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

PRC Annual Report: Postal Execs Compensation

Postmaster, Supervisor Groups Reject Pay Freeze (PDF)

Tight Times Strain Postmasters



			January 31, 2010 President Obama Nominates Two To USPS Board of Governors Paul Steven Miller is the Henry M. Jackson Professor of Law at the University of Washington School of Law who is an expert in workplace and employment law. Professor Miller spent the first nine months of the Obama Administration as a Special Assistant to the President in The White House. Prior to joining the University of Washington in 2004, Professor Miller had been one of the longest serving commissioners of the EEOC. Dennis J. Toner has directed policy, public and political affairs for over 30 years for then-Senator and now-Vice President Biden. Taking Control of the Board of Governors \| Postal Supervisors Alerts Congress to Possible Pay Abuse by USPS The National Association of Postal Supervisors has warned key Senate and House leaders of potential abuse that may occur in the Postal Service's administration of its pay-for-performance system covering 75,000 USPS managers, supervisors and postmasters. Such abuse, NAPS projects, could result in a salary loss of at least $500 to $800 by each affected employee, effective February 5. \| Wheeling Postal Workers Wait for Decision Downtown Pensacola post office stays put Lafayette: Consolidation talk stirs postal union PRC Chair Goldway: Five-Day Mail Delivery Awaiting Advisory Opinion Firm seeks contract to supply USPS with electric cars
			January 30, 2010 USPS Increase Penalties For Violations Concerning Conduct on Postal Property The current rules governing conduct on Postal Service property establish the maximum penalty for a violation as a fine of not more than $50 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or both. As revised by this notice, the maximum penalty for a violation will be increased to a fine of not more than that allowed under title 18 of the United States Code or imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or both. \| Postal system much more efficient today than it was in days gone by Change afoot at USPS Postal union: Use pension money to keep Whippany center open Cambridge postal driver robbed Laundry, chickens and a post office
			January 29, 2010 The League Takes Postmasters Working Condition Issues to Congress Issue: The Abusive Treatment Of Postmasters And The Inefficient And Ineffective Post Office Management Practices Of Upper Level USPS Managers- This letter will serve to inform you of our intention to take our Postmaster issues to Congress. These are the same issues over which the National league of Postmasters has been unsuccessfully attempting to positively engage the Postal Service for the last 3 X years. You know the issues; they include Postmasters putting in horribly long work weeks due to the Postal Service's failure to properly staff supervisors, clerks and carriers and to properly budget work hours, the caustic workplace environment in many districts, a failed pay for performance system, and the Postal Service's failure to fill level 16 and below Postmaster positions. \| USPS Updates Consolidation Initiative – 162 Post Offices Remain On List -The U.S. Postal Service today filed an update with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) indicating that 162 offices remain under review for possible consolidation under the station and branch consolidation initiative. That is six fewer from the last update in December. No final decisions have been made regarding specific office consolidations. \| Springfield (MA) Area APWU Local Reaches MTESC Agreement Springfield (MA) Area Local reached a tentative agreement with Alan Ritchey, Inc. on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that will cover all 90 members employed at the Mail Transport Equipment Service Center (MTESC). \| Postal Worker Faces Forgery Counts Employee admits faking doctor's notes to get FMLA approved sick leave \| Intelligent Snail: USPS Finally Addressing Crossed-Out Barcodes Credit Card Direct Mail Back On The Rise Residents question Jackson TN post office proposal at public meeting Action Line: What's the deal with Post Office signs?
			January 28, 2010 Somersworth NH Postmaster Placed On Administrative Leave It is not clear if the removal was related to claims by an employee that the manager electronically deleted overtime from employees' time sheets in order to make himself "look good" in the eyes of his superiors. The actions resulted in employees losing pay, the employee claimed. \| USPS Seeks Manufacturer For Anti-Pilferage Seals To Use On Mail Containers The seal shall secure the mail containers and shall not allow the container to be opened without physical destruction of the seal. The seal shall be a passive one time use locking device and shall indicate tampering or access into the mail containers. The seal shall close and lock in a manner that provides an audible and tactile feedback to the user that the seal has closed securely. When forcibly opened or cut, the seal shall be incapable of being resealed. \| New York Letter Carrier Charged in $124,000 Mail Thefts A letter carrier has been charged with stealing cash, gift cards, debit and credit cards from the very mail she was paid to deliver, authorities said Wednesday. Police and postal inspectors executed a search warrant at her residence, where they recovered hundreds of these items in addition to a large volume of mail and property taken from Pound Ridge residents and elsewhere in Westchester. Ryan said the value of the theft was $123,693 but estimated it could go as high as $250,000. \| USPS To Postal Employees: Do Not Obliterate the Barcode Former Postal Worker to appear in court for allegedly destroying mail Pony Express will ride into Scottsdale to deliver mail by horseback Post office moving some jobs from downtown Dallas to Coppell Postal Service to Conduct Study of Mail Processing Operations in Lafayette, IN Postal carrier honored for 40-plus years of service Residents protest closing of Warner Robins GA post office Editorial: Rally ’round Bay City’s downtown post office, and find a way to keep it open Pocono Business Journal to cease publication - rising postal rates one reason for end Deal close for Haitian postman to accept donations Video: Interview with reporter who broke USPS Marketing Exec Bernstock contract story Greenwood, IN postal clerk charged with misappropriation of funds Former postal worker convicted in workers comp fraud case
