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 DOES
YOUR SENATOR SUPPORT YOU? HOW THEY
VOTED ON POSTAL REFORM TELLS THE
WHOLE STORY
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UNION
AND USPS SIGN-OFF ON LEAD CLERK JOB
DESCRIPTIONS
The APWU and USPS agreed to job descriptions
for new Lead Clerk positions on May 4, and
agreed to the process for posting and
bidding the new positions. The new positions
were negotiated as part of the 2010-2015
Collective Bargaining Agreement. The process
for establishing the new positions in
outlined in series of
Questions and
Answers. [PDF]
Lead Clerk
positions will be established as follows:
They will earn one level higher than others
in their group. To be awarded a Lead
Customer Service Clerk or Lead Mail
Processing Clerk position, employees must
have a minimum of one year’s experience in
the functional area. Lead Sales & Service
Associates must have a minimum of one year’s
experience working on the window. Lead
Clerks can perform all of the tasks of a
supervisor except issue discipline and grant
leave. They may work alone or as a working
leader, with or without supervision, and
will have the latitude to determine when a
supervisor should be involved in their
activities. Lead Clerk positions will be
posted as senior-qualified duty assignments.
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MAINTENANCE
-
204b SETTLEMENT
REACHED
The APWU has reached a
Step 4 settlement
[PDF] with the Postal Service
that clarifies language in the 2006
Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
regarding the eligibility of Maintenance
Craft employees who were detailed to
non-bargaining unit positions to obtain
preferred duty assignments, Maintenance
Director Steve Raymer has announced. To be
eligible for different duty assignments in
their current occupational groups, employees
on 204B details must return to the craft for
an entire continuous pay period prior to the
date of posting of job award notices. In
addition, the agreement stipulates that to
avoid having their duty assignments posted
to the craft for filling, employees must
return to the craft for a continuous pay
period that must have commenced prior to the
end of four months in the non-bargaining
unit details. During the 2010 negotiations,
the union and management agreed to clarify
Article 38.7 of the 2006 contract, Raymer
said. The May 7, 2012, settlement uses
language from the 2010-2015 CBA to indicate
that the provisions mean the same thing.
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UNION
SIGNS OFF ON QUESTIONS & ANSWERS FOR THE
2010 AGREEMENT
The APWU and the USPS have agreed to a set
of
Questions and
Answers [PDF] regarding
the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining
Agreement, Director of Industrial Relations
Mike Morris has announced. The Questions and
Answers, dated Oct. 20, 2011, cover an array
of topics, including Postal Support
Employees (PSEs), supervisors performing
bargaining unit work in small offices,
Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT)
assignments, excessing, lead clerks, acting
supervisors, and the grievance procedure.
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APWU
& USPS SIGN OFF ON NTFT QUESTIONS and
ANSWERS
The parties have begotiated and agreed upon
a series of Questions and Answers that will
determine how NTFT jobs are administered.
The Q&As address many subjects including
leave accrual, leave chargin, holiday
scheduling, bidding, and whether or not a
FTR currently working a 40 hour job can be
forced to accept a NTFT job of less than 40
hours (the answer is "no").
Read or download the memorandum
HERE
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ED
SCHULTZ EXPOSES THE TRUTH ABOUT THE USPS
FINANCIAL CRISIS
Ed Schultz, host of the Ed Show which airs
on MSNBC calls the current USPS problems a
"manufactured" crisis. Schultz, correctly,
highlights the real reasons behind the USPS
deficts and the true desires of politicians
like Rep. Darrell Issa.
