October 29, 2007-

USPS Stolen Laptop Held Hawaii Employee Information
"About 3,000 Oahu postal employees received letters in the mail this weekend warning them that their personal information may be compromised. The employees' names, Social Security numbers and other information were on a laptop computer that was stolen in August. An employee called KITV concerned about why it took so long for the postal service to issue an alert." APWU: USPS Report on Missing Laptops |

Pols Going Postal Over Mail Plan
"Sen. Charles Schumer is urging the U.S. Postal Service to halt a planned merger of Bronx and Manhattan mail-processing centers that would add nearly 117 new daily truck trips between the boroughs just as the city pushes congestion pricing. "At a time when federal, state and city government officials are struggling to find solutions to traffic congestion and its effect, the USPS should not be adding 117 trucks to our streets on a daily basis," said a letter to the agency from Schumer, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Council Speaker Christine Quinn and 10 others.  |

Letter carriers put new roof on home of soldier's widow

(MIchigan) A group of area letter carriers Sunday did for Amy Collins what her husband had intended to do when he returned from Iraq. The U.S. Postal Service employees scurried all about the roof of her home in Summit Township, tearing away old shingles to lay new ones, volunteering as a way to honor Army Sgt. James Collins. Collins died in combat Aug. 28 in Kirkuk, Iraq.   |

Postal Worker Charged with Stealing Equipment From P & DC

A Postal Worker and two others have been charged with stealing $300,000 in equipment from the Southeastern Processing and Distribution Center.  The three are accused of stealing metal containers used for transporting bulk mail, said the postal service. The containers were then sold to scrap metal yards in the Philadelphia area, said the postal service. One of the men arrested was Christopher Amato, 45, of Norristown, a tractor-trailer driver for the postal service. He has been suspended by the postal service.   |

UPS Accused of Tipping the Scales

The Michigan Attorney General's Office and the Michigan Department of Agriculture are looking into allegations that United Parcel Service of America Inc. uses faulty package measurement devices to overcharge thousands of customers and package shipping stores. The lawsuit is seeking class-action status to cover the 10,000 package shipment centers and more than a million UPS account holders that could potentially be affected.  |

Will Increased Postal Rates Put Mailers Out of Business?

APWU: Postal Service Could Lose Millions in Proposed Deal

PRC Issues Final Regulations on Rulemaking for the New Ratemaking System

Car Crashes Into Post Office after Police Chase

Editorial: U.S. Postal Service delivers for who?

We Expose Royal Mail Security Shambles

Satire: Postmaster General Says Letter Carrier Surge is Working

Florida: Masked Man Robs Post Office
Brijit Cuts Magazine Pile Down to Bite-Size Pieces

Biggest loss in mail move may be city's postmark  
Postal Saving note is no good

Wildfire Victims Express Appreciation for Mail Service

Mail for Most Relocated San Diego District Post Offices Back in Communities on Monday

October 26, 2007-

Court To USPS: Retire Not Fire Postal Veteran With PTSD

Lanny Jarvis, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, began working for the Postal Service in 1988 after a medical examination determined that he was fit for duty despite several war injuries. Ten years later, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD). In 2002, he transferred to the Spanish Fork postal facility in Utah and started experiencing PTSD-related incidents with coworkers. On two occasions,  Jarvis struck and kicked a co-worker when she startled him, and he later struck another co-worker who shoved him in passing. USPS failed to explain why he was denied pay, leave, and disability retirement, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled Aug. 30, remanding the case on those issues  USPS Fires Another Postal Veteran With PTSD |

Reasons Vary for Late Mail Deliveries
"Mail carriers in Baton Rouge are out on the streets later these days, and residents are asked to keep in mind that the man or woman coming up to their front door after dark is not necessarily there to rob them. George Cooper, president of the local branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said the later delivery times have made him concerned for the safety of his carriers because many people let dogs out after dark and are quicker to assume footsteps are those of an intruder." - Our Views: Deliver mail before dark  |

