October 31, 2006 -  Squirrel Goes Postal
An Oil City mail carrier was bitten several times by a squirrel while on her route Barb Dougherty, a woman with nearly 30 years of experience with the U.S. Postal Service, was taken to the hospital by ambulance and treated for cuts and scratches. "It was a freak thing. It was traumatic. I saw it there on the porch, put the mail in the box and turned to walk away and it jumped on me," she said. After trying to swat the animal off, it ran up her leg and then onto her back, Dougherty said. "I eventually got a hold of the tail and pulled it off me. No one was home at the house where I was delivering the mail, but the neighbor lady heard me screaming and came over," she said.  |   

October 31, 2006 - USPS and GE Sign New Six-Year $100M Contract for Semi-Trailers - The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Trailer Fleet Services, a division of GE Equipment Services, have agreed to a new, six-year contract for domestic, over-the-road semi-trailers, used to transport mail between postal distribution centers and local post offices. The agreement includes installation of GE’s VeriWise™ Asset Intelligence system, which tracks and monitors trailer location and condition while in transit, or when parked.  |   

October 31, 2006 - USPS Mail Processing Facility Faces $44,250 in Fines for Safety Violations - The U.S. Postal Service White River Junction (VT)  mail processing facility is facing fines for what are being called "willful and serious" workplace safety violations. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said that after a May visit to the facility by safety inspectors, officials were told of the need to protect workers from moving parts in a mail sorting machine, which could have caused cuts or broken bones. That violation was not corrected, OSHA said. Inspectors also found that employees and supervisors were handling and cleaning up spills of unknown materials without proper respiratory protection. The post office was issued two citations for the alleged violations, discovered after a complaint from an employee. The White River Junction has 15 business days to answer the citations.   |   

October 31, 2006 - USPS Listed As Advertiser Blacklisting Liberal Network "Air America" - An internal memo from ABC Radio Networks to its affiliates reveals scores of powerful sponsors have a standing order that their commercials never be placed on syndicated Air America programming that airs on ABC affiliates. The list, totaling 90 advertisers, includes some of largest and most well-known corporations advertising in the U.S. The U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Navy are also listed as advertisers who don't want their commercials to air on Air America.   |

October 30, 2006 - APWU Presses for Improved Conditions in Contract Talks
"Negotiations between the APWU and the USPS continue for a successor Collective Bargaining Agreement, to take effect Nov. 21, 2006. The union has submitted a variety of proposals that are intended to improve the conditions of postal employees, and the Postal Service has submitted proposals that would erode employee rights and benefits. Economic proposals, including wage increases, cost-of-living allowances (COLA), night differential pay, and uniform allowances, have not been presented to date. One of the central issues under discussion is how much the Postal Service will contribute toward health benefit premiums and how much employees will pay."  |   

October 30, 2006 - NAVTEQ and RouteSmart Deploy Carrier Route Optimization Solution for USPS - "RouteSmart's solution is designed to create more efficient USPS delivery routes and lines of travel, improve customer service and reduce daily operations costs. The RouteSmart algorithms embedded in COR and the highly accurate and detailed map data from NAVTEQ will allow the USPS to optimize its delivery resources and to make route adjustments when necessary." |   

October 30, 2006 - Editorial: Farther from us is better?
We suppose in this day and age of e-mail that the Postal Service has to consider every possible efficiency to compete. Plus, the Naples area knows firsthand the Fort Myers area's apprehension about losing its postmark. Still, we have a "show me" bias on this one. We have a hard time seeing how shipping more mail northward, only to be redistributed southward, where it came from, is even a small step toward faster and better mail service. There is a point at which regionalization reaches a point of diminishing returns, and some mail customers think we're already there. |   

October 30, 2006 - POLO, ANYONE?

"Mark your calendar. On Nov. 18, the new retail polo shirt will become part of the official uniform for retail associates. Unless approved by local management, polo shirts must be tucked in and worn with authorized slacks, skirts or skorts. You won’t need a necktie with the new shirt, which can be layered under other authorized uniform clothing. Licensed uniform vendors are accepting orders now."  USPS News Link. note: According to online uniform vendors, Polo shirts will not be shipped until Nov. 18th.  |   

October 29, 2006 - Man Pleads Guilty in Kickback Scheme to Pay Postal OWCP Specialist- An Aliso Viejo (CA) man has pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges for conspiring to pay kickbacks to an USPS Injury Compensation Specialist in exchange for the illegal referral of postal workers to his physical therapy clinic  |   

October 29, 2006 -  Postmaster defends delivery in Holland  - (Massachusetts) Fiskdale-based postal carriers who are refusing to deliver mail to local addresses with poor road conditions are exceeding their authority.... Only the postmaster can make that decision.  |   

October 28, 2006 - NALC: Postal Carriers Emergency Medication Distribution Drill

In 2004, William H. Young, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, entered into an agreement with  the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Postal Service for utilization of volunteer letter carriers to deliver antibiotics to homes in the event of a catastrophic bioterrorist event. On Saturday, November 11, postal carriers in King County, Washington, including Seattle, will play a critical role in testing local plans to distribute medications directly to people’s homes in an emergency. USPS and NALC) will participate in a drill in which postal carriers will deliver a cardboard container (simulating a bottle of pills) and emergency information cards to approximately 38,000 households in northeast Seattle. The drill is part of the Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI), Participation by postal carriers is voluntary.  |   

October 28, 2006

Photos: Mailbox and Christmas Mail Trucks

Postal Service not reviewing Oxnard processing center

Can the post office order us to change our mail box clusters?

