The week after our productive legislative conference, the House of Representatives voted on its budget reconciliation bill, H.R. 1. As we discussed during the conference, there were several provisions in the bill that targeted FERS benefits. Because of collective lobbying and grassroots efforts, the language for across the board increases to employee contributions and moving from a high-3 to a high-5 were not included in the in final bill voted out of the House. However, calls to eliminate the FERS Supplement and tying union membership to FERS contribution rates remain.
The FERS Supplement provides a bridge for those who qualify for retirement before they reach Social Security age. The elimination of the supplement puts those approaching retirement in the next few years at a financial disadvantage.
Every employee within the Postal Service and the federal government has the right to choose whether or not to join a union. Besides the payment of dues, there is no other financial requirements. However, H.R. 1 calls for new employees who elect union representation to contribution an additional 5% to their FERS benefits – bringing the total to 9.4%. This would create a financial burden for those starting their postal careers, not to mention would put them at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to job protections.
The Senate will now review the language and we need to ensure Senators understand how detrimental these changes are.
Our call to action has been updated, and I ask you use the following link to contact your Senators and let them know how harmful these provisions are. Please share the link with your members and encourage them to do the same.
https://npmhu.quorum.us/campaign/121771/
Thank you for your time and attention.
In Solidarity,
Katie Maddocks
Legislative & Political Director
National Postal Mail Handlers Union