Company Hired to Help Combat USPS Workers Comp Fraud Clarifies Award

-“GlobalOptions said it will work with the Office of Inspector General’s Workers Compensation Analyst (WCA) program to investigate and combat workers compensation fraud. But in the initial solicitation for WCAs, the notice stated that ” Workers Compensation Analyst (WCA) Program Management Services will Manage all stages of the Workers Compensation Analyst (WCA) program for the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPSOIG) - conducting surveillance activities and videotape activities of suspect claimants and analyzing data from employment, medical, Office of Workers Compensation Programs (OWCP) files, and other pertinent sources for indications of possible loss. The Contractor, and not the USPSOIG, shall be liable for its unauthorized actions in the handling of workers’ compensation fraud cases." |

October 22, 2007-

Photos of military personnel back up at Paso Robles Post Office - Photos of military personnel were back up on the wall at the Paso Robles Post Office on Monday morning, under the order of the deputy postmaster general. The post office received the news Monday morning that they could replace the photos, clerks there said. They had been taken down Friday after a customer complained that the display was pro-war. When the issue came to the attention of the regional postal center, they asked that Paso Robles postmaster Mike Milby and his staff take them down because they violate a regulation against displays of non-postal business material at any U.S. post office. |

A Campaign Recalls Postal Workers' Deaths

"James H. Pickett Jr., 50, a 30-year U.S. Postal Service employee, is a one-man army who manufactured and sold an array of memorabilia to jolt the memory of his co-workers on yesterday's anniversary of the anthrax mailings that led to the shuttering of Washington's central mail-processing facility and the deaths of two of his colleagues there. His mission is simple: to establish a day of remembrance. Plaques and ad hoc anniversaries aren't enough, Pickett said. Without a more formalized day, the memory will fade, and it could all happen again." US Senate Committee Hearing: Six Years After Anthrax  |

USPS mail delivery consolidation plan for Canton has many downsides

Mailbox stolen from Horicon post office
The tale behind Monkey Mail

October 21, 2007-

Brooklyn Post Offices To Offer “Senior Citizen” Window

Beginning in November, the Brownsville Station Post Office and The Metropolitan Station Post Office  –both in Brooklyn, NY –will offer dedicated lines for senior citizen customers.  |

Photo: Postal Rural Carrier’s Speedy Delivery

In Hodgenville, Kentucky , local officials investigate an accident in which a rural carrier backed into a couples living room. The carrier who had delivered a parcel used the front yard to turn around and struck the accelerator instead of the brake while in reverse. Postmaster Bob Hummer stated that the accident was under investigation by the postal service.  |

Dog attacks letter carrier in Torrance

October 20, 2007-

Blind Man Says Postal Clerk Didn't Help Him

On Thursday, Roger Francis was trying to mail a piece of medical equipment at the Independence Avenue post office when he asked a clerk for help addressing the package. Francis said he was denied help. Service manager Rowland Tidmore said it's against the U.S. Post Office's policy to address packages for customers.  |

NALC: MISC Deduction on Your Earnings Statement
Many members have inquired about a large deduction amount under the “MISC” category on their recent paycheck that included the $686 COLA cash-out payment.  NALC explains this deduction.

Vanished gem + postal mix-up = $673 gone

October 19, 2007-

Post Office forced to strip wall of local soldiers' photos

California - Some are likening it to a wall of shame. Since 2001, pictures of men and women in the military have been a fixture of the Paso Robles Post Office until this morning. But a spokesperson for the United States Post Office says regulations specify that only official postal announcements and other government notices can be put up on the walls." We just cannot put those photos back up, they should not have been up there to begin with," said United States Postal Service spokesperson Richard Maher. Photos’ removal a postal faux pas? [check out poll] |

Former Postmaster is sentenced for drug transactions

The former postmaster in Cadet is sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for illegal drug transactions while on duty. Federal prosecutors say Deborah Jo Eden illegally sold, traded and bought prescription drugs while at work in March. They say she also had methamphetamine in her possession. They say Eden used money from the post office's safe to fund some of the drug transactions. Another Former postmaster pleads not guilty to felony theft  |

