The NPMHU’s Committee on the Future was established to engage in long-term strategic planning on issues that are confronting the Union over the coming months and years.  The Committee most recently met in March 2024 to discuss several important issues facing Mail Handlers today and into the future.

The  Committee on the Future is comprised of all members of the National Executive Board,  National President Paul Hogrogian, National Secretary-Treasurer Kevin Tabarus, Eastern Region Vice President John Gibson, Central Region Vice President June Harris, Southern Region Vice President Lawrence Sapp, Western Region Vice President Don Sneesby and Northeast Region Vice President Dave Wilkin – as well as various Local Union Presidents,  including Danny St. Marie of Local 301, Tony Coleman of Local 302, Jim Haggerty of Local 307, Charles Charleston of Local 311, Nick Mosezar of Local 318, Kelly Dickey of Local 322, Jeff Larsen of Local 323, John (J.R.) Macon of Local 329, Edvina Tesch of Local 332.  Also in attendance were Katie Maddocks, Political and Legislative Director; Teresa Harmon, CAD Manager; Nina Gallauresi, Executive Director MHBP; and Matt Clash-Drexler, General Counsel.  The Committee focused on several key issues facing the NPMHU:  USPS financial situation; USPS network redesign & impacts under the PMG’s Delivering For America Plan; Political and Legislative issues; USPS automation and other technological changes; National and Local Union finances and financial planning; NPMHU 2024 National Convention; planning for bargaining of the 2025 National Agreement; and new membership organizing and recruitment.

The Committee began with a review of Local and National Union finances. President Hogrogian next led Committee discussions on the financial status of the Postal Service and implications of declining volume trends within each mailing category aside from a 5.1% increase for parcels.

The Committee reviewed USPS network operations, focusing on the impact of future closures and consolidations that claim to improve transportation utilization and handling methods with a significant shift to ground transportation (Ground Advantage). The core of the USPS Network Redesign plan is the consolidation of all originating letters, flats, and parcels from all mail processing facilities within a metropolitan area into one mega-processing center. While the Postal Service’s plans are fluid and constantly changing, the Committee began the creation of best practices for Locals to utilize when responding to these changes.

The Committee also reviewed Mail Handler complement and membership trends with discussions on areas of necessary improvement.  There have been over 45,000 Mail Handler Assistants (MHAs) converted to full-time regular (FTR) since Arbitrator Fishgold mandated the new employment category in 2013.  However, employee turnover and new membership recruitment continue to be a major concern. The Committee engaged in extensive discussion around how best to engage MHAs and to make them aware of the importance of joining and becoming involved in the Union. The Committee also discussed the NPMHU’s plans to modernize our organizational efforts for recruiting new members into the NPMHU.

The Committee discussed organizational priorities and the NPMHU’s Legislative Agenda of the 118th Congress.  President Hogrogian led discussions with Legislative and Political Director Maddocks on key pieces of the Legislative Agenda to include implementation of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which repeals the burdensome 2006 mandate for the USPS to prefund its retiree healthcare benefits and will lower premiums for NPMHU members and our fellow postal employees while safeguarding benefits.  The legislation provides badly needed financial relief for the USPS.

Other key issues of our Legislative Agenda include strengthening service standards while preserving universal service ensuring that every American household and business has access to USPS products and services, protecting earned retirement and healthcare benefits, promoting workers’ rights, and strengthening American elections. The NPMHU Legislative Agenda for the 118th Congress will be posted in its entirety at npmhu.org

The Committee also discussed the impending implementation of the Postal Service Health Benefits Program (PSHBP) set for January 1, 2025. Topics of concern include Medicare concepts, requirements, options and integration, forthcoming educational campaigns by OPM and USPS for active and retired FEHB enrollees, negotiation, and preservation of health benefits during collective bargaining, and the impact of the PSHBP on the Mail Handler Benefits Program (MHBP®).