Postal Reform Ideas Moving

The House Government Reform Committee has approved a postal reform bill (HR-4341) that generally rejects proposals from a presidential commission to change certain bargaining practices at the U.S. Postal Service and to make health insurance and retirement benefits negotiable there. A counterpart bill is expected in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee that differs in one respect, regarding employees on long-term disability. USPS has long advocated moving injured persons off the injury compensation rolls and onto disability retirement once they reach retirement eligibility, an idea the commission endorsed. The draft Senate measure would encourage employees in that situation to switch to disability retirement by reducing disability payments by a third, although only for injuries or illnesses occurring after September 30 of this year.