The UPMA 2026 Legislative Summit

The Legislative Summit allows UPMA to continue to build our legislative and
political success by partnering with a team of government relations strategists in
Washington, DC. Delegates will receive training to discuss legislative issues that
UPMA is currently working on. On Tuesday all delegates will visit Ohio
congressional and senatorial offices to discuss these issues. Please reach out to
your Chapter President if you are interested in attending.

REPORT FROM OUR 2026 LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON DC

I have to say I have been doing this for twenty years and this was the best one I have ever attended!  Monday the Postmaster General, David P. Steiner opened by saying, the post office is a daily point of connection for everybody in the community.  And the people who run it, you’re not just managers you’re community leaders.  You over see the teams that make our universal service real for every citizen in America. He discussed the challenges facing the Postal Service and outlined solutions for making it financially sustainable.   

Then our Government Affairs Team prepared us for Tuesday’s meetings on the Capitol Hill.     Our top PAC contributors attended the evening PAC Medallion Reception with guest speaker Rep Suhas Subramanyam, D-VA.  Congratulations to all “twenty” of our Ohio PAC Medallion winners!   

Tuesday morning, seventeen Ohio UPMA members went to Capitol Hill visiting all fifteen Congressional Offices and both Senate Offices building relationships and advocation for UPMA’s Priorities in their districts.  This year delegations went to Congress with a clear message: The policies that govern the USPS must reflect the dedication of the workforce that keeps it running. UPMA strongly opposes any budget reconciliation measures that would reduce earned benefits for active and retired members.  The legislative priorities below represent UPMA’s commitment to a USPS that is financially sound, operationally strong, and fair to the employees who have devoted their careers to public service. Privatization UPMA strongly opposes any efforts to privatize the USPS. The Postal Service is a vital public institution created in the U.S. Constitution— not a profit-driven enterprise. UPMA believes privatization would undermine USPS’s universal service obligation, threaten six-day delivery, weaken nationwide mail and package networks, and increase costs while reducing service—particularly in rural and underserved communities.

UPMA supports H.Res. 70 and S.Res. 147, which express the sense of Congress that the United States Postal Service must remain an independent federal establishment and not be privatized. Federal Retirement Fairness Act (H.R. 1522) UPMA strongly supports the Federal Retirement Fairness Act (H.R. 1522), which addresses longstanding inequities affecting postal employees who began their careers in temporary or noncareer positions. Because retirement contributions were not permitted during this service, many employees face gaps that reduce earned benefits and delay retirement eligibility. The legislation allows eligible employees to make catch-up contributions to restore retirement credit. This bill promotes fairness, parity with other federal workers, and long-term retirement security. Title 39 Reform (H.R. 7600) UPMA supports the Postal Supervisors, Managers, and Postmasters Fairness Act of 2026 (H.R. 7600) to bring postal employment standards in line with the rest of the federal government and to ensure fair treatment of Executive and Administrative Schedule (EAS) employees. Current law leaves EAS employees without basic workplace protections, including meaningful appeal rights and binding pay determinations. UPMA supports key reforms to Title 39 U.S. Code that would strengthen accountability, improve morale, and support retention of experienced USPS managers. 8 Postal Employment Appeal Rights (H.R. 1559) UPMA supports H.R. 1559, legislation that would provide postal employees with clear, enforceable rights to appeal adverse personnel actions. The bill aligns USPS employment protections with basic federal due-process standards by ensuring access to independent review and consistent discipline. UPMA believes restoring appeal rights strengthens accountability, protects employees from arbitrary actions, improves morale, and helps USPS retain a stable and professional workforce. Equitable Cost of Living Adjustments (H.R. 491) UPMA supports the Equal COLA Act (H.R. 491), which ensures federal retirees, including postal retirees, receive equal cost-of-living adjustments. This legislation corrects disparities in how COLAs are calculated across retirement systems, protects the real value of earned benefits, and prevents erosion of purchasing power over time. UPMA views this legislation as essential to promoting fairness, predictability, and retirement security for long-serving public servants. Protecting Postal Workers (H.R. 2095) UPMA supports the Postal Police Reform Act of 2025 (H.R. 2095), which restores and clarifies the U.S. Postal Police’s authority to protect postal employees, facilities, and mail beyond postal property. The legislation strengthens public safety, deters mail theft and postalrelated crimes and improves coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement.  Reliable Postal Service— Protect Postal Performance Act (H.R. 2103) UPMA has endorsed the Protect Postal Performance Act (H.R. 2103), which helps maintain reliable postal service, protect community access, and preserve a strong nationwide postal network. H.R. 2103 aims to prevent service degradation caused by the consolidation or downsizing of USPS facilities. The bill aims to protect retail access and customer service operations—particularly in underserved communities and on vulnerable delivery routes— by limiting USPS authority to reduce or eliminate essential facilities without oversight. It also requires Postal Regulatory Commission approval before significant operational changes take effect.

