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October
31, 2008
NALC Responds To
Florida Republican's "Stealing Votes" Claims
NALC President Bill Young sent a letter to the Republican Party
of Broward County, Florida, angered over groundless claims made
by party officials that Republican ballots aren't safe being mailed
through the Postal Service. One official was quoted by The Sun-Sentinel
newspaper: “It is a shame that we cannot trust the postal people,”
and that, “These people are stealing votes from us.” Upon investigating,
NALC determined these comments came from the claims of a single
voter who said that an unidentified postal clerk mishandled his
absentee ballot. Young's response: "You owe every postal employee
in South Florida – some 20,000 workers in all – an apology."
Postal Workers Demand Apology From GOP |
Sun-Sentinel article |
President Young's letter
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Postal Service Money Orders Get Makeover
New Postmaster of Boston is Sworn In
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October
30, 2008
Craft
Jurisdiction for Flat Sequencing System (FSS) Awarded To Mail Handlers
- the mail handler craft has been determined to be the primary
craft to perform most of the work associated with this piece of
equipment. In particular, the duties performed at the Automated
Bundle Sorting Unit (ABSU), the preparation stations, the dolly
maker, the dolly induction unit, as well as the removal of mail
containers from the FSS machine and the movement of containers between
parts of the FSS, have all been assigned to the mail handler craft.
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Postmaster, Supervisor Groups Reject Pay Freeze
(PDF)
we cannot
agree to either forego or defer the upcoming NPA payouts scheduled
for January 2009. The attorneys with whom we have consulted on this
issue believe that the Postal Service does not have the right to
demand that we re-open pay consultations or change the pay
agreement in any way -
Postmasters League President Speaks Out On Pay Raises
-
While the management associations are committed to helping
the Postal Service find its way out of the predicament in which
it finds itself, taking a pay raise away from Postmasters and supervisors
is not the right thing to do. It is the position of Naps, Napus,
and the League that the U.S. Code prevents the Postal Service from
unilaterally opening pay consultations, and we have informed Postal
Headquarters of our opinion. I absolutely don’t foresee Postmasters
and supervisors giving up their raises.
NAPS and Postmaster
Organizations Say “No” to Pay Concessions|
Minutes of Meeting Between USPS HQ and Postal Management Associations
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Postmaster General Gives Performance the Stamp
of Approval
We're working
very hard to match our use of resources, which is largely labor,
to the lower volumes that we have. . . . As an example, last Friday
we signed an agreement with the National Association of Letter Carriers
that will enable the Postal Service in an expeditious way to adjust
routes to better reflect the lower workload that's out there right
now.Does the Postal Service need all of the people it employs? We
are reducing our use of overtime. We are reducing our use of non-career
[part-time] employees. We are reducing the work hours that our flexible
employees work, and we are restructuring the work to utilize less
work hours. I'm not planning on any [layoffs].
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PRC Chairman
Predicts 5% Rate Hike for 2009
Dan G. Blair,
chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, offers his educated
prognostication: “It appears that the average increase for each
class of mail will be approximately 5%. The actual rate cap will
depend upon the behavior of the monthly CPI (Consumer Price Index)
between now and December.
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APWU: New Jersey BMC Workers Rally Against Privatization
Ex-postal worker gets five months in prison
Postal carrier pleads guilty to federal charges
USPS Delivers on Consumer Reports Next-Day Mail Challenge
Video From USPS Law Department explaining Weingarten Rights (wmv)
USPS to begin planning for AC street delivery
Former postmaster pleads guilty to theft of funds
Feds probe West Virginia post office
Earth Class Mail, Swiss Post Partner for Online Postal Mail Service
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October 29, 2008
APWU: USPS Proposed
ELM Revisions On Processing Leave Requests For FMLA Appealed to
Arbitration (PDF)
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(ELM
Revision: Processing Requests for Leave Under FMLA) The
proposed revisions to subchapters 512 and 513 involve completion
of PS Form 3971 through the Interactive Voice Response system (IVR)
and the Enterprise Resource Management System (eRMD). Proposed
changes to subchapter 515 involve the forwarding of
documentation related to a request for FMLA to the FMLA
Coordinator. The APWU's position is that Article 10, Section
2.A. of the CBA prohibits changes to ELM Chapter 510 that affect
wages, hours or working conditions for the life of the
Agreement. It is the APWU's position that, employees
are permitted to complete their PS-Form 3971 (Leave Request) and
submit any required documentation upon returning to work to the
Employer (supervisor) at their work section, at the postal
facility where employed.
