|
Top Stories
200,000
Postal Workers May Be Affected by
USPS Use of Labor Scheduling
Software
-Postal Workers who work as
package and letter sorters could
be affected by the postal agency's
use of the
Labor
Force Schedule Optimizer System
(SOS) to model workers'
jobs. Managers have begun using
the Optimizer System in
Philadelphia and at least 19
postal facilities. In 2001, when
USPS officials first used the
planning tool in a series of pilot
and proof-of-concept tests, they
eliminated 1,600 full-time
equivalent positions out of
11,500. SOS is web-enabled, so
management can access and use it
from anywhere in the world.
|
 USPS seeks
dismissal of Postal Workers
anthrax suit-
USPS has petitioned the court to
dismiss a class action $100
million lawsuit saying that
the court has no jurisdiction over
the complaint. The 29-page
document submitted on behalf of
PMG Potter also includes an
argument that ,"The
Defendants (USPS) Are
entitled to Qualified Immunity."
USPS
3/04 request to dismiss suit
(4/29/04) |
-
Brentwood
Postal Workers Push Lawsuit Over Anthrax
-"Memos
Show USPS Knew of Spores"
-Lawyers for 2,300 employees at Brentwood mail facility urged
a federal judge to let
them move forward with a lawsuit
accusing USPS
of "lying to the workforce after
discovering deadly anthrax
contamination in the plant, saying
officials must be punished for
exposing so many people to harm."
-
Postal Worker Anthrax Victims
Deserve Day in Court, Groups Says
Postmasters
Oppose Many of USPS Amendments to Postal
bill-NAPUS
leaders are disappointed in the
Postal Service's proposal to
eliminate the prohibition against
closing a post office solely for
economic reasons and eliminate the
community's due process rights to
appeal a post office closing or
consolidation to the Independent
Postal Rate Commission. |
OIG Report Says Plan Unfair to Customers (PDF)-The
USPS Office of Inspector General says that the Civil Service
Retirement System (CSRS) legislation that passed last year will save USPS
from over funding the (CSRS) retirement system by billions, but is not fair to
postal customers. Any CSRS overpayments being held in escrow should be released
the Postal Service and USPS should not be required to pay pension costs for
military service. This requirement constitutes a 'hidden tax' on Postal Service
customers.
USPS
Suspends
Biohazard Detection System
Testing & Deployment-Non-determinant test results
temporarily halt BDS rollout .Some tests are neither positive
nor negative theyre inconclusive. For the Biohazard Detection
System (BDS), an inconclusive test is called a
non-determinant. . As a result, national BDS
deployment is being temporarily halted so we can address this
issue. A non-determinant doesnt
indicate a threat is suspected, it simply means the test result
is inconclusive. |
-
CEPHEID,BDS Developer Comments on USPS
Announcement (4/29/04)
USPS & NALC
Release Route Inspection
Moratorium Q & A
-Following input from letter carriers throughout the country
regarding difficulties in verifying the cased mail volume under the
Moratorium on Route Counts and Inspections NALC
& USPS agreed on a simpler, easier-to-use form which will be
used to track the daily cased mail volume on all routes. The parties
also agreed to a series of
25 questions that had arisen from the field regarding this
moratorium and the route verification process.
|
-
Special Message from NALC Young on Route
Inspections Moratorium
-
Gary
Mullins NALC VP: (see
NALC for copy of
agreement and update) 4/3)
"Aggressive" Timetable Set for
Postal Overhaul Legislation-
Senator Chairwoman Susan Collins,
R-Maine said she plans to
introduce bipartisan legislation
with Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del by the
end of the month. On Wed. Collins
laid out an aggressive timetable
for a Postal Service overhaul
bill.|
-
PRC, USPS
Board Chiefs Differ on Reform
Views
-
PRC Chair:
More Postal Service Transparency
Needed
-
Statement of Senator Susan M. Collins
Postal Rate Commission Chairman
George Omas
[ PDF],
Board
of Governors
David
Fineman
PMG
Potter Sets Progress Report on
USPS
-"Tens
of thousands of Postal Service
customers from around the country
will hear Postmaster General John
E. Potter on May 26, National
Postal Customer Council (PCC) Day,
when he delivers his first-ever
national satellite broadcast on
the state of the United States
Postal Service." |
Potter
Reviews Growth of USPS
Programs at BOG Meeting-The
U.S. Postal Service's Carrier
Pickup program expands next
week for a total of 204,000 city
and rural carrier routes,
Postmaster General John E. Potter
told the postal service's Board of
Governors at its monthly meeting .
Potter also noted the deployment
this week of the first
Automated Postal Center in
Dallas. The APC
is a self-service kiosk
offering access to postal products
and services|
Direct
Mail Is Here to Stay,' Potter
Tells Chicago DMA Crowd-Potter also brought up the
woes ailing the postal
service: unbending unions,
crippling obligations to the
employees' retirement system
and much-needed legislative
reform .
Another issue that troubled Potter was unnecessary post offices."
