Keeping Our Momentum in 2024
By Jimmy Warden
NAPS Secretary/Treasurer
As 2023 comes to a close, I want to thank everyone for their support, trust and confidence. Tough decisions needed to be made in 2023 pertaining to the financial stability and future of our association. But that is what you elected us to do!
Although some changes were unfavorable and met with opposition, those conversations were needed. Your Executive Board members came together to ensure the future financial stability of NAPS with complete understanding of their fiduciary responsibility. I am confident we are on the right path moving forward.
This was a stressful year for some of our members who experienced a RIF. Fortunately, our members were able to find positions—maybe not the perfect position, but, all in all, a position within reason. This was accomplished by President Ivan D. Butts communicating with Postal Headquarters, the NAPS Executive Board and NAPS members and ensuring no one would be left without a position who wanted one after the designated RIF effective dates.
Some members have asked what NAPS accomplished in 2023. Well, in 2022, we agreed to a new Supervisor Workload Credit (SWC) calculation that was implemented fully in 2023. Special thanks to the NAPS SWCs Committee, led by Northeast Region Vice President Tommy Roma, for its perseverance in getting this accomplished.
The new SWCs gave us approximately 1,068 new positions. Approximately 1,068 offices/stations received supervisory staff that was much-needed. Part of the SWCs agreement included having follow-up reviews of the SWCs process and then make changes if needed. After implementation of the revised SWCs, we worked with the Postal Service on much-needed relief supervisors.
It was agreed to establish 2,500 relief supervisor positions, all in Customer Service, Mail Processing, Logistics and Maintenance. These additions have allowed many supervisors now to have their rest days off and try to get back to having a balance between their family and work lives.
Another obstacle to achieving success was having new supervisors properly trained. In 2023, NAPS agreed with the Postal Service to establish the Supervisor Apprenticeship Program. This six-month program currently is being piloted at different sites across the country in Mail Processing and Customer Service. At these selected sites, NAPS is engaged with local management in overseeing the program so supervisors receive the proper training and are prepared for success once they graduate.
Regarding pay and compensation, in 2023, NAPS discussed and came to an agreement with the Postal Service to increase the percentages in the Pay for Performance and HERO program boxes. This agreement will give additional monetary compensation to most of our members for the success achieved in fiscal year 2023. It also added compensation to box 4 of the HERO performance program NPA lump-sum payout when previously there was none.
We also have discussed permanently keeping the increases to annual leave carryover and buyback for EAS employees—from 560 hours to 640 hours for carryover and from 128 hours to 168 hours for buyback. These increases were temporarily agreed to during COVID-19. Although temporarily agreed to for 2023, NAPS still is working with the Postal Service to make this a permanent change.
On the legislative front, due to the perseverance of Executive Vice President Chuck Mulidore and Director of Legislative & Political Affairs Bob Levi, we have a newly introduced Senate companion bill for H.R. 3005, the Postal Police Reform Act, authored by Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ). The new Senate bill, S. 3356, was authored by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Susan Collins (R-ME).
This is a major achievement. The legislation seeks to clarify and restore the jurisdiction of postal police beyond the perimeter of postal facilities and protect postal personnel, USPS assets and the U.S. Mail. Special thanks to Branch 51 President and retired Postal Police Captain Butch Maynard for his in-depth insight and commitment.
Another success in 2023 has been through the dedication and perseverance of all our members. Your membership recruitment has been outstanding! Membership now is over 27,000 strong and continues to increase each month. This has been accomplished by all of you. Thank you! Please continue to use the biweekly EAS Promotion Report and monthly Postmaster Promotion Report, which we started receiving in 2023, as well as your DCO nonmember list, which started to include postmasters in 2023, and contact nonmembers.
As you can see, these were notable achievements in 2023. It has been a rough year, but not without significant success. NAPS has been advocating for years for some of these changes; not until the appointment of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy were we finally successful. Previous PMGs often would not even consider our requests or recommendations, which is the main reason we are in court vs. the Postal Service.
As we open the door and move into 2024, we will be forging forward, continuing to represent all supervisors, postmasters and managers.
I would like to wish everyone and their families a very happy and healthy New Year! Thank you, again, for your support, trust and confidence. And remember, increasing membership demonstrates leadership.
Stay safe!
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