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Early Retirement News
Visit our Retirement Page
for more postal retirement information. |
Retirement Links
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Early Out Discussion Forum
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Early Retirement Under the CSRS System
- Voluntary Early Retirement
Authority: Information from the OPM
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OPM Retirement Page
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Quicken.com
Retirement Tools
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When to retire? 6 Answers |
USPS
Says Letter Carriers Not Eligible for 'Early Out' (9/13/2004)
"The Postal Service has informed NALC President William H. Young
that city letter carriers are not eligible for "early out"
retirement because they do not meet the necessary requirements
set down by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for such an
option." |
NALC Delegates Vote to Seek 'Early Out' Approvals (8/05/2004)
"On a voice vote on the last day of the convention,
delegates adopted a legislative resolution supported by the
Executive Council calling for the NALC to seek approval from the
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for an early out for
letter carriers under certain circumstances." |
VER Offer
for Postmasters EAS 11-18 Approved by OPM (8/04/2004)
"The
Postal Service will be undergoing substantial restructuring,
reshaping and repositioning of its workforce in the coming
months. The Postal Service has received approval from OPM under
its Voluntary Early Retirement Authority to offer VER to
employees in Postmasters EAS-11 to EAS-18."
- NAPUS Hotline |
Postmaster
Early-Outs Approved (7/08/2004)
NAPUS has been informed by Postal Service Headquarters that the
Office of Personnel Management has approved their request to
offer voluntary early retirement (VERA) opportunities for all
eligible Postmasters in levels EAS-11 through EAS-18. |
USPS Will
Seek Voluntary Early Retirement Authority for EAS 11-18
Postmasters (5/25/2004)
"According to Postal Service officials, the rationale for
requesting early out opportunities for EAS-11-18 Postmasters is
based on locating landing spots which may be created by the
continuing downsizing of Function 1 mail processing positions.
These jobs also include other clerks, affected administrative
personnel, and non-supervisory positions."
- Postal Headquarters announces VERA for
Postmasters |
Guidelines for Processing Voluntary Early Retirement for
Employees Covered by the Dec. 19, 2003 MOA (Word .doc)
There will be four possible VER effective dates: July 31, 2004;
August 31, 2004; December 31, 2004; June 30, 2005.
Word .doc |
HTML
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Timeline announced for 'Early Outs' |
OPM Approves Postal Service Request for VERA
"The
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has approved the Postal
Service�s request to offer voluntary early retirement to
eligible APWU-represented employees in those categories that
management had excluded from last year�s early outs."
VER part
of a strategy for more cuts? According to some reports, the
USPS plans to cut 10,000 to 15,000 more employees in 2004, with
significant cuts in mail processing areas. PARS
(pdf) is expected to reduce current related work hours by
65% or more within the next one to two years. |
National League of
Postmasters Reports No Early Outs for Postmasters
"The League received unofficial word that there is
no early out on the horizon for Postmasters. It is our
understanding that H.R. managers were attending training on handling VERAs for the APWU and Mail Handlers and that this statement was made."
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NAPUS says early outs still moving forward
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USPS Requests VER for Following Groups (PDF):
Maintenance
and motor vehicle crafts levels 6 and above, Information
Technology and Accounting Service Center employees and Operating
Services Employees. |
Information
about Voluntary Early Retirement for Mail Handlers
"The voluntary
early retirement (VER) for eligible mail handlers will be
implemented starting on January 15, 2004, with voluntary
retirements scheduled for April 30, 2004." (NPMHU) |
Agreement Reached: Employees Who Declined VER Last Fall Will
Get Another Opportunity
"The
APWU and the USPS agreed Jan. 12 that employees who were offered
but declined early retirement on Oct. 31, 2003, will be given
another opportunity. APWU President William Burrus announced the
agreement after meeting with postal managers." (APWU News Service) |
Postmasters May Be Offered Early Retirement
"Wally
Olihovik, president of the National Association of Postmasters of
the United States, hopes postmasters could retire as soon as
March. But National League of Postmasters President Steve LeNoir
does not expect retirements until midsummer at the earliest."
