and their families.
“I am disappointed that the Department of Labor would come forward for the third time in the past five years with a proposal to cut benefits for injured workers that is not evidence-based, and whose justification has been completely debunked by the Government Accountability Office,” said Ranking Member Scott. “I find it incomprehensible that we are now considering whether to take $500 million from middle class workers—and their families—who have suffered a disabling work-related injury while doing their jobs in service to the American people.”
“We cannot make budget cuts on the backs of injured federal workers and families who have lost a loved one,” said Ranking Member Wilson. “As regrettable as it is, workplace injuries and deaths do occur. When they do, we must ensure that the workers who have committed themselves to federal service are honored by a system that does not leave them and their families financially worse off than if the injury or death had not occurred.”
The Department of Labor’s proposal would reform the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act by making cuts to:
- Wage replacement benefits for injured workers with dependents;
- Benefits for widow(ers) and children of those killed on the job; and
- Up to 33 percent of benefits for all permanently disabled workers at the time they reach retirement age.
Ron Watson, NALC Director of Retired Members appeared at the hearing with NALC members and a surviving spouse of a member, who have suffered from on-the-job injuries:
• Shirley Rondeno, widow of letter carrier Roy Rondeno in Metairie, LA. In September 2009 Roy was crushed by an oncoming vehicle as he was loading mail at the rear of his vehicle. Both of his legs were amputated, and he died on the operating table six days later.
• Dan Hohenstein, letter carrier in Arvada, CO. In January 2011 Dan was crushed by an oncoming vehicle as he was working mail at the rear of his postal vehicle. He suffered fractures of multiple bones in his legs, a torn artery, and disorders of muscles, ligaments and fascie, to name a few. Dan returned to part time work in July 2012 and full time work in August 2014. Medical reports in his file reflect that his surgeons repeatedly expressed astonishment at his return to work.
• Doug Poole, letter carrier in Columbus, OH. In January 2012 Doug was crushed by an oncoming vehicle as he was loading mail at the rear of his postal vehicle. He suffered fractures of multiple bones in his legs and back, open wounds to the cavity of his spleen and kidney, a torn artery, and acute renal failure, to name a few. He went through 16 surgeries and suffered pneumonia, blood clots and kidney failure. He remains totally disabled.
• Keith Wagner, letter carrier in Seattle, WA. In July 2012 Keith had just closed the back of his postal vehicle when he was crushed when the parked car behind hi was slammed by an oncoming vehicle. He suffered fractures of multiple bones in his legs, dislocations of four specific vertebrae, and embolisms. A blood clot in his leg required four surgeries. He remains totally disabled.
• Joel Cabrera, letter carrier in San Gabriel, CA. In May 2013 Joel was crushed by an oncoming vehicle as he was loading mail at rear of his postal vehicle. He suffered fractures of multiple bones in his legs, disruption of ligaments, dislocations of the knee and complications of medical care. He spent 92 days in the Intensive Care Unit and had four surgeries to repair the severe injuries to his legs. He returned to work part-time in April 2015.
• Dave Betts, letter carrier in Exeter, NH. In March 2014 Dave was at the side of his parked postal vehicle locking the door when it was struck by another vehicle. The violent collision pinned Dave between his vehicle and a tree. He suffered a head wound that required nearly a week of special hospital care, shoulder dislocation, and embolisms. He returned to work part time in May 2014 and full time in April 2015.
Proponents of these changes generally argue that FECA wage-loss compensation benefits are far more generous than OPM retirement benefits. These arguments typically rely on comparison of the 75% FECA benefit with the average CSRS annuity of about 60%. There are significant problems with these proposals.
The large majority of federal employees today are not covered by CSRS. Currently, approximately 92% of Federal and Postal employees are covered under FERS and only 8% under CSRS. Unlike CSRS, FERS is a three-part retirement system that includes a defined benefit annuity, Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzed proposed FECA changes in three reports in late 2012
DOL has suggested that “In most instances, FECA benefits far exceed the amount an injured worker might receive in the form of retirement benefits, and therefore provide a strong disincentive for return to productive employment.”
