Postal Reform Reintroduced in Senate

Legislation (S-662) to reform many U.S. Postal Service business practices—and some personnel practices—has been reintroduced by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, head of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The measure reaffirms USPS employees’ right to collectively bargain, replacing the fact-finding process with mediation, and shortens deadlines for certain phases of the bargaining process. It also would convert workers’ compensation benefits for total or partial disability to a retirement annuity when the affected employee reaches 65 years of age and put into place a three-day waiting period before an employee is eligible to receive 45 days of continuation of pay. Postal reform legislation is also a priority of the counterpart House committee, Government Reform (HR-22).