(Sorry for the
commercial lead-in, but MSNBC requires it as
part of their video sharing)
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APWU
ENACTS SPECIAL DUES ASSESSMENT
Vowing to continue to do “everything in our
power to prevent the destruction of the
Postal Service,” the APWU National Executive
Board has approved a special dues assessment
on Sept. 20 that will begin in Pay Period
21-2011 and continue through Pay Period
18-2012. Career APWU members will be
assessed $1 per pay period; Postal Support
Employees will be assessed 50 cents per pay
period. The purpose of the special
assessment is to support the union’s ongoing
legislative and media campaign to protect
APWU-represented workers and defend postal
service to the American people. “These
efforts are costly, but they are absolutely
necessary,” APWU President Cliff Guffey
said. “The debate in Washington over the
solution to the USPS financial crisis will
have a profound effect on our members. We
must do everything we can to ensure that the
Postal Service survives, along with our
jobs. We cannot allow misguided legislators
– or USPS management – to dismantle the
Postal Service.”
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PPWU
WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
Barabara A. Plauisted and Randy Albramn, have
become the latest Members-at-Large to join
the PPWU. Barbara works in the Renfrew
Post office and Randy is a clerk in
Linesville. On behalf of President Fran
Friel and all the officers of the PPWU, we
welcome Barbara and Randy into the union.
It is our hope that their experience is
rewarding and that they quickly realize the
benefits of membership. If anyone
knows or meets these new members, be sur to
say hello and welcome them into the PPWU
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SENATE
DEMOCRATS PROPOSE 90-DAY EXTENSION FOR FRHB
PAYMENT
Ranking
Member Elijah E. Cummings, joined by
Representatives Norm Dicks, Ranking
Member on the Appropriations Committee,
Stephen F. Lynch, José Serrano, Gerald
Connolly, Eleanor Holmes Norton and
Danny K. Davis introduced legislation
today to provide the U.S. Postal Service
a 90-day extension on its pre-payment to
the retired employee health benefit
fund. “The Postal Service is one of our
nation’s most trusted and reliable
institutions,” said Cummings. “This
short-term measure would give Congress
an additional three months to consider
ways to ensure that the Postal Service
is profitable and competitive in the
21st century economy.”
The bill would postpone by 90 days a
$5.5 billion prepayment to the Postal
Service’s retiree health benefits fund
due September 30. This advance payment
is required under the 2006 Postal
Accountability Enhancement Act, which
mandated that the Postal Service make
accelerated annual payments to fully
fund its anticipated retiree health care
costs by 2016. This mandate is
inconsistent with private sector policy,
where companies typically prepay 70% to
80% of future retiree health care costs.
The Postal Service has already paid
more than $42 billion to the U.S.
Treasury toward its employees’ future
healthcare costs.
Full
Story
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WHITE
HOUSE IN "INTENSE DISCUSSIONS" WITH USPS
ABOUT FINANCES
The Obama
Administration is enagaged in meetings
with the USPS in attempts to resolve the
USPS's financial situation.
Included in the discussions are the
possibility of a 30-day extension on the
required Retiree Fund payment.
Other subjects discussed were:
Reducing payments the USPS makes to
Medicare
due to the fact that many USPS retirees
do not use Medicare.
Fast
tracking office closing studies
which would enable the USPS to reduce
costs by shifting retail operations to
contract facilities.
More control over
pricing
- The PAEA Act of 2006 severely limits
the USPS's ability to raise rates in
relation to costs. Food and gas
prices are not included in the Consumer
Pricing Index which means when fuel
prices rise, the USPS cannot increase
prices accordingly.
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SENATE
HOLDS HEARING ON POSTAL FINANCES
 Senator
Joe Lieberman (CT) called an emergency
hearing of the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs to
discuss the current financial situation
of the USPS. The hearing was an
attempt to find ways to avoid a USPS
default of the Future Retirees Health
Care funding and to prevent a potential
USPS shutdown. The Senate
Committee heard tesitomny from APWU
President Cliff Guffey, Postmaster
General Pat Donahoe, and NAPS President
Loius Atkins. Testimony was also
solicited from government officials and
members of the mailing industry.
The
hearing was in response to several,
radical proposals put forth by PMG
Donahoe recently. These proposals
include: Closing 300 of the 500
current processing and distribution
plants, closing an additional 4,000
small offices, plans for the USPS to
withdraw from the Federal Employees
Health Benefit Program, and the desire
to pull out of the CSRS and FERS
retirement programs.