New
FMLA Rules Should Arrive Soon
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Financial crisis has
some feds delaying retirement
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USPS:
'Read, Respond, Recycle' Mail
Ex-postal supervisor will face embezzlement charges
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It’s
not “junk mail,” but recycle it anyway
Texas letter carrier admits to mail theft
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October 28, 2008
Tight Times Strain Postmasters
Federal Times- Postmasters
across the country are facing the fallout from tight budgets and
hiring freezes. Charles Mapa, who heads an association of postmasters,
said many postmasters are short of employees and haven’t been able
to hire new mail handlers, letter carriers and other employees.
..so many postmasters are personally sorting and delivering mail,
helping members of the public, and in some cases, mopping the floors
in between managerial duties, Mapa wrote in an article in the October
issue of the Postmasters Advocate.. This all adds up to extremely
long hours that are burning out postmasters, Mapa said.,“I’m doing
the job of two clerks, a postmaster and a supervisor at this time,”
said Charlie, a postmaster at a small office in central Florida,
who asked to have his last name and location withheld for fear of
reprisals. ”
|
eNAPUS Legislative and Political Newsletter
NALC Branch charges Postal Service with violating NLRAct
Postal Service Weathers Rain, Sleet, Snow -- But Perhaps Not Lean
Times
Postal Service Looks to Cut 40,000 Jobs in First Layoff in History
Big postage increases ahead for magazines?
Postal officer gets probation in assault case
Cap One, USPS still in NSA dispute
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October 27, 2008
New Jersey Rally scheduled to Protest Privatization of BMCs
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For voters by mail, campaign is history
Mail Handler Can't Sell $800,000 Home Facing Foreclosure
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October 26, 2008
First-Ever
Layoffs Loom at Postal Service
by Seattle APWU VP David
Yao - Cost pressures are having other effects. Most of the sorting
and processing of mail already occurs between 3 p.m. and 6 a.m.
But, without notice to the affected unions, postal plant managers
have been told to plan for ending day shift operations. If implemented,
this would force thousands of clerks and mailhandlers out
of the more desirable day-shift assignments. The elimination of
daytime jobs would disrupt the family lives and the physical health
of those displaced, mostly high-seniority workers. APWU President
Bill Burrus has speculated that this action is partly aimed at pushing
them to retire.
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Why did the post office throw the clock out
the window?
Over the past two years,
as part of a program to modernize and standardize the appearance
of the nation's 37,000 post offices, the U.S. Postal Service has
been quietly removing the clocks from customer waiting areas. This
is said to be the agency's way of solving the problem of customer
exasperation at having to wait in long lines. But USPS spokesman
Gerry McKiernan said it is because "they were mostly in places
where we want to put signage, so people can see what products are
available." WP: Okay, but why remove the clocks?
if you're redesigning the whole place anyway, why not just move
the clock? Gerry: Why do you need a clock? People have wristwatches.
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Creation of BMC Task Force to Defend Mail Handler Work at the BMCs
(PDF)
Postal workers search for missing co-worker
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October 25, 2008
NALC: Moratorium On "Contracting Out" Extended
For Remainder of Contract
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However,
the duration of this agreement is also subject to the parties implementation
of the October 22, 2008, Memorandum of Understanding,
Re: Interim Alternate
Route Adjustment
Process (PDF)
.
Therefore,
if the Postal Service continues to experience mail volume declines
so as to invoke the fifth paragraph of that MOU, and the parties
are unable to agree to a new process or use again the process described
in that MOU by June 30, 2009 or June 30, 2010, this agreement shall
terminate and be of no effect.
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Postal Carriers Test Drive Electric Vehicles
The T3s come with compartments attached
to the vehicle for mail storage, and a trailer can be attached as
well. It has a range of 40 miles with a maximum speed of 12 miles
per hour and maximum load of 450 pounds. Mark Strong, Sun City postmaster,
said the test drives in the retirement communities are two of four
sites in Arizona where the T3s will be driven.
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The Two Tour
Initiative
by Bill Lewis, President APWU Trenton
Local - Management intends to implement these changes in January
2009. There is no doubt in my mind with the consolidation of tours
that there will be excessing to the needs of the installation and
there will clearly be excessing to the needs of the section. It
seems to me that management has no intentions on honoring the CBA,
which requires a 6 (six) month notification to the Union on excessing
to the needs of the section. In total, management's plans will result
in 52 clerks not having a duty assignment.
