Postal News

Statement of NALC President On Compliance with National Agreement - Let Let me make the following clear to one and all, including Postal Service management at headquarters and in the field, and all letter carriers, at every level in the union and in every post office: No one, at any level, has any authority to amend or violate the national contract, period. PMG Potter memo on honoring contract (PDF). It is up to each one of us to make sure that the changes we bring to the organization are changes for the better,” Potter recently wrote. Respecting and protecting the provisions of the collective-bargaining agreements will help us to do that |

NALC: There Are No Plans To Eliminate Six-Day Delivery

USPS: Declining Mail Volume Leads to Route Adjustments

Report: Employment of Veterans in the U.S. Postal Service - FY 2007

PRC Annual Report: Postal Execs Compensation

USPS Says It Needs To Eliminate 9,200 City Carrier Routes in FY 2009

Postmaster, Supervisor Groups Reject Pay Freeze (PDF)

Tight Times Strain Postmasters

USPS, APWU Reach Tentative Agreement On Four-Day Workweeks

USPS Wants Commercial Outdoor Advertising On Its Property

USPS to Implement Two Tour Initiative Nationwide

Re: Postal Employees Ordered to Stop Offering First-Class Mail

PMG Urges Leaders of Employee Organizations To Work With USPS

Flashback: Postal 1992 VER Cost $1.01 Billion

USPS To Launch Nationwide Program To Track Revenue Performance Of Window Clerks

Postmaster General Cautions of Perfect Economic Storm

Connecticut Congressman Presses Postal Service for Answers Regarding Meriden Route Changes

Appeals Court Upholds Firing Of Postal Carrier For Unsafe Driving

GAO: New Delivery Performance Measures Could Enhance Postal Managers’ Pay for Performance Program

Postal Manager Demoted Over Violation of NALC Contract?

Postal Worker's Self-Defense Claim Can't Save Job

NAPS Challenges USPS Network Plan, Questions USPS Outsourcing

USPS Posts $1.1 Billion Loss For Third Quarter

House Passes FERS Sick Leave Legislation

GAO: Data Needed to Assess the Effectiveness of USPS Outsourcing | Watchdogs question US Post Office outsourcing system

USPS Names Two Postal Execs To New VP Slots

USPS Releases Details Of Voluntary Early Retirement Offer

Burrus: Employees Would Be Best Served by Postponing Early-Out Decisions

NALC: Young Urges Congress to Reject Study for 5-Day Delivery

USPS Early Out Offer Excludes ETs - No Cash Incentives

PMG Potter Announces Reorganization At USPS Headquarters

House Committee Approves Study On Ending Saturday Mail Delivery

EEOC: Postal Worker Was Not Provided Smoke-Free Vehicle

ASFM-100 Work Awarded Back to Clerk Craft at Trenton P&DC

Court of Appeals Keeps Alive 14-Year-Old Lawsuit Against NALC

Postal Service Selects First-Ever Vice President of Sustainability

Video: Postal Workers Protest Terrorism On The Job

EEOC Rules USPS Must Process Class Action Complaint For Rehab Postal Employees

OPM Submits Proposal To Create Short-Term Disability Insurance Program

To Err Is Not Human for Demoted Postal Supervisor

USPS Resolves Dispute With Unions Over Computer Security Rules

USPS Selects Former Halliburton Executive As New CIO

Big Pay Increases Approved For Top Postal Service Officers

USPS Retail Cost Cutting (PDF)

click here to read the award (PDF) | A Short Comparison of USPS Contracts With APWU, NPMHU, NALC and NRLCA |