New Mexico: Post Office honored for commitment to safety

October 27, 2006 - NALC Presents Postal Service with Main Contract Proposals

NALC’s opening economic proposal calls for a seven-year agreement which would include a continuation of existing cost-of-living adjustments, with no changes; general wage increases of 3 percent in each year of the agreement; and a pay upgrade of one grade for all letter carriers. The union also proposed significant changes in the ways routes are evaluated and designed, and that the letter carrier craft be converted to a 100 percent all-regular work force. In addition, NALC offered creative suggestions for reducing the ever-increasing costs of health benefits without reducing the Postal Service’s share of the cost of premiums.   |   

October 27, 2006 - National Mail Handlers Union Respond to Burrus Raid Letters

The National Postal Mail Handlers Union has responded (via APWU Steward Frank Wilson, ChicagoPostalWorker.com) to APWU’s alleged “raid” activities. A few excerpts from the scathing letter (PDF): "Burrus can try to package his “non-hostile” outreach letter to Mail Handlers however he likes and call it whatever he wants, but the distribution of these letters must be viewed by your NPMHU National Leadership as the opening salvo in an attempt by the APWU to raid the membership of our great Union, pure and simple. If these activities continue, they will be met by an increasing level of resistance by the NPMHU and its members. "We didn’t come looking for a brawl, but we certainly will not walk away from this one. ….The APWU is hereby advised that it should stop sticking its nose where it does not belong.  |   

October 27, 2006 - Former NY Mailman pimp awaits delivery to jail

“A New York mailman [Matthew Thompkins] admitted yesterday that he ran a sprawling multimillion-dollar network that shuttled prostitutes as young as 13 from Atlantic City to Las Vegas and cities in between. An employee of the Postal Service since 1994, Thompkins agreed to resign as part of his plea. He was promoted to letter carrier about six years ago, though it was not clear when he stopped delivering the mail. Richardson, the prosecutor, said the postal service wanted to fire Thompkins years ago, but couldn’t serve him with termination papers because they couldn’t find him.”  |   

 October 27, 2006 - First Class Volume is slip-sliding away
"The USPS projects that First Class volume will decline 2.8 percent from a 2006 estimate of 97.546 billion pieces to 94.775 billion in 2007. That decline of 2.771 billion pieces would cost the USPS $1 billion in revenue. The USPS also projects a 1.9 percent rise in Standard Mail volume, from an estimated 102.763 billion in 2006 to 104.721 billion in 2007. That amounts to a revenue increase of $400 million. And, according to the projection, Standard would expand its volume edge over First Class to almost 10 billion pieces."

October 26, 2006 - Thousands of Postal Workers Protest Ill-Conceived USPS Plans - In a nationwide day of picketing Oct. 26, APWU locals across the country protested Postal Service policies that put the demands of corporate advertising mailers ahead of the needs of individual postal customers and small businesses. The picketing was part of the APWU’s campaign to expose the poorly conceived — and often well-hidden — network realignment plans and the serious negative impact they would have on mail service for consumers’ and small businesses  |   

October 24, 2006 - Postal Workers to Protest USPS Consolidation Plans at Post Offices Nationwide - On Thursday, October 26, 2006, Postal Workers will hold informational pickets at post offices nationwide. The purpose of the picket is “expose the Postal Service’s ill-advised consolidation plans.” A sampling of APWU Locals participating - APWU Locals Prepare for Nationwide Day of Picketing
A sampling of APWU Locals participating - Oakland, CA (PDF) | Fort Myers, FL. | Columbus, GA.  | Sioux City, IA  | Pasadena, CA (PDF) | Providence, RI | Olympia, WA | Rapid City, SD | Alexandria, LA | Weirton, WV | Bronx, NY | McAllen, TX | Helena, MT | Long Beach, CA | Waco, TX | Lincoln, NE- Also see  - APWU: OIG Report Criticizes Pasadena Consolidation  | USPS OIG Report   |   

October 26, 2006 - APWU Initiates Dispute Over Changes to USPS Computer Security Rules - The APWU initiated a national dispute over the Postal Service’s announcement of revisions to the AS-805 handbook governing Information Security. The revised handbook restricts employees from bringing personal information resources (e.g. laptops, notebooks, PDAs, handheld computers and USB port devices such as flash memory sticks) into postal facilities. The union is concerned that the new restrictions may adversely impact the union’s ability to perform its duties |   

October 26, 2006 - USPS Reacts to Former Postmaster Conviction

Former Clarksburg, WV Postmaster Terry Dean was found guilty of domestic battery. Dean is now facing up to a year in prison, and a $500 dollar fine for hitting his girlfriend. USPS confirmed that the former Postmaster is working again, but he's no longer in a management position. "Dean is a clerk in the mail processing facility in Morgantown. Harrison County prosecutors say four postal employees have filed assault complaints against Dean in the past five months. "We asked USPS spokesperson Victor Dubina if Dean's conviction will affect his job status. He replied, "We're going to wait to see what his sentence is and we'll look at it from there."  In March 2003, Clarksburg police charged Dean with battery on a police officer."  The case was later dismissed. |   

