November 2024
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF POSTAL SUPERVISORS
JAMES E. PARKS, JR. BRANCH #526, VIRGINIA DISTRICT NOVEMBER 2024 NEWSLETTER
President’s Message--Lloyd B. Cox, President, James E. Parks, Jr. Branch 526
Welcome members of Branch 526,
Greetings my fellow NAPS members. The holiday season is upon us and package and mail volume will start to increase. More of the mail you will manage this holiday season will be transported by ground. This strategy will save money on the postal service. EAS-18 and below will continue to be special exempt into January of 2025. During the Christmas season all EAS-23 and below can get paid for all hours past 8.50 hours. Please continue to lookout for emails from me and information on our Branch 526 website and your national magazine, The Postal Supervisor. Welcome to our new NAPS members. If you work with a new EAS or one that has been around for a while encourage them to sign up for NAPS. Some EAS have never been contacted and others don't realize the benefits of being a member. Our organization is growing and, as in anything, numbers count. If you have recently retired, I and our branch wish you the best in the new chapter of your life and thank you for being a member. You can still be a part of our local branch family by becoming an associate member. We welcome you and your work experience.
Take time to visit our new 526 branch website https://www.napsbranch526.org. It has been up and running for months. Latest information is continually being added and there is a link to the NAPS national website. We are always looking for more ideas and suggestions.
A reminder that we are no longer mailing our Branch newsletter. The newsletter will be posted on the website and e-mailed to those members who have provided NAPS with their email address. Update your personal email address with me at Lloyd.b.cox@gmail.com or one of our branch officers.
Our Branch Meetings are the 3rd Thursday of every other month (the odd months). We have returned to in-person meetings. Meetings will be at the Merrifield Post Office, located at 8409 Lee Highway, room 108, at 7 pm. This month’s meeting is on Thursday, November 21, 2024. NAPS will continue to work for you! Come to the Branch meeting and get involved.
If you sign up as a new member, NAPS Headquarters will give you $25. New members help NAPS to stay strong and provides the new member the benefits of membership.
May the holiday season be safe for you and your loved ones. I wish you the blessings of health and happiness in the new year ahead.
Lloyd B. Cox, President, James E. Parks Jr. Branch 526
OPEN SEASON IS HERE, REVIEW YOUR OPTIONS
WITH THE POSTAL SERVICE HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM
This Open Season is very different from past year. This year Postal Service employees are facing changes to their health insurance plan. USPS has withdrawn from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) and new plans under the Postal Service Health Benefits Program (PSHB), a new, separate program, will take effect Jan. 1, 2025. Open Season began Monday, Nov. 11, and concludes Monday, Dec. 9.
• If you currently have an FEHB plan, a comparable plan within the PSHB will be identified for you. You should review this plan to ensure it will meet your needs. If you are satisfied with the plan, you do not need to take any action.
• If your current carrier does not offer a plan in the PSHB Program, you will be enrolled in the lowest cost nationwide plan that is not a high-deductible health plan and does not charge a membership fee.
• If you are not satisfied with the plan that has been identified for you, changes can be made during open season.
• You can compare multiple plans side by side through Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, an online tool available on the MyHR website’s open season page.
• If you are enrolled in Federal Employees Dental or Vision Insurance programs, you can continue to participate in those plans.
Employees should log in to the MyHR website’s open season page to explore their options.
Remember, if you do not pick a PSHB plan, one will be picked for you.
___________________________________________________________
REMINDER---FSA FUNDS MUST BE USED BY DECEMBER 31, 2024
As well as the changes to health benefits and Medicare enrollment requirements, USPS will no longer participate in the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) after December 31, 2024. There will be no carryover of funds into 2025 with new year enrollment as has occurred in past years.
If you are enrolled Health Care FSA (HCFSA), Limited Expense HCFSA (LEX HCFSA), or Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA) all funds must be used for expenses incurred on or before December 31, 2024.
Even if you enroll in an FSA with the new provider, Inspira Financial, you cannot carry over funds into the new year. You can submit claim forms up to April 30, 2025, but all purchases, treatment, or services must have taken place prior to the end of December 2024. If you do not exhaust your funds with claims for 2024, all remaining funds will be forfeited.
Left to right: Newly elected Congressman Eugene Vindman of Virginia's 7th Congressional District, NAPS Branch 526 President Lloyd Cox, and Congressman Vindman’s brother, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman.
____________________________________________________________
Branch 526 Member Advocates
Customer Service--Alice Jackson (703) 763-9317, Mail Processing--Deborah Farmer (301) 356-6955, Headquarters--June Brandt (412) 600-6206. If unable to reach and advocate contact Branch President Lloyd Cox at (571) 422-8749.
Contact a NAPS advocate ASAP if you are asked to participate in an investigative interview or are issued corrective action.
