Featured News

April 10, 2020

Greetings fellow UPMA Members:

Once again it is time for the weekly Friday update from the UPMA National Office.    We continue to be sheltering in place and teleworking.   In addition to any correspondence we may have one on one we do a daily telecom just to stay in touch, see what we need and to plan ahead for the day and the remainder of the week.    This also gives us a chance to share information we may have heard, or member contacts we have had the previous day.   We are working hard to continue to meet your needs and to get answers to your questions taken care of in as timely a manner as possible.

As an organization, within the Postal Service, in the country and the world we are still in the throughs of this COVID-19 pandemic.    As always, I continue to pray for all of you and the other employees you work with in your offices.   Many times, I receive requests for information regarding the number of cases, where the cases of Coronavirus are happening, or where the individuals that have tested positive are working.    The amount of information that we receive varies throughout the country.    The guidelines from the Postal Service to the Areas and the Districts has been to be as generic as possible.    The reason for this is to protect the identity of those individuals that have tested positive, or are being quarantined.    If someone tests positive and they want to let others know, that is their choice, it is not the right of the USPS to share that information.    Obviously, if there is a positive case in your unit you will receive more information and the stand-up talks related to a positive case will be shared at your location.    So far, the information that is shared with representatives from the management associations and the union leadership has been going well at the Area level and in most of the Districts.  Where we feel that we are not getting the information we need we are reaching out to those managers to get the flow of information opened up so we can stay on top of ongoing developments throughout the country.

Over the last week you may have heard information about the Postal Service and the possibility of getting an appropriation of approximately $25 Billion.   There has been legislation introduced in both the House and Senate related to that issue; however, we are more optimistic that if there is to be an appropriation that it would be contained in a new stimulus bill that should be forthcoming either late in April, or we hope no later than early May.    We will do our best to keep you all informed as this moves forward over the next few weeks and ask for your assistance to get the message to your members of Congress when the time comes.

As I have stated before, none of us knows when we will reach the pinnacle of this mountain we call COVID-19, so we do not know when we will come out on the other side.   Time will give us the insight as to when this crisis will end.     Also, time will tell what the world will look like when we do come out of this and how it may, or may not, change how we all interact with each other.   Only time will let us know that.

So, please continue to practice social distancing both at work and in your private lives where appropriate.   As during this time of the Passover and as we head into the Easter weekend, I pray that all of you are healthy and continue to stay healthy.    I know how dedicated all of you are to making sure that your employees and your customers are taken care of; however, remember if you do not feel well, please stay home and take care of yourself.   If there is a possibility you have the virus, or any other illness, you do not want to spread it to anyone else if it can be avoided.  In the long run, it is better for everyone.

Stay safe!!

Thank you,
Dan Heins
National President