APWU President Guffey to the Committee
that “The Postal Service needs access to
the overpayments it has made to
retirement programs,” The agency
also needs relief from the requirement
that it pre-fund its retiree healthcare
benefits, he said. “No other federal
agency is required to pre-fund its
health benefits obligation, and very few
private-sector firms do so,” he pointed
out.
The hearing can been seen on-line at the
Committee website.
You
can also read the testimony of each
witness.
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APWU
INITIATES STEP 4 DISPUTES OVER PSE USAGE &
POSTMASTERS DOING CLERK WORK
The APWU has filed four seperate Step 4
grievances over the Postal Services PSE
hiring practices. The APWU argues that
the USPS is not following the processes and
procedures that were agreed to during
negotiations. We have uploaded the
dispute letters for each grievance.
You can click on each to read the details.
The four grievances invlove:
In addition, the APWU objected to language
contained within the new PSE job
descriptions stating that PSE could work
other "other duties" including mail
processing, retail, MVS, and maintenance.
The APWU points out that PSEs were
negotiated for each craft and that the
crossing of crafts by PSEs is not permitted,
nor was it agreed to.
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APWU
REFUSES TO PULL TV AD - LAUNCHES RADIO
CAMPAIGN
The APWU has rejected a call from Rep.
Darrell Issa (R-CA) to cancel a
union-sponsored television ad that has been
airing on CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News. “The
APWU stands by the ad, which dispels the
myth that the USPS is funded by taxpayers,”
said APWU President Cliff Guffey.
“This is a simple fact that the ad
accurately conveys to the American people,”
he continued, “We reject
your letter’s attempt to obscure this
fundamental truth,”
In addition, the APWU has launched the
second phase of its advertising campaign
with a
radio spot,
President Cliff Guffey has announced. The
radio ad began airing July 18 and will run
for three weeks on news and/or talk stations
in Washington DC and other markets. The
union’s 30-second ad describes the enormity
of the job postal workers do, and ends with
a simple question and response: Ever wonder
what this costs you as a taxpayer? Not a
single cent. “The campaign is designed to
inform the American people about the work
our members perform and to dispel the
persistent myth that the Postal Service is
funded by taxpayers,” Guffey said.
Read the stories
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FOXNEWS:
ISSA IS WRONG ABOUT AD
The APWU is refusing to pull the TV ads
despite Rep. Issa's demand.
Surprinsingly, the APWU is finding support
from an unusual source. FoxNews.com
interv iewed APWU Human Relations Director
Sally Davidow inquiring about the ads.
Davidow called the ads "accurate" and
insisted the APWU would not stop running
them.
Davidow
accused Issa of chery-picking negative
information out of the FTC report wile
completely ignoring the rest.
FoxNews.com did its own investigation and
found that Issa had, in fact, failed to cite
all of the relevant information from the FTC
report. According to FoxNews.com the
"special benefits" the USPS enjoys are worth
"between $39 - $117 million".
The same FTC report, according to
FoxNews.com, imposes restraints on the USPS
which "cost between $330 - $782 million,
annually"
So
the USPS enjoys $39 - $117 million in
benefits, but is forced to pay an additional
$330 - $782 million in costs. How can
anyone possibly claim that shows that the
USPS received preferable treatment?
Read the
story
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ISSA
CALLS APWU AD MISLEADING
Rep. Darrell Issa
(R-CA) has responded to the APWU
advertizing campaign by sending a cease
and desist letter to APWU President
Cliff Guffey. In the letter Rep.
Issa demands that the APWU stop running
the ad and told the APWU not to "not
to engage in a campaign to mislead the
American people"
Rep. Issa, citing a 2007 Federal Trade
commision report, points out that that
the Postal Service receives a long list
of "implicit subsidies" which he says is
tantamount to receiving taxpayer
funding. Issa points out that the
USPS is exempt from income taxes,
property tax, and vehicle registration
and titling fees. Issa also paints
the USPS's ability to borrow from the
treasury as taxpayer funding.