PMG Potter and USPS Executives Focus On 2008

PMG Jack Potter met with more than 700 USPS executives this week in Dallas to recognize FY 2007 performances and to prepare for the challenges of FY 2008. In a follow-up session, attendees voted for the top three opportunities from each topic. The results will provide the focus for USPS efforts during FY 2008:  To increase efficiency, the top vote-getters were managing sick leave and overtime, better utilizing transportation and maximizing use of non-career employees. To drive growth, attendees recommended maximizing our competitive pricing flexibility, becoming the last mile of delivery for competitors and owning — that’s right, owning — parcel returns.   |

Photo: Post Office of the Future

Lounge chairs, free WiFi and plasma TVs are featured at the renovated Woodfield Station post office on Mall Drive in Schaumburg, Illinois. The facility at 651 Mall Drive has just unveiled a cutting-edge renovation that couples customer friendliness with state-of-the-art technology and is the first of its kind in the U.S. The timing and location of the next such facility is undetermined but could take up to two years of studying what works and what doesn’t in Schaumburg.  |

Postal Carrier Rescues Child Struck By Truck

Heroism prevents hit-run incident - King City (Calif.) letter carrier has been nominated for a federal heroism award after helping stop a driver who ran over a young boy Monday and kept going. ... acting postal supervisor Lily Rangel heard a thump in the King City Center parking lot about 3:15 p.m. and turned to see a child caught under a moving truck. She then held and comforted the boy until an ambulance arrived. He was flown to a trauma center, where he remained Thursday in stable condition.  |

Photo: Stump Creek, PA Post Office

From dogs to catalogs, mail carriers deliver original view of neighborhoods
Letter carrier aids of 82 year old man in dog attack

PRC unredacts data in the Bank of America NSA decision

Pickets hope to stop Postal plan | Videos: Postal workers discuss pickets

No mail delivery boggles minds of residents at The Cottages

Iowa Postal workers back Edwards

APWU: Union Evaluates Candidates, But Makes No Endorsement at This Time

Mural depicts history of mail

Texas: Alamo to get new post office

October 18, 2007-

Boston Cops: Postal Worker Got Punchy
"Neither rain, nor sleet, nor flashing blue lights will stop this letter carrier from her appointed rounds. A U.S. Postal Service worker gabbing on a cell phone and smoking a cigarette while making her rounds in East Boston yesterday nearly ran down a detail officer, sped away as the cop was trying to flag her down, then threw a punch at a second cop who stopped her, police said. Noelle Lacorte, 26, of Revere is charged with assault and battery on a police officer, failure to stop for police, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest." Postal worker appears in court  | See Video of drug bust  |

Overhead Door Leads To Postal Worker's Suit Against Wal-Mart
Rain, snow and sleet may not stop the postman from his appointed rounds, but an overhead door at Wal-Mart proved to be too much for a mail carrier in Longview. Sheila Justice claims she was injured because she had to lift an overhead door every day to deliver the mail to the department store. She filed suit on Oct. 12 alleging she received personal injuries to her right arm and shoulder because of Wal-Mart's negligence. The plaintiff is seeking more than $75,000 in damages for medical expenses, physical pain, mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement and loss of earning capacity. |

Post office needs security cameras

The decision by the U.S. Postal Service to ignore an obvious security issue in the old post office building on East Street is a copout that shows a lack of concern for the community’s interests. It’s also only too typical of our independent Postal Service at work. If the post office lobby had security cameras, like so many other facilities that are open at night and on weekends, the attacker of a 64-year-old woman might have been identified and arrested by now. But, alas, it does not.   |

In the face of changes, Postal Service cuts back

Judy Mahaffey, supervisor of customer service support for the Chattanooga area's post offices, said a big part of that cost-cutting effort is reducing staffing and its costs through the use of new technologies. "The more machinery, the less cost is involved," she said. Machines that do tasks employees do now, such as sorting through items for delivery, can bring down expenses, Ms. Mahaffey said. Eli Lehrer, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C., research institution that argues for free-market policies, suggested another option: complete privatization. |

APWU Races for President -1974-2007

USPS OIG Audit: Automated Flat Sorting Machine 100 Enhancements (PDF)

