�           UNITED ST/JTES
l!Iii/, POST/JL SERVICE

October 20, 2020

Officers, PCES, Pay Band Managers, and EAS Employees SUBJECT:  Extraordinary  Measures Memorandum

As we draw closer to the November 3, 2020, general election, more information is being provided 
today to further supplement and reiterate previous guidance.  This Memorandum follows those issued 
on Sept. 21 (Clarifying Operational Instructions), Sept. 25 (Additional Resources), and Oct. 13 
(Supplemental Guidance).  This series of Memoranda supports the timely and efficient handling of 
Election Mail , as that volume increases, and assists in ensuring we properly carry out specific 
directives contained in recent federal district court orders.

..,,,Please note these instructions represent the procedures in place for the November 3, 2020, 
general election only and may deviate from standard policies, as defined in both the POM and 
PO408.**

Election Mail Continues to be the Postal Service's Number One Priority

The common theme among all memoranda issued continues to be our commitment to the proper handling 
and timely delivery of Election Mail, which remains our number one priority.
Specifically, today's memorandum discusses the deployment of extraordinary measures, to deliver 
democracy for those who choose to use the mail to cast their vote. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy 
has clearly stated his commitment to ensuring the Postal Service fulfills its "sacred duty to 
deliver the nation's election mail securely and on time." Today's information, in conjunction with 
all previous guidance issued, clearly lays out these measures.

The next two weeks are extremely important, and we must work together to put a relentless focus on 
Election Mail, especially the volume of completed ballots going from voters to their respective 
election offices.

Command Center Established:

•     A Command Center has been established by Retail and Delivery Operations,  with a cross­ 
functional team dedicated to providing guidance and answering questions from the Field on Election 
Mail, ballot handling, or any election-related issue.
•     Contact the Command Center immediately if you encounter a situation involving Election Mail 
(including extraordinary measures) that is not addressed in this memorandum, or if you have any 
questions or need further clarification on matters discussed in this memorandum or in the 
previously issued memoranda regarding the handling of Election Mail.

You can reach the Command Center at 1-877-672-0007.  The Command Center is led by Omar Coleman.

Extraordinary Measures Being Implemented:

475  L'ENFANT PLAZA SW W ASHINGTONDC  20260 WWW.USPS.COM

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To help support the timely delivery of Election Mail, and consistent with our practices in past 
election cycles, the use of extraordinary measures beyond our normal course of operations is 
authorized and expected to be executed by local management between October 26 and November 24, to 
accelerate the delivery of ballots, when the Postal Service is able to identify the mailpiece as a 
ballot.  These extraordinary measures include, but are not limited to, expedited handling, extra 
deliveries, and special pickups as used in past elections, to connect blank ballots entered by 
election officials to voters, or completed ballots returned by voters entered close to or on 
Election Day to their intended destination (e.g., Priority Mail Express, Sunday deliveries, special 
deliveries, running collected ballots to Boards of Elections on Election Day, etc.).

Below is a list of some examples of the types of extraordinary measures that are authorized to be 
used.  If your office would like to employ an extraordinary measure not listed below or would like 
to implement an extraordinary measure prior to October 26, please contact the Command Center for 
approval.

Retail:

•     Offices may establish a "Ballot postmark ONLY" line at retail counters, which should be 
staffed at all times, beginning October 26 and continuing through Election Day (November 3).
•     Employ a daily "soft opening" and "soft closing" concept, extending retail hours by 30 
minutes on both ends in designated sites across each city/town/locality, beginning October 26 and 
running through November 3.
•     If necessary to manage high volumes, offices may establish at least one drive-through ballot 
postmark/drop option, which is staffed daily, beginning October 26 and continuing through November 
3.
•     Use practices similar to "Tax Day", with a Clerk outside the facility to both cancel 
(postmark) and accept drive-up ballots from customers; ballots will be trayed up, riffled to verify 
BOE and direct trays collected will be delivered to the appropriate BOE. This activity can begin 
October 26.

o    Ballots postmarked in retail and delivered directly to local BOE for turnaround ballots, or 
placed in collections if out-of-town, must have designated supervisor oversight.
o     For ballots turned around locally, make sure to do accounting for any BRM mail.
NOTE: Proper PPE for COVID-19 is required for any customer interaction.  Employees participating in 
drive-through/drive-up collections are required to wear the proper PPE for COVID-19 and should 
practice social distancing where possible.

