SUPPORT FOR FUNDING CHANGE. While the new President's Commission on the USPS studies the future of the postal system, one important change awaits Congressional action: changing the way USPS funds the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The four major employee unions, three major management associations and leading mailing industry groups recently signed a letter to President Bush asking for his support of a bill that would change the USPS funding formula for CSRS and prevent an overpayment of its obligation by $71 billion.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reviewed USPS payments to CSRS, and found the potential overpayment. Only Congressional action can change the way CSRS is funded by USPS, and OPM has drafted such legislation. The letter of support, posted at www.postcom.org, states: "Congress must pass the OPM-drafted legislation soon. We encourage swift passage of this bill because the entire nation needs a healthy Postal Service. We can help the Postal Service and the mailing industry if we avoid this $71 billion overpayment and the higher postage rates it would generate."

The letter is signed by the American Postal Workers Union, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Postal Mail Handlers Union, National Rural Letter Carriers Association, National Association of Postal Supervisors, National Association of Postmasters of the united States and National League of Postmasters. Industry groups signing the letter include the Association for Postal Commerce, Direct Marketing Association, International Paper, Magazine Publishers of America, Mailers Council, National Retail Federation, Newspaper Association of America and Parcel Shippers Association.

FIGHTING FRAUD. The USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) has taken over the investigation of some workers' compensation fraud. The investigations were previously conducted by the Postal Inspection Service. OIG is investigating fraud related to on-the-job injuries, called workers' compensation claimant fraud, in the Capital Metro Area, extending from Baltimore, MD, to Richmond, VA, and including Washington, DC. Persons with information of this type of alleged fraud in the Capital Metro Area — or any postal waste, fraud or abuse — can call the OIG confidential hotline toll-free at 888-USPS-OIG.

"By combining our existing efforts in health care and provider fraud investigations with claimant fraud investigations, we will help hold down rising costs in the workers' compensation area," said Inspector General Karla Corcoran. "That will consequently help put money back where it belongs — in the customer's pocket — by keeping postage costs down."