Flat Sequencing System (FSS) Strategy



			August 31, 2009 Postal Employees Rights During 'Surprise' Investigations By OIG Visits by Postal Inspectors Or OIG Agents- which are usually unannounced – often catch employees by surprise, and sometimes cause them to panic. Our stewards, officers and arbitration advocates are doing an excellent job of defending union members, but this article should remind employees of their rights. After all, when you exercise your rights to the fullest, you help protect yourself the most. And unfortunately, postal inspectors and OIG agents have persisted in conducting overly zealous investigations that have resulted in employees being wrongly accused and issued notices of removals. \|Comments (97) USPS OIG: Nationwide Wage Uniformity as a general matter and notwithstanding current contracts, does it make sense to attempt to match private sector compensation? Does the goal in the 1970 legislation still make sense today? \| Comments (47) FedEx and UPS challenged by USPS flat rates Warren postal carrier accused of hoarding 20,000 pieces of mail Management Approaches to Restructuring The Onion: Postal Workers Offered Buyout - What do you think? Dog Bite Money' Band Wins WMGK House Band Contest Federal News Radio: COLA; Postal Buyouts; Bigger Buyout? Envelope gimmicks: Juicing up the impact of direct mail - Will mailboxes soon be all stamped out? Former Pueblo postal worker indicted Downtown Arlington, Texas post office may face cancellation
			August 30, 2009 Columbus: Postal Employees Protest Closure of Local Offices Editorial: Postal Service clams up over consolidation plan Man charged with assaulting female mail carrier Postal Supervisor and Bowling Buddy charged with stealing $120,000 in money orders
			August 29, 2009 Another Florida Retail Branch Has No-Work Policy Standby Rooms For Postal Employees Now Called Resource Rooms The Key Largo post office will be the second retail mail branch in the Keys to have employees forced to stay in a designated room and not wait on customers for part of their shifts. . The employees will still earn their hourly wages while in the room. USPS initially called the policy the "stand-by room initiative," but is now calling the rooms "resource rooms," USPS spokeswoman Debbie Fetterly said in an e-mail. Regardless of semantics, the policy has local postal employees and union officials angry. Jack Baldwin, the APWU Keys president said the program is an attempt to show work at the affected branches could be done with fewer people." \|Comments (101) USPS Increases Its Stations And Branches Closure List From 677 To 750 EAS Level 22 and below post offices included in new list - The Postal Service will provide on Wednesday an updated list of facilities to be considered for possible closure, according to a letter sent Friday to the Postal Regulatory Commission. The list is sure to be scrutinized by impacted communities and lawmakers who have already criticized the Postal Service for its handling of the closure process. The list will identify the final collection of postal stations and branches to be considered for closure or consolidation. Earlier this summer, the Postal Service provided lawmakers with a list of 677 possible sites for closure. That number has since grown to 750 after further evaluation of eligible sites, according to Friday's letter. Despite that high number, Postal officials privately suggest the final list will likely number around 200.. \|Comments (68) Lehigh Valley postal workers get a job security boost As recession wears on, mail gets a little lighter Congressman says Kalamazoo plant is here to stay
			August 28, 2009 The Big Lie: Postal Arbitrators And the Cause of the USPS Crisis Conventional wisdom suggests that if a lie is repeated often enough, it will be accepted as fact, and actions based on the fabrication will be considered justified. A myth circulating in the postal community — that the collective bargaining process is in need of major repair because arbitrators require the Postal Service to pay unreasonable wages — is a good example. This fabrication has been repeated over and over with no supporting analysis. \| Few Likely to Step Up for USPS Employee Buyout Offer If the economy were in better shape, more postal workers might take advantage of the program, McLean says. "I think many postal employees are still concerned about the overall economy, and their chances of finding part-time employment after they have retired from the Postal Service." \| NAPS: RIF Avoided - All Impacted EAS Employees To Be Placed in Positions - USPS headquarters announced today that remaining impacted EAS employees are expected to be placed in positions thereby avoiding a RIF. \| Employee Incentives Paid to Postal Management as of June 2009= $47 Million (PDF) \| Postal Worker’s Removal For Disrespecting Supervisor Overturned By Appeals Court - USPS issued the Postal Worker a Notice of Proposed Removal, charging her with disrespectful communication to a supervisor and failure to follow instructions. The notice listed seven specifications for the charge of disrespectful communication, all of which are emails or notes sent by the Postal Worker to her Supervisor. The charge of failure to follow instructions listed two specifications, including an April 3, 2006 email from the postal worker for refusing to follow the supervisor's instruction concerning PS Form 1767 (entitled "Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition or Practice"). The Appeals Court ruled that MSPB did not consider postal worker's medical condition as a factor before upholding the removal and other "Douglas" factors. \| ' Wilkes-Barre: Postal Service shipping out work Old Chicago post office sold for $40 million Man hit by postal truck in Ledyard Tucson man stole $29K worth of USPS tubs The Case for Postal-Style Healthcare USPS OIG Report: Suspension of Postmaster Convention Leave Benefit is OK (PDF)
			August 27, 2009 Postal Clerks Decry No-Work Policy The U.S. Postal Service is paying employees to do nothing. Employees clock in and are paid their regular hourly wage of between $17 and $23 an hour, even when their supervisor instructs them to sit in a "standby room," where they can do nothing but read Postal Service instructional materials -- they cannot eat, drink, smoke, read books or talk on the phone. \| Judge Allows Massachusetts Rural Carrier's Suit To Continue Carrier wears tuxedo on last day of delivering mail - A federal lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service, filed by a rural letter carrier who delivered mail for 34 years, is moving forward. Peter J. Marinelli has accused his former boss, Joseph Mulvey, of retaliating against him when he complained to superiors that he was being harassed. He also said Mulvey pressured him to retire for his last six years on the job. In his ruling, Saylor said there was evidence of a "campaign of harassment" after Marinelli initiated the complaint process. \| Family Feud: Caught In The Crossfire Unions are quietly complaining about Obama's stance on pay and benefits. Federal unions are relearning a hard political fact of life. One they lived with during the 1990s, but haven't had to tackle in the last 8 years. The lesson: It's harder to fight your friends than your enemies. The unions were also surprised that the administration is opposed to a proposal that would give workers under the Federal Employees Retirement System credit for unused sick leave when they retire. \| How the U.S. Postal Service Is Saving Millions Through Energy Efficient Retrofitting Three-Year Old Hit By Mail Truck Neighbors go postal over threatened station closings Naples: One postal employee interested in buyout Mail woman attacked; Southgate man charged