Delivery:

•     Local offices which serve or are in close proximity to a BOE are authorized to postmark 
(round date reflecting the date of acceptance) and deliver ballots, rather than the ballots being 
placed into the automation flow.
•     On Thursday, October 29, and Friday, October 30, carriers will physically go to every 
delivery point, regardless of if they have mail, to check for outgoing mail.  On Saturday, October 
31, carriers will physically go to all residential and open businesses delivery points, regardless 
of if they have mail, to check for outgoing mail.
•     All Level 21 and above offices will run regular collections (Monday-Friday schedule) on 
Sunday, November 1, and will coordinate cancellations with their local plant.
•     All Level 18-20 offices must retrieve front and lobby collections and hub mail to meet local 
transportation on November 1.
•     Run early collections on November 2 and November 3, with local postmark reflecting the date 
of entry and turnaround for local ballots to the BOE.

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•     Establish a "hub-and-spoke" process for running ballots on Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, 
November 3 for offices that service or are in close proximity to a local BOE.  Ballots are to be 
postmarked in the local retail unit, then hubbed to the BOE, prior to the cut-off for the day.  
This will also apply to the LAST day that the BOE accepts ballots in each state.
•     For non-local BOE deliveries where it is reasonably possible to effectuate delivery by the 
cutoff time for accepting ballots in that state, establish an Election Mail "hub-and-spoke" process 
specifically for transporting ballots on Election Day, November 3, using pre-identified drivers and 
vehicles staged to run trips.  Coordinate the trips around cut-off times to avoid making the same 
hub/spoke run multiple times per day.
•     Utilize Express Mail handoff to move missent ballots with tracking.
•     On Election Day, November 3, carriers will pull ballots from their collection mail and hand 
them over to their supervisor.  Supervisors will exchange ballots around the city, and after the 
exchange, a designated supervisor makes delivery to the BOE.
•     Beginning Monday, October 26, delivery units should coordinate with Mail Processing for 
utilization of the Express Mail Network to connect blank ballots entered by election officials to 
voters close to or on Election Day.
•     Beginning on Friday, October 30, you are authorized to use the Express Mail network to 
connect completed ballots returned by voters entered close to or on Election Day to their intended 
destination. All ballots must be postmarked (round dated) at the origin facility prior to entry in 
the Express Mail network.

Postmaster  Actions:

•     Postmasters are to coordinate after-hours handoffs with BOE, depending on their acceptance 
times. We will make deliveries as necessary to facilitate ballot flow.
•     Postmasters should arrange for after-hours handoffs with BOEs (sweeping collection boxes, 
etc).
•     Local management will continue regular outreach with local BOEs.
•     District Managers will coordinate with their counterparts within state boundaries (across 
district lines) to exchange ballots for all BOE. They will rendezvous with other district partners 
within the same state multiple times per day to exchange ballots, on Election Day, November 3, and 
on the LAST day that the BOE accepts ballots in each state.
•     Postmasters will arrange to drive BOE ballots to the voter, using a "hub-and-spoke"concept, 
when USPS management or an election official initiates concerns/requests.
•     We will intercept and deliver Election Mail with known mailer misprints in the barcode (wrong 
ZIP or address at wrong destination) -  and establish a pitch/catch to redirect ballots to the 
correct BOE.
•     Continue to memorialize all issues on the Political/Election Mail log in real time.

Reiterating All Recent Guidance

Upon receipt of this memorandum, be sure to take time and fully explain to your direct reports the 
extraordinary measures discussed in today's document, as well as all previous Memoranda.  A copy of 
this memorandum will be posted on the Postal Service Intranet at blue.usps.govand 
liteblue.usps.gov.  A Mandatory Stand-Up Talk, discussing the content of memorandum, will also be 
distributed from Headquarters, which should be pushed to all employees immediately upon receipt.

Questions and Contacts

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Providing consistent guidance across the organization is critical to our success. If you or your 
team have questions, resources are always available. The USPS Election Mail Command Center, led by 
Omar Coleman, can be reached at 1-877-672-0007.  Additionally, questions regarding Mail Processing 
Operations should be directed to Mike Barber, Vice President, Processing and Maintenance 
Operations, at mike.l.barber@usps  .gov. Questions regarding Logistics should be directed to Robert 
Cintron, Vice President Logistics at robert.cintron@usps.gov. Questions regarding Retail and 
Delivery Operations can be directed to Joshua Colin, Vice President, Delivery Operations, at jo 
shua.d.colin@usps.gov or Angela Curtis, Vice President, Retail and Post Office Operations, at 
angela.h.curtis@usps.gov.