-
Live From Chicago DMA Conference: The USPS Wants
Your Business
-
The Essence of Postal Reform
-
The DMAs Conference: The Shape of
the Next Postal Rate Case
-
McHugh:
Postal Reform Urgently Needed
-
Senate Set for Postal Reform-
-
Potter: No Postal Crisis Yet
-
Sununu: Lack of 'Political Will'
Could Stall Postal Reform
-
House Staff
Say No Chance for Postal Reform
Postmasters
Oppose Many of USPS Amendments to Postal
bill-NAPUS
leaders are disappointed in the
Postal Service's proposal to
eliminate the prohibition against
closing a post office solely for
economic reasons and eliminate the
community's due process rights to
appeal a post office closing or
consolidation to the Independent
Postal Rate Commission.(4/30/04) |
Potter
Asks Senate for Funding-Postmaster
general John E. Potter urged a
Senate subcommittee yesterday to
include funding for postal
appropriations not in President
Bush's 2005 fiscal year federal
budget. The largest expense is
$779 million for emergency
preparedness|
Statement of PMG Potter
APWU Readies
Massive Media Campaign To Battle
Anti-Worker Reform Proposals-
APWU Executive Board approved an $8
assessment per member in 2003
.I am prepared to implement the assessment if legislation is introduced that is detrimental to postal
workers and the American public. We intend to raise enough money to
thwart any legislation that would
undermine postal services, or the
rights of postal workers, Burrus
said. And we will work to end
giveaways to the mailing industry
that threaten the viability of the
USPS, he said.
APWU
News Service Bulletin|
-also
see
USPS, APWU Discuss
Commuter-Costs Benefit
-APWU
State President Leroy Moyer Plans
Postal Reform Awareness Walk
NALC President
Young : Pay Is Not the Problem
-
"The Postal Service has reduced
its workforce by 70,000 employees during the past five years.
Labor costs as a share of total costs have declined from 86
percent in 1976 to 76 percent in 2003. Contrary to Mr. Ryan's
claim, postal employees earn wages and benefits that are
comparable to workers doing similar jobs for national delivery
companies such as FedEx and UPS.
Young responding to Lexington Institute Sam Ryan's letter to the
Washington Post
"Postal
Pay at a Premium"
-
NALC Testimony to Postal Commission
concerning Pay Comparability
-
President Young: NALC and USPS- At a crossroads
(pdf)-"The
Postal Service is moving forward
and backward at once, a situation
that is bound implode. Good
managers have little incentive to
continue as long as they see bad
managers suffering no
consequencesor even reaping
rewards for atrocious behavior.
NALC respects the Postal Services
right manage the institution. You
do your job and well do ours. But
dont forget: We demand the same
respect in return. Have top postal
officials misinterpreted our good
intentions? Do they believe they
can continue to let these bad
managers attack and harass letter
carriers, and yet continue to reap
the benefits of our cooperation
and good will? If so, theyve got
it wrong. They are making a
terrible, foolish mistake." |
Colleagues'
work ethic is unnerving to Mail
Handler-"I'm a 25-year
postal veteran working as a mail
handler in California. During the
last several years, I have been
appalled by the rampant, callous
and shameless acts of some of my
fellow workers. These people are
taking overly long breaks,
sleeping on the job, missing from
the work floor for hours and then
putting in for overtime.
Management once in awhile reminds
employees to remain "gainfully
employed" at all times, but mainly
doesn't do anything about it. What
should I do? Some fellows have
advised me to just join the
"truant club," but this is against
my values. The EAP counselor has
advised me to just do my 100
percent of work and not mind the
bad guys. What is your advice?"
Disgruntled in California
District
Court Rules USPS violated the
Rehabilitation Act-
Postal Worker Fired After Eight
Years Of Leave Wins Disability
Case- An Illinois Postal
Clerk who was on disability leave
for over eight years before USPS
cut off her benefits and fired her
demonstrated that USPS violated the
"Rehabilitation Act" by
cutting off disability benefits
without investigating whether she
could fill another job.|
Ricin Attack
Was Ignored by USPS-Insight
Magazine: Though
postal managers insist they acted
properly in the ricin attack, the
evidence again casts doubt. |
Early
Out Approved for Postal Supervisors, Transportation Operations
-
The VER offer for Supervisor, Transportation Operations
only is to minimize the number of employees potentially affected
by involuntary reassignments due to the reshaping and
repositioning of the initial level supervisory workforce.
Eligible employees who meet the criteria will be mailed an offer
letter May 5, 2004. The effective date of retirement will be
June 30, 2004. (PR reader) |
-
PCS and EAS Employees Impacted by Organizational
Change/Reduction-in-Force; Change in Pay and Benefits Policy.
PMG Potter memo 4/2/04
-
Questions and
Answers on Benefits, Pay, and Leave Under VER -updated 4/1/04
USPS
Suspends
Biohazard Detection System
Testing & Deployment-Non-determinant test results
temporarily halt BDS rollout .Some tests are neither positive
nor negative theyre inconclusive. For the Biohazard Detection
System (BDS), an inconclusive test is called a
non-determinant. As a result, national BDS
deployment is being temporarily halted so we can address this
issue. A non-determinant doesnt
indicate a threat is suspected, it simply means the test result
is inconclusive.
|
-
CEPHEID,BDS Developer Comments on USPS
Announcement (4/29/04)
Postal
Employee Fatally Injured at Indiana Retailer's Warehouse-A
37-year postal clerk was
fatally injured in a
conveyor-related accident at Brylane's Indianapolis warehouse.
He was assigned to the retailer's facility
because of the high volume of
mailings there |
 USPS Jaffer Sets the Record Straight with Lexington Institute and UPS-
Azeezaly
S. Jaffer, Vice President, USPS
Public Affairs and Communications
wrote "It's
not uncommon for us to encounter
pundits like
Sam Ryan of the Lexington Institute who do
not understand what the U.S.
Postal Service is, or even what it
does. Ryan regularly fires
bombastic blasts at what he
believes is wrong with the Postal
Service, and then recommends
simplistic solutions to fix these
perceived wrongs." Ryan
said in one of his many articles
on the Postal Service
"..
why is USPS so opposed to letting
a private company deliver an
ordinary envelope for $2.22?"
and another article
Postal Pay at a Premium
basically says that postal workers
are overpaid.