			August 26, 2009 NALC: No Retirement Incentives For City Or Rural Carriers The Postal Service has not offered to negotiate a similar program for city or rural letter carriers with the NALC or the NRLCA. At present, the complements of city and rural carriers remain more closely aligned with the Postal Service’s needs to cover last-mile delivery at current mail volume. The new early-out programs should reduce the number of postal employees in other crafts excessed to the city carrier craft in the months ahead. USPS offers incentives; will you take them? \| Postmasters Request A “Me Too” On USPS Retirement Incentive Equity demands that Postmasters be offered the same retirement incentive as the individuals whom they manage. In fact, at NAPUS’ May consultative with the USPS, I asked for such a Postmaster retirement incentive, but was advised by your representative that there were no funds available for my request. Apparently, funds are now available for clerks and mail handlers. Jack, NAPUS’ request must be revisited in light of to day’s news. Failure to provide Postmasters with a meaningful retirement incentive will further degrade Postmaster morale, and will confirm an incalculable level of disrespect. \| Postal Retiree Not Happy About New Retirement Incentive Can Recent Retirees File A Complaint? Postmaster Potter also indicated before a congressional hearing that there wouldn’t be any incentives offered. Three weeks after retiring I find out that the memo and statement from the postmaster were all lies. I took them at their word and retired at the age of 49 with 26 years of service. I had to incur a 12% penalty (2%for every year under 55). I feel totally used and would like to know if I and the other recent retirees can dispute what is now happening. \| Former El Paso postman sentenced for worker's comp scam Advertising Delivery: A Governmental Function? Fire chars mail truck It's not too late to save the Postal Service As recession wears on, the mail's a little lighter Irate woman allegedly threatens postal worker
			August 25, 2009 USPS Offers $15,000 Retirement Incentive To APWU-Represented Employees and Mail Handlers - The incentive is for clerks, maintenance, mvs..etc to retire or resign - Moratorium on excessing until Oct, 9, 2009 - Most employees will receive $10,000 in November 2009 and $5,000 approximately one year later - APWU: Union Negotiates Monetary Incentive For Retirements, Separations \| NPMHU \| Negotiated Incentive Settlement Could Save USPS $500 Million \| USPS Offers Buyouts to 30,000 Workers \| USPS offers workers $15,000 to quit \| Zumbox Raises $8 Million For Paperless Postal Service Zumbox has created a web-based platform that powers the world’s first paperless postal system. The company has created a digital mailbox – a Zumbox – for every street address in the country. Postal mail can now be sent as digital files and received online, with no paper, printing or postage, and no scanning. \| Postal official addresses concerns about Dallas Main Post Office at town hall meeting USPS mail volume down, ad mail takes biggest hit Greensboro: Downtown delivers for its carrier Snail mail slowdown Operation Graphic Hand: Nixon sends the Army in to move the mail (PDF)
			August 24, 2009 Burrus: Can We Help the Postal Service? The Postal Service’s financial difficulties are a frequent topic of discussion among union members, and recently I have received several suggestions about ways employees can help the USPS remain solvent. Most of the ideas involve efforts to increase mail volume by promoting letter-writing campaigns or other activities. A submission by Todd Manganello (of the Baton Rouge Local) to Ask the President on the union’s Web site suggested a stamp-buying lottery aimed at increasing use of the Postal Service by individuals. \| Unions oppose 5-day delivery, other proposals to cut USPS costs All four major postal unions will renegotiate their contracts in 2010 or 2011, and the Postal Service — which spends 80 percent of its operating budget on labor costs — will certainly push for concessions... the Postal Service might find it easier to demand concessions. \| Guffey: Fighting Contract Postal Units, Protecting Retail Jobs Retail employees are understandably fearful that their jobs will be eliminated, and many union activists are convinced that management plans to replace the stations and branches with Contract Postal Units (CPUs), which are owned and run by non-postal employees. \| Opinion: Postal Service remains vital in digital age For the last four decades, letter carriers and other postal employees have had no more loyal friends than Lacy Clay and his father, former Rep. Bill Clay, two St. Louis Democrats who have represented Missouri's First Congressional District since 1969. So when the time comes that a Clay says the Postal Service must "transform itself to survive as a viable entity," things must be serious, indeed. But as policymakers weigh their options, they should realize that people, while they spend a lot of time online, still live in the real world. Business may be down, but 180 billions of pieces of mail a year are vitally important. ...Even in the digital age, the Postal Service's mission of "binding the nation together" with universal service, at fair and reasonable rates, must be preserved. \| Small post offices wondering if fate is sealed Once a municipal landmark found in even the smallest communities, the neighborhood post office is slowly going the way of the handwritten letter. But one thing is for sure: Soon to be gone are the days when nearly everyone has to -- or will even be able to -- walk into his local post office and have a clerk send a parcel. The potential cuts are of particular concern to the elderly and isolated, who may be unaccustomed to corresponding online or uncomfortable driving far to mail a package. \|
			August 23, 2009 Driver seriously injured in collision with postal truck Commentary: About that Saturday mail... Jogger struck, killed by mail truck
			August 22, 2009 Editorial: US Postal Service Needs to Cut Back and Make Changes The mailman used to deliver twice a day in urban areas, but now Postal Service Chief Executive John Potter says he wants to stop Saturday service to reduce costs. No private business in America could continually raise prices, lose billions of dollars and then hope to win back customers by promising poorer service. \| Postal Service and the Federal Budget More than anything else, the greatest political obstacle to a new business model for the Postal Service is the Federal budget deficit. Every legislative action to maintain postal services in light of current financial losses, and fund the transition that will create a new business model will have budgetary implications. Thee budgetary implications will likely become the primary arguments of postal competitors and other opponents of reform for delaying necessary changes that would make the Postal Service a viable and customer-focused provider of delivery and delivery related services. \| Results of MIARAP Route Adjustments (PDF) \| Florida: Bronson postal worker guilty of hoarding 2 truckloads of mail \| 7 Ariz. postal stations avoid consolidation USPS OIG Audit Report: Custodial Maintenance - Nationwide (PDF) USPS OIG Audit Report: Rio Grande District - Vending Operations Risk (PDF) USPS OIG Audit Report: Service Performance Measurement System - Delivery Confirmation (PDF
