August 13, 2015 SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Members of the American Postal Workers Union protested outside of the Gateway Post Office Thursday in Springfield.
Braden Pelky, the local president of the APWU, says that his friend and co-worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, was terminated after being on active military duty for too long.
The anonymous postal worker is currently on active duty and serving stateside in the military. The man worked at the post office for 10 years, and has been on active duty for 8 of those years. Read more
I’m a reservist and I am certain he knew exactly what he was doing! He should be let go!
The law states 5 years total. I’m a local APWU VP who is retiring in 13 days from the military and there are no exceptions that I know of to the 5 year rule…
The stupidity in USPS management is infinite. Not only do they cost the USPS millions in union settlements and eeo’s’ they get promoted. Why do the USPS have a human resource department? Why do they have lawyers? I hope the individual sue the hell out of them and retired with the lump sum payment.
I am a veteran and a retired postal worker, and in this case with the facts we are aware of the Post Office is within its rights to let him go.. 8 years means the worker chose the military as a career and it is not fair to other vets looking for work to hold the spot for 20 years unstill he decides to retire and come back. If he enjoys the military job so much but wants a postal career then he should get out and go into the reserves or National Guard. There are a whole set of regulations for that. But he would be at least be at the postal job most of the year.
No doubt. I am retired Air Guard and my last 16 years in was concurrent with the 1st 16 of my USPS career. You can spend ‘up to’ 5 years on certain types of Title 10 orders before the time is counted against you, but it can and will eventually be counted.
‘On orders’ for 8 years = active duty and they were most likely well within USERRA guidelines for termination. There’s a building side maintenance job at my old plant they’ve been holding over ten years for a guy ‘on orders’. Just an excuse not to award the job to someone else…
APWU and this local would do much better spending their time protesting the ongoing destruction of 1st class letter mail service, NDCBU’s, network rationalization, VPO’s, PostPlan, Staples, etc.
jcangny, you may be incorrect, without knowing the specifics, no one can make the determination of choosing one career over the other. If he was/is in a field which the President has determined is necessary, then the postal service can not fire him without being held accountable. However, if he did not serve under such an executive order, his removal might be sustained.
I hope he goes to the merit systems protection board and wins, they will owe him hundreds of thousands.