Statement of Gerald J. McKiernan Manager, Media Relations, USPS 40,000 Layoffs at the Postal Service – NOT TRUE
A news story currently in wide circulation is reporting that the Postal Service will soon layoff 40,000 employees. This story is not accurate. Originating out of Shreveport, LA, the story does quote a Postal Service spokesperson. Unfortunately, that spokesperson was in error. The Postal Service is not laying off employees. Efforts to match our workforce to a reduced workload are focused on voluntary early retirements. Voluntary early retirement has been offered to a number of employees and to date, 3,685 employees have accepted the offer.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released the August 2008 CPI-W
Private Transportation Index. Based on this release, the Equipment
Maintenance Allowance (EMA) will increase by 3.0 cents to 65.0 cents
per mile. This increase of 3.0 cents per mile includes a contractually
mandated increase to the EMA base rate of 2.0 cents per mile.
Inflation in the CPI-W Private Transportation Index accounts for the
remaining increase of 1.0 cent per mile.
Therefore, in accordance with the provisions of Article 9,
Section 2.J.3 of the USPS/NRLCA National Agreement, effective October
11, 2008 (Pay Period 22-08), the Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
will increase from 62.0 cents per mile to 65.0 cents per mile, or a
minimum of $26.00 per day, whichever is greater.
Employees providing auxiliary assistance or serving auxiliary
routes under the provisions of Article 9, Section 2.J.5, will receive
EMA of 65.0 cents per mile or $7.10 per hour, whichever is greater. The
EMA will not exceed the amount provided in the special EMA chart for
route stops and miles.
