USPS and Union Did Nothing Wrong

[PartyOf5]

I think the issue is that the USPS coordinated or "colluded" directly with the union to arrange time off for their political work. Since the union supports a certain candidate, the coordination favored those candidates over the ones not supported by the union.

I don't see this as a big deal either. The USPS workers weren't doing their political work while on the clock with USPS, so who cares.

[The Conservative]

This isn't a strike. They were taking leave to work on the Hillary Clinton campaign. I don't see how the USPS was doing anything wrong by coordinating their taking leave so many of them can do it during the campaign season without affecting the mail deliveries.

If the USPS were working directly with the Clinton campaign, I think there might be some lines crossed. Not sure. But I only got the sense from the article that they were working with the union to help as many employees take leave as possible.

You know you sort of contradicted yourself there...

The United States Postal Service violated federal law by letting employees do union-funded work for Hillary Clinton's campaign

The 1939 Hatch Act forbids the intimidation or bribery of voters and restricts political campaign activities by federal employees. I thought that was clear...

On vacation or not, they are still federal employees. It's like how people who work and their family members for a TV station or radio station can't win a prize because they work for it. Same concept.

[Hanarchy Montanarchy]

'Restricts' isn't 'eliminates'.

Union got time off for employees so they could engage in the democratic process as citizens.

[The Conservative]

'Restricts' isn't 'eliminates'.

Union got time off for employees so they could engage in the democratic process as citizens.

Yeah, it's called voting.

[Speaker to Animals]

'Restricts' isn't 'eliminates'.

Union got time off for employees so they could engage in the democratic process as citizens.

Yeah, this issue reads like chicken shit. I admit maybe there is something I don't understand here. USPS employees can go on leave. Big deal. It's not the federal government's business what they do on leave.

[The Conservative]

'Restricts' isn't 'eliminates'.

Union got time off for employees so they could engage in the democratic process as citizens.

Yeah, this issue reads like chicken shit. I admit maybe there is something I don't understand here. USPS employees can go on leave. Big deal. It's not the federal government's business what they do on leave.

That's not true, you are an employee of the government, you need to hold yourself to specific standards. If not, you can be fired.

[Kazmyr]

The more I read about it, the more I think Speaker's right about this. USPS isn't a fed. agency prohibited from partisan activity under the Hatch Act (list here: https://osc.gov/Resources/HA%20Pamphlet ... 202014.pdf).

They were on leave. They weren't on duty, on government property, wearing an official uniform, or using a government vehicle (if they were, good God - how dumb can you be). The Hatch Act — Permitted and Prohibited Activities for Employees

Employees (via union) asked for time off to go campaign. USPS says "ok, but it's LWOP." Union/employees agree and go shill for H. How would this be different than say a USPS employee telling his boss that he's taking time off and using his LWOP time to go to a Trump rally? Is that really a violation of the Hatch Act?

[The Conservative]

The more I read about it, the more I think Speaker's right about this. USPS isn't a fed. agency prohibited from partisan activity under the Hatch Act (list here: https://osc.gov/Resources/HA%20Pamphlet ... 202014.pdf).

They were on leave. They weren't on duty, on government property, wearing an official uniform, or using a government vehicle (if they were, good God - how dumb can you be). The Hatch Act — Permitted and Prohibited Activities for Employees

Employees (via union) asked for time off to go campaign. USPS says "ok, but it's LWOP." Union/employees agree and go shill for H. How would this be different than say a USPS employee telling his boss that he's taking time off and using his LWOP time to go to a Trump rally? Is that really a violation of the Hatch Act?

When Congress has to pass rules and laws that dictate things for the post office, to me that means it's a federal agency.

[Kazmyr]

The more I read about it, the more I think Speaker's right about this. USPS isn't a fed. agency prohibited from partisan activity under the Hatch Act (list here: https://osc.gov/Resources/HA%20Pamphlet ... 202014.pdf).

They were on leave. They weren't on duty, on government property, wearing an official uniform, or using a government vehicle (if they were, good God - how dumb can you be). The Hatch Act — Permitted and Prohibited Activities for Employees

Employees (via union) asked for time off to go campaign. USPS says "ok, but it's LWOP." Union/employees agree and go shill for H. How would this be different than say a USPS employee telling his boss that he's taking time off and using his LWOP time to go to a Trump rally? Is that really a violation of the Hatch Act?

When Congress has to pass rules and laws that dictate things for the post office, to me that means it's a federal agency.

All federal agencies have to follow the Hatch Act, yes. Some have to follow more specific, more stringent rules of the Hatch Act. USPS is not one of them.

Agencies and employees prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity

Employees of the following agencies (or agency components), or in the following categories, are subject to more extensive restrictions on their political activities than employees in other Departments and agencies:

Administrative law judges (positions described at 5 U.S.C. § 5372)
Central Intelligence Agency
Contract Appeals Boards (positions described at 5 U.S.C. § 5372a)
Criminal Division (Department of Justice)
Defense Intelligence Agency
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Election Commission
Merit Systems Protection Board
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
National Security Agency
National Security Council
Office of Criminal Investigation (Internal Revenue Service)
Office of Investigative Programs (Customs Service)
Office of Law Enforcement (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives)
United States Office of Special Counsel
Secret Service
Senior Executive Service
(career positions described at 5 U.S.C. § 3132(a)(4))

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatch_Act_of_1939

[PartyOf5]

you are an employee of the government, you need to hold yourself to specific standards.

That right there sounds like a contradiction.