			August 21, 2009 DOL files lawsuit against USPS On Behalf Of Fired Whistleblower The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit against the U.S. Postal Service, alleging that a former Seattle Processing and Distribution Center employee was discharged in violation of the whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970. The complaint alleges that the former employee was terminated for reporting a work-related illness to her employer and refusing to work on machine that caused her illness. \| USPS Assailed for Airing Ads During Bigot’s TV Broadcasts APWU President William Burrus has asked the Postal Service to join with other responsible companies and withdraw sponsorship of an offensive nightly TV offering, “The Glenn Beck Program.” “Glenn Beck has made a number of offensive statements on his nightly show that I believe are designed to promote racial animosity,” Burrus wrote in a letter to Postmaster General John E. Potter on Aug. 19. [PDF] \| USPS Updates FSS Deployment Plans Under the revised plan, the Postal Service will redirect 19 of the 100 new FSS machines to new plants. Two of the 32 locations originally scheduled to receive the machines — Aliso Viejo, CA, and the Atlanta BMC, now a Network Distribution Center have been removed from the list. However, the revised plan increases to 42 the number of facilities receiving the high-tech sorting machines, including 12 locations that were not in the original deployment. Dead Tree Edition: Declining Volumes Lead to FSS Expansion \| Story in Mailers’ Publication Pointedly Misses the Point About Postal Salaries -In yet another attempt to promote the myth that postal employees are not deserving of their collectively-bargained salaries, APWU President William Burrus writes in an Update for union members, a business-mailers’ organization has published a fact-error-riddled story comparing salaries of USPS Electronic Technicians with ETs in the Federal Aviation Administration. \| Local mail-processing center may be moved to Grand Rapids A Rally to Keep 14 Post Offices in Business N.J. post office workers preparing for possible closures Postal Union worries local jobs could be lost
			August 20, 2009 Excessed Postal Workers 120-Mile Commute Postal Worker given one week to report to new duty station (8/20) \| Postal Employees Busted For Illegal Gambling Prosecutors said since at least May 2005, the defendants have operated a “Lotto”-type gambling business which tracked the numbers chosen for the New York State Lotto drawings and paid out on a monthly basis prizes in the range of $100,000...A suspect in a related case put his illegal earnings at nearly $10 million. \| Eye Opener: Potter on Obama's Postal Comments Despite the comparisons and suggestions that the Postal Service lags behind UPS and FedEx, Potter noted that the two leading shipping companies fly most domestic mail while postal carriers deliver UPS and FedEx throughout rural America. "It is a good model of efficient public-private service," Potter said. A Letter From PMG Jack Potter \| White House doesn't back down from postal dig \| DC Post Office Rationing Stamps? According to some of the counter staff, there is a new district manager overseeing post offices in our area. This manager is setting a limit on how many stamps any one post office can have at any one time. Therefore, area post offices are being forced to ration their stamps. If we bought 3,000 at this point, there might not be enough left later for other customers. Postal Rationing Confirmed? \| Court nixes religious displays in postal station Postal Workers Decry Cost-Cutting Proposal Meet the New PRC Chairman, Ruth Y. Goldway Public sends message: Don't close post office UPS socked with $100M overtime lawsuit Texas Postal Employee indicted for mailing marijuana USPS and FedEx Renew Global Express Guaranteed Agreement Winning in Turbulence Truck crashes into post office 'Leave it to Beaver' belongs in USPS stamp series Washington Heights mail carrier sentenced in tax refund check sting
			August 19, 2009 Breaking News - From a PostalReporter reader: At 6 a.m. this morning about 15-20 USPS OIG agents raided the USPS Bay-Valley District (Oakland, CA) Motor Vehicle Dept. More information will be posted as it becomes available. see news story \| Burrus: ‘Short-Sighted’ Strategy Will Mean Long-Term Damage USPS Station and Branch Closures - In a follow-up to recent testimony before a House subcommittee, APWU President William Burrus explored alternatives to station-and-branch closures [PDF], which the Postal Service is planning in reaction to a severe financial crisis. “The Postal Service could accelerate employee attrition by offering a reasonable retirement incentives,” he said. “Postal managers say they cannot afford incentives, but this is a short-sighted response. They cannot afford not to offer them. At a time when postal finances are in such dire straits, how can postal management refuse to allocate a minimum amount in order to generate substantial savings in future years?” Burrus asked. \| Results of New NIOSH Investigation On DBCs From Loyd Reeder...the recently released NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation of the 4 tiered DBCS's which was done from OSHA videotapes done in the Denver plant in October, 2007. What had NIOSH so concerned in 1993 was the older 3 tiered DBCS, since that time they have never been allowed to look at the newer 4 tiered machines until now. \| Post office reopens one day after crash Klein fights to save downtown post office Pittsfield: Postal Service moving workers Bloomington Postal Workers Say Sorting Switch Will Slow Mail Postal worker humble about rescue Canton: Postal workers picket branch Move Update non-compliance to cost mailers more in 2010 Less junk mail: Good for you, bad for economy Kentucky: Owensboro postal employee admits to mail theft Reader’s Digest Plans Bankruptcy Filing Plunge in Credit-Card Mailings Slows USPS OIG: Periodicals