________________________________________________________________
In October Branch 526 members participated in advocacy training to assign them in representing members. Front row, Deborah Farmer, Joanne Farmer, Andrew Martin, and Rose Allen. Back row Darryl Beasley, Harold Wade, Alice Jackson, and Ken Marshall
Advocacy Training
by Alice Jackson
I was one of the Branch 526 members who attended the Capitol Atlantic Area Advocacy training. I thought that the training was very good and former NAPS National President Brian Wagner did a great job. Wagner explained that while we are not a union, NAPS members can file a grievance in some situations. He noted that when NAPS members receive corrective action you must follow the process outlined in the ELM Section 650. For Step A, follow the steps outlined in ELM 651.42. When appealing a USPS decision letter Step B is used, ELM Section 652.43. He emphasized that the timelines are very important, and advocates must make sure they are not missed. USPS will not extend the short time frames. If the Step B appeal is denied, you go to the review process and Human Resources gets involved. The training helped me to become more familiar with the ELM 650 Mediation process and for which adverse actions it can be used. Wagner also explained that EAS employees can utilize the Initial Management Inquiry Process (IMIP) process if you are
Even though I have been representing members for some time, Wagner provided a lot of good information for advocates to know. I want to be sure I am doing the best job to help our members. It benefits all members to become familiar with the process in ELM 650 for appealing corrective action. And if the situation warrants it, make sure you are aware of your right to adverse action 650 mediation, or if you are eligible, an appeal through the Merit Systems Protection Board.
___________________________________________________________
2024 Election Results and Next Actions
By Deborah Holley, NAPS Virginia State Legislative Chairman
The 2024 Election is over, and the results indicate that we will have a new Republican administration in the Executive and Legislative branches. Donald Trump will be the new President, and the Senate will be Republican controlled. The House is not as straight forward since it takes 218 for a full majority in the house and currently the count is still ongoing in a few states. Republicans will have a simple majority, but it will still be difficult to obtain the required number of votes to get anything passed without collaboration across the aisles. NAPS has had success in getting members from both sides of the aisle to support some of the legislation that is important to our membership.
Postmaster General DeJoy, who has been a longtime Republican donor and supporter of President Trump, and will no doubt now feel that he will no longer be subjected to the “oversight” that he expressed his dislike for at the National NAPS Convention. He may now plow ahead to implement a lot of the items on his agenda that are distasteful to NAPS members. Please alert Branch 526 advocates of any operational changes impacting you as members.
Virginia maintained the same balance of seats in the House: 6 Democrats and 5 Republicans. There are 3 new freshmen. Eugene Vindman (D) won the 7th district replacing Abigail Spanberger (who will be running for Governor next year), Suhas Subramanyan (D) won the 10th district replacing Jennifer Wexton (who has medical issues), and John McQuire (R) in District 5 defeated incumbent Bob Good by a narrow margin. All other incumbents maintained their Congressional seat. I had an opportunity to meet with Vindman along with the NAPS Director of Legislative and Political Affairs Bob Levi, and I met with Subramanyan while they were campaigning and gave them an idea of what NAPS was about and that we would be in DC to see them in April should they prevail.
HOT NEWS! HR 82 went to the floor for a vote on Tuesday November 12th. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, with a resounding 327-75 majority.
There were 330 cosponsors. In Virginia only 2 of our representatives are not sponsoring this bill - Morgan Griffith in District 9 and Bob Good in District 5. Despite our best efforts both are Republicans who always vote no on any bill pushed by NAPS.
This bill has been one of NAPS' longtime legislative priorities. With House passage, H.R. 82 moves to the Senate for a possible vote. The Senate version of the bill, S. 597 is cosponsored by 62 senators including Virginia’s Senator Tim Kaine, and Sen. Mark Warner. The Senate will likely consider H.R. 82, rather than S. 597. Let's make sure the clock does not run out on H.R. 82!
H.R. 82 would repeal two Social Security provisions that discriminate against public employees, including many NAPS members who participate in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). If signed into law H.R. 82 would repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Generally, the GPO and the WEP reduce Social Security benefits for many federal, state and local government workers who worked both in the private sector and in work as a government employee where Social Security was not a part of their retirement income, such as the Civil Service Retirement System.
If you live in Virginia, or another state urge your two Senators to request that H.R. 82 be scheduled for a vote and they vote for it. Click the link below to log in and send your message:
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF POSTAL SUPERVISORS--BRANCH 526
NAPS BRANCH 526 MEMBERSHIP MEETING
The November meeting of NAPS Branch 526 will be held on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 7:00 PM in room 108 of the Merrifield Post Office, 8409 Lee Hwy, Merrifield, VA 22116.
ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD FOR THE OFFICES OF SECRETARY/ TREASURER, VICE PRESIDENT MAIL PROCESSING AND VICE PRESIDENT CUSTOMER SERVICE
Take this opportunity to network with other postal EAS employees learn what changes are planned as the Delivering For America plan continues to impact the work and home life of our members.