-
Jaffer
addresses UPS' faulty argument on
the Postal Service
-
The Relative
Size of Labor Costs at UPS, FedEx
& USPS
USPS and
Postmasters Discuss
Filling Craft Vacancies
"During
the past few weeks NAPUS President
Wally Olihovik and other NAPUS
leaders have met with top USPS
officials at both the Headquarters
and Area level to discuss
filling critical staffing needs in
post offices. |
USPS ending
sponsorship of Lance Armstrong-"USPS
Spokesman Gerry McKiernan said the
agency has decided to go in
another direction with its
advertising."
According to an
OIG report since 1996 USPS
has sponsored 1 national and over
200 local sponsorships.
OIG's audit reviewed 11
of the sponsorships Pro-Cycling (1996-2002) Heisman
(2000-2001) Chicago Bears
(1998-2002) New York Yankees
(1999-2002) New York Giants
(1998-2002 (Notre Dame (2001-2002)
DM Days (2001) First Union
(Philly) Tampa Bay Devil Rays
(1998-2000) Masters Tournament
(1999) Ryder Cup (2001)
|
-
Armstrong won't be going postal in
2005
-
In a first
for USPS, a professional stock car
promoted fundraising
stamp
-
CAGW: No More Tour de Pork; Postal
Service Drops Sponsorship of
Cycling Team
-
USPS
Press Release: It's Been a
Wonderful Ride
Postal
Workers say understaffing causes
delays in delivery-Many Weatherford Texas Postal
Workers say they are concerned
that the office is too
understaffed to effectively
deliver the mail on time;
their work environment is hostile;
carriers are returning from later
than 5 p.m.; In recent weeks and
months, 4 to 5 employees have used
medical leave for symptoms of
stress. Many of the employees'
complaints center around the
Postmaster. Forth Worth APWU
President, Gordon Cook , wrote in
the union newsletter that he has
heard the postmaster berate his
employees, an action he wrote was
"clearly indicative of a manager
with absolutely no regard for the
rights of others." The postal
workers are banding together to
try to bring change to the office. |
-
Update: More postal employees on
the way, officials say
FedEx becomes new USPS customer-"Last
week FedEx began dropping off
Parcel Select parcels at
destination delivery units, bulk
mail centers and auxiliary service
facilities. No
paperwork is involved, and no
signature from a postal employee
is required at the destination
facility. Verification will be
done through random sampling.
FedEx will make daily stops at
postal facilities throughout the
country. USPS will deliver the
parcels to customers. "USPS
News Link|
Postal
overhaul proposals now expected
next week-
House
Government Reform Committee
Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., and
Senate Governmental Affairs
Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine,
originally had planned to
introduce postal legislation by
the end of April. But Collins
acknowledged she would wait until
next week to introduce her bill
with Sen. Carper, D-Del
|
Why Weaker Unions Worry Managers-
" The four
unions that represent nearly 93
percent of the Postal Services
730,000 career employees should
not be underestimated, said postal
expert Neal Denton. |
News by Date
April 30, 2004
APWU union to Hold Picket outside
Mansfield PO over possible loss of
positions -Postal service
wants to move mail processing out
of Mansfield, Ohio.
-
Mail in city may become casualty
of electronic-information age-(4/28/04)
Postal
clerk accused of identity theft
UK
postal workers defended after
70,000 thefts
-Thieving,
laziness and utter chaos in the UK
post
April 29, 2004
Pentagon
to Try to Fix War Zone Voting Woes-
Pentagon & USPS close to agreement
on handling of military/civilian
overseas ballots
Love lures postmaster to Oregon
Maine Postal Worker/reservist's
death is under investigation
LeRoy D Moyer Prepares for Postal Reform Awareness Walk in
May
Long Lines, Misdelivered Mail May
Prompt Post Office Changes
AT&T
Wireless Helps Airlines Earn Wings
with Post Office
Post office insurance seldom pays
claims
-
USPS Final Rule Notice concerning
Indemnity Claims for Domestic Mail
4/29/04
Man killed, Postal worker injured
in crash
Oklahoma carrier first female
in Tulsa to retire from USPS
April 28, 2004
Wichita Falls Postal Worker dies
in one-car crash
Help Stamp Out Hunger: Leave Food
Donations At Your Mailbox May 8
Postal Bulletin April 29th Issue
USPS Halts
Biohazard Detection System
Testing & Deployment
Mailman rescues woman from fire
Mail carrier says goodbye to route
after 27 years
Postal employee friends with many
customers
Man Whose Pit Bulls Killed Son Faces Federal Charges-He is also
charged of intimidating and interfering with a letter carrier.
U.S. Postal Service stamps Ford
Post Office 'canceled'
Seminar Covers 'Consumer Rage'
Issues of Telemarketing, Spam
'Black box' sought by Defense in
Mail Processor manslaughter case
Mail in city may become casualty of electronic-information age
Postal food drive is a labor of love
Bridal Veil post office to offer special postmark for marriages
Maine reservist killed in mission near Baghdad|
APWU
Member Killed in Iraq
UPS Pushes
Envelope with New Mail
Processing Technology
--UPS
Mail Innovations, the business
mail services unit of UPS
has deployed a system known as the
Automated Processing System
(APS).
April 27, 2004
Study: Anthrax Survivors Still
Terrorized|
Medical
Journal Press Release
Postal workers bowl to help MDA
APWU
Member Killed in Iraq
Police shoot dog that attacked
mail carrier, animal control
officer
Sick Leave Make You Sick?
