Injury Compensation Representation

Calls and letters frequently come in from injured letter carriers and their advocates throughout Michigan, and even across the country, dealing with the struggles you are having with Postal Service Compensation Specialists and Department of Labor Claims Examiners. I do not mind discussing compensation with any NALC member. My heart goes out to the thousands of you who have been injured in the performance of your duties, and then have been stepped on by the Postal Service afterward!

I do ask, however, that you discuss your concerns with your Branch officers first. Questions can also be posed to your National Business Agent, who in turn can seek guidance from Ms. Linda DeCarlo, our NALC National Director of Compensation. These are the people who can advocate for you!

Having said the above things, I am nonetheless happy to talk with injured letter carriers in a non--advocacy role at any time, provided they have called their Branch officers first.

Department of Labor Resources

The Department of Labor has recently updated its Federal Agency Handbook, the CA-810, which anticipates most of the positions that its Claims Examiners will take in various cases involving injured Federal workers. By all means write to them and ask for a hard copy if you are seriously involved in appealing rejected OWCP claims. This booklet is also available at the Department of Labor's web site under the Employment Standards Administration's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs subheading. This site also contains a substantial colection of documents, law resources, the FECA Procedure Manual, and actual ECAB decisions at this OWCP Resource Web Site, with dirct links to these recources from their page. These resources are unbeatable for any advocate who wants to go beyond making emotional arguments and into serious, persuasive advocacy, based on a solid understanding of procedure and precedent. The Department of Labor web site can be accessed directly from its link near the bottom of this page, and it is loaded with topics of value for labor leaders.

Employee Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB) Headnotes

Employee Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB) headnotes are also available by link from the OWCP Home Page. These excerpts replace those formelry compined by this writer due to their quality and undeniable authenticity. These headnotes are decisive submissions at Oral Hearings and when writing reconsidrations when they support the claimant's position. They also make it only too clear why some claims lose. Just hit Office of Workers' Compensation Programs to link to the OWCP Web Site.

To see a new resource center for injured Federal workers, visit FedupFed, a site with many official and unofficial links for injuredand disabled workers, including many fellow Posties.