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When business is down, kick the customers
Teen shot mail carrier with paintball, cops say
In Defense of That Daily Visitor, Unsolicited Mail
Spokane: Postal Service may be facing layoffs
Postal employee captured after wild I-95 chase
Rural mail theft not unusual
Callicoon Center postmaster arrested
Residents not receiving mail in El Paso neighborhood
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October 24, 2008
Private-Firm Mailbox Access Poses Dangers:
Rand Study
Allowing private companies to compete
with the U.S. Postal Service could create benefits for some consumers,
but it also raises concerns about how to adequately track and police
crimes that happen through the mail,” said Lois Davis, senior policy
researcher at Rand. In December, the Postal Regulatory Commission
is set to report to Congress about the USPS’s mail monopoly and
universal service.
Rand Study |
Harvey letter carrier delivers mail with police
escort
A police
officer stood watch Thursday as a U.S. letter carrier returned to
her route in south suburban Harvey, where a neighborhood has gone
without door-to-door delivery since the carrier evaded gunfire two
weeks ago.
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Former Parachute postal worker gets probation on drug charge
Death of the SCF (Part 2)
Postal Bulletin 10/23/08 Issue
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October 23, 2008
USPS Headquarters to Reduce Complement
USPS is facing one of the most difficult challenges in its history.
There has been a continual decline in First-Class Mail volumes over
the past decade. The current economic downturn has led to an even
greater decline in volume with the loss of more than 9 billion pieces
this past year alone. All Headquarters Officers have identified
opportunities to streamline staffing by matching current workforce
with the workload. As a result, complement in all Headquarters and
Headquarters-related units has been reduced - some vacant positions
have been eliminated, while other occupied positions are impacted.
Starting this week, employees occupying impacted positions will
be notified and given information and guidance.
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Most Dangerous Block in U.S.? Mail Delivery Halted
'Mail Angel' Comes to the Rescue After Woman Falls
Job Seekers Turn to Government
Shooting report in Harvey shuts down mail delivery
Alert mail carrier discovers body of Metamora woman
Letter Threatens Chase Bank CEO
Postal Service Adds Express Mail Hold for Pickup to usps.com
Businesses feel sting from Post Office cutbacks
Junction City Residents Demand Mailbox
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October 22, 2008
USPS, APWU Reach
Tentative Agreement On Four-Day Workweeks
Employees who go on a modified
workweek will work 10 hours a day straight time, and will receive
penalty pay when they work more than 10 hours in a shift. Employees
who want overtime may from time to time work a five-day schedule,
but will forfeit their “third day off” in such weeks. Some employees
who work the four-day schedule will not necessarily have the third
day off consecutively with the other two.
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Burrus: An Open Letter to the PMG
The Plan Isn’t Working ... the current USPS business plan is not
working and cannot be expected to work in the future. There must
be an acknowledgement that subcontracting, outsourcing, work-hour
reductions, workshare discounts, and an unhealthy level of cooperation
with major mailers and their agents have been ineffective. The long-term
effect is to make your most highly compensated employees (postal
workers) less productive, while making your lower-paid employees
(contract employees) more productive.
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Powder-laced letters mailed to banks in 9 cities
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October 21, 2008
Ask President Burrus: Incentives To Employees
Offered Early Outs
The union's effort
to require the payment of an incentive to employees who opt to retire
early will not be resolved in the near future, as it is expected
that we will be forced to refer the issue to an arbitrator for a
final ruling. We have requested that all employees who retire early
be provided severance pay, as required by the contract, and, if
we prevail, employees who retire under the VER offer will receive
payment. Other offers are pending, and it is expected that additional
opportunities for early retirement will be offered in the near future.
Budget shortfalls of $5 billion in Fiscal Years 2008 and
2009 will continue to put pressure on the Postal Service to reduce
the workforce.
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APWU: Penalty Overtime, Casual Exception Periods Set
Post Office Protest in Shell Knob
Thieves break into Postal truck, stealing uniforms and mail
Layoffs at the Direct Marketing Association
Death of the SCF
Feds investigate Truckee's lost letters
Elderly person crashes into post office
Five New York Postal Service Facilities Join EPA's Performance Track
Program
Postmaster arrested for DUI again
Canada: Postal workers vote in favor of strike
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October 20, 2008
PMG
Names Replacement For USPS Chief Postal Inspector
PMG Potter has named William
Gilligan as Acting Chief Postal Inspector to replace Al Lazaroff, who retires Nov. 3. Lazaroff
retired "after being
questioned by ABC News
about his travel expenses and gambling habits."