New automated postal center in Cary North Carolina
What You Should Do When Issued A Letter Of Demand
World War II-era ammo casings trigger evacuations -Mail service to
approximately 450 residential and business customers was also delayed as access
to a nearby mail distribution center was temporarily closed, according to a USPS
statement
Drama fills time in line at the post office
Post Office Named In Veteran
Scandal Gets New Name
Sewer Fumes Force Evacuation of
Post Office
Bloomfield Post Office employees honored
Pedestrian Dies After Being Hit by Mail Truck
FedEx to put name on Kinko's shops|
photo of new
logo
Royal Mail wants to charge for size as well as weight
New 21st
Century Postal Worker Poll:
President Burrus and others
propose extending the current term
of office for national officers to
4 years resulting in a significant
financial savings without a
corresponding loss of
accountability of national
officers to the membership. Would
you support a Resolution to extend
terms of office for national
officers from 3 years to 4 years?
- submitted by Randy Zelznick,
APWU Philadelphia, PA Area Local
#89
5 Members of
Postal Reform Panel Urge Quebecor
World to Respect Workers' Freedom
to Form Union
-by
refraining from threats,
harassment, and intimidation in a
letter sent (by
Reps.
Danny Davis, Major Owens , Carolyn
Maloney William Clay, and
Edolphus Towns, who all sit on the
Special Panel on Postal Reform and
Oversight of the House Government)
to Quebecor 's
CEO.
Quebecor World workers are
trying to form a union with
Graphic Communication
International Union (GCIU).
(Time Magazine, Victorias Secret
catalog, the latest Harry Potter
bookall are printed by Quebecor
World.
Visit Workers' website
www.JusticeAtQuebecor.org
April 26, 2004
Nomination
Hearing for Dawn Tisdale to be Commissioner of Postal Rate
Commission
on 4/29/04 . On
February 11, President George W. Bush announced his intention to
nominate NAPUS member Dawn A. Tisdale to be a commissioner of the
Postal Rate Commission. Mr. Tisdale is a retired postmaster who
served from 1989 to 2000 as postmaster of Smithville, Texas. Prior
to his tenure as postmaster, Mr. Tisdale was manager of Employee
Relations in Waco, and a letter carrier in Austin. In Austin, he
served as Vice President of NALC Branch 181. Dawn served in the
U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1966, and later earned his bachelor's
degree from St. Edwards University.
If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Tisdale would serve the remainder
of a six-year term expiring in November 2006. ( bio source: NAPUS)
USPS
Responds to PRC Complaint filed by Digistamp, Inc.-In
the complaint, DigiStamp Inc.is claiming that USPS violated its charter by not
seeking prior approval from Postal Rate Commission before offering the
Electronic Postmark service .
Reasons to give to
COPA
Stamps pad universitiesΉ images, reputations
South Dakota candidate speaks to postal workers
April 25, 2004
Doggy-treat
law bites Aspen letter carriers-
Aspen (Colorado) branch of USPS
has started to clamp down on what
was once second nature for many
mailmen and women bringing
doggy treats along with them on
their delivery routes. This is not
the first time that orders from
USPS higher-ups have percolated
down to Aspens post office.
Almost exactly a year ago, Aspens
mailman Terry Trish was
told he could no longer do his
rounds accompanied by his loyal
golden retriever |
DOL cites USPS court case and Memo
to define exempt employees
under New overtime rules -DOL
publishes 154 page outline
of new overtime regulations in
Federal
Register-DOL had taken the
position that pilots are not
exempt professionals citing
Wage and Hour Opinion Letter dated
January 20, 1975; In re U.S.
Postal Service ANET and WNET
Contracts, 2000 WL 1100166, at *7
(DOL Admin. Rev. Bd.) and
Dymond v. United States Postal
Service, 670 F.2d 93 (8th Cir.
1982) (finding postal inspectors
exempt even though some of their
duties required them to follow a
field manual that contained
detailed procedures and
standards).
- New regulations will not apply to
workers covered by labor
contracts but...
Mailman comes to the rescue of a
man on his route twice
Rural
Carriers make little girl's dream
come true
Netflix Plans to Deliver Films Via Web in 2005-CEO-Netflix built a good
business on the back of postal workers, collecting $500 million in revenue last
year by delivering DVDs to 1.5 million subscribers
Sewer
Bills Lost in Mail Once Again
April 24, 2004
Study:
Workers should stay home when sick-American
workers should stop trying to be
heroes and just stay home when
they're sick it could be cheaper
for their employers, according to
a study. Workers who come in sick
cost their employers an average of
$255 each per year. Sick employees have
difficulty concentrating, work
more slowly and have to repeat
tasks, bogging down productivity,
according to the study. (They also
get their co-workers sick, but
those costs were not counted in
the study.) |
Postal Service crew serves in its
best traditions
Millions
of letters in UK missing as Royal Mail cuts service
Letters:
Taxpayers Don't Play Role in
Postal service
Mailman threats disrupt postal service
April 23, 2004
Post
Office Resumes Delivery to Housing
Complex
Lawyer arrested while collecting
signatures at post office
-
Conduct on Postal Service Property
- Prohibitions on Signature
Solicitation
Postal service improves for
Marines during second Iraq
deployment
Assault on letter carrier halts delivery of mail
Delivery Options Combining Efforts
of USPS, UPS & FedEx
Gastonia
NC residents name favorite letter
carriers-Alan Kern is the
U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier of the Year for Gastonia
A-PLUS EVENT. The
African American Postal League
United for Success (A-PLUS) will
host its 16th annual convention
April 29 through May 2, in St.
