Activities conjunction with private volunteer To fulfill the Peace Corps mandate, men organizations. and women are trained for a 9- to 14- In the United States, the Peace Corps week period in the appropriate local is working to promote an understanding language, the technical skills necessary of people in other countries. Through its for their particular job, and the cross- World Wise Schools Program, volunteers cultural skills needed to adjust to a are matched with elementary and junior society with traditions and attitudes high schools in the United States to different from their own. Volunteers encourage an exchange of letters, serve for a period of 2 years, living pictures, music, and artifacts. among the people with whom they Participating students increase their work. Volunteers are expected to knowledge of geography, languages, and become a part of the community through different cultures, while gaining an their voluntary service. appreciation for voluntarism. Thousands of volunteers serve throughout Central and South America, The Peace Corps offers other domestic the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, the Pacific, programs involving former volunteers, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, universities, local public school systems, Ukraine, the Baltics, and Central Asia. and private businesses and foundations They work in six program areas, in a partnership to help solve some of including: education, agriculture, health, the United States most pressing domestic small business development, urban problems. development, and the environment. The Peace Corps Office of Private Community-level projects are designed Sector Relations works with schools, to incorporate the skills of volunteers civic groups, businesses, and with the resources of host-country neighborhood and youth organizations agencies and other international in the United States to facilitate their assistance organizations to help solve support of Peace Corps initiatives here specific development problems, often in and abroad. Area Offices Peace Corps Office Address Telephone 404 331-2932 617-565-5555 312-353_4990 214-767-5435 303-866-1057 Atlanta, GA (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Rm. 2324, 101 Marietta St. NW., 30323 South Carolina, Tennessee). shire, Rhode Island, Vermont). Missouri, Ohio). homa, Texas). Wyoming). South Dakota, Wisconsin). Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico). land, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia). vada). Seattle, WA (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Rm. 1776, 2001 6th Ave., 98121 Washington). 310-235-7444 612-348-1480 212-466-2477 703-235-9191 415-744-2677 206553-5490 Sources of Information Employment Contact the Peace Corps, Office of Human Resource Management, Washington, DC 20526. Phone, 202– 606–3950. For recorded employment opportunities, call 202-606-3214. General Inquiries Information or DC, headquarters or any of its area For further information, contact the Press Office, Peace Corps, 1990 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20526. Phone, 202-606-3010; or 800_424–8580 (toll-free), Fax, 202-606-3108. PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION ROBERT B. REICH ROBERT E. RUBIN MARTIN SLATE JOSEPH H. GRANT N. ANTHONY CALHOUN JOHN SEAL JUDY SCHUB Board of Directors: (Secretary of the Treasury) (Secretary of Commerce) Negotiator Operating Officer Officer Management Officer Congressional Affairs Department Department Negotiations Department Department Management Department Department HENRY R. THOMPSON DALE WILLIAMS ANDREA E. SCHNEIDER STUART A. SIRKIN JANET A. SMITH WAYNE ROBERT POLL ROBERT W. HERTING The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation guarantees payment of nonforfeitable pension benefits in covered private-sector defined benefit pension plans. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is a self-financing, wholly owned Government corporation subject to the Government Corporation Control Act (31 U.S.C. 9101-9109). The Corporation, established by Title IV of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1301– 1461), is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and the Treasury. The Secretary of Labor is Chairman of the Board. A seven-member Advisory Committee, composed of two labor, two business, and three public members appointed by the President, advises the agency on various matters. Activities Coverage The Corporation insures most private-sector defined benefit pension plans that provide a pension benefit based on factors such as age, years of service, and salary. The Corporation administers two insurance programs separately covering single-employer and multiemployer plans. More than 42 million workers participate in approximately 55,000 covered plans. Single-Employer Insurance Under the single-employer program, the Corporation guarantees payment of certain pension benefits if an insured plan terminates without sufficient assets to pay those benefits. However, the law limits the total monthly benefit that the agency may guarantee for one individual to $2,642.05 per month, at age 65, for a plan terminating during 1995, and sets other restrictions on PBGC's guarantee. The Corporation may also pay some benefits above the guaranteed amount depending on amounts recovered from the employer responsible for the plan. A plan administrator may terminate a single-employer plan in a standard" or "distress" termination if certain procedural and legal requirements are met. In either termination, the plan administrator must inform participants in writing at least 60 days prior to the date the administrator proposes to terminate the plan. Only a plan which has sufficient assets to pay all benefit liabilities may terminate in a standard termination. The Corporation also may institute termination proceedings in certain specified circumstances. Multiemployer Insurance Under title IV, as originally enacted, the Corporation guaranteed nonforfeitable benefits for multiemployer plans in a similar fashion as for single-employer plans. However, the multiemployer program was revised in 1980 by the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act (29 U.S.C. 1001 note) which changed the insurable event from plan termination to plan insolvency. The Corporation now provides financial assistance to plans that are unable to pay nonforfeitable benefits. The plans are obligated to repay such assistance. The act also made employers withdrawing from a plan liable to the plan for a portion of its unfunded vested benefits. Premium Collections All defined benefit pension plans insured by PBGC are required to pay premiums to the Corporation according to rates set by Congress. The annual premium per plan participant for multiemployer pension plans is $2.60 for plan years beginning after September 26, 1988. The basic premium for all single-employer plans is $19 per participant per year. Underfunded single-employer plans must also pay an additional premium equal to $9 per $1,000 of unfunded vested benefits, subject to a cap that will be phased out by the end of 1997. Sources of Information The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation provides information electronically through the Internet, at http://www.pbgc.gov/. For further information, contact the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K Street NW., POSTAL RATE COMMISSION 1333 H Street NW., Washington, DC 20268-0001 Phone, 202-789-6800. Fax, 202-789-6861 Chairman EDWARD J. GLEIMAN Special Counsel JAMES PIERCE MYERS Vice Chairman W.H. LEBLANC III Special Assistant JOHN B. KEELEY Commissioner GEORGE W. HALEY Special Assistant IRVIN H. BROMALL Commissioner H. EDWARD QUICK, JR. Special Assistant JANET L. GREENE Commissioner (VACANCY) Special Assistant (VACANCY) Special Assistant to the Commission ROBERT W. MITCHELL Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary MARGARET P. CRENSHAW Legal Advisor STEPHEN L. SHARFMAN ROBERT COHEN and Planning Advocate Personnel Officer CYRIL J. PITTACK (For the Postal Rate Commission statement of organization, see the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 39, Part 3002] The major responsibility of the Postal Rate Commission is to submit recommended decisions to the United States Postal Service Governors on postage rates, fees, and mail classifications. The Postal Rate Commission is an The Commission promulgates rules and regulations, establishes procedures, and takes other actions necessary to carry out its obligations. Acting upon requests from the U.S. Postal Service or on its own initiative, the Commission recommends and issues advisory opinions to the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service on changes in The Commission also receives, studies, |