			August 18, 2009 USPS On Boycott List For Keeping Ads On Controversial Talk Host Glenn Beck's Show - The advertiser pullout from Glenn Beck’s Fox News Channel show has gone from a trickle to a torrent, and Fox has been reduced to running “house” ads (spots for its own properties for which it receives no revenue). Advertisers remaining on the show — and thus on the boycott hit list — are: Honda, General Electric, Farmers Insurance, Office Depot, Nestlé (Gerber), Red Lobster, the U.S. Postal Service, and Wyeth. \|Comments (264) USPS DPMG Donahoe: The Current USPS Business Model is “Not Sustainable" - While emphasizing that all projections at this point are preliminary, Donahoe discusses the effects a change to a five-day delivery week will have on employees. He says USPS will use “every tool at its disposal” to make sure the change to a five-day week has a minimal impact on employees. \|Comments (68) APWU Responds to New York Times Column When a business columnist for the venerable New York Times wrote an article outlining the Postal Service’s financial difficulties and concluded that the USPS should be privatized, APWU President William Burrus fired back. In a letter to the editor, the union president disputed the suggestion that the cause of the Postal Service’s current financial crisis is the diversion of mail to the Internet and e-mail. He pointed out that the crisis is the fault of the 2006 postal “reform” law, which requires the USPS to pre-fund retiree healthcare costs. \|Comments (48) Chicago Residents Rally For Letter Carrier Fired After Leaving Cart Unattended - About 45 Uptown Chicago residents demonstrated Saturday outside their local branch post office, a facility with a long-held reputation for particularly poor customer service. Instead of being there to complain about service, however, these residents turned out in recognition of the good service they have long received from one of the letter carriers stationed there -- and to demand his quick reinstatement. Mark Ruben, who had no role in the protest, told me by phone he is being fired on grounds of leaving his mail cart unattended, but he said the disciplinary action is really the result of his long-running dispute with post office management. \|Comments (60) Postal Service's Summer Sale Heats Up Mailers Take Advantage of Standard mail Price Breaks- The Postal Service's Summer Sale program continues to heat up, as qualified mailers take advantage of price breaks offered for generating additional volumes of commercial or nonprofit Standard Mail letters and flats The program, which began July 1 and ends Sept. 30, provides a 30-percent credit to eligible mailers who generate Standard Mail volumes above a mailer-specific threshold... more than 1,200 companies registered to participate. Of those, 569 have been certified, while another 364 await certification. \|Comments (22) The US Postal Service: Our Next Bankruptcy? Postal Service Bankruptcy Less junk mail: Good for you, bad for economy Kentucky: Owensboro postal employee admits to mail theft Reader’s Digest Plans Bankruptcy Filing Plunge in Credit-Card Mailings Slows USPS OIG: Periodicals
			August 17, 2009 The Postal Service's Bid for Deliverance - The deficit-burdened agency asks Congress to consider new jobs for carriers, such as drug delivery, that utilize their 'last mile' advantage- We should experiment with utilizing our 'last mile' advantage in areas beyond traditional mail, whether that means conducting the Census or national polling, delivering medications, or helping law enforcement in any number of ways," NALC President Fred Rolando, told a Senate panel on Aug. 6. Rolando says he is eager to engage officials at the Postal Service in talks about how to harness the organization's resources to stir up new revenue. \|Comments (52) Ohio: Postal Workers Protest MVS, PO Cuts at District Manager's House The American Postal Workers Union claims the United States Postal Service will contract out 54 local truck driver jobs and close three Central Ohio post offices to help reduce costs. \|Comments (29) White House Press Secretary: No 'Postal Service' for Health Care - Gibbs said on Face the Nation Sunday that President Obama is still in favor a government-sponsored health insurance plan -- but does not intend to replicate the beleaguered U.S. Postal Service \|Comment (1) Postal Service receives bum rap Postal service must change with the times, but wisely Pushed to brink, U.S. mail continues cutbacks Lawsuit-filing postman loses latest round Battle brewing over junk mail Editorial: Say goodbye to Saturday mail? Philly: Dog bites send carrier to the hospital
			August 16, 2009 The Postal Service’s National Reassessment Process-Limited Duty APWU: On May 29, 2009, the Postal Service concluded its National Reassessment Process Limited Duty pilot program. APWU has been notified that this program is being implemented nationwide effective July 13, 2009, with "work status meetings" beginning no sooner than July 27th. You should be aware that the Limited Duty NRP will target limited duty employees as well as those rehab employees who have not yet been subjected ot the original NRP Phase 2, which is now being referred to as the MMI NRP. This new NRP is not intended to replace the MMI NRP. They will exist simultaneously, therefore as explained by the Postal Service, some rehab employees will be subjected to both versions of the program. \| NAPUS Hotline August 15, 2009 The Post Office Comparison One of the most hotly debated parts of President Obama's plan to change health care in America is the so-called "public option." Well, fortunately for all of us, there exists a real world parallel that may help us to better evaluate the potential ramifications of the public option for health care and for private insurance. It's called the United States Post Office, which has to compete with United Parcel Service ("Big Brown"), Federal Express, DHL and other "overnight" carriers and, with ever increasing frequency, e-mail as the message and media delivery system of choice for the American people. \| USPS May Consolidate Nine Central Forwarding System Offices “This will impact the employees in the losing CFS units. Reassignments will be made pursuant to the provisions of Article 12 by each affected district office." \| Editorial: MSPB Finds Limited Duty Offer Was Proper U.S. Postal Service Fights for Survival
			August 14, 2009 On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics (ORPES), July, 2009 (Pay Period 16, FY 2009) Police raid home and business of postal worker on Cal Coast Your 41 pounds of junk mail 8 Hawaii postal facilities removed from potential consolidation
			August 13, 2009 Postal Clerk Admits $600,000 Stamp Theft According to his plea agreement, Foster was a window clerk at the Elkridge USPS office, having been employed there since 1998. From June 2008 through March 2009, Foster stole “bricks” and “coils” of stamps from the post office, which he provided to a co-conspirator and others to sell. Since January 2007, the Elkridge USPS office has sustained a loss of $682,809.11 as a result of the postage stamp theft scheme. \| NALC: House Republican Conference Smears America’s Most Trusted Agency - The NALC issued a point-by-point rebuttal of a grossly inaccurate, partisan attack on the Postal Service and its 700,000 employees, perpetrated by by the House Republican Conference in an underhanded bid to derail health care reform. “This smear cannot go unanswered,” NALC President Fredric V. Rolando said. “This attack on America’s most-trusted agency is deliberately misleading and unjustifiably undermines public support for the Postal Service.” Burrus: A Cheap Shot at Our Expense \| The Postal Service's Early-Retirement Snafu Better communication, not additional incentives, is all the Postal Service needs to entice more employees to retire early, a union leader says. The USPS is providing incomplete benefit estimates to eligible employees, according to Don Cheney, a long-time leader of the Auburn, Washington APWU local who has worked extensively on early-retirement issues for the past six years. \| Revamped Maintenance Selection System Q & A (PDF) The following questions and answers are to be applied for issues involving the RMSS and the Handbook EL-304 agreed to by USPS and APWU on June 3, 2009 \| Omaha Postmaster Eva Jon Sperling Dies Town hall to be held on postal operations in Dallas Injured Mail Carrier Talks About Pit Bull Attack Postal disservice Postal poverty Direct Mail May Fall 10% This Year Couple navigate four-wheel-drive beach to deliver mail