Louis, MO. .. more
information, visit
http://www.aplus.cc/
April 22, 2004
Flashback! Comments by Postal Employees submitted to
Postal Commission
Postal
Supervisor Files Suit against USPS over Forced Resignation
USPS Raises Bar for Scanning Flat-Size Mail
UPS Automation speeds up package sorting, cuts manual labor and helps UPS
compete -UPS invested $100 million in software development .
Ballot Envelopes Returned to Sender by Automated Postal Machines
German Postal worker auctions Packages on eBay
IBM
to Bring International Postal
System Into the On Demand Era
New
anti-spam software invention
called eMstamp stops unwanted
e-mail -Taking a
cue from USPS, the
inventors replaced the ordinary
stamp with a binary token
April 21, 2004
Mailbag stolen from Wisconsin Post Office in broad daylight-$5000 reward
Neoware Inc. Launches 500,000-piece direct mail campaign
North Plainfield, NJ escapes closure by cutting post office hours
Postal Reform advocate to work with Bush's Council of Economics Advisers
Man soliciting political signatures outside post office arrested
Bush's ties to Former Postal Commissioner Levin and Yale -After Levin
was a White House guest of the Bushes, Levin returned the favor by hosting Bush
in May 2001 when Yale awarded Bush an honorary degree.
Postal Worker hurt in motorcycle
wreck dies
80 year-old letter carrier has
no plans to retire
The chick is in the mail -robin
stops carrier from delivering mail
National Newspaper Association President :
"the group continues to push for changes on the legislative front, including
reform of the U.S. Postal Service. Any move that puts smaller mailers at a
disadvantage to large volume mailers will be challenged, he said. And the group
will continue in its efforts to thwart any penalties that result from special
deals for large direct mailers."
April 20, 2004-
Overlooked
Testimony at March 23, 2004 Postal
Reform Hearing by Former
Congressman William Clay Sr.
"For the average citizen who uses
the Postal Service to pay bills,
send birthday cards, and mail the
occasional package, costs are
modest and present no burden. This
is true for even the least
affluent. For the big mailer it is
a different story.
Arbitrator: Certified
Interpreter for Deaf Should Be Used for Anthrax Safety Talk
Tampa Bay Postal
workers approved to wear
Hockey Team Gear as Uniforms
Pitney
Bowes Adds Browser-Based Online
Postage Option to DeliverAbility-
Everything
You Wanted to Know about
Postal/CSRS Funding But Afraid to
Ask
USPS Challenges Insight Magazine's Ricin Attack Article|
Article
Three Business Lessons From the US Postal Service
Die-cut mailers catch the eye and hang around
Mailers Applaud Proposed Clarification of Standard Mail Rules
USPS Updates Ruling on Pay to Order/Pay to Bearer Checks
Battle Creek Mich. residents clash with postal officials
April 19, 2004-
Profile: Robert Otto - USPS Chief Technology Officer -Otto applies
a farm-bred work ethic to his post as USPS chief technology officer. He got his
first management training milking
dairy cows.
APWU National Presidents Conference
Notes- USPS initiative
to offer postal services in Office Depot locations was discussed at he
conference.
Postal
Worker convicted for tax
preparation and OWCP
fraud
Express
delivery -The Jackass Mail Run a tradition for 43 years
Citys
first female postmaster puts stamp
on office
USPS Campaign Revives Focus on Big Business
Putting the Postal Service on the Road to Financial Health-an excerpt of Advo, Inc. CEO Gary M. Mulloy's testimony given at last month's Postal
Reform Hearing
FedEx starts
talks with pilots hoping to avoid
another slugout-FedEx and its
pilots have started negotiations
over new work rules.
Under federal law, the pilots'
contract can be amended as of May
31 ["On March 16, 2004,
FedEx Express entered into a
fourth addendum to its
transportation $6.3 billion
agreement with USPS,
allowing FedEx Express to continue
carrying incremental pounds of
mail through November 30, 2004 at
higher committed volumes than
required under the original
agreement."] Almost 1/3
of the mail that airlines normally
carry for USPS moves to FedEx.
|
April 18, 2004-
Editorial:
Postal problems filtering down
Despite its name, Automecha's not in car-part sales-Automecha makes
products sent through the mail without an envelope
Satan to appear on U.S. stamps! "No, sir, the Postal Service isn't
getting ready to charge a nickel for every e-mail you send. And that photo of
John Kerry and Jane Fonda at a microphone together during an antiwar rally? It's
a fake."
- See more internet rumors:
Snopes.com |
UrbanLegend.com
April 17, 2004-
Whats
The Scoop On Post Office Closings?
According to Postal Lessors they
have "talked to dozens of Postal
personnel, as well as
Congressional Staffers and has
received many different answers.
Some Postal personnel, with sound
reasoning, want to close or
relocate qualifying post offices.
Members of Congress, as evidenced
by the pending legislation before
them, are against closing post
offices without meeting certain
criteria as well as Congressional
approval/review. The Bottom Line
is very few post offices will be
closed in the near future,
regardless of the size or income.
As the Postmasters retire, some
smaller operations in close
proximity to another facility
maybe combined."
Carrier
Risks Own Safety for Boy Mauled by
Pit Bulls
Days After Closure, News of
Relocation of Post Office Still in
the Mail
After
60 years Alabama Postmaster
decides to call it a career-Mary
Agnes Friday started postal career
at age 13
New
Bushkill Post Office around the
corner
Taxpayers
outraged at California post office
closure
Ending Feud with USPS owners must
follow rules to keep pit bull
Residents want their post
office--tired of traveling six
miles to get mail
50,000 Reward Offered for Post
Office Gunman-The bandit walked
into the Sunny Hills postal
station on April 9. He pointed a
gun at two clerks and demanded
money, officials said. He got away
with about $1,000.