Kristin A. Seaver
Chief Retail & Delivery Officer and Executive Vice President

. Williams
Chie  Logistics & Processing Operations Officer
and Executive Vice President

The Local is holding a General Membership Meeting this Sunday, September 27, via Zoom. This is our first meeting in sometime, so please, register to attend. This meeting is for members of our local only, and membership is being checked prior to attendance. To register, copy and paste the link below into your browser.

Hi there, 

You are invited to a Zoom meeting. 
When: Sep 27, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) 

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kdO-qrTMtHNMOIVl7QG3iJSYiNxcpL9mG 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Click on the link for an excerpt of the Senator's press conference, attended by Long Island Area Local President Pete Furgiuele and presidents of other locals and crafts.

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/post-office-stimulus-package-1.48031714

08.12.20

SCHUMER REVEALS: LONG ISLAND’S POSTAL HUB—ALONG WITH ITS 7,500 TOTAL WORKERS & DOOR-TO-DOOR SERVICE—FACE A GIANT AXE UNLESS ADMIN. FINALLY MEETS IN THE MIDDLE & NEGOTIATES ON ‘COVID-4’; SENATOR STANDS UP FOR LI PLANT’S WORKERS, NEIGHBORHOOD POST OFFICES & DEMANDS CRITICAL SERVICES REMAIN

Of All The USPS Processing Plants In The Nation, Melville’s Is One Of The Most Important Because It Serves Tri-State Area—BUT Without Coronavirus Fed Relief, LI’s Postal Engine Could Fizzle, Impacting Jobs, Businesses & Everyday Service   

Schumer Just Met 1:1 With Postmaster & Warned Of Inaction; Senator Cited Delayed Medications, Paychecks & More In Plea To Get Stamp Of Approval On LI USPS Funds 

Schumer: Even A “Back Of The Envelope” Calculation Shows LI Post Office Operations Would Be Amongst The Hardest Hit If Action Is Not Taken     

Mere days after a 1:1 meeting with USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer revealed that Long Island’s Melville postal hub—one of the biggest in America—along with the Island’s more than 7,500 USPS workers in total and door-to-door service could face a giant axe if the administration does not —like it has in prior pandemic relief bills—meet in the middle and negotiate on the ‘COVID-4’ relief bill now on pause in Congress and if USPS leadership does not support its agency.

“A week ago today, I met one-on-one with Postmaster General DeJoy and my very serious concerns for Long Island’s postal operations, workforce and customers still remain,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “The Melville facility, Long Island’s more than 7,500 jobs and this plant’s tri-state services are systemic to the entire USPS postal system, a part of the ‘central nervous system’ functions, really. So, a place like this will feel the results of inaction first and it would get worse from there across Long Island and beyond. That is why we are here today for two reasons: first, to make a case for the administration to meet in the middle and negotiate on pandemic relief for the USPS and second, to urge USPS leaders like Louis DeJoy to back this place up—the entire Island, its entire workforce and all the customers.”

Schumer said that of all the processing plants in the nation, Melville is a tri-state hub and that it cannot risk a major slash or closure, a scenario the facility and LI postal services could face without deserved pandemic relief. Schumer warned that without negotiated pandemic relief for the USPS, LI jobs, businesses and everyday postal service on the Island would be changed—for the worse. He detailed his recent meeting with DeJoy and explained how he pushed the postmaster on these issues of delayed medications, consumer goods, paychecks and more as he made a public case for Congress to act and for the postmaster general to heed the concerns of Long Island.

Schumer was joined by Walter Barton, President of the National Association of Letter Carriers Long Island Branch, Peter Furgiele, President of the American Postal Workers Union Local 3251, Keven Tabarus, President of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 300 and employees of the Long Island postal system who ensure door-to-door delivery to homes and small businesses across Long Island as he made his case for action.