October 26, 2006 - Mail Handlers Union Reject Participating in APWU Picket

 - In a recent letter to its members, a Local Postal Mail Handlers President writes: "The Mail Handlers Union will NOT be participating in this Informational Picket. As many of you have received letter from our National President John Hegarty, a raid has been brought upon us by the A.P.W.U. At this time our relationship with A.P.W.U is strained at the least.”  |   

October 26, 2006 - USPS Ready for Holidays - and Standard Mail - "The U.S. Postal Service is prepared to handle an expected increase in volume this fall — most of it Standard Mail. The agency estimates that this year’s fall mailing season volume increase will be about 4 percent compared with the rest of the year, about the same percentage as last year. The agency considers Aug. 16 through the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 22) as its fall mailing season. The USPS has plans to handle all of this volume. For example, the agency has installed all 72 APPS, its automated package processing system equipment designed to improve the processing of flats and parcels. Last year, only 47 were deployed. The agency is also limiting its hiring of non-career employees."  |   

October 25, 2006  - Letter Carriers Remember 'All-American' Postal Worker - Her bosses described letter carrier, Jennifer Milburn as the "all-American girl." The Ohio University graduate died when a stray bullet struck her while she delivered mail. Milburn had worked on the Canton route for only 17 days after working as a temporary postal worker in her native Tuscarawas County. Click "Play Video" to see how Canton letter carriers dealt with the loss "the day after."  |   

October 25, 2006

NAPS Congressional Endorsements (PDF)
Mail carrier delivered aloha to many on her route

Letter carriers remember 'all-American' postal worker

USPS Unveils Shape-Based Pricing Plans

FedEx expects to break all-time volume record this holiday season

Illinois: Postmaster praises rural mail carrier killed in crash

Celebrity mailman

Anthrax Mystery and Misery Linger for Postal Workers

Top GOP Senator Joins Critics of FBI Anthrax Probe

DMA improves Mail Preference Service

Montana Postal Clerk Indicted  for Workers Comp Fraud

Failing to Pay GICC Bill Leads to Removal for Postal Supervisor

October 26, 2006 - Thousands of Postal Workers Protest Ill-Conceived USPS Plans - In a nationwide day of picketing Oct. 26, APWU locals across the country protested Postal Service policies that put the demands of corporate advertising mailers ahead of the needs of individual postal customers and small businesses. The picketing was part of the APWU’s campaign to expose the poorly conceived — and often well-hidden — network realignment plans and the serious negative impact they would have on mail service for consumers’ and small businesses  |   

October 26, 2006 - APWU Initiates Dispute Over Changes to USPS Computer Security Rules - The APWU initiated a national dispute over the Postal Service’s announcement of revisions to the AS-805 handbook governing Information Security. The revised handbook restricts employees from bringing personal information resources (e.g. laptops, notebooks, PDAs, handheld computers and USB port devices such as flash memory sticks) into postal facilities. The union is concerned that the new restrictions may adversely impact the union’s ability to perform its duties |   

October 26, 2006 - USPS Reacts to Former Postmaster Conviction

Former Clarksburg, WV Postmaster Terry Dean was found guilty of domestic battery. Dean is now facing up to a year in prison, and a $500 dollar fine for hitting his girlfriend. USPS confirmed that the former Postmaster is working again, but he's no longer in a management position. "Dean is a clerk in the mail processing facility in Morgantown. Harrison County prosecutors say four postal employees have filed assault complaints against Dean in the past five months. "We asked USPS spokesperson Victor Dubina if Dean's conviction will affect his job status. He replied, "We're going to wait to see what his sentence is and we'll look at it from there."  In March 2003, Clarksburg police charged Dean with battery on a police officer."  The case was later dismissed. |   

October 26, 2006 - Mail Handlers Union Reject Participating in APWU Picket

 - In a recent letter to its members, a Local Postal Mail Handlers President writes: "The Mail Handlers Union will NOT be participating in this Informational Picket. As many of you have received letter from our National President John Hegarty, a raid has been brought upon us by the A.P.W.U. At this time our relationship with A.P.W.U is strained at the least.”  |   

October 26, 2006 - USPS Ready for Holidays - and Standard Mail - "The U.S. Postal Service is prepared to handle an expected increase in volume this fall — most of it Standard Mail. The agency estimates that this year’s fall mailing season volume increase will be about 4 percent compared with the rest of the year, about the same percentage as last year. The agency considers Aug. 16 through the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 22) as its fall mailing season. The USPS has plans to handle all of this volume. For example, the agency has installed all 72 APPS, its automated package processing system equipment designed to improve the processing of flats and parcels. Last year, only 47 were deployed. The agency is also limiting its hiring of non-career employees."  |   

October 25, 2006  - Letter Carriers Remember 'All-American' Postal Worker - Her bosses described letter carrier, Jennifer Milburn as the "all-American girl." The Ohio University graduate died when a stray bullet struck her while she delivered mail. Milburn had worked on the Canton route for only 17 days after working as a temporary postal worker in her native Tuscarawas County. Click "Play Video" to see how Canton letter carriers dealt with the loss "the day after."  |   

