[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 41 (Friday, March 19, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S1778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. AKAKA:
  S. 3145. A bill to amend section 1004 of title 39, United States 
Code, to include that it is a policy of the Postal Service to ensure 
reasonable and sustainable workloads and schedules for supervisory and 
management employees and to clarify provisions relating to consultation 
and changes or terminations in certain proposals; to the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill to clarify 
certain provisions relating to pay and benefits consultation between 
the United States Postal Service and supervisors' and postmasters' 
organizations.
  The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 created a process for 
postmasters and other non-union postal employees to negotiate pay and 
benefits through consultation. In the 108th Congress, I sponsored the 
Postmaster Equity Act which extended additional protections for 
postmasters to provide for fact-finding in the event that consultation 
reached an impasse. The same protections already applied to 
supervisors. However, it has come to my attention that there may be 
ambiguity in the interpretation of these provisions.
  The legislation I am introducing, along with Representative Gerald 
Connolly in the House of Representatives, should eliminate any 
ambiguity in existing law regarding consultation with management 
organizations. It reiterates that any changes to pay policies or 
benefits for postmasters, supervisors, and other managerial positions 
be done in conjunction with consultation process required under title 
39 section 1004(e). The bill also requires the Postal Service to ensure 
policies to provide for reasonable and sustainable workloads and 
schedules for supervisory and management employees.
  In light of the unprecedented challenges faced by the Postal Service 
today, fostering close cooperation and consultation on pay and benefits 
between the Postal Service and management organizations is essential. 
It is my hope that the Postal Service and all of its employee 
organizations will continue to work cooperatively to keep the Postal 
Service an employer of choice, and to promote advancement across the 
organization.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3145

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. POSTAL SERVICE SUPERVISORY AND OTHER MANAGERIAL 
                   ORGANIZATIONS.

       Section 1004 of title 39, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``to ensure reasonable 
     and sustainable workloads and schedules for supervisory and 
     management employees;'' after ``other managerial 
     personnel;'';
       (2) in subsection (b), in the second sentence, by inserting 
     ``as provided under subsection (d) and any changes in, or 
     termination of, pay policies and schedules and fringe benefit 
     programs for members of the supervisors' organization as 
     provided under subsection (e)'' before the period; and
       (3) in subsection (e)(1), by inserting ``, or termination 
     of,'' after ``any changes in''.

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