			January 27, 2010 U.S. Postal Inspectors to Aid Haitian Postal System Recovery Because a viable postal sector is critical to any nation’s economic stability, Chief Postal Inspector William R. Gilligan, Jr. is sending U.S. Postal Inspectors to Haiti to conduct security assessments and help prepare for the restoration of mail service to the earthquake-ravaged country. \| Cheapest shipping route across Canada? Try the USPS \| Why it's cheaper for Canadians to use USPS Rates To Mail Letters and Parcels Transitional letter carrier charged in connection with mail dumping incident WH Responds to WMD Report Liberty City residents protest possible post office closure Postal service seeks comments on new business mail acceptance procedures Postal jobs to leave Hickory NC Despite motto, weather blamed for mail delays $2,700 in donations to Haitian mail carrier still in limbo Slice of life: Postal retiree back sorting mail for Winter Texans "Art of the Postcard" at Cornelius Post Office draws scores of cards from around the world
			January 26, 2010 NYC Mail Handlers Local Withdraws From USPS, OSHA Ergonomic Program Management has attempted to limit this Union's involvement with the EERPs program. Management wants to take the Mail Handler chosen by the Union to be on this committee, and replace them with the team, handpicked by management. This is a blatant underhanded way to limit this Union's participation in the process. \| Why USPS Needs To Step It Up The last three financial reports affecting the USPS has been researched and paid for by the OIG, and not the Postal Service: It appears, through default, the OIG has taken over the creative thinking of the Postal Service. Instead of looking at the problems in a new way, the USPS management goes right to cost cutting – cut workhours, cut service, and cut delivery days. It continues to make mail less attractive through regulations and passing costs onto customers. \| USPS Blocks Gift to Haitian-born Postman On their own, people along Laguerre's route raised nearly $3,000 to help him cover travel expenses to get to Haiti with supplies and aid for family members who survived. However, the neighbors have been told they cannot give Laguerre the money in any form, gift or cash, despite the extraordinary circumstances. \| USPS, Congress Moving Forward With Electric Vehicle Plan Could the Budget Kill Efforts to Save the Postal Service? Bay City postal operations would move if downtown post office is sold Yuma mail carrier returning job to sender NLPM publishes recourse advice for Postmasters unhappy with their NPA scores Seattle council talks about junk mail, but what for? Bulletproofing Your Health Plan Post office looking at consolidating services in Indiana Post offices get reduced hours Regulating the USPS into Financial Stability Is the United States Postal Service Coasting on Green? Postal Service offers reward for info leading to mailer of 'Black Death' letter RNC 'census' mailer draws fire Wisconsin: Racine Mail carriers to move out of Downtown Valentines Post Office puts its own stamp on Valentine greeting
			January 25, 2010 USPS OIG: How Can the Postal Service Reduce the Costs Associated with Postage Stamps? Given the the Postal Service's current financial condition, do we really need stamps in more than two denominations, some of which are not cost effective, or are eventually destroyed? Should the Postal Service convert all stamps to “Forever Stamp”, which will drastically reduce stamp stock destruction? Do we need stamps at all? \| The Direct Mail Market: Structure and Success Factors Export (PA) residents continue quest to get their post office back Valentines Post Office puts its own stamp on Valentine greeting
			January 24, 2010 New Hampshire Letter Carriers Awarded $30,000 For Postal Management Deleting Time Clock Rings - Management at the Milford Post Office engaged in a pattern of intentional, repeated and flagrant violations of the contract when they altered the City Carrier clock rings for the period 2003-2008. Management's violations were so egregious over a period of many years that punitive damages are warranted to deter the Service from further clock ring violations. This, I award $1500.00 to all current career city carriers at the Milford, New Hampshire PO. NALC Branch Prez: An Outside Agency Needs To Come Into USPS And Clean House \| Arbitrator rules in favor of Milford postal workers \| Postal inquiry doesn't satisfy its customers Mail is supposed to be delivered despite snow, rain, heat or gloom of night. But even when the elements weren't to blame, the Temple post office threw away and delayed mail delivery, federal investigators have found. Though mail disruption can be a felony, criminal charges were not filed. Disciplinary or administrative actions were entrusted to the U.S. Postal Service's Rio Grande District in San Antonio. Employees who watched mail get tossed wonder why violators appeared to suffer no consequences. \| New FMLA Rules Increase Time Off To Help Care For Veteran, Active-Duty Relatives Direct Mail Campaign Helps Generate Donations For Haiti Earthquake Victims Lease canceled, and so is Earlville post office Push to keep Stockton (CA) post office open is ongoing Tupelo: Fuzzy facts surround fusing postal operations Oregon: Eugene’s landmark post office is worth saving, preservationists say Houston #1 for Letter Carrier Dog Bite attacks Why Italian Post Offices Are Always Crowded Illinois family seeks missing postal worker