October 25, 2006

NAPS Congressional Endorsements (PDF)
Mail carrier delivered aloha to many on her route

Letter carriers remember 'all-American' postal worker

USPS Unveils Shape-Based Pricing Plans

FedEx expects to break all-time volume record this holiday season

Illinois: Postmaster praises rural mail carrier killed in crash

Celebrity mailman

Anthrax Mystery and Misery Linger for Postal Workers

Top GOP Senator Joins Critics of FBI Anthrax Probe

DMA improves Mail Preference Service

Montana Postal Clerk Indicted  for Workers Comp Fraud

Failing to Pay GICC Bill Leads to Removal for Postal Supervisor

October 24, 2006 - Pushing the envelope

Getting a job at the post office can take years, and once hired employees face hard work, timed routes, Mother Nature and the occasional dog..." - Fending off the occasional Fido is one challenge of being a postal worker - particularly a letter carrier, a job that's part salesman and customer service representative combined with an element of professional power walking. Eugene Gabaldon, president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 380. said lines at postal service retail outlets are a growing problem, all despite the fact that the service has added staff and seen improved service ratings. His quest is to convince the postal service that more carriers and clerks are needed to improve the situation.  |   

October 24, 2006 - PMG Names Three Area Vice Presidents

Postmaster General Jack Potter announced the selection of Michael Daley as Vice President, Area Operations, Pacific Area, Terry Wilson as Vice President, Area Operations, Southeast Area, and Ellis Burgoyne as Vice President, Area Operations for the Southwest Area.  |   

October 23, 2006 - Postal Theft Probe Expands
"Postal workers from the Industry Processing and Distribution Center stole refund checks and credit cards from the mail and sold them to an identity theft ring, according to a recently unveiled indictment. Using bogus IDs, members of the ring cashed the checks and used the cards to get cash advances or buy merchandise. The losses totaled $1 million in a little more than 3 1/2 years. But while 20 alleged members of the ring have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money, the unidentified mail thieves have not been arrested. "We are actively looking for the postal employees," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Waier. "Whether carrier or sorter, we are sorting it out."  |   

October 23, 2006 - Marketers Upset by Extravagance of USPS Booth at DMA Show
"Almost every catalog marketer at the show (DMA 06) mentioned, with more than a little distain, the "colossal" U.S. Postal Service booth. Instead of impressing them with their racing simulator, doubtful actors and postal service totes, marketers were annoyed at the extravagance in light of rate increases that suck more of their budget. One marketer remarked that she would like to send the postal service a box of promotional pieces instead of payment for one of her mailings." Flickr Photos  |   

October 23, 2006 - FAQ on New Federal Dental and Vision Program - From Postal Reporter Reader: ”This should answer many questions people will have on the new Dental and Vision Program. ”

October 23, 2006

October 21, 2006

Hawaii: Postal worker killed in accident

After 40 years, postal carrier sees beauty every day

Seattle: Bulk Mail Lost in Truck Fire

Postmaster answers complaints

eNAPUS: Postmaster Retirement Insurance (PDF)

Minnesota: Mail Truck Crash Caused By Sleepy Driver

Postal Union seeks customer complaints

Aurora letter carrier saves chows, one dog at a time
Go for the Nails, Leave With the Mail

Police nab 2 postal workers in theft of guitars
USPS Wants to Stamp Out Excess Costs
Mail, Mail, Go Away

October 20, 2006  - Mail Delivery Has Businesses in Colorado Springs Going Postal
"Postal route changes are causing downtown mail delivery to suffer. Complaints range from inconsistent service to a week of no-shows by letter carriers. Those who work downtown say the problem is becoming common, and that the post office managers express little concern about the matter. "Basically the mail isn't getting delivered," said Julie Burski, office manager for Bollar Cruz Architects at 13 S. Tejon St., "We never know if they're going to come or not  |   

 October 20, 2006   Investigation by TV Station prompts national postal policy on Sex Offenders - "Postal officials out of Washington, D.C. have now taken action. They say they have started a computerized program that matches employee payroll lists with sex offender registries in all 50 states. U.S. Postal officials say they have now started a computerized program to find registered sex offenders working for them around the country. A few months ago, we found four registered sex offenders working for the postal service in North Texas. Some were mail carriers, who came in contact with all kinds of residents. These are workers who became registered sex offenders after they got jobs with the Postal Service. But the Postal Service had no idea these registered sex offenders were working for them." Report: Sex Offenders on Postal Payroll can't be fired |   

October 19, 2006  - MSPB Upholds Firing of Postal Worker for Using Sick Leave While on Second Job - Michael P. Rivoire was fired for, on eight separate occasions, allegedly taking sick leave from USPS but later reporting to work at his second job as a part-time lead security screener for the Transportation Security Administration. The Postal Worker was also charged with taking unauthorized extended breaks at his apartment while ‘on the clock’  |   

October 18, 2006 - Mailman May Not Get Use Of Arms Back After Dog Attack - A Cleveland postal worker recovering from a dog attack shared his experience, NewsChannel5 reported. Jack Smith was mauled last week by a pit bull on his route. From his hospital bed, he said his experience should lead to a crackdown on people with vicious dogs. He said he followed procedures and he emptied his Mace on the dog and he shielded his chest with his mailbag. But the dog lunged a third time, and the mailbag hit the ground. Then, Smith went toe-to-toe with the dog for seven to eight minutes.  |   

