Statement of National Association of Postal Supervisors President Louis M.

Atkins on Postal Service Proposals Regarding Retirement and Health Care Plans

"We recognize the grave financial situation of the Postal Service in light of falling mail volume and revenues. Clearly Congress must act to assure continued mail service to the American people. The realignment by Congress of the Postal Service's prefunding payments for its future retiree health care obligations remains the most viable way to provide relief, along with appropriate operational measures to reduce costs and achieve savings. For the past two years we, along with the rest of the postal community, have supported House and Senate proposals that would realign the retiree health prefunding payments. We continue to urge Congress to realign the prefunding schedule when it returns, before the Postal Service on September 30 must pay another costly $5.5 billion for future needs that will not arise for decades. While we will continue to study the details of the Postal Service's new proposals for administering its own retirement and health care plans, we are deeply apprehensive about their validity and their impact upon our members.

August 12, 2011