			January 23, 2010 eNAPUS: Fear, Anger and Health Care (PDF) Prosecutor: Indiana Postal Worker Stole Veterans' Drugs Elko NV post office to close Feb. 19 Former postal worker faces 156 charges in investigation Elmira postal worker positions to be eliminated next month Ex-mail carrier admits stealing debit cards Public outcry saves Englewood post office and its mural
			January 22, 2010 Local APWU Calls For Congressional Investigation of Oakland, California Mail Center It is time for the new leadership in Congress and the new administration to take a serious and sincere look at the Postal Service’s business practices. We urge Congress to conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation of the Oakland Post Office P&DC bid cluster, that will include interviews with craft employees and visits to all facilities. \| NALC Wins Arbitration Decision On Misuse of DOIS The grievances are sustained, The Postal Service improperly utilized the Delivery Operations Information System (DOIS) figures to set the carriers' leave and return times in violation of the M-39 Handbook. In addition, the improper DOIS figures created a hostile work environment for the carriers. \| Not all post offices on board with USPS recycling program Postal Worker Sentenced for Stealing Mail USPS Issues Olympic Winter Games Stamp Tennessee man indicted on attempted murder charges in Wytheville VA PO hostage taking USPS OIG: Capital District Financial Risk Audit (PDF) Postal Regulations Are Taking the Life Out of Tabloid Magazines Englewood residents rally around post office and its mural
			January 21, 2010 USPS Attendance Control Crackdown 2010 Letter sent out from Area VP to District Managers: "The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently conducted an audit of the Postal Service's attendance control policies and procedures. The report concluded that supervisors have failed to comply with Postal Service policies and procedures regarding unscheduled absences and recommended the following three actions: provide refresher training to supervisors, establish and implement internal controls to evaluate and ensure supervisors compliance, and mandate the use of the Enterprise Resource Management System." \| Editorial: Wait A Minute Mr. Postmaster by Omar Gonzalez, APWU Western Region Coordinator - Postal Officials projected 97 million patrons visited a post office during the holidays, reporting retail offices generated $12 billion in FY 09. Not bad for business. On the hand, Deputy PMG Donahoe ruins it all by claiming waiting time in line at post offices was just over 3 minutes. He ignores the hundreds of thousands complaining of waiting in line sometimes as long as 20 minutes. The fact is management has gutted window operations. Calling it "efficiency" they will continue to reduce window operations through 2013. The current number of post offices targeted for closure is 141. Pointing to alternative services that generate $5 billion, they contend reducing window service is good business. (Go figure) Wait a minute Mr. PMG. Why are you taking service out of the USPS? \| The U.S. Postal Service’s Financial Condition: Overview and Issues for Congress - While Congress alleviated the USPS’s FY2009 cash shortage, it is unclear what the future holds for the USPS’s finances. Even with this assistance, the USPS had an FY2009 operating loss of $3.8 billion. As the USPS’s finances have deteriorated, its ability to absorb operating losses has been diminished. Between FY2005 and FY2009, the USPS’s debt rose from $0 to $10.2 billion. (The agency’s statutory debt limit is $15 billion.) The USPS has predicted operating deficits in FY2010, and its auditor has stated that there is “significant uncertainty” as to whether the USPS will have the cash required to make its FY2010 payment to its Retiree Health Benefits Fund. \| Postal employees' heroic actions save co-worker's life Postal workers said John was working on the mail sorting machine when he suddenly fell to the floor. That's when the three postal workers morphed into Emergency Medical Technicians. Patterson gave chest compressions while Domingo Vasquez gave mouth to mouth. The trio performed C.P.R. for about 15 minutes, until the ambulance arrived. John is recovering at St. John's and is now in good condition. \| Safety concerns cause emergency suspension of Port Byron Post Office NC Postal Employee Charged With Theft Of Veterans Prescription Postal inspectors issue warning about mail box break-ins Collectible Ella Fitzgerald CD and Postage Stamp Available At Select Post Offices January 25 LOVELAND, CO Ready to Postmark World’s Valentines for 2010 Union members to protest closure of Liberty City (FL) post office Higher Health Premiums: Just Wait! Kentucky postal worker admits mail thefts Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee Changes Announced PRC Schedules Forum On The Financial Stability of US Postal Service (PDF) - PRC Information Request to USPS (PDF) Who let the dogs out? Getting blacklisted by the USPS Persistent false alarms pester Maryland post office 1/21/10 is One Day in a Hundred Years: Zip Code Matches The Date In Latham (NY) Today