Last time I checked all non-profit
oraganization and other government
agencies share the same exemptions as
the USPS. Why then cry foul and
claim that the USPS receives taxpayer
funding. I don't hear Issa making
that claim about churches, the Dept of
Labor, or any other government agency.
Come to think of it, many for profit
businesses enjoy certain tax exemptions.
Even Exxon Mobil, who made $30 billion
in profit last year, gets the benefits
of certain tax and fee exemptions.
Read the
story
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APWU
LAUNCHES AD CAMPAIN
The
APWU is running an on network news stations
to help dispel the rumors that the USPS is
seeking a taxpayer bailout. The ad,
which can also be seen on the
APWU
website,
is designed to correct misperceptions that
have been fed to the public by Darrell Issa,
Daniel Ross, Larry Kudlow and others in the
media. APWU President Cliff Guffey
explains the reasoning behind the campaign.
"We
believe it is important to inform the public
about the work APWU members
perform,”
Guffey said. “We also must dispel the
persistent myth that our work is funded by
taxpayers. With the Postal Service facing a
financial disaster, some politicians and
pundits have erroneously suggested that the
USPS and postal unions are seeking a
‘bailout,’” Guffey said. “Nothing
could be further from the truth.”
The ad is
intended to support two crucial APWU
campaigns, Guffey said: A drive to sign up
new union members, which will begin with a
National Organizing Week set for July 18-22,
and a campaign to win support for
legislation that would address the Postal
Service’s financial crisis. “The federal
government is holding billions of dollars of
USPS money,” the union president said.
According to studies by two independent
actuaries, the USPS has overfunded its
pension plans by $50 billion to $75 billion.
Read the
Story
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CONSIDERING RETIREMENT? READ THIS FIRST!
We have several
of her articles available for you here that may
help with your decision. We
encourage all employees to read these articles.
Even if you are not retiring this year, the
information will help you plan for the future.
More information is available at the
National
Institute for Transitional Planning website
and the
My Federal Retirement website .
(The PPWU is not affiliated with
either organization.
We merely refer to them as sources of
information.)
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POSTAL
SUPPORT EMPLOYEE (PSE) POSITIONS
The USPS is accepting applications for
PSE positions throughout Pennsylvania. If you know anyone who is
looking for work, or might be interested
in one of these positions, they must
apply on-line at USPS.com, and they must
do it quickly!
Applications
must be submitted by Friday, June 10,
2011. This will be their only
opportunity to take the test. To
apply, go to
usps.com/employment
and select the “search jobs
online” link. On the
search page, type keyword “PSE”
and select “Pennsylvania”
from the list of states. Click “start”
On the results page, scroll down
until to find any PSE opportunities in
your area..
Clicking on an individual listing will bring up a
description of the job, along with an
“apply” button.
DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY -
THEY MAY NOT BE ANOTHER!
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CONTACT
YOUR REPRESENTATIVES - ASK THEM TO COSPONSOR
HR 1351 TO CORRECT CSRS & FERS OVERPAYMENTS
APWU
Legislative Dept. Grassroots Coordinator
Ian Stublarec is urging local members to
contact their representative asking for
their support of bill H.R. 1351.
This bill will correct the current
overpayments made to both the CSRS and
FERS funds. HR 1351 is a good bill
that would totally fix both the CSRS and
FERS overfunding problem. Unlike
other bills that attempt to fix both
CSRS and FERS overpayments HR 1351 is
clear from having any negative aspects
attached to it. To learn more
about HR 1351 click
HERE
The APWU has set-up a website you can
use to easily contact the House
Representative for your disctrict.