However, that suggestion is completely inconsistent with the GAO and Congressional Research Service reports noted above.
The argument that FECA wage-loss compensation benefits are far more generous than OPM retirement benefits also founders in the presence of Lost Wage Earning Capacity [LWEC] determinations. Where LWEC determinations have been made, based on either actual wages earned or constructed positions, OWCP wage-loss compensation will typically be only half of the 75% rate, far less than the identified average CSRS annuity of 60% of high-three average salary.
Too many letter carriers, including some here today with me, have suffered traumatic and catastrophic injuries, such as bilateral amputation of their legs, when they were crushed between oncoming vehicles and their mail trucks while working mail. What message will be sent to workers who lose their livelihoods and careers from work-related injuries while serving the American public? There is no evidence that FECA benefits need to be reduced, unless the DOL is simply following the practice of some states in arbitrarily cutting workers’ compensation benefits without regard to the consequences.
the stock market has reached an all-time high, corporate profits are at an all time high, CEOs are making record money, and non-banking corporations have $2.2 trillion in cash reserves. Naturally, in order to balance the budget the House and Senate have cut food stamps, asking for sacrifice from veterans, senior citizens, the unemployed, poor children and others least able to afford it. Hey, somebody’s got to tighten their belts!
USPS has put a lot of carriers on Worker Comp that could work, but with restriction. It is far cheaper for USPS to have a worker on Worker Comp than work. USPS don’t have to pay any retirement for that worker, basic life insurance, sick days, vacation days. and matching 1% of Thrift. Yet we are still employed by the post office. They show a large number of employees on the roll but many are on Workers Comp due to injury and are not active workers. What happen to protection of our jobs? USPS has applied this ruling to workers hurt on the job. IF YOU CANNOT DO THE JOB YOU WERE HIRED FOR THAN YOU CANNOT WORK AND MUST GO AND STAY ON WORKERS COMP.
Tell us more
think about this………..that clown in the white house appointed a PMG who started her career as a IOD queen! Donald Trump 2016!
What a load of crap! People that don’t want to work will abuse the system no matter how much you make cuts . This is typical propaganda from that heard on Capitol Hill. Why the hell if I work my ass off for the last 20 years do I have to pay for some one else’s negligence? If there are people abusing the system go after them and leave us hard working employees alone. Just like those hippacrits in Washington to try and level this playing field. Why don’t they start on their own field and bring there selves down to a the working classes level. If this is what these educated individuals are taught in schools and are now in charge of this country, then shame on them!
90% of WC claims are fraud! 60% start as fraud.
don’t get hurt on the job, they will try to fire you for sick leave abuse like me! i tore my shoulder by taking a fall, and post master warned me not to wright up my CA-1 form and said i could be fired! i was given no union help! 27yrs letter-carrier. were’s the loyalty!! fuck me right!
The majority of trauma is cause by bad management and union. I know new and old Carriers complaining the lack of respect of the managers and the union does nothing to stop the abusive management. What a lot of the workers suffer from is PTSD from poor management. Its sad but true.
It’s always irritating to see people get caught up in political insults on postal comment threads, but even I am appalled and pissed off that President Obama (and nobody ever refers to him as “President” although the GOP voters demanded we call W. “President Bush” as a sign of respect for the office) is going along with this draconian plan to screw federal workers.
Why is it federal workers are always under the fucking gun? For one thing, we’re part of that Federal budget even though the USPS is supposedly self sustaining. That alone should prevent Congress or President Obama from trying to rip us off. We also have relatively strong unions compared to other businesses, and Republicans hate organized labor, and workers, period who are paid above starvation wages.
Under no circumstances is it fair to rip off employees injured while doing the USPS’ work, or spouses of those killed by accidents or murder while in the line of duty. We are not military, but we do serve our country domestically by keeping people in touch and providing all manner of services. We have heroic carriers who save lives and make us proud, while the media only focuses on the handful of dumb shits who throw packages out their vehicles, dump mail or other stupid stuff.