			January 20, 2010 Postal Manager of Somersworth Post Office Escorted From Building By OIG The manager of the city's Postal Service branch, who was recently found to have altered his employees' time sheets, was escorted out of the building by a representative of the Office of the Inspector General Tuesday afternoon, according to the president of the state postal union. Inspector General continues probe at Somersworth NH post office \| Postal worker embezzled funds to feed gambling addiction Anti-Obama display at post office draws protests USPS blames Sarbanes-Oxley for delay in newspaper delivery? Lawmakers want post office repaired faster in Connecticut town Memories of a rural mail carrier Congress will debate TSP contributions this session
			January 19, 2010 New OIG Study Estimates USPS Has Been Overcharged for the CSRS Pension Fund by $75 Billion - This marks the third time the Postal Service has been overcharged. In 2002 it was determined the Postal Service would overfund CSRS by $78 billion. Legislation in 2003 corrected this overfunding. Then it was determined the Postal Service was overcharged $27 billion for CSRS military service credits. In 2006 these funds were returned to the Postal Service by Congress, and the surplus was used to fund retiree health care liabilities. [link corrected] Pensions: Another Government Rip-off of the Postal Service \| NALC President: In This New Year, One Battle On Two Fronts (PDF) A major debate is coming in Congress over the Postal Service’s “business model.” GAO will issue a report on the subject in March and congressional hearings will follow. Lawmakers will examine the outlook for mail volume, six-day delivery and post office closings, new services and revenue options—and the pre-funding of future retiree health benefits, now a staggering $5.5 billion per year burden. But even before spring arrives, Congress will make decisions that will have a huge impact on letter carriers and the financial strength of the Postal Service. \| USPS OIG: Has the Postal Service's workplace gotten better or worse over the last 10 years and why? which do you believe would have the biggest impact on improving the Postal Service’s workplace environment? Career opportunities; Communication; Compensation and benefits; Employee morale, recognition, and feedback; Senior leadership ; Work/life balance ;Fairness and respect; None of the above. \| OIG Audit: USPS Can’t Rationalize ‘Network Rationalization’ APWU News - Echoing APWU criticisms, a recent audit by the USPS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded that after more than five years of initiatives aimed at streamlining the mail-processing network, the Postal Service has failed to establish criteria for identifying consolidation opportunities. The USPS has made only limited progress in implementing Area Mail Processing consolidations in the Processing & Distribution network, the Jan. 7 report says. \| Rural Carriers Become National Partner In NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive OPM Proposes Changes To Management of Official Personnel Folders Postal truck flips over in Hendersonville Enshrining a Twentieth Century Postal Service Postal worker pleads guilty to felony mail crime Hellertown men jailed for allegedly stealing USPS check Redesigned TSP Web site to launch in May Postal worker nominated for PMG award GA: Davis Post office Closing Feb. 12 Letters, e-mails seek to save Englewood, CO post office Postal Services around the world are rallying to the assistance of Haiti Springfield, MO MLK Celebration Highlights City's First Black Postal Worker Man attempts suicide at Athens (GA) post office More TSP Investment Options? Post Office Gave Wings to Aeronautic Progress
			January 18, 2010 If There Is No Work For Postal Clerks, Why Are Supervisors, Carriers Doing It? By Stephen Lysaght, President, APWU East Bay Area Local - Grievances concerning supervisors performing bargaining unit work and Carriers assigned Clerk craft duties have increased dramatically. Perhaps it has to do with the current financial plight of the Postal Service. Because mail volume and revenue have decreased, Clerks are not replaced when they retire or separate for other reasons. Their duty assignments are reverted and PTF's hours are reduced. Clerks are being excessed outside their installations to other offices or crafts. What is wrong with this picture? \| OIG, USPIS launch workers’ comp fraud initiative Workers’ compensation benefits help employees who suffer on-the-job injuries, and a crucial element of that program is to make sure they are extended only to employees with legitimate injury claims. A number of employees each year submit fraudulent claims or extend their absences by falsely reporting they are unable to return to work. \| Linda Welch named Acting Southeast Area VP She succeeds Terry Wilson, who was appointed in 2006. Welch previously served as the district manager of the Dallas and Fort Worth districts, where she oversaw improvements in efficiency and reduced costs while achieving record service levels. Wilson is retiring from the Postal Service after a 34-year career. \| USPS Report On PRC Rate and Service Inquiries for December 2009 Leaving the Mailstream (Follow-up) Post office leaves stamp on downtown Delivery workers are often rescuers
			January 17, 2010 Martha Coakley backs plan to unionize FedEx Editorial: Congress - let USPS run its own business