They have even prepared a form letter
asking the congressman to co-sponsor
bill 1351. All you have to do is
fill in your name. To send a
message to your representative go to the
APWU
Congressional Information Center
click on the link for HR 1351
and complete the short form.
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The APWU lost a great friend and
brother on April 14, 2011, when Paul Cirino
unexpectedly passed away. Paul was
former president of the Pennsylvania Postal
Workers Union and the Lancaster Area Local.
A great unionist, leader, teacher and
friend, Paul served each and every member of
the APWU with honor and and distinction for
many years. His wealth of knowledge
was only surpassed by his willingness to
share it. Paul taught classes on many
subjects over the years at Local, State, and
Tri-State seminars, and he was also a long
time instructor at the Postal Labor Union
Summer School in West Virginia. Paul's
calm, cool demeanor could not hide his
tenacious support for the members he
represented. His friendship was valued
by all those who were fortunate enough to
call him their friend, and his passing came
much too soon. Paul Cirino was 53
years old. |
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PPWU
WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
Tracy A. Zumbrum and Sueanne M Senft, both
from the McSherrystown Post Office have
become the latest Members-at-Large to join
the PPWU. On behalf of President Fran
Friel and all the officers of the PPWU, we
welcome Tracy and Sueanne into the union.
It is our hope that their experience is
rewarding and that they quickly realize the
benefits of membership. If anyone
knows or meets these new members, be sur to
say hello and welcome them into the PPWU
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PPWU
MEMBERS: SIGN UP FOR e-MAIL ALERTS
The PPWU is looking for new ways to share
information with members and keep them
informed. In today's evolving postal
world changes are coming faster than ever
before. The PPWU feels it is important
to keep members up to date with the most
current and relevant infroamtion possible.
With
that in mind, the PPWU is launching the new
PPWU e-Mail Alert system. Members who
wish to join this mailing list can do so by
clicking the button (right) and signing up.
UPDATE: The PPWU e-mail alert
system is designed to assist PPWU officers,
business agents and members in their
communication and day-to-day dealings on
issues specific to Members-At-Large in
Pennsylvania. As such, the PPWU e-mail Alert
is intended solely for Members-At-Large
belonging to the PPWU.
At this time,
we will not be accepting update requests
from APWU members who are represented by a
Local, nor will the PPWU will respond to
information requests from non-members.
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PPWU
WELCOMES NEW MVS DIRECTOR
The Pennsylvania Postal Workers Union is
proud to announce the appointment of Greg
Jackson to the position of Motor Vehicle
Director. Greg fills the vacancy
caused by the election of Ken Prinz to
National Business Agent, MVS. Brother
Jackson, who was appointed by PPWU President
Fran Friel, will serve the remainder of the
2010 - 2012 term of office. Greg is a
member of the Philadelphia Area Local.
The Executive Board welcomes Greg to the
team and wishes him all the best.
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APWU
URGES MEMBERS TO BOYCOTT "VOICE OF EMPLOYEE"
SURVEY
The USPS recently notified us of a new employee
survey that they are conducting. We do not
believe that it is a coincidence that this
survey is being conducted just as contract
negotiations are about to begin. In the past,
the Postal Service has used these surveys to
undermine the union in collective bargaining,
and we have every reason to believe they will
attempt the same trick again. In a letter
to all locals, APWU Director, Industrial
Relations Greg Bell reminds members how
management twisted previous surveys and used
them against us during negotiations. Is it
a coincidence that management is launching this
survey right before negotiations are to begin?
Read
the letter
and see this survey for what it is.
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Facts Don’t Lie: Chart Shows True Picture of
Postal Service’s Financial Health
In a
series of recent Updates for union
members, I have pointed out that the Postal
Service’s current financial difficulties are the
result of the Postal Accountability and
Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA), which imposed on
the USPS the onerous burden of pre-funding
future retiree healthcare liabilities — in
amounts exceeding $5 billion annually over a
10-year period. A
USPS chart [PDF]
confirms my analysis: It shows that from 2001
through 2008, minus the pre-funding requirement
of the PAEA, the Postal Service experienced a
cumulative surplus of more than $14 billion.
full story ...