As it relates to Long Island and its more than 7,500 USPS workers and countless customers, Schumer said he is concerned because the USPS recently directed operational changes in post offices and processing centers. On August 7, 2020, the USPS also announced a significant reorganization of Postal Service leadership and functions, which could impact Long Island. These changes include the elimination of extra mail transportation trips, the reduction of overtime, the start of a pilot program for mail sorting and delivery policies at hundreds of post offices, and the reduction equipment at mail processing plants. Schumer said these decisions absolutely have an impact on Long Island, a case he made to the postmaster.

“Because one of the biggest plants is right here in Melville,” Schumer warned.

In urging the postmaster, both in letters and personally, Schumer argued the Postal Service is an “essential public institution with an obligation to serve every community in the nation.” Schumer told DeJoy he should not make changes on Long Island that will slow down mail or compromise service for veterans, small businesses, rural communities, seniors, and millions of Americans who rely on the mail for medicines, essential goods, voting, correspondence, and for their livelihoods.  The Postal Service has characterized these changes as efficiency or cost-saving measures and add they minimized any “temporary service issues” as an “inevitable” side effect of implementing new procedures, Schumer and colleagues noted in a recent letter.

Schumer has argued that in the midst of a pandemic, these actions, whether intentional or not, are already causing mail delays across the country and appear to constitute an unacceptable threat to the Postal Service and the millions of Americans who depend on it. According to Time, amid the pandemic, many postal service employees have seen their workload double because Americans started ordering more medicine and food online from inside their homes. But the volume of letter mail – the USPS’s biggest revenue stream – has fallen. In April, the U.S. Postmaster General, told the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that revenue losses this fiscal year could reach $13 billion. Schumer said that the USPS is like any other business that has been provided relief and assistance and that the numbers prove they’ve been hard hit.

“The bottom-line for Long Island is that even a “back of the envelope” calculation shows that postal operations here would be amongst the hardest hit if action is not taken and if leadership within the agency does not make the right decisions, and we cannot have that and I will not go for it,” Schumer concluded.

A breakdown of USPS jobs across Long Island’s congressional districts (CD) appears below:

*TOTAL LONG ISLAND USPS WORKFORCE: 7,651 JOBS

APWU Health Plan COVID-19 Coverage Enhancements

The Health Plan will:
•     Cover COVID-19 testing at no cost* to the member when testing is prescribed by a clinical 
professional
•     Cover telehealth visits at no cost* to the member when visits are performed through the 
Health Plan’s telehealth providers:

o  High Option: Visits through Amwell are available at www.amwell.com at no cost* to the member
o  Consumer Driven Option: Virtual visits through AmWell, Teladoc, and Doc on Demand are available 
at www.myuhc.com at no cost* to the member

•     Cover telehealth visits to network providers at no cost* to member when related to COVID-19
•     Waive inpatient prior authorization requirements related to COVID-19
•     Reminder: Members are encouraged to use mail order for maintenance medications which provides 
a 90-day refill and the delivery is free

*All deductible, coinsurance, and copays will be waived

Immediate Action Required!

NEW APPROVED Retail Safe Guards & Actions to be taken in every office:   

Social Distancing

·         Please ensure EVERY PO has lines and sign in place today.  Tape on floor 6’ increments, Lobbies, Q-lines, Counters, Front Doors & even outside on ground (for lobbies that get more than 10 people) where necessary

·         Please ensure we have taken every proactive steps within the operations to ensure social distancing: Cases, Start Times, Breaks, Loading of Dock, Back Office, PO Box, PM Office, Parcel Distribution

·         Coughing/ Sneezing guards at retail window is authorized where appropriate, standard work to follow.  Items to consider:

o   Safe and secure installation

o   Plexi glass first option (remember , cough guard , not an air flow shield , maybe 2.5x3 or 3x3)

o   Clear vinyl (shower curtain) as temp option until plexi glass

o   Clear vinyl (shower curtain) as long term where plexi glass can’t be installed

Please take all urgent precautions to keep our employees safe while continuing to service our customers. 

Frank Calabrese

District Manager / Executive-In-Charge

Long Island District

Please note that the General Membership Meeting and Shop Steward Seminar scheduled for Sunday, March 22, 2020 is canceled. We will reschedule the shop steward seminar. No one will be adversely affected by this cancelation. 

Be safe, stay healthy, take care of family. Stay posted for additional information and schedules.

The American Postal Workers Union continually fights for safe jobs. The Postal Service, as we all know, is not the safest place to work. Learn what we can do to keep ourselves safe, and what the Union is doing to help keep us safe. For more information, click here.