Hawaii State Letter Carriers Association: 38th Biennial State Convention

Hawaii State Letter Carriers Association: 38th Biennial State Convention

Aloha!

It is my pleasure to join you all at your 38th Biennial State Convention. I am so happy to be back here with you here in Hawaii.

I want to thank you all for your service to the American people. For many Americans, you are the face of the federal government. You deliver over 212 Billion pieces of mail to over 144 Million homes and businesses in every state, city, and town across the country.

I know that more is being asked of you with the increasing number of items mailed and products sold. You also now play a critical role in homeland security. If there was a pandemic, the nation would turn to you to distribute lifesaving vaccines.

We must work to ensure that the Postal Service continues to deliver world-class universal service, from here in the islands, to the most urban cities and most rural towns on the mainland.

I am pleased to report, that after years of work, the Congress has finally succeeded in passing meaningful reform. I hope this legislation, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, will keep the Postal Service strong far into the future.

We have succeeded in passing legislation that modernizes our rate making process and ensures the future of our postal service. We accomplished this without privatization, and in keeping with our nation's pledge of universal service.

We could not have passed this legislation without your efforts. Now we are working to ensure that it is successfully implemented.

However, we know that this legislation has not solved every problem.

I know that one of the most pressing issues is the practice of contracting some new routes by the Postal Service.

I am concerned about the government-wide reliance on contracting out to private industry. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, I have directed my subcommittee staff to examine closely the problem of contracting out.

While there is room for certain types of contracting at the Postal Service, it can never come at the expense of postal employee jobs or the security of our mail.

I believe that contractors must be held to the same high standards of excellence and conduct as our outstanding federal postal workforce.

The Postal Service must not abuse or unnecessarily expand this practice.

Last month, at the first of what I hope will be several hearings on implementing the new postal bill, I asked Postmaster Potter about this issue. He assured me that the Postal Service only intends to contract out completely new routes where it makes sense to do so.

I will continue to closely monitor the practice to make sure it is not abused.

I also strongly support your goal of making sure that public employees - including federal workers and postal employees - or their spouses - are able to keep more of what they earn by ending the unfair treatment retirees get when it comes to Social Security.

That's why I'm a cosponsor of S. 206, legislation that eliminates the "Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision."

I would also like to mention an issue raised in the President's fiscal year 2008 budget proposal. The President proposes phasing-out the non-foreign cost-of-living allowance (COLA) and phase-in locality pay for federal employees in Hawaii, Alaska, and other non-contiguous areas of the U.S.

I know that postal employees are very concerned about this proposal. I want to assure you that no legislation has been introduced nor will any legislation move forward without input from all affected parties.

Thank you again for your gracious invitation to speak with you this morning. I am pleased to support your efforts. I want to assure you that my door is always open to you and your brothers and sisters in the State Associations of Letter Carriers.

Mahalo nui loa.

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