April 16, 2004
Post Office renamed after NALC National Business Agent-
Moline Post Office was renamed the David M. Bybee Post Office Building. Bybee
served as a national business agent for NALC, until his death in 2002. . He
quickly became involved in NALC activity and was elected president of Moline
Branch 318 in 1969, a position that led to a career as a local, state and
national NALC officer.
California bill calls to curb unsolicited CDs-
Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, has introduced an only-in-California
style bill that would require a postage-paid return envelope be included
whenever America Online or other firms send unsolicited CDs. After being told by
a company representative that it was "literally impossible" to take the two
men's address off the mailing list, they filed a prohibitory notice with USPS
forbidding future mailings. Dozens of violations later, the Postal Service filed
a complaint with the U.S. Attorney General's office. But two men are still
getting CDs.
Post Office gaffe leaves taxpayers scrambling-Scores if not hundreds of
tax filers in Queens (New York) were left scrambling for that all important
April 15 postmark after going to the wrong post office because of a mistaken
message on the Postal Service's hotline.
Letter Carrier
Enters Burning Home in Search of
Children
Hit With Hidden Fees -If you send international packages UPS be warned
Anti-war protesters target Bush at Florida Post Office
Letter Carriers deliver hope to hungry in national food drive
'Jesus' floods county mailboxes
April 15, 2004
Post office as tight as a
mailbox--Postmaster lobbies for
bigger place
-"The
parking lot is too small for
vehicles to turn around, and mail
carriers routinely bump into each
other in the cramped confines of
the villages branch office of
USPS. " |
GAO says troops need better mail services in Iraq
Gene Del Polito: Postal Reform is necessary
MEMO TO MAILERS - April 2004
USPS Award Winning Website Gets a Million Hits Daily
Mailer Groups Hopeful About Postal Bill
Bush backers blast Kerry in Tax Day event outside Oregon
Post Office
USPS way ahead of the curve with Oklahoma's first
bi-lingual post office-
Postal Bulletin:, April 15, 2004 Issue-Effective
April 15, 2004, the availability of Sunday premium pay will increase in certain
situations
Distraught Postal Worker rescued from E. River
Oregon postmaster Promoted to Operations Manager
Money orders led Postal Inspectors to drug case-Postal
inspector knew he had stumbled onto something when he saw money orders showing
up that were "structured" to avoid the government's $3,000 reporting threshold
Postal Service Braces for Annual
Last Minute Tax Fliers Frenzy (press
release)
Homeless Woman Gets Jail Time for Pulling Knife on Postal
Worker
Card Retailer testing freestanding mailing station in
conjunction with USPS. Customers can package their gifts and
cards in the store and pay the postage. The store clerks handle the mailing.
President and CEO of Paramount Cards Inc.
on 2/13/04 told a Congressional Committee that the nation's postal service will
be in jeopardy unless Congress enacts strong regulatory protection, initiates
stringent cost control and creates a postal service business model to recognize
the importance of first class mail.
RFD addresses may be OK in Mayberry, but in Long Grove
they're beginning to create a nuisance
37 Cities Across the Nation to Protest for Equal Marriage
Rights at Post Offices April 15-
April 14, 2004
President Young: NALC and USPS- At a crossroads
(pdf)-"The
Postal Service is moving forward
and backward at once, a situation
that is bound implode. Good
managers have little incentive to
continue as long as they see bad
managers suffering no
consequencesor even reaping
rewards for atrocious behavior.
NALC respects the Postal Services
right manage the institution. You
do your job and well do ours. But
dont forget: We demand the same
respect in return. Have top postal
officials misinterpreted our good
intentions? Do they believe they
can continue to let these bad
managers attack and harass letter
carriers, and yet continue to reap
the benefits of our cooperation
and good will? If so, theyve got
it wrong. They are making a
terrible, foolish mistake."
12th Conference on
Postal and Delivery June 25, 2004 in Ireland
Post
Office in Postmaster's Home May
Close-
Move might kill 150 postal contract jobs
Pitney Bowes offers $321M for Group 1
Software
Study: UPS Ranks No. 1 in Small-Package
Customer Satisfaction
Washington man accused of making ricin
April 13, 2004
Geocoding Challenges: Why Accuracy Matters
Postal
Service Hours Extended for Last-Minute Tax Filers
New
service in combination with USPS PLANET Barcode Service to boost
direct mail-
Cargo airline and transportation logistics
company awarded contract by USPS
Anti-Direct Mail Customers returning 'junk
mail' in business reply envelopes
Memorial to honor airmail carriers
Through rain, snow and customer dumbness,
the Post Office delivers
Training Magazine List USPS in its Top 100
Postal Worker Tells Of Life With Medical
Disorder that ended career
Revenue Stamp Disposal Plan Draws Fire-The
National Postal Museum plans to sell or destroy millions of
stamps once used to prove that taxes had been paid on whiskey,
cigarettes and playing cards. The idea is not sitting well with
collectors
Postal Inspection Service
Investigating death of Postal
Worker
-As
reported earlier, A 37-year postal
clerk was fatally injured in a
conveyor-related accident at
cataloger Brylane's Indianapolis
warehouse. Several unions alleged
unsafe working conditions at
Brylane's warehouse and
distribution facilities and
sweatshop conditions overseas in
2002 . sidenote: Brylane
shifted a substantial portion of
its package delivery business to
UPSs ground delivery service in
2003 |
- Sweatshop Holiday Catalog 2002 (PDF)
-
Postal Employee
Fatally Injured at Indiana Retailer's Warehouse
(4/6)
Law will result in Postage Cost-
by Delphos Oh Postmaster
Postal
Worker Allegedly Shoots Ex-Wife At
Boyfriend's Home
Exposing the military mail scandal
OPM orders insurer to cover bone marrow transplant for
Postal Worker's wife
Former Postmaster helps with re-creation of 1854 steamboat
April 11, 2004
Transparency
is the Key to Postal Reform
A
check really is in the mail in Burton
Letters:
About Alabama musical mail
carriers
Taking Stock: Nothing likely to stay FedEx, UPS from
profit growth-"Emphasizing trucks and trains for deferred
delivery....FedEx has been aggressively expanding into the more cost-effective
deferred-delivery business, recently adding express freight services on Saturday
in 25 U.S. markets. At the same time, UPS has been cutting into the FedEx
overnight delivery business. While an improving economy should provide a boost
to the shares of both firms, FedEx remains the riskier investment of the two."