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USPS Wants Commercial Outdoor
Advertising On Its Property
The USPS owns or leases approximately 35,000 properties and facilities throughout
the United States that it wishes maximize the value of by being
considered for use as commercial outdoor advertising signboards,
billboards and displays. The USPS is seeking to contract with a
commercial outdoor advertising management firm (the “Manager”)
with the experience and capability of marketing and managing a
large number of commercial outdoor advertising sites.
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USPS Saves $5 Million Annually With Transportation Consolidation
- Since deploying a transportation optimization system two years
ago, the United States Postal Service has saved $10 million
through consolidating delivery trips.
Senior citizens say their mail goes astray
Frederick's post office upholds USPS culture
of diversity
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October
19, 2008
Postal
Service Cutbacks Could Affect Customers
The
Postal
Service estimates that
nearly 57,000 clerks, and about 16,000 mail handlers and supervisory employees
are eligible. It projects that 6,496 clerks, 1,552 mail handlers, and 693
supervisors will accept the offer. What
cutbacks
could mean to post
offices customers is
curtailed hours and longer lines, although Raymond V. Daiutolo Sr., a public
affairs and corporate communications representative of the
postal service, insists lines in
the post office are no worse or better than the local supermarket or bank.
|Comments (73
Mail Carriers On Python Patrol In South Florida
Postal carrier arrested
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October 18, 2008
Postal Employee Pleads Guilty To Making Threats Against Supervisor
Samuel Davis Kemp ,of Roanoke, pled guilty Thursday in the US District Court to
charges that he threatened and interfered with a
PostalSupervisor while
he was engaged in his official duties. At the time of the incident, Kemp was
employed as a mail handler at USPS Processing and Distribution Center in
Roanoke, VA.
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2009 APWU Health Plan: Live Life Well!
Postal Workers Indicted
for Stealing
New Hampshire Postal Clerk Convicted Of Stealing Mail
Woman guilty of letting pit bull attack mailman
Business owners upset with late mail
Mail carrier charged with taking ATM cards
UPS to raising rates by 5.9 percent on average
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October 17, 2008
USPS Chief
Postal Inspector Retires in Wake of ABC News Investigation
-Two weeks after being questioned by ABC News about
his travel expenses and gambling habits
Alexander Lazaroff, the head of the US
Postal Service's
Inspection Service,
abruptly announced his retirement. According to ABC news Lazaroff gambled at a
casino during a conference he arranged at a nearby resort.
The Inspector General
investigation of Lazaroff followed complaints from his own inspectors to Senator
Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) that the chief inspector squandered
postal
service money to arrange
travel to resorts and other locations near casinos.
|Comments (162)
Pit bull owner guilty in dog's mail carrier attack
10 year
Postal Service
employee charged with fraud and theft
FEMA likely to use former
postal encoding center
for disaster relief
Two postal
workers thrilled to be named grand marshals of their town's event |
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October 16, 2008
NALC President
Young Assails GOP Ad Suggesting Carriers Are Possible Sexual Predators
- Young today assailed a television
ad attacking Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire that suggests that U.S.
Postal Service letter carriers are possible sexual predators endangering
the lives of children on the street. The television ad, being run
by the Republican Governors Association in support of GOP gubernatorial
candidate Dino Rossi, shows a man walking a dog, and then a letter
carrier (with satchel and mail), leering at young children near
an ice cream truck, while in the audio background a woman depicting
a mother warns that some convicted sex offenders have not properly
registered with law enforcement agencies during the Gregoire administration.
see video ad
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USPS
Planning Major Changes for Delivery (PDF)
NALC
Branch 709
- Strategies/Tactics -FY 2009 Route Structure Proposed Strategy
-Evaluate Routes and make Adjustments by Removing Casing / Office
Duties from as Many Routes as Possible Creating Separate Caser and
Deliverer Assignments.
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USPS OIG: Grievance Settlement and Arbitration
Award Payments (PDF)
This report presents the results of our self-initiated review of
U.S. Postal Service grievance settlement and arbitration award payments.