(Federal Times) |
Tentative Schedule Released for Mail Handlers VER
"In mid-January 2004,
approximately 8,400 mail handlers will receive a mailing from the
Postal Service - called a Statement of Interest or SOI package -
which asks them to indicate their interest in possible early
retirement." (NPMHU) |
APWU,
USPS Reach Agreement on VER
The APWU and the
Postal Service have reached an agreement that will give all eligible
APWU-represented employees an opportunity to take voluntary early
retirement. See APWU.org for
agreements and lists of employees denied VER opportunities. (APWU.org)
- Federal
Times: Postal
Service Offers More Early Retirements
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Burrus: Early Retirement Agreement Settles
Bitter Dispute |
|
Letter: "The maximum number of
allowable VERs for the October 31, 2003 effective date has been
reached. Employees with the earliest retirement computation date
have preference." |
District Court
Denies APWU Motion Over VER
"In
reaching its conclusion, the court relied on the fact that the
Postal Service�s VER authority extends until Dec. 31, 2004, and
that employees� rights would not be impaired until that authority
expires." |
OPM Approves VER for EEO Complaints
Investigators (PDF)
Eligible
employees who meet the criteria and who elect to take advantage of
the offer will have a retirement effective date of December 31,
2003. |
VER Information for Supervisors,
Distribution Operations (SDOs) (PDF)
Includes list of VER
Option Sites (Source: NAPS.org) |
APWU VER Dispute Information Form (PDF)
The APWU has a
pending national-level dispute over the Postal Service�s refusal
and failure to offer voluntary early retirement (VER) to all APWU-represented
employees.
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Alternate Dates To Be Set Next Spring:
Plus, a hearing is being held in federal court today (Oct. 23),
seeking to compel the Postal Service to arbitrate that dispute
expeditiously. (Burrus Update, 10/23/2003)
- Changes to VER
Guidelines |
Voluntary Early Retirement: Court Date Set; Status of Many
Eligible Members Clarified
Discussions have been
held between the APWU and USPS at the national level regarding the
implementation of the voluntary early retirement agreement. The
dispute over management�s failure to offer voluntary early
retirement to all eligible APWU-represented employees
continues and the union�s right to arbitrate that dispute is
scheduled for a hearing in federal district court on Oct. 23. (Burrus
Update, APWU)
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October 9, 2003 Letter from USPS (PDF) |
USPS Allows Districts to Disapprove Early Outs
The
Postal Service is imposing limits on the number of employees it
will release for voluntary early retirement, in clear violation of
its Collective Bargaining Agreement with the APWU.
The
agreement, ratified in December 2002, required management to seek
authority from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to offer
early retirement to �all eligible APWU-represented employees.� (APWU
Burrus Update) |
APWU Update: USPS Seeks to Impose Restrictions In Offer on Early
Retirements
Management
Reneges on Agreement with Union
"Recent actions by the Postal
Service designed to limit voluntary early retirements by APWU-represented
employees are nothing less than treachery," said APWU President
William Burrus. |
APWU Files Suit To Force Resolution of
'Early Out' Dispute
APWU News Service Bulletin |
APWU: Employees Have Until Oct. 27 to Make
Final Early-Out Decisions
Burrus Update, 9/08/2003 |
Voluntary Early Retirement Information
Packet
PostalMag.com
has received and has posted a VER informational packet that
includes a number of early out memos and fact sheets, including a
very informative 70 subject Q&A. |
New VER
PowerPoint Presentations: Presentations require PowerPoint or
the PowerPoint Viewer (free
download from Microsoft).
- VER Legal Issues
- Labor Relations Conference Presentation
- VER Overview
- Repositioning the Workforce: Who,
what, where, and when of excessing!
- Reshaping The Workforce
- "Vegliante" Memo:
Further clarification of eligibility for VER (Right
click to enlarge image.) |
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New
Link: USPS Voluntary Early Retirement Information Now Available on
the Internet: Information was previously available
only on
the Postal Service's "Blue" Intranet.
www.usps.com/vera
|
APWU Seeks Expedited Arbitration on Early
Outs
"The union has invoked
the Administration Dispute Resolution Procedure of the Collective
Bargaining Agreement to protest management�s instructions
regarding voluntary early retirements, which indicate that some
APWU-represented employees may be excluded from offers for �early
outs."