			January 16, 2010 Opinion: What's Wrong With Post Office by James Bertolone, President APWU Rochester, NY - When you hear labor costs are 80 percent of the postal dollar, remember close to 25 percent of the postal dollar goes to those who do not transport, sort or deliver the mail, and do not serve at public windows or maintain the buildings and equipment. We should require Congress to perform its oversight function, starting with demanding the resignations of Potter and Bush-appointed members of the Postal Board of Governors before they destroy the greatest postal service with the lowest rates in the western world. Mailing services constitute 9 percent of our economy. The Postal Service belongs to every American. \| Senators Collins and McCaskill Calls On OIG To Review USPS Contracting Policies Citing concern about its huge annual deficits, Senators Susan Collins, R-Me., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., sent a letter to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Inspector General, asking for a review of the service's procurement policies and regulation. Their concern stems from three contracts that USPS awarded as sole-source contracts. "Not only did these contracts, totaling more than $1.3 million, lack sufficient competition, but also they were awarded to individuals or entities that appear to have had prior business relationships with the senior official responsible for the program and oversight of the contract. \| Postal Battle Over Philadelphia L & DC Shifts To Expedited Arbitration The United States Postal Service and the union representing more than 500 workers at the mail facility located in Logan Township have decided to allow a third party to resolve their differences. They withdrew their motion for injunctive relief Friday after both parties agreed to proceed with expedited arbitration. \| Postal Rate Cap Finishes Year in the Red It’s official: The U.S. Postal Service will not be able to carry out the usual May increase in First Class, Standard, and Periodicals rates this year. And there may be a bit of good news for mailers next year as well. \| New procedure isn't helping post office Pit bull dogs corner mail carrier Postal worker spots fire, firefighters quickly extinguish blaze Higher airline baggage fees create opportunity for luggage shippers (including USPS) OPM Authorizes Federal Departments to Solicit for Haiti Relief Singing Mailman wins $25,000 on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" Locals oppose USPS consolidation, again Retirees $250 Tax Credit Sioux City Mail Carriers Continue Fighting Snow Police investigate Malden (MA) post office after threat What happens to the junk mail? USPS helps stamp collectors stick to their favorite hobby
			January 15, 2010 Not a Smooth Move: Postal Service Hides Change-of-Address Forms USPS no longer displays hardcopy change of address (COA) forms at its retail locations, the Postal Bulletin stated in an issue released today. The Postal Service publication reminded USPS employees of new rules requiring them "to keep Mover's Guide copies behind the counter so that they are inaccessible to customers without the help of a retail associate." Internet Change of Address — the Best Choice \| Postal Service Holding All Mail to Haiti USPS Board of Governors Issues Notification Of Location Change Two Days After Meeting WV Senator Jay Rockefeller Urges USPS to Keep All Wheeling Processing and Distribution Center Employees Hundreds attend Postal hearing meeting in Tupelo Postal Workers Seek Answers in Public Meeting see also: Locals oppose USPS consolidation, again Opinion: Postal Service should stop abetting tax evasion Bowling Green Postal Consolidation Debate Continues Wheeling Mayor Seeks Another Plan From Postal Service Michigan snowplow service wants postmaster to pay up Residents Fight For Postmark and Postal Jobs Mail carrier earns 'Millionaire' appearance with musical audition ELM Revision: Responsibilities of the Office of Inspector General USPS 2009 Tax Information: Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement Mail litters highway in Florida From Stagecoach to Electric T3s and CitiVans: U.S. Postal Service Delivering Green Letter carrier killed in South Carolina shooting left three children; fund set up at local ban
			January 14, 2010 White House, unions reach deal on taxing insurance coverage: "The White House has reached a tentative agreement with labor leaders to tax high-cost health insurance policies, sources said Thursday. The agreement clears one of the last major obstacles on the path to final passage of comprehensive health care legislation" NALC and Organized Labor Succeed In Obtaining Critical Improvements To Health Reform Bill \| DOL Will Recover $1.8 Million In Back Wages From USPS Mail Hauling Contractor The U.S. Department of Labor will recover more than $1.8 million in back wages for more than 500 employees of MT Transportation & Logistics Services Inc., a trucking company based in Bay Shore, under contract with the United States Postal Service (USPS) to haul mail. The company and its principal officers also will be debarred from receiving future government contracts for a three-year period. \| PRC Extends Comment Period In Its Investigation of Suspended Post Offices The Docket provides for a public inquiry to develop information on the status of the suspended offices and the Postal Service’s practice of suspending offices for extended periods without affording the public the rights guaranteed by law. \| Mystery deepens in case of missing postal worker USPS wants lightweight newspapers to pass the new 'droop' test Baltimore Letter Carrier Gets Prison For Stealing Over $100,000 In Treasury Checks There's more than just two carriers in the small parcel market PRC Orders USPS to Terminate Two Nonpostal Services Internet Change of Address — the Best Choice What to do with Periodicals? Vehicle crashes into North Carolina Post Office South Carolina Postal Worker gunned down by ex boyfriend, police say Laurel (KY) people express concerns over Postal Service proposal Sad End: Body of Missing Postal Employee Found In Creek Columbus residents skeptical about sending mail services to Macon Bad Service At Brooklyn Post Offices Here to Stay! Postal Service Inefficiency Drives Up Periodicals Costs Suit: Court Reporter Claims Postal Inspector Threatened Her for Info Wheeling postal jobs heading to Pittsburgh? Year of the Tiger Stamp Celebrates Lunar New Year USPS holds hearing on moving Bristol mail processing operations Postal Service rejects hand delivery of mail in Massachusetts town