Our objective was to determine whether selected grievances should
have been resolved prior to monetary settlements or arbitration
awards. The review focused on the 10 highest paid grievance settlements
or arbitration awards for fiscal year (FY) 2007, which totaled $43.4
million and represented 27 percent of all payments in FY 2007 ($161.2
million). We could not determine the associated grievance costs
for steward time, arbitrator costs, and labor relations staff salaries
for each of the 10 grievances. Management did not attribute these
costs to each grievance because they did not believe it was necessary
or cost-effective. Management did, however, capture these costs
monthly and as year-to-date annual figures, which were $115.7 million
in FY 2007.
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APWU: Retirees to Get Big Cost-of-Living Raise
Fire Official Accused of Assaulting Postal Worker
USPS: Keep the Mail Monopoly
Postal employees to barbecue for charity
Fuel stolen from mail trucks in New Hampshire
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October 15, 2008
USPS OIG Launches "Pushing the Envelope"
Blog |
OIG Blog
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USPS OIG Audit Report: Assessment of REC Consolidation Process
USPS OIG Audit Report: Delayed Mail at the North Texas P&DC (PDF)
Postal service to work
with city on island mail
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October 14, 2008
APWU: Discussions
Continue With USPS On Implementation of 10-4 Workweek
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Discussions continue on the implementation of the 10-4 workweek,
which would allow employees to work four 10-hour days each week.
However, the national union does not intend to facilitate the elimination
of Tour 2 by allowing management to use 10-4 workweeks to reduce
the work schedule to two tours. |
USPS to Implement
Two Tour Initiative Nationwide
The entire nation is expected to move
to a 2 tour operation, while still protecting service. Given the
continued workload decline and recent RPG scenarios, the NYMA agrees
with moving towards a 2 tour operation because of the economies
of scale that it would provide. The first step in this process is
moving to a 2 8-hour tour automation operation (AFSM and APPS/SPBS
operations to follow). For the month of October, the weekly RPG
telecons will be focused on your efforts to make this move. Every
plant needs to be progressing on this initiative along the following
timeline
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Postal Service Eliminates 87 Collection Points
in Chattanooga
Chattanooga used to have 652 collection boxes on its streets, explained
Beth Barnett, spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service's Tennessee
district. But over the past six months, 87 of those boxes - or about
13 percent have been pulled because officials determined they
had not been used enough. "If the volume of mail is not sufficient,
then we'll take up the collection box," Ms. Barnett said.
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Postal Supervisor Accused Of Stealing $14,000
From NAPS
The National Association
of Postal Supervisors' local president in Columbus (Georgia) had
decided to step down, and he wanted to check the books before passing
the mantle. That meant a visit to Battle, who had been the group's
secretary and treasurer since the group was formed in 1989.. What
he and the incoming president found, police claim, was at least
$14,000 gone from the group's checking account. Local leaders then
held a meeting with their members, who decided to press charges
against Battle, the report states.|
Mail carrier catches children burning cat
Galveston mayor issues plea for post offices to reopen
Mare Island residents: Post office's closing 'a loss'
A US-Filipino Retiree's Tale
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October 13, 2008
Post office is out to lunch
It's a loaded question, but it begs
to be asked: is the U.S. Postal Service deliberately courting outrage
among its customers? How else to explain the newest changes to the
hours of operation of three local substation/satellites of the Broad
Street, Red Bank facility?
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Neither Snow, Nor Rain, Nor Anthrax
White powder scares cost law enforcement
time, money
Postal carriers deserve more protection
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October 12, 2008
Next
Step For USPS: Layoffs?
Federal Times - Will there be layoffs at the
U.S. Postal Service? That’s the buzz among the agency’s 670,000
workers as signs grow that the agency is sliding further into financial
trouble. The Postal Service has already extended early-retirement
offers to more than 156,000 postal workers — roughly 20 percent
of its work force. And the postmaster general, John Potter, told
the largest postal union that the agency has identified as many
as 16,000 employees who can be laid off without the need for collective
bargaining because they lack seniority.
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The postman always rings nice
October 11, 2008
Over 3,000
Postal Workers Take Early Out In First Round
The U.S. Postal Service has accepted
more than 3,000 voluntary early retirements as part of the first
of three rounds of cutbacks extended to 156,000 workers across the
country. As of Friday, 3,685 mail handlers, clerks and low-level
supervisors in processing plants and at retail windows across the
country had accepted the first buyout offer made to 72,000 eligible
employees, said Greg Frey, a postal service spokesman.
