Cindy Martinez

President

P.O. Box 3096

McAllen, TX  78502

Office:956-686-0022

Fax: 956-618-1281

Cell: 956-457-6675

tpwu_president@yahoo.com
 

 

 

Ask Representatives to Vote YES on HR 4213

 

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote this week on vital legislation to create and protect jobs while helping those struggling to find employment. If the House fails to act, states will be forced to cut even more services—as well as thousands of public employees’ jobs.

PLEASE urge TPWU members in Texas to contact the Texas representatives listed below and urge him/her to vote YES on the Promoting American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (HR 4213).  (sample script below)

Please click the link below to find the contact information to your representative and to send your message by e-mail.

http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/index.html

 

LEANING YES

GREEN

REYES

 

UNDECIDED

CUELLAR

EDWARDS, C

 

Hi, my name is ________, and I am a voting constituent in your congressional district and a [position] of the American Postal Workers Union [chapter name].  I'm calling to urge you to save and create jobs by voting YES on HR 4213.  Passage will provide much-needed state aid, invest in public services, and help those struggling to find employment.  If states do not get this assistance, it is estimated that the unemployment rate could be increased by almost 900,000 lost jobs.  Failure to pass this bill also will result in cuts to critical public services such as education, healthcare, and public safety.  This is not the time to put more people out of work and withdraw services that support struggling Americans. 

I urge you to support this bill, and help create and protect jobs in our state.

 

Thank you.

 

NEW FERS SICK LEAVE RULING IN EFFECT

CHANGES TO FERS EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT ANNUITIES
The new National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2010 allows employees to add accrued unused sick leave hours to their total service in computing FERS annuity.
For employees who retire between Oct. 28, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2013, 50 percent of accrued unused sick leave hours will be added to their total service. For employees retiring after Dec. 31, 2013, 100 percent of accrued unused sick leave hours will be added to their total service. This new rule permits the counting of accrued unused sick leave only to calculate an annuity. Sick leave hours are not counted in determining an employee’s eligibility to retire.
The NDAA also changed the rule for FERS employees who took refunds of their retirement contributions and have been re-employed under FERS. With the new ruling, employees have the opportunity to pay back the refunded amount, plus interest. The redeposit will allow credit for the service for both determining eligibility to retire and annuity calculation. Survivors of death-in-service employees also may make this deposit.
For eligible employees, the Annuity Estimate Letter accompanying the recent semi-annual estimates provides a detailed explanation of this new ruling.

 

For Employees Covered by the National Agreement and the Operating Services Agreement
(05/21/10) In April, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) rose to 637.316, still well below the July 2008 index of 644.303 (upon which the last COLA increase was based). The CPI-W must rise above 644.303 before another COLA is due. After the third month of the six-month measuring period, and assuming the COLA was based on the April index, the eighth and final COLA under the 2006 National Agreement and the Operating Services Agreement would be zero. However, the next COLA will be based on the July 2010 CPI-W. If there is an adjustment, it will be effective Aug. 28, 2010 (pay period 19-2010, pay date Sept. 17, 2010).
The fifth, sixth and seventh COLAs, which would have been effective Mar. 24, 2009, Aug. 29, 2009, and March 13, 2010, respectively, were all zero due to the fact that the January 2009, July 2009 and January 2010 CPI-W were all below the July 2008 CPI-W. (See chart below.)
Effective with the seventh COLA, under the 2006 National Agreement and Operating Services Agreement, employees have so far received the following cost-of-living adjustments totaling $2,642: $0 (effective March 17, 2007, pay period 07-2007, pay date April 6, 2007); $686 (effective Sept. 1, 2007, pay period 19-2007, pay date Sept. 21, 2007); $479 (effective March 15, 2008, pay period 07-2008, pay date April 4, 2008); $1,477 (effective Aug. 30, 2008, pay period 19-2008, pay date Sept. 19, 2008); $0 (effective March 14, 2009, pay period 07-2009, pay date April 2, 2009), $0 (effective Aug. 29, 2009, (pay period 19-09, pay date Sept. 18, 2009), and $0 (effective March 13, 2010 (pay period 07-10, pay date April 2, 2010).

 

2010 VEHICLES BUILT BY UNION  MEMBERS 

FMLA Comparison

 provided by Clerk Craft NBA Morline Moore

Retiree Health Care Benefits - HR

22FMLA Proposed Changes

 

  

 

  

Dear TPWU members,

While Wall Street bankers and other Big Business titans bring home millions, the story for everyday working families is not so good. Job furloughs, wage freezes and layoffs are rampant across every sector of our economy.

Today, millions of teachers, police and firefighters, the backbone of our communities, are in trouble due to massive state and local government budget problems. We need to act now and act fast to save the good jobs people still have, while we rebuild our economy and create even more good jobs.

The Local Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4812) will do just that by pumping $100 billion directly into our communities to save and create more than 1 million jobs. Sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the bill would give America’s economy a shot in the arm and safeguard essential local services.

One hundred thirty-nine representatives already have signed on as co-sponsors. Tell your representative to co-sponsor the Local Jobs for America Act today.

We need to show there is broad support in Congress for this important bill. We can’t afford any more job losses. We need to create and save good local jobs and we need to do it now.

From saving teachers’ jobs and keeping class sizes manageable to keeping thousands of law enforcement officers on the beat, the Local Jobs for America Act will help ensure the services that make our communities livable and keep the unemployment rolls from growing.

Tell your representative to co-sponsor the Local Jobs for America Act today.

In solidarity,

Marc Laitin
AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

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