I have read the justification/excuses for electing to support an agreement that transforms postal employment in a very negative way for existing and new employees far into the future and the reasons fail to pass the smell test. The reduction of wages in the staggering amount of more than $200,000 per employee and the conversion […]
Something is wrong with this picture. The union agrees to reduce wages in the amount of 24% and we declare victory. Over a career, each employee will receive more than $200,000 less in wages and retirement and we call that a win. And what will postal management do with this windfall ($3.4 billion)? Will they […]
Recent editorial on Tentative Agreement by former APWU President Bill Burrus: In closely guarded statements, postal management has struggled to conceal its total satisfaction with the tentative agreement. In a series of public statements, USPS officials have guardly extolled their unanticipated success in transforming APWU represented workers’ assignments and reducing costs (wages) in the staggering […]
March 23, 2011 APWU Members As the former President and a continuing union member, I agreed to the posting of my previous open letter fully anticipating that responses would be both positive and negative. I do not engage in the many forms of electronic communications, other than those union members who have contacted me directly. […]
Ex-President Burrus’s open letter “To APWU Members” on the proposed APWU contract: The union negotiators have performed their constitutional duties in finalizing a tentative agreement for your decision. This decision will shape postal employment for decades far into the future. The benefits received for efforts involved in postal employment have accumulated over 200 years, with […]
Burrus Update Of significant concern to postal employees is a bill sponsored by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), which includes both positive and negative features for the Postal Service: The “Post Act” (S. 3831) would correct in part the colossal policy blunder of requiring the Postal Service to pre-fund future healthcare liabilities. But the Post Act […]
APWU President William Burrus has again refuted claims about the Postal Service’s financial condition, rebutting a column that appeared recently in an Akron (OH) Beacon Journal column, “Post Office Bleeds Dollars.” In a Nov. 1 letter [PDF], Burrus wrote that the commentary written by columnist Kevin Hassett is, “quite simply, unrelated to reality.” “Mr. Hassett […]
Ask the President Question from APWU member I really think that the way Burrus Update #16-2010 is written is shameful. The column, which refutes a guest editorial by Rep. Darryl Issa (R-CA), is one sided. The electorate needs to be informed about what is coming out of Congress from both sides of the aisle — […]
Responding to news of the retirement of Postmaster General John E. Potter, APWU President William Burrus issued the following statement: The announcement of Postmaster General John Potter’s retirement comes with shock and disappointment. We have had disagreements on a variety of issues – most notably, the cozy relationship he fostered with major mailers, and the […]
Burrus Update #18-2010, Oct. 25, 2010 More than half-way through the 90-day period established for contract negotiations, the APWU is becoming impatient with the pace of bargaining. The union negotiating team is well aware that the Postal Service is experiencing serious financial difficulties. For that reason, we anticipated that bargaining would be difficult as we […]