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Rattlesnake In Mailbox Bites Contract
Carrier
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October 10, 2008
Postal Service One of Best Companies
for Hispanics
Two PMRs admit taking postal funds
Postman accused of stealing, writing
checks to pay bills
Pit bull owner on trial for attack
on postal carrier
Masked man robs tiny Pennsylvania post
office
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October 9, 2008
NALC President Young Denounces Postal Management
Video About Street-Only Work (PDF) -
NALC will not accept any concept developed unilaterally by postal
management developed outside the route inspection task force, much
less a contract-violating "full-time street" concept like the one
proposed by the Deputy Postmaster General. "I urge all members to
remain calm," President Young said. "NALC is proceeding with the
negotiations with the Postal Service through our task force and
we expect to reach win-win solutions on the issues of route evaluations
and inspections. |
APWU Activists Work to 'Defend Our BMCs'
The APWU "Defend Our BMCs Committee," which was established to combat
USPS attempts to privatize work at the nation's 21 Bulk Mail Centers,
has made its first inroads into the legislative arena, meeting with
aides to both of New Jersey's U.S. senators in early October. The
committee was formed at a BMC Conference just prior to the National
Convention in August, and held its first meeting, via teleconference,
in late September. On Oct. 2, BMC committee members met with aides
to New Jersey's U.S. Senators, Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.
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Mail Handlers : USPS Faces Economic Difficulties
The National Office is hearing all kinds of stories from the membership
and the Local Union officers, mostly concerning over-reactions to
this drop in volume by local management, including threats to cut
entire tours from an installation, to excess and/or abolish jobs,
and to close down entire buildings. Another postal union even has
indicated that layoffs might occur. Representatives of the NPMHU
have met with officials at postal headquarters on these issues,
and they assure us that there are no blanket orders to eliminate
tours, or to take any drastic action if it does not make business
sense. Layoffs, moreover, would be absolutely a last resort.
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W.Va. post offices adjusting hours during
economic crisis
Citing tough financial times, the United
States Postal Service has already cut back retail hours at more
than a fourth of West Virginia post offices and more changes are
expected. Closing, lunch and opening hours have been changed by
up to an hour at 179 post offices around the state, said David Walton,
a postal service spokesman.
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Two Longtime Texas Postal
Clerks Arrested After Falsifying Financial Reports
Postal Bulletin 10/09/08 Issue
Health Premiums: You Really Want The Truth?
Sartell, MN woman charged
with three counts of mail theft
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October 8, 2008
22 Philly Postal
Workers Share $10.2 Million Lottery Prize
the group includes mail handlers, clerks
and one supervisor. They all work in the same area and pooled their
lottery money for years until they hit the big one this past weekend.
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Kentucky postal worker indicted on theft charges
Two Houston mail carriers charged in federal indictments
Mail carrier airlifted to hospital after collision
Postal worker alerts woman in burning house
Postmaster Gets 17 1/2 Years For Plot To Kill Ex-wife
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October 7, 2008
To Endorse Or Not
Mike Causey: Where you
stand, especially in politics, depends on where you sit! Case in
point, yesterday's column. The subject: Political endorsements by
federal-postal unions. In this case, the president of the American
Postal Workers Union, one of the biggest, strongly advised members
who NOT to vote for. We got a batch of e-mails on both sides of
the endorsement issues. The majority were from people who don't
like it when unions of federal or postal workers make political
endorsements. Some identified themselves as union members, but most
were not.
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DM Hiring Cuts Seen for Remainder of Year
Dog attack stops mail deliveries
Arizona City residents
win fight for street delivery of mail
Texas Postal worker indicted
for mail theft
Shiny new post office isn't so shiny
APWU: Nine More U.S. Reps Co-Sponsor Mail Network
Protection Act
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October 6, 2008
At the Postal Service, Talk of Layoffs
Here's another sad sign of our economic times: Never before has
the U.S. Postal Service laid off workers. Now, it's a real possibility.
"For the first time in history, that is being considered," said
Gerald McKiernan, a USPS spokesman. Already, the Postal Service
is not hiring because it simply doesn't move as much mail as it
once did. E-mail has taken an increasing amount of its business.
McKiernan says mail volume dropped 11 percent in fiscal 2008, which
ended Tuesday. That resulted in the service spending $2.3 billion
more than it took in.