April 10, 2004-
Greenwich
postal employees save co-worker's
life-Albert
Jacobs, a 59-year-old Stamford CT.
resident and longtime Greenwich
postal clerk who had been honored
a few days earlier for 35 years of
service -- was dying of a heart
attack. He would stop breathing
twice in the next five minutes
before police and paramedics
arrived. During those critical
minutes, Jacobs' co-workers knelt
beside him, talked to him, checked
his pulse and his breathing, kept
his airway clear and performed CPR
to keep Jacobs alive.
April 09, 2004-
USPS Wants
Windows Program to replace POS Software
-
Two
Minnesota mail carriers indicted for mail theft
Trio put a new stamp on the crime
of identity theft-bags
of undelivered mail in a trash bin led to the arrests of three people accused of
fitting ingenious devices in street-corner postal collection boxes
Oklahoma
Man Pleads Guilty To Killing
Postal Worker
April 08, 2004-
Deliveries
resume after threats to the mail
carrier halted them-The
threats and intimidation became so
frightening, the Hemet CA. post
office stopped carrier Se Yang's
neighborhood route to 63
customers. Mail service
resumed less than two weeks ago,
after postal officials changed the
way Yang, who's a tad taller than
5 feet and thinly built, delivered
mail to the area. Under the new
method, Yang puts letters inside a
cluster of mailboxes at a street
corner. That means Yang won't have
to venture door to door and can do
his job while avoiding the group
USPS
News Link no longer available on the internet->
uspslink@usps.gov.
Connecticut woman pleads no contest in accident that
killed letter carrier
Snapshot of a Southern Vermont Postmaster
Dutch postal service to deliver Royal Mail rival
Full privatization of Japan Post may take until 2017
UPS shipping volume from stores rises 75 percent
Customized
Market Mail Postcards Create
Interest for Office Complex
April 07, 2004-
Trenton APWU Files Suit to Compel USPS to Arbitration over Anthrax related grievances
What effect
does the USPS' status as a monopoly have on the Virginia economy?
This report inventories the government-granted
competitive advantages enjoyed by the Postal Service, allowing it to unfairly
compete with private, taxpaying Virginia firms
Postal Inspection Service commends cop for uncovering
$57,000 postal scam
UPS to expand The UPS Store network
Woman
indicted for lying about gun used to shoot mail carrier
Avery
personalized labels bear attached
U.S. stamps-In mid-February,
Avery Dennison Corp., the label
maker that printed the famous 32’
Bugs Bunny self-adhesive stamp of
1997, quietly launched what it
calls Avery Creative Postage
Labels at a photography trade show
in Las Vegas. The labels look like
personalized stamps, but they are
not.
Friends and co-workers rally around ill Part-Time
Rural Carrier
Someone
breaks in, breaks out of Arkansas
post office
April 06, 2004
Commentary on Outsourcing: By Dan
Sullivan "Once Upon a Time When We
Were Heroes"
and
Postal Employee Advocate J.R.
Pritchett " Unions Should Be
Aware"
-(note:
the outsourcing article By Mail
Handler Local Union #300 has
touched off a firestorm of
comments to PostalReporter.com)
Board of Governors release Agenda for April 15, 2004
meeting
Mail carrier charged in
armed heist of Chicago Post Office-A
man pleaded guilty in
federal court to robbing the postal facility of more than
$17,000 in cash with the help of a
mail carrier. The Assistant U.S. Attorney alleged that the
mail carrier acted as a getaway
driver in the August 2003 robbery as
well as a 1997 holdup and a 1998
attempted robbery at the same
postal facility.
Dallas
Postal Worker pleads guilty to
armed robbery of
postal employees
-
US Dept of Justice January 2004 Press Release
Ricin Investigation Still Wide Open
Commentary Martin Johns: Consumer Group Gets a Say But
Who's Listening?
Lieberman Supports Emergency Preparedness Funding for USPS
NY Woman
pleads guilty to theft of postal funds
Lexington Institute : Postal Pay at a Premium
Senate Postal Panel to Hold Final USPS Reform Hearing
Postmaster accused of theft on the job
USPS Awards Multi Million Dollar Contract For Digital
Postage Meters
Idea for
Robert Noyce stamp waits in postal line
USPS Retail Strategy
April 05, 2004
Time Becomes Factor in Postal
Reform Passage
Parcel Return Service Brings in $5M in Revenue for USPS
Opinion:
Return to Sender
Postal
proposal prompts concerns
Spam cutback
heralds return of junk mail
UPS
will settle big lawsuit-Customers
will get millions in free shipping
Wildomar
outgrowing post office
Mailing
Industry CEO Council Adds Three
New Members
-Continues to Unify $900 Billion
Industry and Promote the Critical
Role of Mail in Business and
Commerce
Kansas
Postal Worker Kills Ex-wife,
Boyfriend, self-The
letter carrier worked at the
Indian Creek post office in
Overland Park, Kansas. He had been
a postal worker about three years,
USPS spokeswoman
Terry
Penland said the
postal service offers a free
counseling service for employees,
but she did not know whether the
letter carrier had taken advantage
of it. Penland said counselors
were on hand Monday to meet with
grieving employees who knew him.