October 17, 2006 - Update on USPS National Reassessment Process in San Diego

Rick Cornelius, APWU President San Diego Area Local - "There was a NRP meeting held in Redlands, California on September 14, 2006. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the expansion of the NRP process to the San Diego Performance Cluster. The implementation of NRP will impact all 38 Installations represented by the San Diego Area Local. There have been several past articles written by officers of this Union on the NRP and the impact it has on all employees whether you are injured or not. The county offices have already seen the impact of the NRP. There have been some employees from the San Diego Installation already placed in the county offices as full time regular employees. The injured employees are being placed as full time regular employees bypassing the PTF’s. There is a national level arbitration case in progress at this time occurring on this very issue."  |   

October 16, 2006 - Mailman’s death reveals he did not always deliver

Alan J. Gagne was a quiet and quirky institution on the streets of Brookline Village, as he delivered mail for most of the past 20 years. But after finding truckloads of undelivered mail he stockpiled in his home, postal officials said Monday that Gagne also was apparently a thief. On Friday, after Gagne did not return from his rounds, his boss at the Coolidge Corner Post Office went to his Linden Street apartment, got a neighbor to let him in, and found Gagne dead in the bathroom from an apparent heart attack. The supervisor also found stack upon stack of mail, the oldest catalogued thus far dating to the 1990s, postal officials said Monday. State Police and US Postal Service inspectors carted it off in crate after crate over the weekend, using four to five trucks, neighbors said. Some residents on Gagne’s route, however, were thankful that he may have saved them from junk mail.  |   

October 16, 2006 - Horrific crash shatters body; heroic rescue has her battling
To visit with Maureen DePrince, in her hospital room in Philadelphia, nearly two months after the horrific accident that severed her legs as she stood behind her parked U.S. mail van, is to gradually settle in on a theory of what makes a person a person. DePrince, 38, a mail carrier in the Jersey Shore town of Ventnor, lost both legs, her eyesight, a lot of her short-term memory, and any chance that her latest attempt to become pregnant had worked. Asleep in a wheelchair, head back, she looks so deeply devoid of consciousness that you wonder, is Maureen DePrince still there?  |   

October 16, 2006 - Illinois: Former Postal Worker convicted in Workers' Comp fraud case -  Following a six-day trial, Vickie L. Webber, 47, of Byron was convicted on seven counts of making false statements in connection with her claim for federal disability benefits. The indictment charged that Webber was employed by the United States Postal Service since December of 1986, and was assigned to the Byron Post Office as a rural letter carrier. The indictment charged that Webber made false statements on seven of the forms that she submitted to the USPS during 2003 and 2004 in connection with her disability claim. Specifically, Webber falsely stated on these forms that she had not worked, that she had not been self-employed, and that she had not been involved in any business enterprise. These statements were false, according to the indictment, because Webber operated a plant and garden business.

October 16, 2006 - USPS Seeking Vendors to Provide Temporary Staffing

October 15, 2006 - Burrus Denies "Raid" On Mail Handlers Union

APWU President William Burrus sent out a letter (PDF)  (via Frank Wilson, Chicago Postal Worker) regarding the "raid" on NPMHU members :  "You may have heard that APWU is considering an effort to “raid” your union. This is untrue. While we favor combining employees who work in mail processing and the BMCs into a single union, only the employees involved can make that decision." |   

October 15, 2006 - U.S. Postal Service being enveloped by change
"If it seems as if there are fewer folks staffing the windows at your local post office, there probably are. With alternative shipping options from national carriers such as UPS and FedEx and a drop in most types of mail - except junk mail, known as "standard" mail by the post office - the United States Postal Service is cutting back its ranks and automating whatever it can. "There are a lot fewer people paying bills through the mail," said William Lalli, a postal service spokesman, "A lot fewer people sending letters to Grandma."

October 15, 2006

Anti-war mom gets 'cruel returned mail'

Mailboxes vanishing, but not because they're not used

October 14, 2006 - Five-Year Anthrax Crisis Memorial Set for October 19th

"5 Years Since the Anthrax Crisis of 2001, Curseen/Morris (former Brentwood) Postal Workers remain on the frontline, the anthrax mailer (s) still at- large and life goes on. Please join us, as we move forward, in remembrance of the event. Thursday, October 19, 2006, 10:30 AM– 1:00 PM - Israel Baptist Church, 1251 Saratoga Ave NE [Washington, DC] (2 blocks north of the Curseen/Morris Processing & Distribution Center)." Some of the guest speakers include: Senator Barbara Mikulski , Congressman Albert Wynn, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton, USPS Vice President Capital Metro Area Jerry Lane, APWU Secretary/Treasurer Terry Stapleton, Mrs. Mary Morris, Wife of Thomas Morris, Jr and Leroy Richmond, Anthrax Survivor. |   

October 14, 2006 - Mail Delivery at Housing Complex resumes with police escort  - Neither rain nor sleet nor snow nor drug dealers nor gunmen can keep the letter carriers from making their appointed rounds, officials said Friday. Mail delivery returned to the Stanley Holmes Village public-housing complex Friday as postal workers got a police escort as they brought letters and parcels door-to-door, Mayor Robert Levy and U.S. Postal Service regional spokesman Ray Daiutolo said. Mail service was suspended to more than 200 homes at Stanley Holmes Village last week, after a police investigations prevented the carriers from making deliveries. There had also been concerns for postal workers' safety after several people were shot in the complex in recent months. |   

