File #: Res 2140-2009    Version: * Name: Congress to pass H.R. 1686, the “Mail Network Protection Act of 2009”.
Type: Resolution Status: Filed
Committee: Committee on State and Federal Legislation
On agenda: 8/20/2009
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution calling upon the United States Congress to pass H.R. 1686, the “Mail Network Protection Act of 2009,” which would provide for the protection and integrity of the United States mail.
Sponsors: Tony Avella, Vincent J. Gentile, Letitia James
Council Member Sponsors: 3

Res. No. 2140

 

Resolution calling upon the United States Congress to pass H.R. 1686, the “Mail Network Protection Act of 2009,” which would provide for the protection and integrity of the United States mail.

 

By Council Members Avella, Gentile and James

 

                     Whereas, H.R. 1686, introduced in the United States House of Representatives and sponsored by Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, referred to as the “Mail Network Protection Act of 2009,” would provide for the protection and integrity of the United States mail;  and

                     Whereas, The Mail Network Protection Act of 2009 requires the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to bargain with unions representing career Postal Service employees before entering into a contract for mail processing, mail handling, or surface transportation of mail if the contract in a 12 month period would involve work that would otherwise be performed, in whole or in part, by those employees and either: (1) involve more than a specified amount of work time; or (2) cost over $5 million; and

Whereas, USPS delivers more mail to more addresses in a larger geographical area than any other post in the world and delivers to more than 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes; and

Whereas, USPS is the second largest employer in the country with 656,000 career employees and an annual revenue of $75 billion in 2008, and

Whereas, Contracting out the delivery of services is increasingly being promoted as a business strategy to create improved efficiencies in the USPS system; and

Whereas, According to the Government Accountability Office, USPS spent $23.6 billion on contract delivery routes; and 

Whereas, The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) points out that by using Contract Delivery Services (CDS), the USPS has bypassed the normal recruitment and hiring processes that ensure that only qualified and trustworthy people are entrusted to handle Americans’ mail; and

Whereas, The NALC indicates that the CDS contracting process lacks transparency, results in wage levels that reportedly are less than 50 percent of those enjoyed by career letter carriers, lends to the payment of fees and costs to contractors for “vehicle expenses” and “overhead costs” that eat up whatever labor cost savings might exist, and  asserts that the details of CDS contracts are subject to little or no scrutiny; and

Whereas, The same union points out that since CDS contractors often sub-contract their delivery work to unknown individuals, neither customers nor the Postal Service can know who is responsible for service problems or delivery concerns; and

Whereas, The requirement to bargain will enhance the ability of unions that represent postal workers to oppose wasteful, inefficient, and possibly detrimental subcontracting which often ends up costing USPS more money than if the work were performed by postal employees; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States Congress to pass H.R. 1686, the “Mail Network Protection Act of 2009,” which would provide for the protection and integrity of the United States mail.

 

S.O.

LS # 7606

8/12/08

4:01pm