			August 12, 2009 New PRC Chairman hopes to 'emphasize needs of the average citizen mailer as opposed to the business mailers' - who the postal service often considers its customers," she said Tuesday in an interview with the Daily Press. \| Editorial: Postal Workers OWCP Indictments Everyone on OWCP is scrutinized these days. Tactics include installing a hidden video camera on a telephone pole in front of the home. Attached are two photos of one taken by a letter carrier. He witnessed it being installed, and curious, asked the contractor about it, who told him! The small rectangle on the side of the box is a one-way glass. The letter carrier complained to his steward, who complained to management, and the box was removed a few days later. The video signal is sent over the electrical wires to a distant monitoring station, giving OIG a live feed to a DVR.\| USPS Will Give 20% Rebate on Presort First Class Mail Between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2009 (PDF) - The Board of Governors have authorized the Postal Service to adjust the prices for its market-dominant products. This adjustment will take effect at 12:01 AM on October 1, 2009, and expire at 11:59 PM on December 31, 2009. This change affects First-Class Mail® presort letter, flat, and card prices. \| Videos : DPMG Donahoe on Five-Day Delivery See videos 37 and 38 at letter carrier connection \| People Magazine to Honor Postal Heroes And an upcoming article in the Aug. 14 issue of PEOPLE magazine will recognize several letter carriers who’ve done just that — going out of their way to perform heroic deeds — while delivering on their routes. \| APWU Files Dispute Over Consolidation of USPS Districts The APWU has appealed to arbitration a dispute over the Postal Service’s unilateral consolidation of six USPS Districts. By letter dated May 12, 2009, the union was informed that six district offices had been consolidated and that effective July 4, 2009, the casual reports used by the Union to monitor compliance with Article 7.1.B.5 will reflect the new structure as specified in the letter. It is the union’s position that this is a mid-term modification of the collective bargaining agreement, prohibited by Article 5, that allows the Postal Service to evade the casual caps and thereby employ more casuals than it otherwise might have under the pre-existing district structure. \| Post Office Vandalized With Obama 'Joker' Posters Global Postal Monitoring System Goes Live Ex-letter carrier accused of opening mail agrees to plead guilty
			August 11, 2009 Obama: 'UPS and FedEx are doing just fine. It's the Post Office that's always having problems' - President Obama made what his advisers believe were his first public comments on the U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday, basically knocking its performance during his health-care-themed town hall in New Hampshire. I mean, if you think about it, UPS and FedEx are doing just fine, right? No, they are. It's the post office that's always having problems."Asked to clarify, the White House said Obama was pointing out that while core Postal Service services are different from those offered by UPS and FedEx, it has not undermined the competitive spirit of the private shipping industry. Postal Service: Whipping Boy of the health care debate \|see video \| Burrus: USPS Rate Policies Add to Fiscal Woes During a question-and-answer session at a recent Senate subcommittee hearing, APWU President William Burrus outlined the union’s objections to an amendment to a bill that would help the USPS recover from its fiscal woes and pointed out that the Postal Service’s rate policies have encouraged the growth of a private-sector mail-processing network. In an Update for union members, the union president compares postal salaries to workshare discounts, and blasts the USPS for establishing a flawed postage rate system. \| APWU: Vote Delayed on Bill To Undermine Pay and Benefits S 1507 Update: The Senate adjourned for its August recess without voting on a bill that would be devastating for postal workers. As a result, union members have several more weeks to voice opposition to legislation that would undermine our wages and benefits in future contract negotiations. \| Is It Burrus' fault that Postcom Prez Compared His Comments On Worksharing To Nazi? According to Gene in response to the APWU article above : "The APWU has NOT told its members about the jobs that would be lost if and when the USPS puts through an exigency postal rate increase. Nor has it mentioned how that increase will precipitate a further drop in mail volume, endangering even more postal jobs. Oh...I forgot. According to APWU's boss, business mailers are "vermin." This appears to be something some people have forgotten." Hey historians. Does that have a familiar ring? No, no, no. I must be confusing that with "My Struggle." Shall I translate that for you? \| Columbus Ohio Motor Vehicle Services Unit Contracted Out Watertown mail processing operation moving to Syracuse Postal truck hit from behind, mail secured PRC public forum on workshare discount methodologies to be broadcast live on web at 1PM today Fixing the Mail: Neither Snow nor Rain nor…Red Ink? Dear John: Your post office is closing BusinessWeek Poll: Should the Postal Service save money by eliminating one day of mail delivery? Five-Day Delivery Will Not Impact Direct Mail Catalogers Thousands of pieces of mail damaged in Kentucky flooding
			August 10, 2009 Opt Me Out! The USPS Needs an Overhaul Mailbox 'edict' has residents in huff Your Corner Mailbox Could Be Stamped Out
			August 9, 2009 Three Ohio Postal Workers Charged With OWCP Fraud a federal grand jury returned three separate felony indictments charging three Postal Workers with defrauding the United States Department of Labor and the USPSe. The indictments returned today charged the postal workers with devising and carrying out three separate schemes to defraud the United States Department of Labor and the United States Postal Service by fraudulently obtaining worker’s compensation benefits and avoiding returning to work in limited duty positions. \| Texas Carrier arrested after ditching vehicle A U.S. post office vehicle was parked and left running at a stop sign late Friday afternoon, according to a police report. The abandoned vehicle was full of undelivered mail and officers started looking for the missing mail carrier, the report stated. Officers found the worker at a nearby restaurant drinking a bottle of soda. \| Salt Lake City airport postal facility could close by Oct. 1 Protect postal service for the poor Maine town fights curbside mailbox phase-out
			August 8, 2009 Mail Carriers Walking Farther, Delivering Less Mail KMBC's Martin Augustine reported that while they're delivering less mail to neighborhoods, the postal service nationwide is delivering to more addresses than it ever has before. More than a million new addresses are added every single year..... that may mean even more hours on the street. \| Let’s Outsource the Post Office eNAPUS: Clunker Cash - Postal Pity (PDF) Probe of contract post office closes with no charges filed Fixing the Postal Service Postal union seeks support to fight possible downsizing at Kilmer P&D Postal union seeks support to fight possible downsizing at Edison facility So you think your business has problems Union accuses Freehold post office of labor violations UPS Employees Say They Were Forced to Lobby Against FedEx
