Congress to Pass H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act 

Over the years, APWU has been fighting to end the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which would significantly reduce the Social Security benefits of many retirees. The House Ways and Means Committee approved the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) on September 20th, which would fully repeal the Windfall Elimination Program (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) from the Social Security program. This vote is a major accomplishment for APWU’s long-running campaign to fix this injustice towards federal employees. 

The Social Security Fairness Act would help by repealing the WEP, which currently penalizes many APWU retirees who receive a civil service pension but have paid into Social Security in previous employment. It also repeals the GPO, which unfairly penalizes large amounts of spouses and widows with prior employment pensions. 

This vote is one step closer to removing the GPO and WEP forever. However, we must continue fighting to make sure that the bill is voted out of committee with a bipartisan majority. That bipartisan majority is key to making sure it does not stall in the Senate, where it will likely need broad support to pass. Similarly, we must keep pressure on the House of Representatives to guarantee that the bill receives a floor vote before the end of the month. 

For more information about the Social Security Fairness Act, and how GPO and WEP reduce Social Security benefits for many retirees, please click here. 

Full Per Diem Target Date is November 1st, 2022 for the Next Three Years 

Next up and as anticipated, an update on the newly negotiated per diem provisions of the collective bargaining agreement has arrived. Maintenance Division resident officers met three times in 2022 to discuss this agreement (twice via zoom, and once in person at Norman, OK). 

The Postal Service has been work towards renovating the Training Center to facilitate the transfer to per diem, with modernized communications to the APWU and employees in September. The target effective date of Full Per Diem is November 1, 2022. Other details include: 

The Agency put forth three tiers of dining options for employees at the National Center for Employee Development (NCED): 

• 3 Squares option (7 days a week, unlimited buffet style, breakfast $15, lunch $18, Dinner $24 plus taxes). 
• Pony Express option (M-F 6:30am -1:00pm, snacks, hot and cold meals, beverages ranging from $7.00 to $11.50 per item). 
• Vending Option (24/7 cold snacks and beverages ranging from $1.50 – $3.00 per item). 

The GP-405 Restaurant / Bar is developing a new menu.  

As more information is released available, it can be found on the APWU web site and sent to the field. If you have any related questions, be sure to contact one of your Maintenance Resident Officers at maintwebinar@apwu.org. 

In order to learn more about changes in the federal workforce, or to receive TSP fund recommendations from our trained and licensed team, become a member at Federal Benefits Service today.