ORDER NO. 1387UNITED STATES OF AMERICAPOSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSIONWASHINGTON, DC 20268-0001Before Commissioners: Ruth Y. Goldway, Chairman;Nanci E. Langley, Vice Chairman;Mark Acton;Tony Hammond; andRobert G. TaubComplaint of American Postal Workers Docket No. C2012-2Union, AFL-CIOORDER DENYING AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION, AFL-CIO,MOTION FOR AN EMERGENCY ORDER(Issued June 29, 2012)I. INTRODUCTIONThis Order resolves the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO (APWU)Motion for an Emergency Order.
APWU requests that the Commission issue an orderdirecting the Postal Service not to implement its proposed changes in service standards
1
American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, Motion for an Emergency Order, June 13, 2012(Emergency Motion).
Postal Regulatory CommissionSubmitted 6/29/2012 11:57:09 AMFiling ID: 83307Accepted 6/29/2012
Docket No. C2012-2 – 2 –
for First-Class Mail, Periodicals, and Standard Mail and certain operational changes
until the Commission has issued a final ruling on its complaint in this docket.
Id.
at 1.For the reasons set forth below, APWU’s Emergency Motion is denied.II. BACKGROUNDOn June 12, 2012, APWU filed this complaint case alleging, among other things,that the Postal Service improperly announced its intention to make nationwide servicestandard changes effective July 1, 2012, without receiving an advisory opinion from theCommission under 39 U.S.C. 3661.
The Complaint also alleges that the PostalService violated section 3661 by failing to file its Docket No. N2012-1 request for aCommission advisory opinion a reasonable time before the effective date of itsproposed changes. Complaint at 2.On June 13, 2012, APWU filed this Emergency Motion seeking preliminary reliefthat bars the Postal Service from implementing its proposed changes prior to theCommission ruling on the Complaint. Emergency Motion at 6. APWU also requeststhat the Commission issue its ruling on the Emergency Motion in advance of the July 1,2012 effective date.
Id.
On June 22, 2012, the Postal Service filed a surreply to APWU’s
2
The operational changes, as identified by APWU, are those “described in the USPS’September 21, 2011 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) and December 15, 2011 Notice ofProposed Rule (NPR) that are subject of the Request for an Advisory Opinion (Request) in N2012-1 andthe changes resulting from the New Rule published by the Postal Service in the Federal Register” onMay 25, 2012. Emergency Motion at 1.
3
Complaint of American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, Regarding Violations of 39 U.S.C.3661 and 3691, June 12, 2012 (Complaint). An errata to the Complaint was filed on June 13, 2012.
See
Complaint of American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, Regarding Violations of 39 U.S.C. 3661 and3691, June 13, 2012; American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, Notice of Filing Revised Complaint[Errata], June 13, 2012.
4
United States Postal Service Answer in Opposition to American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIOMotion for an Emergency Order, June 20, 2012 (Opposition).
5
American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, Reply to USPS Opposition to APWU Motion for anEmergency Order, June 21, 2012 (APWU Reply). Four days after the fact, APWU filed a motion for leave
Docket No. C2012-2 – 3 –
Reply.
The practice of submitting a reply to an opposition to a motion is not authorizedunder Commission procedural rules, and is particularly inappropriate when seekingexpedited, emergency action. In this instance, the Commission has determined to belenient and accept these pleadings; however, it gives notice that far more substantial justification will have to be provided before it will accept such pleadings in the future.III. ARGUMENTS AND FINDINGSA. Applicable Legal PrinciplesFor all intents and purposes, APWU’s Emergency Motion is seeking a preliminaryinjunction to preserve the status quo pending the outcome of its Complaint.
Theparties essentially agree on the well-settled test for issuing a preliminary injunction.Opposition at 10; Emergency Motion at 7.
To prevail, APWU must demonstrate that (1)it has a substantial likelihood of success on the merits; (2) it would suffer irreparableharm if the preliminary injunction is not granted; (3) the balance of the equities favorissuing an injunction; and (4) the issuance of an injunction is in the public interest.
Mills v. District of Columbia
, 571 F.3d 1304, 1308 (D.C. Cir. 2009);
Davis v. Pension Benefit Guar. Corp.
, 571 F.3d 1288, 1296 (D.C. Cir. 2009);
Virginia Petroleum Jobbers Ass’n v.FPC
, 259 F.2d 921, 925 (1958);
Canales v. Paulson
, 2006 WL 2520611, *3 (D.D.C.
to file its Reply. American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, Motion for Leave to File Reply to USPSOpposition, June 25, 2012.
6
United States Postal Service Surreply in Opposition to American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO Motion for an Emergency Order, June 22, 2012 (Surreply). In connection with its Surreply, the PostalSevice filed a motion for leave to file its Surreply. United States Postal Service Conditional Motion forLeave to File a Surreply in Opposition to American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO Motion for anEmergency Order, June 22, 2012.
7
The Emergency Motion could also be considered a request for a temporary restraining order. Inthe D.C. Circuit, the tests for reviewing either a request for a temporary restraining order or a preliminaryinjunction are identical.
See, e.g.
,
Howard Univ. v. Nat. Collegiate Athletic Ass'n
, 675 F. Supp. 652, 654(D. D.C.1987).
8
In support of this test, APWU cites the following cases:
Buchanan v. USPS
, 508 F.2d 259, 266(5th Cir. 1975);
Sherley v. Sebelius
, 644 F.3d 388, 392 (D.C. Cir. 2011);
Gordon v. Holder
, 632 F.3d 722,724 (D.C. Cir. 2011);
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission v. Holiday Tours, Inc.
, 559 F.2d841, 842-843 (D.C. Cir 1977).
Search History:
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
p.
PRC Denies APWU Motion
524
Reads
0
Readcasts
4.0K
Embed Views
Get Scribd Mobile
To get Scribd mobile enter your number and we'll send you a link to the Scribd app for iPhone & Android.We've sent a link to the Scribd app. If you didn't receive it, try again.
We'll never share your phone number.
Recommended
More From This User
Notes
Load more