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, to make appearance at Yoda stamp event

Letter Carrier Promotes CFC on Limbaugh Show

Neighbors give dog-bitten carrier a puppy

October 17, 2007-

Appeals Court Rejects Jewish Postal Worker's Suit Over Work Schedule

 For 10 years, the Chagrin Falls Post Office allowed a mail carrier to take Saturdays off to observe the Sabbath. But in 2002, with a staff shortage because of budget constraints and pressure from other carriers upset at more frequently drawing weekend assignments, the post office ended its arrangement with Martin Tepper and began scheduling him to work on Saturdays. Tepper, who joined the post office in 1980 and became a Messianic Jew a few years later, filed a complaint with the Postal Service that was rejected. He then sued the Postal Service in federal court in Cleveland in 2004, claiming a civil rights violation. He again lost. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling against Tepper on Monday. |

.USPS Proposed Rule: Modern Service Standards for Market-Dominant Products

..the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) (codified at 39 U.S.C. 3691) requires the Postal Service, in consultation with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), to establish by regulation a set of modern service standards for market-dominant products, no later than December 20, 2007.In part, "the law requires that the Postal Service take customer satisfaction, the needs of customers, and the actual level of service that customers receive into account in the establishment of modern service standards. The law also requires the Postal Service to develop service standards in consultation with the PRC. Customer satisfaction, needs, and service have always been important to the Postal Service."  |

Greco Calls on Direct Mailers to Include Opt-Out Notices in Each Mailing

Meeting scheduled to  to address Canton mail consolidation plan
Santa Ana District Manager speaks out on Aliso Viejo project
Petition Seeks Return of International Surface Mail Service

Editorial: Youngstown residents face loss of important service

Residents bear brunt of mail dispute

October 16, 2007-

Postal Carrier and her wolf deliver into the wild

Missoula, MT - Karen Craver delivers mail to remote residents of the wild and woolly North Fork Flathead River Valley, braving moose and bears and the occasional mailbox squirrel. Fortunately, she has her pet wolf to keep her company on this route west of Glacier Park. |

Military postal service gearing up for approaching holiday season

October 15, 2007-

 Appeals Court Rules Against USPS in FOIA Request Case

Douglas F. Carlson, an attorney and self-professed postal watchdog appealed the  District Court's ruling in favor of  USPS in Carlson’s action under the Freedom of Information Act. Carlson sought public disclosure of the names, addresses, telephone numbers, regular business hours and final collection times for outgoing mail for every United States post office. The district court determined that the records sought were exempt from FOIA disclosure as “information of a commercial nature, .” The appeals court ruled that the requested records are not “information of a commercial nature,” and reversed the district court’s ruling. Carlson had alleged at one time that USPS was cutting collection times so postal managers can get  paid bonuses for meeting performance standards. See Full opinion  |

APWU Launches Ad Campaign Against Consolidation in Michigan; Detroit, Flint Facilities Threatened - An APWU advertising campaign in southern Michigan got underway last week, urging the citizens of Flint and Detroit to speak out against the consolidation of mail-processing operations into a new facility in Pontiac. The campaign is designed to generate interest in community meetings Oct. 22 and 23, when the USPS will discuss Area Mail Processing studies for the two cities. |

Runaway Mailman Charged With Unlawfully Obstructing the Mail

 John Jordan, the Indiana Letter Carrier who mysteriously disappeared from his mail route in July, now faces a federal charge related to the incident.  |

Hearing to be Held on Rep. Susan Davis's No-Excused Absentee Voting Legislation

Fake Mail Carriers Sought In Home Invasion

Dog in Custody After Biting Postal Worker

Thrift Savings Plan Braces for a Retirement Tsunami

USPS News Release: Deliver Boldly Enters the Digital Age

Cash-only stamp vending machines get ax

Lincoln Post Office Going Green
MetroGroup to close Rutland bulk mailing plant
Volunteers spruce up Palmyra post office

Employee and Labor Relations Manual - Issue 18
Rural carriers EMA reduced 

October 14, 2007-

USPS Threatening To Discipline Employees Over Failure to Pay Local Tax ??