My shoulder surgeon told me on my last visit that I should go on disability immediately because it’s falling apart. I had extensive surgery done on it in 2010, wear and tear after (at that time) 25 years of back breaking labor, pre-internet. People hired after 2000 have no clue what we veteran carriers endured in terms of heavy mail loads. I can’t afford to do that, and work with an 8 and 40 restriction but do all I can to put in a hard days’ work just the same. I’ve also had two hernia surgeries that are work related. How the Congress and president think it’s okay to try to screw honest workman’s comp claimants just baffles me. I understand there are a lot of fraudulent claimants out there, and could name a couple personally that fortunately are finally out of our office for good, being nothing but faking thieves and drawing full pay for nothing wrong with them.
The Service should have investigated these two much more thoroughly and after finding out they were the frauds we all knew they were, demand repayment and order them back to work. But, they were also very unlikable people who nobody really wanted to see come back. That goes with the territory.
But I hope this plan fails again. It just shows you that even your own party will screw you royally given half the chance. We must hold all politicians accountable and quit giving naive support to them just because of their party.
The post office is its own worse enemy. They have the most legal problems out of any government agency. The taxpayers are picking up the tab for those legal problems. Such as eeos, hiring attorneys for managers etc… About all the money that goes to the unions? Where does that money go ? The postal employees deserve to know. The union reps. are not attorneys.
So much for a so called people’s president or middle class president Mr Obama doesn’t Care about all of this families affected by this dumb proposition the wealthy just get richer and the middle class with I injured family members get poorer sinking in debt
The Unions will overplay their hand and lose their credibility. They are seem to love to shoot themselves in the foot that way. They have heart wrenching examples of employee who unquestionably suffered legitimate on the job injuries. No reasonable person would deny them compensation.
However, the Unions will never acknowledge the 800 pound gorilla in the room. They will never acknowledge that there are quite a few OWCP recipients who could work, but choose not to because they prefer workers’ compensation to working.
Those opposing cuts claim there is “no proof” that compensation payments are a disincentive to work. However, almost every working Postal Service employee knows more than one co-worker with a questionable on the job injury.
The Unions take their audience members for a bunch of fools when they parade the heart wrenching examples before us but do not mention the 800 pound gorilla in the room that almost every working USPS employee sees. A few of the folks on the OWCP rolls could work in a rehabilitation assignment (store clerk, fast food server), but won’t work.
If the Unions were smart, they would preserve the credibility of their arguments from the outset. Acknowledge that, for some, compensation is a disincentive to work. Don’t deny the obvious. Second, propose a way to ensure that those poor “crushed” individuals be generously compensated, and ensure that those who can sit on a stool at a convenience store and work, do so.
As for workers comp for retirement eligible employees, the Unions have to be familiar with the OIG’s July 25, 2013 Injury Comp Audit Report which reported that there were 181 recipients between the ages of 90 and 99, and two over the age of 100. The Union is going to be hard pressed to deny that some limitations are not warranted with respect to retirement age compensation recipients. Admit that changes are warranted and work to ensure that they are fair to the injured.
I wish the Unions luck, but I fear that they will make their target audience members feel like they are being taken for a bunch of fools.
Exactly.
I know of 2 carriers that haven’t carried in 20 years. One is 500 lbs and the other is just some lazy smoking female that doesn’t want to carry mail, yet she can bring out boosts to you. She can carry trays. She can deliver express packages, but for some reason she can’t “do the job”.
So this is what we receive for working to help elect the President twice? Every bit of legislation is always anti-worker! Never any thing to help out the working class. I can see we are only sources of labor, and sources of revenue. Nothing else. We matter not one bit. Why doesn’t congress just abolish the 13 amendment and make every worker slaves? Just think, more tax dollars available for endless war and private business could hoard more money!
demonKKKats out for the little guy……….what a crook! oh for all you liberal kool-aid drinkers,obammy letting all the illegal criminal aliens flood into the usa will have a negative affect on the apwu contract arbitration. you people are dumber than dirt!
How sad you are. God bless you in your bitterness. The post office is failing itself.