			August 7, 2009 The Big Lie Editorial By PostCom President: "There are lies....There are lies....And then there are damn lies! I don't know about you, but I've had my fill of listening to the claptrap peddled on the Hill by the American Postal Workers Union's William Burrus. As they once said about Joseph Goebbels and the Nazi big lie, if you tell an untruth often enough, people just might begin to believe it. What really got me was Burrus' baloney about people being paid four times what postal workers are paid to perform the kind of worksharing that has saved the Postal Service billions of dollars since worksharing's inception. Where are his facts? In reality, he has none." Update: looks like Postcom prez removed the Nazi reference but the basically the same essay from 2002 is still floating around the internet \| Editorial : Ex-sick-ution by Ronald Williams - According to a USPS Inspector General website the U.S. Postal Service spent $1.4 Billion in 2008 on sick leave. The Postal Service identified 35,000 employees with 20 or more unscheduled absences. I think it’s hard to schedule when you are going to be sick or can’t make it to work and that’s why we call an employee service line \| Postal truck catches fire in Wisconsin Goldway Designated PRC Chairman (PDF) Age in which letters are old-fashioned takes toll on Postal Service
			August 6, 2009 Testimony From Today's Senate Subcommittee Hearing: THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE IN CRISIS \| Watch Today's Hearing \| Senators Fret Over Postal Service's Finances "I think that we've reached a breaking point with the recession and that's why we're seeking to go from six- to five-day delivery," Mr. Potter said. Senator Thomas R. Carper, Democrat of Delaware and chairman of the subcommittee, said that the health benefits bill was "not a silver bullet." Several senators said that eliminating a day of delivery was not off the table, but did not offer concrete proposals on how to make that change. Mr. Lieberman said that members of Congress were opposed to closing postal facilities and eliminating a day of delivery but said, "I fear that we'll probably have to do both of those." Collins critical of Postal Service shut-down proposals \| APWU: Senate Bill Would Destroy Collective Bargaining “The crisis facing the United States Postal Service is real,” Burrus said, “and this union offers positive solutions. The amendment to S. 1507 is not positive, and it will not solve the problems of the United States Postal Service.” “By endorsing the amendment, the committee has declared war on postal workers.” APWU: Give-and-Take On the Coburn Amendment \| watch hearing on cspan.org \| Potter Seeks ‘Fundamental Restructuring’ Of Postal Laws PMG Jack Potter today testified before a Senate panel responsible for USPS oversight, stressing the need for a “fundamental restructuring” of the Postal Service’s legislative and regulatory framework. He said such changes are “critical to future growth” of the organization. Potter also noted the Postal Service supports portions of the bill that require an arbitrator to consider the agency’s financial health in a binding arbitration settlement . PMG: Payroll will not be interrupted despite cash shortfall \| US Postal Service Seeks OK To Enter New Lines Of Business The U.S. Postal Service is seeking permission from Congress to enter new lines of business, hoping to boost revenue at a time when traditional mail volumes are posting double-digit losses, putting the Postal Service into a deep financial hole. A green light from lawmakers could allow 30,000 post offices to offer banking and insurance products, renew drivers' licenses or sell pre-paid cellular telephone service, offsetting hits from the recession and a shift to electronic bill payment. "We cannot just sell stamps in those outlets," U.S. Postmaster General John Potter said at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee hearing Thursday. \| USPS Outlook (PDF) USPS Quarterly 10-K Financial Report - The Postal Service finds itself operating in one of the most difficult economic environments in decades. The recession that began in December 2007, deepened in 2009 and mail volume reflects this, shedding a total of 20 billion pieces in the first nine months of 2009. The recession is expected to continue through the remainder of 2009 and impact mail volumes through 2010. Volume for 2009 is projected to be approximately 175 billion pieces, a decline of 28 billion pieces from the 2008 level of 203 billion pieces. Based upon current projections, net loss for 2009 is expected to exceed $7 billion. The $10.2 billion debt limit at September 30, 2009 is expected to be insufficient to fund our obligations without legislative change. Expense Outlook: The Postal Service has implemented a cost reduction plan in an effort to mitigate the effects of the significant revenue shortfall from declining mail volumes in 2009 . The potential for greater cost reduction opportunities could be realized in cooperation with our unions and management associations. the Postal Service has, and continues to, undertake a number of actions to increase efficiency, reduce costs and generate new revenue. These actions include freezing executive salaries, reducing workhours and headcount, maximizing operational efficiencies, renegotiating contracts with major suppliers, halting construction of new facilities, and initiating revenue generation efforts utilizing the increased pricing flexibility available under P.L. 109-435. Although each of these efforts is expected to positively impact cash flow in 2009, they will not, either individually, or in the aggregate, be sufficient to offset the expected September 30, 2009 cash shortfall. \| OSHA cites Wisconsin postal facility for safety violations, proposes nearly $60,000 in penalties - Federal labor officials have cited a U.S. Postal Service distribution facility in Eau Claire with a number of workplace violations. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says violations included failing to provide proper driver training and keeping improper records on injuries. OSHA also says the facility failed to provide certain refresher training and didn't make sure workers performed daily truck inspections. The safety agency has proposed $58,500 in penalties. U.S. Postal Service spokesman Peter Nowacki had no immediate comment. \| Oxnard Postal Workers Fight Proposal Close Processing Plant Barrier to Postal Service Downsizing Is Being Ignored Men rob post office and take off on four-wheeler Charleston Letter Carrier pepper sprays robber Postal Worker Hospitalized After Dog Attack No Exigent Postal Rate Case -- For Now Don’t Blame the Web for Postal Service Woes Postal Governor Katherine Tobin Appointed to Dept. Of Education
