OSHA Notifies USPS Of Non-Renewal Of Participation In Voluntary Protection Program

March 17, 2010

In a letter to the USPS Manager of OSHA Coordination, OSHA wrote:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) approved the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Corporate participant on April 12, 2005, for a period of 60 months.

As we have discussed, OSHA remains concerned about the USPS’s commitment to the VPP Corporate, and the organization’s meeting the requirements and criteria for participation. As a result, OSHA has decided not to renew the USPS’s participation in VPP Corporate.

Current USPS VPP sites will maintain their VPP status as long as they adhere to all site-based requirements. In the future, USPS VPP applicants must apply using the site-based application process. If you have any questions, please contact Steven F. Witt, Director, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs at (202) 693-2200.

from PostalReporter.com       read full article

Who Is Kidding Who On the Cost of Labor At USPS?

Who is Kidding Who?

( Mar 9, 2010) Lets get real.  For the past many months we have been hearing how the Postal Service is going down the toilet financially.  The people at USPS headquarters continue to put much of the blame on the cost of labor and the need to reduce expenses.  They brag about the numbers of employees who have left the service, either by retirement, resignation, or removal.  So, would it not be appropriate to look at employment figures and see who is taking the brunt of the decline in employees, and who might be speaking out of both sides of their collective mouths…

from PostalRecorder.com   read complete article

Scholarships Available for Union Families:

Various scholarships are available for Union Members and their families through their Local, State, National and affiliate programs. Rules, eligibility and awards vary but for the most part they may apply to children [step or adopted] and sometimes grandchildren. While most require an essay and are based on academic achievement some include awards based on a draw:

Indianapolis Area Local: One $1000 and two $500 awards annually. Essay required but the two $500 scholarships are awarded in a blind draw. Deadline= April 1 postmark    See Oct/Nov INDY INFO, or contact the Local Office. [No online info found at the Local’s Website]
Indiana State Local: One $1000 and three $500 awards annually. Essay required but the three $500 scholarships are awarded in a blind draw. Deadline= check with Local Office [? Online info outdated ?]
National: The APWU will award 15 scholarships in 2010 — ten academic scholarships and five vocational scholarships — to the children and grandchildren of APWU members. Deadline= March 15, 2010.  See National website
Unionplus.org: Union Plus offers three other scholarships and one grant program. Visit www.unionplus.org for more. Click on the "Legal& Education" button or click here.

Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund: Scholarship

Deadline for application to the Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund is March 26th.  The web site is http://www.feea.org  Thanks and have a wonderful week.  Scott 

BASIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
1.) The FEEA Scholarship Program is for current civilian federal employees and their dependent family members (spouse/child). Adult children and other relatives are eligible if claimed on the sponsoring employee's tax return. Active duty military members and their dependents are eligible only through a sponsoring civilian employee spouse.
Military retirees and dependents are eligible if the retiree (or retiree's spouse) is a current civilian federal employee.
2.) The applicant or the applicant's sponsoring federal employee must have at least three (3) years of civilian federal service by August 31, 2010. Past active duty time will count toward this requirement if included in the service comp. date on the Standard Form 50. No additional consideration is given for service beyond the minimum requirement.
3.) The applicant must be at least a college freshman by the fall 2010 semester.
4.) All applicants must have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) unweighted on a 4.0 scale. Current college freshmen must have a minimum 3.0 GPA for the fall 2009 semester.
5.) All applicants must be current high school seniors or college students working toward an accredited degree and enrolled in a two- or four-year undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate program.
6.) Applicants who are dependents must be full-time students.

Applicants who are federal employees may be part-time students.
Scott Gordon
President, Federal Executive Association
Indianapolis, Indiana
Work: 317-390-6928
scott.gordon1@dhs.gov
www.indianapolis-fea.org

"Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest
to God."