			January 13, 2010 Man Pleads Guilty To Bribing Postal Official According to a statement of facts read at Baker’s hearing, Ashvin Shah worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Columbus as an in-house construction project manager/contracting official. Between January, 2005 and June, 2009, Shah solicited bribes from construction companies doing business with, and desiring to do business with, the Postal Service. As part of the investigation into the bribery allegations, FBI special agents interviewed Shah on June 26, 2009. Although Shah denied being involved in bribery while serving as a Postal Service Architect/Engineer, he committed suicide within 12 hours of being interviewed. \| Ohio: Frazeysburg mail carrier to appear on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' Proposed Daytona postal move would cost local jobs Massachusetts postal worker sentenced to 8 months for drug distribution USPS Station Closings And Impact On ZIP Code TSP Balances: Size Counts
			January 12, 2010 APWU: USPS Medical Units Phase-Out Begins In February 2007, Arbitrator Linda S. Byars denied an APWU grievance over the closing of medical/health units in postal facilities. That arbitration resulted in the closure of 59 of the then-existing 110 healthcare units. The 2009 interest-arbitration award allows for the replacement of existing Medical Units with Occupational Health Offices, where the nurses will perform non-clinical work, including case-management for employees who suffer job-related and non-job-related injuries. \| NY State Comptroller Calls For Investigation of US Postal Service The state comptroller wants to investigate the U.S. Postal service after thousands of retirement checks were put in with bulk and advertising mail by mistake. \| Grand Forks postman sentenced for driving a mail truck while drunk A Grand Forks , North Dakota postal carrier charged with driving a mail truck while drunk was ordered Tuesday to serve a year on unsupervised probation and received a suspended sentence of 10 days in jail. \| *Ohio: Police are looking for a 49-year-old postal worker missing* since Thursday Six ways direct mail will thrive in the new year -"Don’t Call It a Comeback" Woman finds trash bags full of unopened mail Woman who caused post office lockdown pleads guilty Former Jesup, Ga., carrier admits to stealing letters after sting Ensuring smooth sailing for mail sorted by machine USPS Holds Public Hearings on Processing Mergers Former Grygla, Minn., postmaster enters Alford plea in theft case Ex-mail carrier awaits delivery of sentence NY State pension checks, at last, land in Syracuse-area mailboxes Downtown Eugene (OR) post office for sale** APWU: President Burrus on Mail Handlers Firms Hold Fast to Snail Mail Marketing "Do not mail" registry? Seattle City Council vote
			January 11, 2010 PRC report values one-day-per-week Postal Service delivery cut in billions If it had implemented a five-day-per-week delivery schedule years ago, the US Postal Service would have saved more than $2 billion during the its 2008 fiscal year. For the 2007 fiscal year, the cut in service would have saved the organization more than $1.9 billion, according to the Postal Regulatory Commission's annual report for fiscal year 2009.Ruth Goldway, chairwoman of the PRC, said in the report that the group expects to review a possible change in delivery days per week in the coming year. \| Postal Inspector calls 911 after shooting wife, then kills himself The man has been identified by Pima County Sheriffs as being 53-year-old Stephen Elia, a U.S. Postal Inspector. \| Former Postmaster Sentenced To Prison USPS OIG: Top 10 Postal Stories of 2009 Post office-on-ice opens on Minnesota's Medicine Lake Wheeling Post Office Debate Opens to Public This Week Meeting set Tuesday on moving Daytona mail operations Dedicated delivery Netflix Announces Multiple Partners to Instantly Stream Movies and TV Episodes from Netflix to the TV
			January 10, 2010 USPS Proposes New Standard For Mailing Replica Or Inert Explosive Devices The Postal Service proposes to revise Mailing Standards of the Domestic Mail Manual to clarify that a proposed new standard to allow for the mailing of replica or inert explosive devices, such as grenades, be sent by Registered Mail only. \|
			January 9, 2010 Did Top Postal Exec Break Contracting Rules? The U.S. Postal Service's top marketing executive directed more than $1.3 million in sole-source contracts to former business associates since July 2008, according to documents obtained by Federal Times. Robert Bernstock, president of the Postal Service's Mailing and Shipping Services division, approved $600,000 to consultant Lynne Alvarez, $412,500 to consultant Richard Sorota, and $324,975 to consultant Kimberly Wolfson, all of whom Bernstock worked with in the private sector prior to joining the agency in June 2008.The case is now under investigation, said David Williams, the Postal Service's inspector general. Update: USPS General counsel finds no contracting violations in Bernstock deals with former associates \| Changing Culture and Contracting Violations \| Postal Boss Moonlights For Cash From Corporations \| At funeral, postal workers deliver special tribute Sixty postal trucks lined the entrance of Evergreen Cemetery yesterday afternoon in a tribute to a Framingham letter carrier who died last week. Bill Lynch, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers in Framingham, organized the procession. "It's rare that we are allowed to do this sort of thing while working," he said. "Sixty postal trucks all together is a sight." \| Mail Carrier Hurt in Awning Collapse Some postal carriers add another responsibility to their route Daytona Beach Processing Center Closure May Slow Service Lima postal ‘study’ doesn’t add up Thousands of New York state pension checks remain lost in mail Lawmakers lobby to save Elmira postal jobs Former postal worker on trial in disability fraud case Oklahoma: Postal carrier indicted on theft charge Weather Slows Down Deliveries Frosty delivery: Cold and snow deliver challenges to mail carriers Letter delivered years late held lost words of a lost loved one