From PR reader: Local taxes-  The USPS is threatening to discipline employees that don't follow local tax codes. States affected include Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. From Postal Bulletin: "You are reminded that, as a Postal Service employee, you are personally responsible for ensuring that the correct local taxes are deducted from your pay. All Postal Service employees are reminded that they are bound by the materials contained within the Code of Ethics, Principles of Ethical Conduct for Government Officers and Employees."  |

Manhattan: You've Got Mail
"The mail, as an old song insists, must go through, though the song does not say the mail must go through another borough. A proposal by the United States Postal Service, however, would have mail sent to the Bronx processed in and distributed from Manhattan, a change that critics say would disastrously affect the quality of mail service in the Bronx and further clog Manhattan streets with delivery trucks."  |

Petition against Consolidation of the Flint Mail Processing Center

Houston: New postal site only for passports

October 13, 2007-

Contract Carrier's new vehicle force mailbox change
"A new US Postal Service mandate requiring carriers to update their vehicles has sparked some interest among Magalia residents after it, in turn, required residents to raise mailbox heights.  The mail carrier for Magalia is a contracted worker from outside the postal service. She used to drive a 30-year-old, retired postal service truck, but all carriers under the contract now have to drive a vehicle no older than five years old for reliability reasons, English said."  |

Detroit postmark could get ax
Postal Clerk in $58,000 vending theft case sentenced to probation

Port Huron Gets No Respect from Postal Service

OHIO: South Side post office faces possible closure

October 12, 2007-

Postal Worker Gets 2 Years for Stealing Over $400,000 In Money Orders

Manuel A. Moreno, 46, pleaded guilty in April to one count of theft of a money order. At a hearing today in Oakland, a U.S. District Judge ordered Moreno to pay $410,959 in restitution. Moreno has no prior criminal history and assisted in the investigation by highlighting loopholes in the U.S. Postal Service's accounting system and auditing procedures, Assistant U.S. Attorney Shashi Kewalramani wrote in court documents. "This information allowed the agency to modify the accounting and audit procedures such that thefts on the order of what the defendant was able to carry out may be averted in the future." |

USPS Seeking Info On Automatic Vending Machine Manufacturing

"The United States Postal Service (USPS) is seeking information regarding the potential for strategic partnerships to provide a modular kiosk solution capable of printing postage-on-demand, dispensing/vending postal products, supporting shipping and mailing functions, and providing supplemental or complementary services (government or non-government). The USPS needs to understand the feasibility of strategic partnerships to provide this solution in an attempt to expand our alternative access capabilities, provide ease of use for postal customers, and provide self-service options during and after normal retail operations." |

NYPD: Noose found near ground zero post office
A noose was found dangling outside a ground zero post office that was damaged in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, police said. Postal workers in a second-floor office at the Church Street station noticed the noose Thursday afternoon on a light pole above scaffolding on the building, New York City police said.   |

Postal workers help deputies arrest couple on drug charges

NYC: Postal Service a step closer to Morgan consolidation

Earnings statements to be online only for EAS and PCES employees  |

October 11, 2007-

USPS proposes addressing standards for FSS
Postal Bulletin 10/11/07 Issue

Changes in Temporary Mail Forwarding Policy
What is up with the United States Postal Service?
Post office site to remain in Port Huron
A first-class lesson in civil rights

Postal area redesign spurs complaints

October 10, 2007-

Insider Says Problems Persist At Las Cruces Post Offices
Las Cruces post offices are facing serious allegations from an insider who describes the mail process as being seriously delayed. "They're not processing the mail correctly or on time," said the person, who did not want to be identified. "Sometimes what I've heard is that they delay the mail so the carriers can get out of work earlier so there won't be so much delayed mail or overtime.  |

USPS Selects Company  to Develop Pilot Program to Assist  With OWCP Fraud 

GlobalOptions Group, Inc. announced that its Fraud & SIU unit has entered into a formal agreement to develop a pilot program for the United States Postal Service to assist in combating insurance fraud. The Workers Compensation Analyst (WCA) program is being developed to aggressively investigate Workers Compensation Fraud through research and/or surveillance support.   |