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Burrus: Very Few
APWU-Represented Employees Will Face Layoffs
"Let
me be clear: The possibility that the Postal Service may exercise
its authority to layoff career employees is real, but it would affect
very few APWU-represented employees. The 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining
Agreement guarantees that each employee who is employed in the regular
work force as of Nov. 20, 2006,
“shall be protected henceforth against any involuntary layoff or
force reduction during the term of this Agreement.”
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Playing Political Hardball
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Pilot program offers Milwaukee postal carriers safe havens
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Mailing Our Way to Solvency
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October 5, 2008
Military seeing increase in mail
After 33 years, 'Smitty' retires from USPS
After 24 years, McGeehan mailing in retirement
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October
4, 2008
Mail Carriers Disciplined
For Not Finishing Routes In Eight Hours
Meriden, CT - Mail carriers are being singled out by the Meriden
Post Office for disciplinary action because they can't finish their
expanded routes in the allotted eight hours.
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Postal worker goes beyond call of duty
Illinois Postal Worker to plead guilty in money order kiting
scheme
First Circuit bars suit alleging Postal Worker stole campaign mail
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October 3, 2008
Congressman Asks Boston Postal Managers For
Explanation Of Outsourcing Vehicle Maintenance Work
- Expressing
concern about the outsourcing of maintenance and repair work on
postal vehicles, U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) wrote to the USPS
Boston District Manager and asked for an explanation of USPS policy.
Rep. Lynch wrote the letter in response to complaints from Boston
Metro Area Local Motor Vehicle Services Craft President Bill Weaver.
In a letter to Postmaster General John E. Potter, [PDF] Weaver outlined
concerns about the security of the mail, the lack of training of
subcontractors, and the cost of subcontracting, as compared with
assigning the maintenance and repair work to postal employees.
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APWU: Dispute Over Notification
to Locals of Subcontracting Appealed to Arbitration
-The
APWU has appealed to national-level arbitration a dispute over the
Postal Service's obligation pursuant to Article 32, Section 1.C.,
of the National Agreement, to furnish the Union at the local level
notification of subcontracting of bargaining unit work within their
respective installations.
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Jury convicts ex-postal worker of fraud
Crash victim Linwood postal worker
Researcher says evidence shows USPS.com website compromised
USPS outsourcing
public relations
2 men rob Texas Post Office
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October 2, 2008
USPS Testing Three-Wheeler To Replace Some
Delivery Vehicles
- Potter said USPS has as a goal
reducing energy use 30 percent by 2015. On display at the event
were alternative-fuel vehicles, including the T3, a three-wheeler
that runs solely on electricity for less than a penny a mile. It's
being tested in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona as a possible
replacement for some traditional fuel delivery vehicles. Potter
said USPS has identified 2,000 delivery routes that can be made
walking routes, and is looking at adding to our bicycle routes.
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Atlanta's Mail Carriers Hit by Gas Shortage
Before
he can even begin his route, Stanley Whitney feels the bite of the
gas shortage nawing at his nerves. He looks at his gas gauge near
empty. For Whitney, instead of mail stops, it's gas stops. Many
stations near Whitney's Dekalb post office are still out of gas.
The owners courtesy call when they're in stock. But there are no
favorites, no preferential treatment not even for the mailman.
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USPS Vision 2013 Letter (PDF) |
Vision 2013 (PDF) |
Overview (PDF)
Post office features drive-thru convenience
After 33 years, Craigville Postmaster says goodbye
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October 1, 2008
NALC President Cautions Postal Service On
Slashing Delivery Costs Outside Contract
- NALC is committed to working with the Postal Service
to find ways to deal with the difficult circumstances facing us.”
However, he cautioned the Postal Service from launching unilateral
initiatives to slash delivery costs outside the parameters set by
the National Agreement. “Our union is deeply engaged in efforts
to find win-win solutions for the parties; we will act responsibly,
but we will not accept management dictates that violate our rights,”
Young said.
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VER Timeline Released for Postmaster and other EAS
Mail carriers to bring drugs in anthrax attack
Postal worker attacked with hammer over man
Message From PMG Potter
PMG Kicks Off Year-Long Conservation Campaign
1 Detroit post office closed; hours cut in two others
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Postman? Wait a minute, cops say, he's a Potman
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Former mail carrier accused of Seinfeld-like act
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Jury watches video of ex-postal worker
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Eight-vehicle crash kills postal worker
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