			January 8, 2010 OIG: Status Report on USPS Network Rationalization Initiative To remain financially viable, the Postal Service must effectively streamline the mail processing and transportation network and optimize the workforce. The Postal Service has embarked on a journey of transformational changes. Management, congress, unions, and stakeholders must work together during this period of rapid change to ensure network rationalization initiatives have the energy needed to be successful in spite of challenges. There are 268 P& DCs nationwide and, since FY 2005, the Postal Service has implemented 13 AMP consolidations \| Glitch leaves 20,000-plus rural mail carriers without paycheck Due to a programming error that occurred across the country, about 11,600 regular rural mail carriers and up to 14,000 substitute carriers did not receive their paychecks Friday, a U.S. Postal Service spokesman said. \| California Postal Supervisor Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement And Theft Charges - Simmons stole the cash reserve of the Perkins Station Post Office in Sacramento. The cash reserve was entrusted to Simmons in order for her to provide change to counter postal clerks she supervised. Simmons incrementally stole the cash reserve, totaling $3,999.50, and then falsified documents to cover her theft and embezzlement. \| USPS Board of Governors Announce Agenda For Next Week’s Closed Meetings USPS To Move Some Newark Mail Processing Operations To Kearny P & DC Rosemont postal carrier retires after 56 years Minnesota woman sentenced for bomb threats aimed at post offices Editorial: More details needed on San Antonio post office closure Former Baltimore Letter Carrier Sentenced For Stealing Treasury Checks USPS Announces Year of the Tiger Stamp Dedication Ceremony In San Francisco Sundance postal fight lives on Mail carrier rescues injured man on frigid afternoon NY State Comptroller Rips Postal Service For Missing Checks UPS to Cut 1,800 Jobs, Says Profit Exceeds Forecast
			January 7, 2010 Would a Lottery Bail Out the Postal Service Running a national lottery could help the U.S. Postal Service close its multibillion-dollar budget gap, according to a Postal Regulatory Commission official. A Postal Service-run lottery “could offer the potential for substantial profits for the Postal Service and utilize its current retail infrastructure with its 36,000 retail outlets, claimed to be the largest retail network in the world,” Kenneth E. Richardson, a public representative on the PRC’s staff, wrote last month. Ex-Postal Worker admits bins theft, gets probation Butterfly Stamp Will Simplify Postage For Irregular Shaped Greeting Cards Community questions post office consolidation Bronx post offices still in danger Postal carrier charged with failure to yield in fatal accident Mail carrier charged with assault on elderly neighbor Florida Consolidation Proposal Raises Concerns Pitney Bowes: Many mailers not taking advantage of Postal Service mandate changes Philly L & DC postal staff preps for exit Postal situation puzzles residents 29,000 misaddressed cards shipped in Post Office snafu
			January 6, 2010 Re-regulating the Postal Service? A PRC decision that the Postal Service's rates are not in compliance with the ratemaking requirements and objectives of 39 U.S.C. could have consequences beyond a public embarrassment of the Postal Service. Private parties could take the PRC's ruling to court to deal with the conflict between the price cap design and the ratemaking requirements and objectives. It may be possible that a court could force the Postal Service to raise rates in order to comply with its ratemaking requirements and objectives. 550 Postal Workers At Philly L & DC Begin Transfer Process Separately, a federal judge has set a Jan. 13 court date for a union bid to block the closing of the Gloucester County plant. U.S. District Judge Noel Hillman in Camden is to hear the union's request, said Michael Gallagher, a regional official with the American Postal Workers Union. The union went to court last week, asking that the Logan facility remain open while it challenges the Postal Service's plan before an arbitrator. The Postal Service on Tuesday began accepting transfer requests from union workers at the Logan plant, said Gallagher. He said workers were to list their preferences for available jobs within a 500-mile radius APWU Sues USPS To Halt Closure Of Philly L & DC Until Dispute Over AMP Study Is Settled Your 2010 Lucky Numbers: Tips for employees nearing retirement Postal deficit may lead to less delivery Mail Machines To Move Out Of Elmira Next Month Hamburg (MI) post office to close Madison Township (OH) Post Office trying to keep its doors open APWU to Picket at USPS Public Meeting on Moving Bay County Mail Operations to Pensacola