Young, Potter Sign Five-Year National Agreement Covering 222,000 Letter Carriers

 "NALC President Young said the new contract, signed in a brief ceremony at U.S. Postal Service headquarters, will help ensure a continuation of the Postal Service as the most efficient and dedicated postal system in the world. "This contract rightfully includes not only justified wage increases and cost-of-living adjustments for America's letter carriers, but also the assurance to the general public that career Postal Service employees, not outside contractors, will continue to efficiently deliver the mail throughout our cities and towns for many years to come," Young said."  |

Photo: Post Office in Bentonville, Ohio

USPS Relocates Disabled Woman's Mailbox After Dispute

PRC: NSA could cost $45m

Man charged with writing bad checks for $ 300,000 in postage

Public meeting set over shift of Postal Service jobs out of Flint

Postal carrier battles leukemia

October 9, 2007-

Postal Worker Killed By Gunman Buried Monday
Hundreds of uniformed postal workers and dignitaries, including Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy, former Mayor Ned Randolph and Alexandria Police Chief Daren Coutee, turned out Monday to mourn John Martin "Marty" Thiels, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Postal Service.  |

What to Do If Postage Goes Up Again

October 8, 2007-

Mailboxes Getting Rarer
"What happened to the mailboxes? That's what Republican committeeman Jim Finnegan wanted to know this summer as he made his twice-a-week rounds through the narrow streets around Kensington and Allegheny. "There used to be three in front of the 7-Eleven at Kensington and Ontario," Finnegan says. All told, he says, a dozen mailboxes from his division have disappeared. The U.S. Postal Service says it's aware of the situation." Christopher Shaw, author of Preserving the People's Post Office, says businesses effectively lobby Congress to make the Postal Service serve the needs of corporate mass-mailers over senior citizens. |

Dry Cleaner owner offers drive-thru postal services

Through her store, Kauser will provide all of the services residents would expect from the local post office through the use of a Contract Postal Unit (CPU). The unit, which Kauser and her staff will work during their during shifts, will allows patrons to buy stamps, shipping boxes, insurance and return receipts, and the store will main a drop box. Kauser is also offering the services with the store's drive-thru. |

 Woman killed after collision with Postal Truck

October 7, 2007-

Columnist: What Goes Around Comes Around for Postal Manager

 A few months ago, I wrote a series of columns about mail delivery problems in Port St. Lucie. Many of the complainers were directed to the post office's customer service manager in PSL, usually referred to as "Gerry" on the phone. Dealing with Gerry was never a pleasant experience, readers told me. He was unhelpful, surly and frequently verbally abusive. Calls often ended with him screaming at them at the top of his lungs. Gerardo Boloy, to give him his full name, had been assigned to the Stuart post office, where late last year he was one of two finalists for the vacant postmaster position. Unfortunately for Gerry, the other guy got the job. In light of Gerry's past dealings with postal customers in Port St. Lucie, this story restores my faith in karma. Whatever goes around does indeed come around. |

Michigan: Postal worker injured in crash

Mom's mail route to begin with loving glance at plaque

Iowa: Postal Service closing office in Randalia

KY: Covington Post office closure might be permanent

Learn how to junk all that junk mail

October 6, 2007-

APWU: Final, Unofficial Election Results Posted
Ballots for the APWU election of national officers are being counted by the American Arbitration Association, under the supervision of the APWU Election Committee. |

Postal Service fined $10,000 for cutting down trees
The U.S. Postal Service has been fined $10,000 for cutting down trees at its Coconut Grove post office. Grove residents were outraged after tree cutters removed several large trees Sept. 18 from the post office on Grand Avenue and McDonald Street. The trees were cut down to make way for improvements to the post office parking lot.  |

Postal service pulls out of San Juan Capistrano
U.S. Postal Service officials said Monday that they have scrapped plans for a proposed nine-acre mail processing facility near the city's northern gateway, following two weeks of heated opposition from residents and city leaders.  Also see: Aliso Viejo gathers for postal protest