October 14, 2006  - Reader Raises Concern Over USPS Revised Emergency Salary Authorization Policy  "As I understand this article [ Postal Bulletin, 10/12/06] , when an employee is missing a significant amount of pay, they will have to wait for a PS Form 2240 Pay Adjustment to be processed. The only time PS Form 1608 Emergency Salary Authorization will be used is if the employee is missing an entire paycheck. Some employees will find this new policy to be a financial hardship. Previously, a person short one full-day's pay or more could request an advance of his/her missing salary. See Handbook F-l, Section 822.7. This would put pressure on the manager to get the pay adjustment processed in a timely manner. Without this option, employees will experience more delays in getting their missing pay."  |   

October 14, 2006 -  Postal Mechanic Jumps Out Of Mail Truck After Flames Erupt - A mail truck went up in flames this morning on the side of the freeway. Highway patrol troopers say a postal service mechanic was driving on I-15 by Lehi when his truck stalled about 7 a-m. After he pulled off to the shoulder, he tried to restart his engine and noticed flames coming from the engine. He then got out of the truck and called 911. Trooper Jared Taylor, Utah Highway Patrol: "When we arrived on scene, the mail truck was fully engulfed in flames. The Lehi fire department responded and were able to get the fire out fairly quickly."

October 14, 2006 - Late deliveries continue to be a problem despite postmaster’s promise - When a new postmaster arrived in Apple Valley he vowed to lick the problems of late deliveries. Residents in Apple Valley say it improved for a while, but only a short while. “We were getting mail around 3 p.m.,” David Nygren said. “And then slowly but surely, we are lucky to get it at 5 p.m. I think they are supposed to be back at 5 p.m.” Patrick Petras admits things have been tough, and he’s been relying on temporary workers who help out during the fall season
 

October 14, 2006 - Mail's appointed rounds stymied - The driver of a tractor-trailer carrying a load of mail from Nashua to Portsmouth thought he was saving time by taking a shortcut down Route 85 early Sunday morning. He was anything but on time when his truck became wedged under the railroad bridge. 

October 14, 2006

October 13, 2006 - Legionnaires' Bacteria Found in Post Office Restrooms

Bacteria that authorities say can cause Legionnaires' disease has been discovered at two restrooms at a Wigwam Avenue post office, a preliminary study revealed Thursday. The bacteria was located around the sinks of men's and women's restrooms at the Waterbury Plaza post office, said Debra Hawkins, a U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman. Hawkins said there is no indication that the bacteria uncovered in the course of the investigation caused anyone to get sick. However, out of what she called "an abundance of caution," the U.S. Postal Service will have an industrial hygienist company conduct a complete inspection to identify what corrective actions should be taken. Video: Bacteria found in post office bathrooms |   

October 12, 2006 - Court Dismisses Lawsuit Over Window Clerk's Fruitcake Comment

It all began Dec. 17, 2002, when Lucille Greene, 88, showed up at the Magnolia post office with a box of fruitcakes. Greene encountered what she felt was rude and embarrassing questioning from the [window] clerk.. "He shook my fruitcakes and asked 'what kind of explosives do you have in here?' " Greene said. Others in the post office began to laugh, Greene said, and even though the package was accepted, she became flustered and upset, leaving in tears and tripping over a concrete parking barrier outside, seriously injuring her knee and breaking her glasses and a tooth. She subsequently filed a lawsuit seeking damages for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress -- charging the rude interrogation, where she felt she was accused of being a terrorist, led directly to her injuries. Two weeks ago, a  Chief District Court Judge issued an opinion dismissing the last of Greene's claims. The judge concluded by writing that it was "unfortunate" the postal service did not settle the issue out of court, "thus adding to its lamentable reputation."  |   

October 12, 2006 - Post Katrina: Curbside mailbox is a must
"The days when the postman wandered up on your porch, had a cup of tea with your aunt, handed her the mail, discussed the mail with her and strolled away whistling are largely coming to an end, said Gulfport Postmaster Robert Paterson. The policy of the post office is that people are allowed to put their mailboxes where they were prior to Hurricane Katrina, but they are strongly encouraged to move them curbside, Paterson said. All new mailboxes, like those for a FEMA trailer, must be curbside. Paterson said with one exception, curbside mailboxes may not be moved to porches." |   

October 12, 2006

Cleveland: Mail Carrier Mauled By Pit Bull
USPS Postal Bulletin: Hatch Act, More, AS-353...