			January 5, 2010 APWU Wants to Hear From Members in Small Offices "Some employees have had hours reduced to two hours per week; others have been forced to travel to distant offices; many have surrendered — and terminated their employment." PR Note: This problem is not limited to small offices. In my office mostly all of the supervisors are performing clerk craft duties. One supervisor in particular has been performing Clerk duties for last 3 years, 4- 6 hours per day, 5/6 days a week. The grievance settlements for the violation is running into thousands of $$. From my understanding this problem is widespread throughout the USPS Bay-Valley District. What harm has it done? It allows Management to downsize/excess the clerk craft. The Union cannot fight this issue with employees remaining silent.. Unless employees speak out and report supervisors performing craft work--they may find themselves getting excess 500 miles away from home. Postal Workers Irked By USPS Slow Response To Install Defibrillator In Workplace Seven months ago, Art Tilson suffered a fatal heart attack and collapsed on the floor of his workplace. Since then, Tilson's co-workers have urged the post office to install an automated external defibrillator (AED), an increasingly popular device that jump-starts the heart. They don't know whether it would have saved Tilson's life, but they think it would help protect a workforce filled with heart-attack candidates." All I'd like to see is that when the next guy goes down, there's a defibrillator there," said postal worker Bruce Johnson. So far, however, the workers have failed to jolt the U.S. Postal Service into action. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act: Overview and Issues for Congress (PDF) CRS Report - In the three years since the enactment of the PAEA, some issues and questions concerning the law’s provisions have arisen. These include, but are not limited to, possible executive branch concerns about the PAEA and the separation of powers; the cost of prefunding USPS future retiree health benefits; the role of the public in the closure of nonretail postal facilities; the USPS’s authority to provide nonpostal products and services, and the viability of the USPS’s business model. Two clerks are not enough at the post office Postal workers: Leave our mail alone Postal carrier bids farewell after 30 years Columbus Postmaster Update OPM reorganizes into five new divisions Lost in the mail: 60,000 pension checks TSP funds see gains in 2009 USPS considers closing Columbus mail processing center, consolidating work in Macon Retired Jackson Postmaster: Public should weigh in to protest post office move Alabama: Letters prompt anthrax scare Bowling Green: Public Expresses Concern Over Possible Move USPS OIG: Pricing and Price Caps
			January 4, 2010 Former Postal Worker sentenced to 180 days for stealing $24K in gift cards One of two former U.S. Postal Service workers who admitted stealing more than 500 employee incentive gift cards worth a total of $24,675 was ordered today to serve 180 days in the Middlesex County jail and repay his half of the theft. Negotiating Changes in Retiree Health Payments Postal worker delivers herself a new lease on life A firefighter in postal workers' clothing saves boy Calif: San Mateo postmaster retires early Calif: Bomb squad called to El Sobrante post office Postmaster calling it quits
			January 3, 2010 Postal Boss Moonlights For Cash From Corporations The financially troubled U.S. Postal Service pays Robert F. Bernstock a $232,500 salary to oversee its shipping and mailing division, but a little-known hiring provision allows the executive to earn even more money from outside corporate sources. Mr. Bernstock took home more than $270,000 in cash and other compensation combined in fiscal 2008 by serving on the corporate boards for weight-loss giant Nutrisystem Inc. and Pantry Inc., which runs the Kangaroo Express convenience store chain, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. ...Postal officials agreed to let Mr. Bernstock retain his paid outside corporate positions even as he works full time for the Postal Service under a special condition of his June 2008 hiring. In addition, the Postal Service further boosted Mr. Bernstock's finances by awarding him an $85,000 hiring bonus in fiscal 2008 and an $85,000 retention bonus for fiscal 2009. 2008 Pay For Performance for USPS Execs - 83 Executives added in 2009 \| Paying Postal Executives \| USPS Creepy Clown Commercial US Postal Service Commercial featuring a family looking for a way to get rid of a creepy clown. It appears this commercial has ignited a lot of conversation across the internet. \| A Bad Move for Small Mailers: Postal Expert Questions Move Update Surcharge NC: Wilmington Artist uses priority mail labels to gather thousands of mini masterpieces Editorial: All postal services belong in Jackson (TN)
			January 2, 2010 USPS Mobile Now Available On iPHONE And iPOD Editorial: Change Postal Service Plan U.S. Postal Inspection Service watching mail for illegal drugs
			January 1, 2010 Former Postal Employee Sentenced to Twelve Years in Prison for Narcotics Distribution TV Station, USPS Work To Track Down Accidentally Mailed $477 Detroit Letter Carrier Robbed South Dakota: Mail Carriers Working Long Hours Government checks are delayed Small Package Shippers Benefit with 2010 USPS Shipping Rates Downtown San Antonio post office to move Editorial: Listen to customers Public comment sought in consolidation of Lima and Toledo mail processing centers Police capture woman in stolen mail truck after chase from Portland to Washington Make the most of stable postal rates USPS offering $50,000 reward in robbery of Reseda postal carrier

January 29, 2010

USPS Updates Consolidation Initiative – 162 Post Offices Remain On List

U.S. Postal Inspectors to Aid Haitian Postal System Recovery

Because a viable postal sector is critical to any nation’s economic stability, Chief Postal Inspector William R. Gilligan, Jr. is sending U.S. Postal Inspectors to Haiti to conduct security assessments and help prepare for the restoration of mail service to the earthquake-ravaged country. |

If There Is No Work For Postal Clerks, Why Are Supervisors, Carriers Doing It?

January 16, 2010

Opinion: What's Wrong With Post Office

Postal Service Holding All Mail to Haiti