Northwest labor press., August 16, 2013, Page 11, Image 11

...Postal jobs under attack
(From Page 10)
vatize the agency and bust the unions.
The USPS is a $65 billion annual busi-
ness with over $100 billion surplus in
its pension and retiree health benefit
funds, over 30,000 post offices (much
of it in prime downtown locations), and
200,000 vehicles.
The unions have endorsed bills in-
troduced earlier this year by Sen.
Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), in the
Senate, and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-
Oregon) in the House.,
S. 316, the Postal Service Protection
Act, would sustain the Postal Service,
avert unnecessary closures and save
jobs. It has 30 cosponsors, including
Oregon’s Jeff Merkley and Ron
Wyden. Washington Senators Patty
Murry and Maria Cantwell have not
signed on to the legislation.
The House version is H.R. 630. The
No safety violations
found in worker’s
death at fab shop
VANCOUVER — The Washington
Department of Labor & Industries
(L&I) found no safety violations at
Thompson Metal Fab in Vancouver,
where Sheet Metal Workers Local 16
member Michael Carpenter was killed
March 15.
Carpenter was grinding a metal sup-
port on an oil derrick when he was
crushed by a falling steel plate. His
death was the first-ever fatal accident at
the shop, which has been in operation
since 1937.
L&I’s Division of Occupational
Safety and Health began its inspection
March 16, and issued its report July 23.
As no violations were found, the em-
ployer was not cited, and no penalties
were assessed. A spokesperson for the
agency said the investigation file is con-
fidential.
bill has 167 cosponsors, including all
of Oregon’s congressional Democrats.
Republican Greg Walden does not sup-
port the bill.
And with Republicans in control of
the House, union officials aren’t hold-
ing much hope that H.R. 630 will ad-
vance.
In fact, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.),
chair of the House Oversight & Gov-
ernmental Reform Committee, is one
of the driving forces behind privatiza-
tion.
In 2011, Issa — one of the wealthi-
est members of Congress, worth be-
tween $300 million and $450 million,
according to the Center for Responsive
Politics — introduced the Postal Re-
form Act of 2011. The bill would have
created an independent commission to
run the USPS and it would have en-
acted $10.7 billion in austerity meas-
ures, such as ending Saturday delivery,
closing post offices, and laying off
workers.
On Jul 24, 2013, the committee Issa
chairs approved Issa’s new bill, HR
2748, by a 22-17 party line vote. The
bill includes almost every proposal
from the 2011 legislation, but also pro-
poses to establish “competition advo-
cates” to promote contracting out, and
to prohibit customers from appealing
decisions to close post offices, stations
or branches if a “contract postal unit”
is opened within two miles.
By the same margin, 22-17, Issa’s
committee rejected Democratic pro-
posals to protect workers’ collective
bargaining rights, to return billions of
dollars in prior pension overpayments
to the USPS, and to protect injured em-
ployees from sudden cut-off of work-
ers’ comp payments.
Issa’s bill has little chance of ad-
vancing in the Democratic-controlled
Senate.
The Hill newspaper reported that
Sens. Carper and Coburn will push the
bill after lawmakers return from recess
in September.
Organized in Oregon and SW
Washington Since 1904!
Please Support the “Delete Blood Cancer” Donor
Registration at the Labor Day Picnic at Oak’s Park!
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers
and Grain Millers Local 114
AUGUST 16, 2013
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
PAGE 11