Del Polito on Postal - Worry, Be Happy

The Future of the Postal Service
Postal Worker Still Waiting for Justice

October 5, 2007-

Letter Carrier Killed in Law Office Shootings While Delivering Mail
(Louisiana) Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy identified the victims who died in the Louisiana law office standoff as lawyer Joey Giordano and Marty Thiels, a postman who apparently had gone to the office to deliver mail. A postal truck still sat outside of the office as police were trying to get the gunman out. Statement by NALC President William H. Young On Death of Letter Carrier  |

Ex-postmaster charged in fraud case
The former postmaster of the Dickinson, TX post office faces criminal charges alleging she arranged for her husband to win a custodial-services contract for the facility. Linda Schultz faces charges of securing execution of a document by deception and theft by a public servant. Francois also reportedly found bills for light bulbs and other items for which the Postal Service paid what an affidavit called “excessive” prices. The total amount alleged as stolen in the case is $32,723.  |

Postal Employee and Contractor indicted in Voyager gas card theft

One Texarkana couple apparently thought they had found a way to beat the high cost of filling their gas tanks, but the consequences may net them both some time in prison, according to federal officials. Former postal contractor Paul Gregory, 40, and his wife, former postal employee Millie Gregory, 43, used two stolen U.S. Postal Service Voyager gasoline credit cards to charge more than $45,000 for gas purchases in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, court documents state. Not only did the pair fill their own cars with gas but the tanks of others as well, documents state.  |

PMG ON NPR. PMG Jack Potter appears on National Public Radio’s (NPR) “Justice Talking” program to discuss the future of USPS. NPR will release the pre-recorded segment Monday, Oct. 8, at 3:45 p.m. Check local program listings for broadcast in your area

Piece Count Recording System - PO 610-2007-1   |

Postmaster delivers on his dream

USPS sells out on zip code
Stamp vending machines removed from post office

Postal Clerk Convicted of Stealing UBBM

USPS: New Standards for Mailing Lithium Batteries

October 4, 2007-

Letter Carrier’s Uniform Available As Halloween Costume

The first official letter carrier [toddler] Halloween costume is now available. Featuring a shirt with an embroidered USPS logo, pants with a side stripe, an EVA foam hat and a mailbag with metallic stripe and USPS logo, this costume is 70/30 poly/cotton and machine washable. It’s available in sizes 2 – 4 and retails for $34.99, but you can get it online at $28.99. Go to: www.halloweenexpress.com for purchase. Give employee coupon code 5C88A0 for 10 percent off your total order (any items) until Oct. 15. Unlimited uses per person on the code and no minimum purchase requirement. Hurry, while supplies last!  |

Eagan Tells USPS to Complete Road
"Eagan has a message for the U.S. Postal Service: Finish this road. Or else. Citing concerns about truck traffic, the City Council voted Monday to oppose long-running plans for a major addition to the Postal Service bulk-mail facility off Lexington Avenue South. The 92-acre site sits on a break in Denmark Avenue, and the city is demanding that the Postal Service fill in the break, at a cost of $1.2 million." Michael Matuzek, a Postal Service consultant based in Denver, said he saw no reason why the Postal Service would pay $1 million to $2 million for a Denmark Avenue connection when it has no plans to use it.   |

Post office pair call it a career after 35 years

Norris postmaster honored for 45 years of service

Ceremony to honor end of Railway Post Office

APWU: Union Election Results to Be Posted on Web Site
Postal station closes after audit
Postal Inspectors Warn: Watch Out for Scams

October 3, 2007-

Connecticut APWU Wants Anthrax Answers
"A Connecticut postal workers union is demanding an update from federal authorities investigating the 2001 anthrax attacks that killed an elderly Oxford woman and four other people across the country. The Greater Connecticut Area Local of the American Postal Workers is asking the state's congressional delegation to press the Justice Department and FBI about the investigation. The union represents 5,000 postal workers. "It happened to kill two of our people," said local union President John Dirzius, referring to postal workers in Washington, D.C., who died of inhalation anthrax. "And yet, we still don't know who did it."  |