			August 5, 2009 USPS Reports Net Loss Of $2.4 Billion For Third Quarter The U.S. Postal Service said Wednesday it posted a net loss of $2.4 billion in its third quarter and expects to lose more than $7 billion by the end of the fiscal year. The rising tide of red ink could leave the Postal Service with a potential cash shortfall of up to $700 million by its fiscal year-end on Sept. 30, when it must pay up to $5.8 billion to pre-fund retiree health benefits. Postal Service officials hope Congress will pass legislation that would increase its ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury Department before the bill comes due. USPS reports loss, while Senate delays action on bill \| USPS Briefing on Third Quarter Financial Results (33 minute video) \| USPS Paying Postal Managers For Environmental Performance Raises for managers at the United States Postal Service next year will depend, in part, on how well the service is doing with the environment. That sustainability office at USPS tells FederalNewsRadio that they are adding new pay-for-performance indicators to measure how well managers and supervisors meet goals for energy and fuel usage. \| No Pony Express, Postal Service Slammed for 'Lumbering' System, Junk Mail Deliveries - Government budget woes, the efficiency of the Internet and the staggering volume of junk mail have rightfully buried the U.S. Postal Service, say environmental groups and budget analysts who call the mail delivery model built on the Pony Express no longer viable in the 21st century. \| Seattle sub-carrier charged in theft - deposits $208,307 stolen check When postal worker Trevor L. McBee suddenly deposited a check for $208,307.45 in his wife's bank account in June, he told her they'd won the lottery, court documents say.But the truth was that McBee, a substitute carrier for the U.S. Postal Service's Interbay substation in Seattle, had been swiping business checks from his routes, according to federal charges unsealed Tuesday. \| Going Part-Time Into Retirement One of the less controversial pro-fed perqs Congress will take up next month would, if approved, permit working feds who are under the Civil Service Retirement System to phase into retirement by working part-time. Under current rules folks under the CSRS plan, about 20 percent of the federal workforce, who go part-time in their high-3 average salary period often take a big pension hit. Their annuities are based on their high-3 year average salary and going part-time can drag that down. But the House version of the Defense Authorization bill would correct a congressional oversight (from the mid-1980s).\| America needs a smaller Postal Service Bids Start at $300,000 for Chicago’s Old Post Office Postal Service going the way of phone booths Postal Service May Close 14 (Not 53) Branches in New York City Post office responds to criticism, returns to longer hours Letter carrier (and brother of Police Chief) charged with drug dealing on route Can the Postal Service Still Afford Periodicals? Plan to close three Clearwater post offices upsets customers Postal Service Offers Yard Grooming Tips
			August 4, 2009 The Patient is not Dead Reading recent news reports about the Postal Service, one would think that it is on its deathbed. While times are dire and a major restructuring is in order, the underlying business may be better than what some of its competitors face even if the Postal Service's ability to remain a sustaining enterprise under the current business model looks increasingly unlikely. \| Dear USPS: Consider Privatizing But many experts argue that true reform requires the Postal Service to privatize, which would include opening up the first-class mail business to competition. Privatization has worked in many other countries. Germany's Deutsche Post, which runs the DHL brand, has been private since 2000 and is now the world's largest logistics group. The European Union is in the midst of privatizing the postal services of all its member nations. And in 2005, Japan approved the privatization of its postal service, Japan Post. \| PRC Website fails to deliver? PRC website crashes under weight of people trying to find out if their post office is on the list- "No one knows as of this writing how many of us are trying to access the www.prc.gov/ (postal regulatory commission) website to see if "our" post office is one of those on a proposed hit list, but I do know that it's at least one too many. Over the past hour, multiple attempts to access the site utilizing two different internet browsers have all resulted in the same "waiting for www.prc.gov..." message at the bottom of the screen." \| Ex-postal worker allegedly took gift cards Thieves Use Postal Service To Steal Identity Anthrax case not closed: Panel reviews Bruce Ivins, mail probe With Volume Down, Shipping Discounts Abound Editorial: Take fast action to save U.S. mail Contract Mail Carrier Snags Traffic Signal, Snarls Ensue
			August 3, 2009 Postal Worker’s Removal For Unacceptable Attendance Affirmed By MSPB - by Don Cheney - It was undisputed that over the course of about 21 months, the Austin, TX P&DC Mail Processing Clerk was absent from work 81 days, including 77 days of unscheduled leave without pay (LWOP). While the appellant lost his job, he appears eligible for disability retirement. He must apply within one year of the effective date of separation as shown on his last Form 50 (that's usually not the date in the Notice of Removal). \| The Challenge of Retail The Postal Service has whittled down its Post Office closing list to around 1,000 offices. The final list represents less than 3% of all existing Post Offices. While many communities may feel relieved that the have been spared the loss of their post office, the Postal Service still faces the challenge of providing retail services that makes both business sense and serves the non-business needs of the communities the Postal Service serves. \| TSP rebounds in July DPMG Donahoe Addresses Five-Day Delivery Discussion USPS OIG: Will Electronic Reader Technology Affect the Postal Service? Mail Truck And Pickup Truck Collide In Bethlehem NALC Branch holds softball tournament to raise money to fight muscular dystrophy 'Junk mail' deliveries drop off Passionate little town seems ready to secede again over post office closing Postal service adjusts to declining volume by taking away collection boxes Editorial : One Way to Fix Netflix - Find a Better Post Office
			August 2, 2009 Sun City paves the way for postal workers of the future [Garet] Wichowski is one of four Sun City (Arizona) postal carriers that get to use the T3, which is an all-electric, three-wheeled motorized vehicle. \| CO: Aurora's delivery dilemmas Congressman Kucinich Demands Thorough Analysis of PO Consolidation Review North Carolina: Chapel Hill postal worker killed in crash
			August 1, 2009 NALC President :Seeing past the gloom to a brighter tomorrow (PDF) With the recession playing havoc with the Postal Service, we, too, are in survival mode.But the Postal Service and the NALC must do more than hunker down and just fight to survive in the short run. We must also do all we can to imagine, and then to realize, a stronger, better Postal Service for the 21st century once this crisis passes. Indeed, the Postal Service recently revealed that it is ready to support the biggest change in its operations in more than 50 years—the elimination of Saturday delivery—based on the flimsiest “evidence.” ABM: Elimination of Saturday delivery 'inevitable' \| Grand jury indicts Indiana letter carrier CNN: Postal Service Weighs Service Cuts Cutbacks may seal fate of some neighborhood post offices Will the USPS Seek An 'Exigent' Rate Increase?