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HAVE YOU
BEEN IMPACTED BY THE NATIONAL REASSESSMENT
PROGRAM (NRP)?
To strengthen the fight against the Postal
Service’s harsh National Reassessment
Program (NRP), the APWU is encouraging
limited-duty and
permanent-rehabilitation employees to
complete a questionnaire sponsored by a law
firm that has filed a class-action complaint
against the USPS. The complaint alleges that
the NRP discriminates against disabled
employees. After certifying the case
as a “class action,” the judge ordered the
Postal Service to notify all potential class
members of the complaint. The USPS did so in
a letter dated July 1, 2010, which it sent
to limited-duty and permanent rehabilitation
employees. The letter said that workers are
members of the class if they “are or were a
permanent rehabilitation or limited duty
employee of the Postal Service who was
subjected to the NRP between May 5, 2006,
and the present.”
The APWU encourages all current and former
rehab and limited-duty employees who were
subjected to any portion of
the NRP to complete the questionnaire,
whether or not they received a notice from
the USPS that they may be members of the
“class.” This will help ensure that the
attorneys representing the workers are aware
of all potential class members — including
those that may have been overlooked by the
Postal Service.
These links lead to a NRP Class Action
Lawsuit Website run by the law firm
involved in the case. Clicking
either of these links will take you away
from the PPWU website.
While
the APWU recommends that members join
themselves to the class action, the APWU
is not affiliated with, nor does it
offer any endorsement of this particular
law firm.
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PPWU CONVENTION PHOTOS
We have
posted some of the photos taken at the 20th
Biennial PPWU Convention. The photos
are available for any APWU local to use in
their newsletter or on their website.
We do ask that you credit the photographer
when his/her photos. There is
currently only one set of photos posted, but
we hope to have more soon. To see the
photos, click
HERE
If anyone who
took photos at the convention would like to
have their work posted, please contact, or
e-mail the photos to,
Andy Kubat.
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POST.COM PRESIDENT BLAMES POSTAL EMPLOYEES FOR USPS
TROUBLES
Gene Del Polito, President of the
Post.com Mailer's Advocates group lashed out at postal
workers blaming our wages and benefits for the financial
hardships the USPS now faces. Mr. Del Polito
should be no stranger to postal employees as he
routinely takes potshots at our jobs, wages, and
collective bargaining rights. In this most recent
rant, Mr. Del Politio demands that postal
employees make sacrifices to help out the
financially struggling USPS. "We've
suffered, and they haven't", he whines.
more. . .
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FERS
S/L FIX WILL BE PHASED IN
FERS employees wishing to take
advantage of the new regulations which allow FERS to get
service credit for unused sick leave will have to wait until 2014.
The provisions granting this credit are being phased in
over time and will not become 100% effective until 2014.
FERS employees can still retire and get credit for
unused S/L, but people who retire
before 2014 will only get partial credit.
more ...
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UNEMPLOYMENT
COMPENSATION TIPS FROM PA DEPT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY
Sandy Vito,
Acting Secretary for the Department has
provided us with valuable information and
tips for members who, due to reductions in workhours, might find themselves applying
for unemployment benefits. The fastest way
to apply for benefits, according to Ms. Vito
is on-line at
www.dli.state.pa.us.
In addition to this information, Ms. Vito has provided
links and resources that will provide members with the
most up to date information available. The Dept. of
Labor & Industry has developed a "tip card" that you can
print and carry with you. For more information
check out our
Unemployment Benefits
page.
Local
Presidents: You are encouraged to share this
information with your members. The Dept. of Labor
and Industry will provide free "tip cards" for
distribution in your local. To order cards contact
Tara Roebuck at 717-787-7530 or via e-mail at
dlipress@state.pa.us.
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 PAUL
CIRINO
Forever in our
thoughts and prayers |
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