(Burrus Update, 7/31/2003) |
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OPM Grants Early Retirement Authority For Mail
Handlers |
USPS Gears Up For Voluntary Early Retirements
Letter from
Chief Operating Officer Patrick Donahoe addresses how the USPS
will implement Voluntary Early Retirement. "This will result in a
significant workload for field Human Resources personnel." |
|
Summary of Benefits and Leave Provisions Under
Voluntary Early Retirement Authority |
NALC: No Early Out For Letter Carriers
"Letter
carriers are not receiving such offers because the future for them
is brighter than those in the other crafts. There is no need to
downsize the letter carrier craft. Furthermore, the attraction of
these early out offers is not nearly as rosy as it seems, once you
examine the proposal. Individuals accepting the early outs will
see their annuities reduced by 2 percentage points a year for each
year they are short of the normal required years for retirement
eligibility. And there is no cash incentive for taking this
reduction. In short, it is not a good deal."
NALC Bulletin, 7/08/2003 |
Supervisors
"The National Association of Postal
Supervisors recently announced that the USPS has requested
voluntary early retirement authority (VERA) for some postal
supervisors. This request appears to be directly related to
supervisors who manage clerks in plant operations and large
distribution facilities. In mid-June, eligible clerks who are
represented by the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) were
granted approval for early retirement opportunities. The USPS also
has requested similar approval for mailhandlers. The USPS requested
early-out opportunities for these employees because many of the
jobs in these categories have been targeted for elimination as a
result of automation and operational impacts. The NAPUS National
Office has received several inquiries concerning early-out
opportunities for Postmasters. Because Postmaster positions have
not been targeted for elimination, there are no current plans to
request early-out opportunities for Postmasters."
NAPUS Hotline,
7/03/2003 |
Mail Handlers
"The Postal Service has requested approval from the OPM for
Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) for eligible mail
handlers. Although not guaranteed, it is expected that the request
will be granted during the next few weeks, at which point
approximately 8,400 mail handlers who have 25 years of
federal/postal service regardless of age, or who have 20 years of
service and are at least 50 years old, will begin to receive
information about the VERA."
- npmhu.org, 7/02/2003
- USPS Application for Voluntary Early Retirement
Authority for Eligible Mail Handlers
- USPS Readies Early-Out Plan for Mail
Handlers |
Time
Line Set For APWU Early-Out Eligibility
Burrus Update - 7/02/2003 |
|
Link: CSRS Annuity Computation |
Burrus Announces Timeline For Early
Outs
The process appears
to be very controlled, from notification to date of retirement.
Excerpt: "It is expected that voluntary early retirements will
take effect during October 2003 and February 2004, so they will
not adversely affect operations during heavy mailing periods." |
OPM NOTIFIES APWU: EARLY OUTS APPROVED
- Postal Early Out Offer Almost in the Mail
- OPM Approves Early Retirements for Postal
Union
-
Burrus Update, 6/13/2003
- APWU
News Service Bulletin
- Early Retirement Regulations Published in
Federal Register |
OPM Publishes New 'Early Out' Regs
"The Office of
Management and Budget has given final approval to new regulations
governing Voluntary Early Retirement Authority for federal
agencies, and the Office of Personnel Management published the
revised rules in the Federal Register today, June 13,
2003. The regulations take effect immediately. The Postal
Service�s Jan. 23 request for authority to grant voluntary early
retirement to APWU-represented employees, which has been pending
publication of the new rules, will now be considered by OPM. I
will meet with USPS officials June 20 to review the procedures for
offering early retirement opportunities to our members. Local unions will be informed of the specific
steps to be followed."
Burrus Update, 6/13/2003 |
OPM Approves Early Retirement Rules,
Forwards Them to OMB
Burrus Update, 6/04/2003 |
Unconfirmed Postings: Early Out Another Step Closer to Reality?
