Category: From National

Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)

The Postal Service has been sharing and posting posters on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). This law does apply to the Postal Service. The law will be effective on April 1, 2020. We are in continuing discussions with the Postal Service on how it will be implemented and how the Postal Service will comply. We will continue to release more information as we get it worked out.

Please Disseminate and know we are working on getting you the answers.

Vance Zimmerman
Industrial Relations Director

Administrative Pay: A Message From AJ Jones

Brothers and Sisters

Since the last messaging on Administrative Pay additional concerns have come up.

In response to those concerns Vance Zimmerman has provided the following language as an update and should be added to the previous email.

When an employee is exhibiting symptoms of COVID19 at work, managers and supervisors should not be sending them home. Management should be contacting the OHNA to discuss the situation before any determination is made.  If management sends any employee home because they are showing symptoms without first talking to the OHNA, the employee is to be paid administrative leave.

Thank you

In Solidarity,

Stay safe, practice healthy living and good hygiene

 AJ Jones
Eastern Region Coordinator
American Postal Workers Union

BE AWARE: HERO System to Offer Employees Opportunity to Receive Organizational Information on Personal Devices

Brothers and Sisters,

Please find attached the notification received today at the HQ level concerning the use of the HERO program and the use of an employee’s personal mobile devices to stay informed concerning COVID-19. This was originally shared on 3/19/20.

“ The eLRA Warning Page language is standard language used to ensure compliance with Postal Service information security policies in accordance with Handbook AS-805, Information Security, Section 14.3. The security policy provides standard language to notify users that the information on Postal networks and workstations may be monitored and viewed by authorized personnel, regardless of privacy concerns.

The standard Postal Service security warning language is found in many other postal related applications including LiteBlue, eJob Bidding, eOPF, ePayroll, eReassign, HERO, PostalEase, and Virtual Timecard. We have reviewed your concerns and determined that the verbiage found on the warning page of the eRLA application is appropriate and will remain as written.”

This information concerning the use of HERO was provided by the USPS this morning and shared by  Eastern Region Coordinator, AJ Jones.

The Postal Service continues to monitor the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) across the United States.

To enhance our communication efforts, HERO now offers functionality to enroll your personal devices to receive important organizational information in times of emergency, to include COVID-19 updates.  Employees who enroll will receive national communications and local information based on your work location.

If you would like to voluntarily opt-in to receive information and alerts on your personal devices via text or email, visit HERO today or visit www.liteblue.usps.gov and select HERO.  Employees may opt-in or out at any time by updating preferences on the HERO Personal Contact Information page.  Enrollment is voluntary, and standard message and data rates may apply.

Sign up for Alerts and Updates

COVID-19 is continuing to evolve and provide challenges in both our personal and professional lives.  We are continuing to do everything we can to support and communicate to our employees.

We hope you will take advantage of this new communication method and ask that you share this information with your co-workers and teams so we can all stay informed.

If you have technical issues, please contact HERO Support at HERO-Support@usps.gov.

Thank you,
HERO Team

Once again we are advising that you not use these programs on your personal mobile device. If you should choose to do so, do so with the understanding that management maybe collecting information about you.  We understand that this is an emergency type situation.  APWU has been disseminating and providing updated information on the COVID-19 daily. Please keep yourself informed by relying on APWU information.

Any questions or concerns feel free to contact your local, state and national representatives.

Please share with your state and local representatives.

Lynn Pallas-Barber
Assistant Clerk Craft Director