Letter: Mail service best around

Postman won't ring at Stanley Holmes
Post office burgled, closes temporarily
Anthrax suspect remains as elusive as bin Laden

Powder found in mail is packing material

8-year-old stars in USPS Sponsored TV ad seeking to prevent dog bites

October 11, 2006 - Communication Breakdown Cited in Failed Postal Legislation
"I feel badly," William H. Young, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said yesterday about blocking legislation to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service. But he emphasized that his union members were his highest priority, making it impossible for him to accept a provision that would single out injured postal employees for different worker compensation rules than other federal employees. Young said that he was trying to contact Sen. Susan Collins (R), the chief sponsor of a compromise bill, who is traveling in her home state of Maine, "to determine where our communications failed."   |   

October 11, 2006  - Postal Service must change, official says - Many believe the future of the United States Postal Service is in jeopardy. "Because the Postal Service continues to see a steady decline in first-class mail volume, postage prices will continue to increase and mailing industry jobs will be eliminated, unless the Postal Service can take the necessary steps to reduce its operating costs," said Robert McLean, executive director of the Mailers Council in a Sept. 8 letter to members of Congress. McLean isn't the only one that knows changes must be made...Victor Dubina, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, says the Internet, higher fuel costs, 1.5 million new addresses a year, increasing employee costs, and a host of other reasons have created challenges that threaten the ability to provide high-quality, universal postal service at affordable rates"   |   

October 11, 2006

Defense tries to shift suspicion from mail carrier to postmaster  |   

Domestic violence victim (postal employee) eulogized
Ask President Burrus: Judging Effectiveness of Negotiating Team

Drugged driver gets 60 days for Nearly Killing Mail Carrier in Accident

Lame Ducks, Angry Ducks
Court says UPS discriminated against deaf drivers

October 09, 2006 - Dog Stops Mail Service To Entire Street - Imagine learning your mail would no longer be delivered to your home and that you would have to drive to the post office to pick it up because of a problem between the U.S. Postal Service and your neighbor. For more than two months, neither Rementeria nor her neighbors have been able to get their mail delivered to their homes. Ever since their neighbor's dog bit the mail carrier and chased her down the street, they had to drive to the downtown Boise post office. "It doesn't matter if the carrier gets bitten on the dog owner's property or a neighbor's property. service is going to be stopped," Jim Lambert, with the Boise Postal Service, tells CBS 2 News.   |   

October 08, 2006 - Postal Worker Diagnosed With Legionnaires' Disease

A Waterbury, Connecticut  Postal Worker in his 50s was diagnosed with Legionnaires' Disease Friday and hospitalized. He worked until Thursday, said Bob Cannon, U.S. Postal Service spokesman. "The employee works out of postal facilities on East Aurora Street and Lakewood Road. Postal officials and doctors met with employees Saturday to discuss the incident. An environmental testing firm is being brought in to analyze the air quality in the post office branches, Cannon said. Carter said there is no evidence the man contracted the disease at the post office. But the diagnosis of Legionnaires' in a co-worker often creates understandable concern and why the post office brought in a physician to talk to the employees."  |   

October 07, 2006  - APWU: Day of Picketing to Expose Ill-Advised Consolidation Plans - "The coordinated informational picketing is intended to spotlight the potentially damaging effects of the USPS consolidation plan, and to expose how Postal Service policy panders to major mailers. The Oct. 26 date was selected to give local unions the opportunity to seek support from elected officials and candidates prior to Election Day, Nov. 7. "I urge locals and state organizations to participate in the nationwide day of picketing," said APWU President William Burrus, "and I urge them to take our message to the public: This plan will delay mail to local communities, and it is being forced on the American people without their input." |   

October 07, 2006  - Postal Workers Linked to ID Theft
"A newly formed identity task force is trying to find a group of postal workers at the Processing and Distribution Center in Industry involved in a scam that caused the loss of $1 million, federal officials said Friday. The investigation, announced at a news conference, is dubbed "Operation Paper or Plastic," and led to the indictment of 20 people Aug. 30, federal officials said. The alleged scam involved stealing credit cards and tax returns from the mail, then using them to create fake ID cards that in turn were used to make purchases and cash tax-refund checks." |   

October 06, 2006 - Q&A: A New CFO Checks the Mail
"Get your business moving," is what the U.S. Postal Service website prods. And that may be one reason the government behemoth tapped industry outsider Harold Glen Walker as its new chief financial officer. With $70 billion in total costs, a workforce of 700,000, and postal service reform topping the agenda, Walker is rolling up his sleeves to work side-by-side with the U.S. Postmaster General Jack Potter." Walker said, "The most surprising thing is how the postal service resembles Corporate America in terms of their systems, processes, and people."  |   

October 06, 2006 - Tons' of opened mail found in postal worker's truck

When driver Salvador Gonzalez, 33, of Dallas stepped out of the vehicle, the officer noticed he was wearing a U.S. postal worker's uniform. Police said he was rushing to work at a post office when he was stopped. "He had tons of mail, like old Christmas cards, all kinds of mail he had opened up," said Chief Deputy John L. Garrett with the Precinct 1 constable's office in Dallas. "He had eight or nine credit cards in his possession with different names on them. We assume he had taken them out of the mail." Inside the truck, the deputy also found what turned out to be cocaine.  |   

October 05, 2006 - APWU Contract Negotiations Update
"Management representatives painted a bleak picture of USPS finances during contract talks held Oct. 3, and, to no one's surprise, concluded that "cost containment is the only answer." Labor expenses are the "key drivers of costs," management asserted, in a presentation clearly intended to convey that labor costs must be restricted. Union negotiators challenged the USPS analysis and raised pointed questions about productivity improvements, excessive postage discounts, and mail volume. Management's presentation did not include any contract proposals." |   