Coffee with Bernie Moreno, was a great way to start our day on Capitol Hill.  Next, we attended the Huston Huddle.  There we had time to talk with Senator Husted.  The rest of the day we visited our Congressional Representative offices.  UPMA Ohio members gave each Congressional Representative and Senator a challenge coin thanking them for their help in the past and their effort to stop the Big Beautiful Bill from taking away our benefits!   The summit concluded with a reception honoring Champions of the 119th Congress!  Attended by more than 50 legislators, five congressmen from Ohio.

Laura Reese Legislative Chair

Legislative Week - Why is it so important?
Each year, the UPMA nationwide sends it’s membership to Washington, D.C. to confer with their
respective Legislators, both House and Senate from the Districts they reside in. These consultations are about matters that affect our membership such as health care, retirement provisions and yes, issues concerning the postal service in general. This is how we were able to affect the latest postal reform bill recently passed which provided relief from unfunded healthcare mandates that have burdened the postal service for years. But the job isn’t over.
    This year, UPMA went “up the hill” to discuss a variety of issues including the WEP/GPO bills that address unfair compensation from Social Security and other matters affecting retirees who are eligible but are denied their benefits. After a day long session with UPMA leadership and a briefing from the PMG Louis DeJoy, we were empowered to take on the task of addressing the respective congressional representatives and their staff on the matters we had chosen for consideration.
    On Tuesday, March 19th, we journeyed to Capitol Hill and the various congressional office buildings to make our appointed rounds. Some of our members were fortunate to meet with their Representative or Senator while most worked with the staffers in each office. Ohio was well covered in that we ensured every elected member received a visit from us on this day. The conversations and dialog were both uplifting and informative. It was refreshing to hear that almost all were well aware of the legislative efforts underway and the majority of representatives who were a

co-sponsor of one bill or another. Because this is a major election year and the budget process is under huge constraints, the inner workings of what it takes to get a bill through is not a simple process.
    “UPMA has proven that IF we could persevere to get postal reform completed
just a short while ago, this too is not an insurmountable task.” - Paul Joseph
At the end of the day, everyone who was present felt a sense of accomplishment, pride and armed
with the knowledge that we had made a favorable impression on our elected officials and their staff.
This was due in part by communicating the plethora of accomplishments, impact on our communities
and the far reaching effects that the postal service brings to every citizen in the area we service.
For all the UPMA members (both active and retired) who attend Legislative Conference each year, it’s
not just a sight seeing trip, not just a glorified venture where you take a back seat or ‘hang out’ with
others. Everyone has a proactive role they play in visiting their actual elected Representative from
where they live. YOU are their constituent and yes, you have a right to be there.
This is true democracy at work and why we have a government in place.
WE are the reason government exists.
I would strongly ask that you consider making a trip in your future plans to attend the next Legislative
Conference with UPMA as it is because of our membership that we can affect change in Congress on
our behalf.
Every VOICE COUNTS and every member MATTERS when it comes to strength
in numbers!!!
A huge THANK YOU goes out to Postmaster (ret) Ted Gedeon who has served as our Legislative Chair
now for countless years, keeping our Ohio Chapter informed, scheduling appointments, and directing
the actions of Ohio year ‘round to ensure our voices are heard effectively and kept on point.
Ted’s tireless actions reflect great credit upon himself as a Leader, Mentor and above all else, an
Honorable Postmaster (ret) dedicated to the betterment of his community at large.
Paul Joseph - Ohio Chapter Editor