Early Out Forum (see messages 2393/94/96) |
Federal Register (see 3597)
- 5/30/2003 |
Mike Causey's Federal
Report
- Your Shot At Early Retirement: 5/29/2003
- Old and New Style Buyouts: "Postal
Service employees take note! The USPS is NOT on the list of
agencies with buyout authority. That either means it hasn't asked
OPM for approval, that is has asked and OPM is considering it, or
that it has asked and been turned down. Either way no buyouts are
available right now for Postal Service workers, and there's very
little chance there will be any." PostalMag note: A buyout is a
cash incentive with retirement. The early out for APWU-represented
employees is still in the works. (There will not be a buyout with
the early retirement.) - 5/30/2003 |
Supporting Postal Workers in Turbulent Times
APWU's
William Burrus comments on early outs, the postal commission,
plant consolidations, collective bargaining, and more. -
Federal Times, 5/10/2003 |
Early Retirement
Regulations Awaiting Final Approval
Burrus
Update, 5/09/2003 |
Mike Causey's Federal
Report Comments on Early Outs
The rumors are flying... Appears OPM decision could come later
this month or early June... OPM will probably OK them... USPS
wants early out offers on geographic basis... Union says every
employee should get offer... Early out likely, buyout chances slim
to none... Memory of '92 lingers...
FederalNewsRadio.com, 5/04/2003 |
|
The Ins and Outs of Buyouts: Mike
Causey, 5/09/2003 |
Supporting Postal Workers in Turbulent Times
APWU's
William Burrus comments on early outs, the postal commission,
plant consolidations, collective bargaining, and more. -
Federal Times, 5/12/2003 |
Anxious Employees
Await Word About Early Retirement
4/30/2003
An APWU
representative in the Retirees Department at APWU National Headquarters has told
PostalMag.com (on 4/30/03) that the APWU is still waiting for a Federal
Register notice concerning early retirements. The representative
said there is no truth to an Internet rumor that the early out has
been denied. The unsubstantiated rumor has upset some postal
employees, including one employee who hysterically called APWU HQ.
The timeframe for the early outs reportedly
will end September 30th, the end of the current fiscal year.
With another month having passed with no official word, anxious
employees are becoming increasingly distressed about the lack of
information from the APWU and other involved organizations
concerning the early outs. |
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Retirement
Countdown Checklist: OPM federal retirement page includes
timeline for preparing for your retirement. |
|
Standard Form 2801:
Form used by CSRS employees to apply for immediate retirement (pdf file).
SF 3107:
FERS retirement form (pdf file) |
|
Magic days to retire to obtain best
retirement pay: Washington Times |
Early
Retirements Delayed for Union Members
The early
retirement promised to members of the American Postal Workers
Union, which had been scheduled to begin April 1, will be delayed
until nearly the end of the month.
Federal Times, 4/14/2003 |
Early
Retirements Delayed, Pending Publication of New Regulations
(Burrus Update) The implementation
of the agreement to offer early retirement opportunities to
APWU-represented employees has been delayed, pending the issuance
of new regulations concerning the Homeland Security Act governing the authority of federal and postal
agencies to offer early retirement. (4/04/2003) More... |
|
Why is the Homeland Security Act tied to early retirements?
The Homeland Security Act addresses the concern that federal
agencies could lose key personnel (to early retirement), thereby
resulting in an "irreplaceable loss of institutional memory, as
well as the opportunity for new energy among management and
staff." |
APWU wants to
know how many employees will seek voluntary early retirement (without
a monetary incentive): A favorable decision from the OPM is
expected within several weeks, however, the early retirement opportunities
may be staggered over a period of six months or more, depending on
where employees work.
APWU.org, 3/10/2003 |
As Automation Eliminates Jobs, Post Office Wants to Offer Early
Retirements
Washington Post, 1/30/2003 |
USPS Requests
Authority for Early Outs
APWU, 1/27/2003 |
APWU Contract Extension Approved in
Landslide Vote
APWU, 12/20/2002
Early
out language in contract extension helped secure a landslide for
approval:
Yes: 79,932
No: 10,568 |
APWU, USPS Announce Tentative Agreement on
Contract Extension
"No
later than Feb. 1, 2003, the USPS will petition the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM), requesting voluntary early
retirement opportunities for all eligible employees
represented by the APWU, which, if approved, would allow employees
to retire before they reach 55 years of age and/or 30 years of
service." |
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