October 05, 2006 - USPS to remove stamp vending machines by 2010

A program scheduled to begin in 2007 will phase out stamp vending machines from Post Offices and offsite locations across the country by 2010. Approximately 5,900 vending machines will be removed each year until the nearly 23,000 machines now in service have been withdrawn. USPS points to reasons such as aging equipment, lack of repair parts and the high cost of specialized vending stock for removing the machines from service. Dissatisfaction with dollar coins in change, machine malfunctions and failure to accept credit and debit cards also helped make the machines customer service “has-beens.” |   

October 04, 2006 - Fate of Post Office Overhaul Is Up for Debate
Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) is optimistic that the House and Senate will approve a postal bill. "We are going to get it done," Davis said yesterday, adding, "We are conceptually 99.9 percent of the way there." But Sen. Susan M. Collins (R-Maine), a chief sponsor who will broker any compromise, is not as confident as Davis. "Unfortunately, at the eleventh hour, various parties raised objections to some of the bill's long-standing provisions, and these objections caused certain members of Congress to block passage of the legislation," Collins said in an e-mail yesterday from her home state.  |   

October 04, 2006  - Postal Clerk Has Never Called-In Sick - During 50 years of service, Western Nassau, NY, P&DC Clerk Thomas Lucas has never called in sick. He has a perfect attendance record. But colleagues of Lucas — dazzled with his Iron Man work ethic — took time recently to recognize his achievement. District Manager Thomas Rosati said, “He’s one of the originals. His work is legendary. Without a doubt, the only way to replace him would be to hire a lot of people.” Rosati wasn’t just being nice. When Lucas took a year off earlier in his career, four clerks replaced him in his manual flat case. “It’s a truly amazing accomplishment,” noted Plant Manager Frank Calabrese. Lucas took the acclaim in stride, saying he has no plans to retire. “It feels good to work for the Postal Service,” he said. “I enjoy it very much. There are a lot of nice people here.”  |   

October 04, 2006 - Jury selected in ex-postal worker's trial -  A jury was selected Tuesday for the trial of a former postal worker accused of taking absentee ballots from the mail as part of an elaborate scheme to steal an election in the small town of Appalachia. Prosecutors say Don Houston Estridge conspired to steal mail-in ballots addressed to dozens of voters and turned them over to a corrupt slate of town council candidates, who used the paperwork to vote for themselves repeatedly. Although 14 people were charged in what is believed to be the largest election fraud in recent state history, Estridge is the lone defendant in a trial expected to last two weeks.  |   

October 03, 2006 - USPS August Financial Results Released
Net deficiency of $1.5 billion posted after escrow allocation- USPS revenues for August were $6.3 billion, or $143 million over plan and 6.6% more than August 2005. Expenses for the month were $6.3 billion, or $223 million over plan and 6.9% more than same period last year (SPLY). The net loss was $38 million before the escrow allocation. The net deficiency in August after the escrow allocation was $288 million. Year-to-date (YTD), revenue through August was 0.8%, or $507 million higher than plan and 4.2% above SPLY. Expenses through August were 0.8%, or $535 million higher than plan and $2.9 billion above SPLY. YTD, the net income before the escrow allocation is $1.3 billion. A YTD net deficiency of $1.5 billion exists after the escrow allocation."  |   

October 03, 2006 - Save Our Service Rally

The APWU San Antonio Alamo Area Local has scheduled an informational rally on October 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1: 30 p.m. The informational rally is being held to protest "actions of the USPS that have led to a dramatic deterioration in customer service, mail delivery, and excessive discounts to large mailers. Postmaster General John Potter will be in town addressing a business meeting."  |   

October 02, 2006   - UPS Says It Is Working Toward a Postal Reform Compromise

A UPS spokesman said Friday that UPS and the U.S. Postal Service had reached a compromise on the single-piece parcel post issue that is holding up passage of postal reform legislation, but claimed that the office of the key senator [Senator Susan Collins] who is a champion of the cause rejected it. And late Friday, the spokesman said that UPS would not oppose the postal reform bill as it stood.   |   

- DMA Escalates War of Words With UPS

October 02, 2006   - NPMHU Contract Update # 7 : Parties Discuss Subcontracting, OWCP - During main table discussions this week, representatives of the NPMHU presented additional proposals on the issue of subcontracting. The goal is to illustrate to the Postal Service that it is almost always more efficient and cost-effective to keep mail handler work inside the Postal Service. ... in 2005, for the first time in recent Postal Service history, new workers’ compensation costs decreased from the prior year. A large percentage of workers’ compensation liability is already set, because some workers are on permanent disability and have ongoing medical claims that the Postal Service must pay for many years into the future. But the Postal Service finally has recognized, with the urging and support of the NPMHU, that the most effective way to control workers’ compensation costs is to prevent new injuries.  |   

October 02, 2006   - Before 1970 Reorganization Politics Played a Part In Postmaster Selection - Before Congress approved a reorganized U.S. Postal Service in 1970, many postmasters of Virginia villages and towns were chosen by the spoils system: The job was the booty of the party that won the presidency. The process varied widely from place to place, but it usually helped to know local party kingpins and your congressman. "The Post Office Department had a list of congresspeople," Grubb added. "When there was a vacancy, they'd contact the congressman or senator and get their recommendation. That was pretty much it."