Pricey plane tickets for government officials usually unjustified

The latest GAO report noted that several government entities are not subject to government rules on premium-class travel - among them, the U.S. Postal Service, Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. - opening up more opportunities for unnecessary waste. Those entities often allow members of their board of governors to travel business or first class for shorter flights overseas and sometimes domestically." Millions Wasted on Gov't Travel  |

APWU noted for its strong turnout at Jena 6 rally  |

Congressman calls for updated equipment at post office

CIO INSIGHT Interviews Retiring USPS CIO/CTO Otto  |

PA: Postal truck crash closes turnpike near Carlisle
USPS extends Move Updates to include standard mail
Package gives scare at Post Office

Slain postal worker's girlfriend decries 'rumors and lies'

Local Convenience Store Starts Postal Service

Oregon: Feds receive complaint about Forest Grove Post Office
Postal Service to launch check fraud alert campaign

October 2, 2007-

USPS Cuts $8 Million from $20 million ‘Kelly Girl’ Arbitration Settlement

 From PR reader: "National Business Agent Steve Zamanakos submitted those employees identified by the Union to be included in this monetary settlement to the U.S.P.S. area representative. The U.S.P.S. omitted approximately 50% of the names submitted reducing the award to $11,892,000.00 from the $19,717,431.00 original award. This is another attempt by the Postal Service not to give our bargaining unit employees what they deserve. Steve Zamanakos is taking this back in front of the arbitrator at the end of November."  Arbitrator Henderson ruled the Employer violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it hired over 200 “Kelly Girl” employees to work at the Phoenix Telephone Center in April 1996. The APWU argued the Telephone Center should have been staffed by Level 6 Phoenix Clerks. The arbitrator agreed with the Union. |

Veterans Preference and the U.S. Postal Service

The following is a Memorandum sent to an House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform by the Congressional Research Service regarding veterans preference. The memorandum is in response to House Committee's request for information on veterans preference and the U.S. Postal Service.  |

Verizon Deploys $25 Million Satellite Network for USPS 

Verizon Business will provide a new custom satellite network to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), enabling it to reliably and cost-effectively deliver voice and high-speed data to areas where wireline or wireless access is unavailable or too costly. The network, formally known as a VSAT (very small aperture terminal) satellite system, will provide point-to-point communications for about 5,000 Postal Service sites in the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico, and backup connectivity for a number of larger USPS sites. In addition, Verizon Business will provide more than 20 mobile satellite communications kits for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's incident response vehicles. "  |

APWU Health Plans Deserve a Good Look

Thanks for saving the post office

Scout renovates post office as Eagle project

APWU: Postal Nurses Contract Talks Continue

Retiring postmaster fascinated with stamps

Jonesboro Woman Attacked Inside Post Office

Omaha Teen Accused Of Shooting Postal Worker Charged As Adult

October 1, 2007-

Supreme Court to Hear Postal Worker’s Retaliation Case

Myrna Gómez-Pérez, a window clerk from Puerto Rico, filed a lawsuit in District Court claiming that the U.S. Postal Service retaliated against her because she filed an EEO complaint  alleging discrimination on the basis of age. The First Circuit Court of Appeals held that the ADEA does not provide a cause of action for retaliation by federal employees. USPS attorneys argued that "All collective bargaining agreements incorporate that prohibition against retaliation. They also prohibit discipline that is "punitive" and not "for just cause." In granting certiorari, the U.S Supreme Court has agreed to address whether the federal-sector provision of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act,  29 U.S.C.A. 633a, prohibits retaliation against employees who complain of age discrimination. |

Microsoft Technology Innovation Helps Bring Postal Industry Into the Electronic Age

Earth Class Mail unveils a novel solution, built on the Microsoft .NET platform, for securely delivering postal mail via the Web, taking another step along a technology path that can help transform service delivery in postal organizations worldwide.   |

Rural Mail carriers to honor veterans

Postal worker retires after 36 years

Loose change won't buy a stamp anymore

UNI Supports NALC's Fight Against Outsourcing

Europe looks at scrapping remaining postal monopolies by 2011