April 04, 2004-
Lawsuit Alleges Seminar May Be
Responsible In Postal Worker's
Death
Man Dies, Postal Worker Injured After Head-On Crash
New post offices are proving much
more convenient
Mexico probes mail theft of U.S.
benefit checks
Booby-trapped
parcels intercepted in Italy
Mail carrier saves dog about to be
shot by cop
Canada Post reports higher profits
than expected
For entrepreneur, opportunity was in the mail
Feds investigate 14 mail containers found in Georgia creek
John Wayne to show his legendary grit on new stamp
Postal service campaign targets
minorities to increase bone marrow donors
75 yr. old Texas Postal employee delivers two swimming
medals -Al Archer a postal service employee from San Antonio has
medaled in the Senior Games each year since it started in 1991. And despite a
knee replacement won the 100-yard breaststroke in 2 minutes, 3.86 seconds
at Saturday's swimming competition . Archer also added a gold medal in the
50-yard breaststroke and participated in three-on-three basketball and in the
free throw competition on Friday.
April 03, 2004
Postal
Worker Requesting Statements from
Employees for USPS Historical
Document-Bob
Gersztyn has created a
questionnaire
for gathering quotes from postal
workers.
Gersztyn's goal
is to create a historical document
which communicates an accurate
picture of USPS from its inception
in 1971 to the time of his
retirement in 2006. If his project
is successful, a percentage of all
proceeds will be donated to the
"Postal Employees Relief Fund."
Sen. Lieberman wants $780 million
for USPS to purchase biodefense equipment-"Mail Security : The vulnerability
of the mail system, and those who
operate and use it, has passed
from theory to fact, and we must
do more to ensure the security of
this vital network. Following the
anthrax attacks through the mail
in 2001, Congress provided
emergency funding to the United
States Postal Service (USPS) to
help acquire and deploy equipment
and materials to recover from,
detect, prevent, and protect
against such attacks, and to
protect the safety of postal
employees and the public. While
much progress has been made, USPS
needs to put additional measures
in place that will help prevent
and protect against future
attacks, such as equipment that
can detect biological or chemical
agents transmitted through the
mail and new ventilation and
filtration systems in mail
processing facilities. Although
the Presidents FY2005 Budget does
not include any funding for USPS,
I support the USPS request for
$780 million to purchase and
install such equipment. "
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman
Retired Postal Financial Analyst/Original Tuskegee airman
dies- Harold Edwin McClure is one of the original Tuskegee
Airmen. A group of young African American men trained as fighter pilots for
famous 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332d Fighter Group and fought in North
Africa, Sicily and Italy from April 1943 to July 1944.
Gen Del Polito: Is Mail Worth the Investment?
April 02, 2004
Mail detectives -Oakland Calif. Postal
Center's special unit reunites people with everything from lost keys to dentures
GTI on schedule to complete $15 million telecom network
upgrades at USPS
USPS Raises Piece Minimum for Standard Mail Bundles
April 01, 2004
Post Office Calls for Portable 'Vanity' Zip Codes-APRIL
FOOL! From PR Reader:
"The NPR story on "portable" zip codes was of course, an April's Fools joke....
I didn't hear one when listening to the story on All Things Considered tonight.
How many will take it as a serious proposal?" Jim (4/1)
Secret Anthrax Report : Direct Costs to
USPS estimated at $3 billion
Pipe bomb suspect Helder declared
incompetent
9 yr. old who
allegedly killed mailman too young
to face charges
EEO extends Time to Comment on NO FEAR Act -EEOC
issued implementing rules under the No Fear Act regarding the
posting of EEO complaint processing data on fed/postal websites.
The interim rule contained a 60-day comment period which has been extended for
30 days
USPS Tests Special Retail Window for Small Businesses
Latest Postal Bulletin : Rural Carriers EMA
Rate Schedule, ASM revision, more
Survey says : Fewer Credit Card Offers Mailed for 2nd
Consecutive Year
After 31 years on same route Rural Carrier to Retire
Indiana postal employee charged with stealing money from
the mail
Direct marketing second only to TV says new study
Husband & wife Postmasters at large and small-town Post
Offices
USPS donates two-ton diesel trucks to Saipan
Postal platoon offers traveling postal service to remote
bases in Afghanistan
Red Tag April 2004 Monthly Newsletter
Opinion: Consider some alternatives to raising mail rates-"
this is a much more desirable alternative than another postal rate increase that
will be placed unfairly on the backs of first-class mailers, so that bulk (i.e.
"junk") mailers can still have favorable rates"
April 01, 2004-NCED
has partnered with the
University
of Oklahoma,
Rose State
College and
Oklahoma
City Community College
to offer specialized degree plans
for USPS employees. Some NCED
courses will count toward an
associate or bachelors degree.
Students also may be able to apply
college-level course work from
other schools toward the degrees.
Tuition discounts are available.
Online learning is a practical way
for working people to earn a
college degree without stepping
foot on a campus. | 