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Postal News - December 2004

Postal Service Ends Fiscal Year $3 Billion Ahead-The Postal Service finished its fiscal year just over $3 billion in the black, helping the agency reduce its debt and keep a promise that postal rates won't go up until 2006. Net income of $3.1 billion was down from $3.9 billion a year earlier, but was better than officials had expected thanks to cost cutting and an increase in advertising mail USPS said for the first time first-class mail is expected to drop below standard mail in 2005 in terms of volume |

- USPS Reports Surplus, Predicts Standard to Pass First Class in 2005

- USPS Reports Strong '04; Issues Cautionary Note

- Copy of CFO Richard Strasser's presentation to the USPS Board (pdf)

OIG Report: Contract Rural Routes Vs. Hourly City Carriers-"The OIG plans to consult with the Postal Service and its unions to explore the merits and concerns regarding the various methods of compensating carriers for a day’s work. Because city letter carriers are compensated hourly, there is little incentive for them to deliver the mail quickly; in fact, this compensation method could encourage slower delivery because of overtime compensation. Rural and contract carriers have more incentive to deliver mail quickly because, in general, their compensation does not vary even if it takes longer than normal to deliver a given day’s mail volume. The Postal Service may consider exploring legislation permitting a form of pay called “administratively uncontrolled overtime,” a substitute form of payment used by other agencies for irregular, unscheduled overtime work, which is paid on an annual rather than hourly basis. This form of compensation could allow the Postal Service to better predict and control overtime costs."|

excerpts from: USPS OIG  Semi-Annual Report to Congress (pdf) | html

Postal Reform Bills in Congress aren’t enough, White House says-The White House says that bills now before the House and Senate that would overhaul the way the U.S. Postal Service operates fall short in several areas and must be toughened. “Both the House and Senate bills fail to meet the president’s reform principles,” the Nov. 10 memo to lawmakers said. The White House also wants the bills to address labor costs, which now make up 76 percent of the Postal Service’s expenses. |

Step 3 Decision: Casuals & Transitional Employees Cannot Work the Window- "Following a Step 3 settlement from the San Francisco Region, I have had discussions with Rodney Lambson of the USPS Labor Relations regarding whether Casuals and TEs can be assigned to the window. Management takes the position that casuals and TEs cannot work the window."

Postal Worker entitled to full retirement credit for OWCP time- an employee who returns to duty in his full-time position following a compensable injury is entitled to full credit for his service in that position, even if he is receiving OWCP benefits for the hours exceeding those he is able to work.

USPS 2004 Annual Report -According to Richard Strasser , USPS CFO , "In 2004, we recovered all prior years' losses and, for the first time since postal reorganization, ended the fiscal year with positive retained earnings. This year marked the fifth consecutive year in which we have achieved productivity gains, which are equivalent to approximately $6.1 billion in cost savings. In 2004, we reduced total workhours by 21 million, our fifth straight year of workhour reductions. Most tellingly, since 1984, total delivery points have increased by 37% or 33 million and total mail volume increased 57% or 75 billion pieces. With this year's greater than anticipated cash flow from operations, and reduced capital cash outlays, we paid down our debt by $5.5b, to $1.8 billion. This is a 75% reduction from last year's debt level and the lowest level of debt since 1984. |

USPS Seeks Prequalification Package for VRS/VRI Sign Language Services The USPS is prequalifying suppliers who can provide BOTH Video Relay Service (VRS) AND Video Remote Interpreting Service (VRI) Sign Language services in accordance with the specifications below. " "The supplier must have, or be able to secure resources for, the ability to provide VRS/VRI Sign Language services AND technical IT assistance on a 24 X 7 basis 365 days a year (including weekends and holidays) with Level IV and above (or the equivalent of) certified interpreters with twenty-four (24) hours notice on a normal basis and fifteen (15) minutes notice of request in case of emergencies. Interpreters will be required to interpret supervisor or instructor information to deaf and/or hearing impaired employees who will be attending training sessions, safety talks, etc. They will also be required to interpret supervisor questions and responses during investigative interviews that could result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. To the extent possible, the USPS will provide advanced notice of scheduled events such as training and meetings."  |

Robotic Systems to Increase Efficiency of Mail Service -ABB wins 48 million Robotics Contract from USPS. ABB said it will supply turnkey robotics containerization systems to assist USPS mail processing facilities in their daily task of handling several million items of mail. Each of the 67 systems provided by ABB will contain two robots that automatically sort, move and stack mail trays based on zip code information embedded in bar codes on the containers. The contract follows a 2000/1 project under which ABB already supplied 100 similar containerization systems to 50 different USPS facilities. Shipment of the systems will begin in May 2005 and the program is projected to be completed by the end of 2006 |

Chairman of House Panel Urges Postal Reform; Warns 15% Rate Hike Will 'Cripple' Mailers-In a speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives yesterday, the Chairman of the House Government Reform Committee urged his congressional colleagues "in the opening months of the next Congress" to address the "urgent issue" of legislation that would give the US Postal Service increased flexibility to compete in a communications and delivery marketplace that existed in 1970, which was when Congress last enacted postal reform.

USPS Announces Location Of New Human Resources Service Center -Greensboro has been selected as the home of the US Postal service's new Human Resources Shared Service Center. The Postal Service announced on Wednesday the office will be located on Albert Pick Road and will be operational early next year. The facility, which will support and process personnel transactions for postal employees across the country, will eventually house approximately 450 postal employees. At the moment, postal officials say the new jobs are available only to Postal Service employees affected by the transformation of the Postal Service's human resources function.

The Road Map to Postal Reform: An Analysis-Bruce Moyer, Legislative Counsel for NAPS said in a recent Legislative Update, “For the postal community, optimism and apprehension are beginning to grow that that 2005 may be the year for postal reform. White House officials have expressed a desire to expedite action on postal overhaul legislation before the Postal Service initiates a rate increase request in April. The White House also insists on the establishment of a “facility closing commission” that would make recommendations for facility consolidation."

PRC Statement Regarding Possible Increase in Postage Rates-The Postal Rate Commission (PRC) recognizes the growing speculation regarding the likelihood of a postal rate increase. In addressing these concerns it is important to know that the Postal Rate Commission does not initiate postal rate increases. The process for implementing a postage rate increase formally begins when the United States Postal Service Board of Governors submits a request to the Postal Rate Commission detailing the proposed changes in rates along with the rationale needed to support such an increase. The Postal Service has not yet submitted such a request. |

Houston Postal Employees' cars vandalized-Several postal employees have gotten a rough start to their holiday season. After a busy day delivering letters and presents, they returned to the post office Saturday to find their cars burglarized in the employees' parking lot at the main post office in downtown Houston. A union representative says he is concerned about security in the parking lot. |

ELM: Employee claims for reimbursement must meet these conditions

NALC: Postal Management Scuttles Agreement on Route Inspections-"Postal management has notified the NALC of its intent to withdraw unilaterally from USPS-NALC Memorandums that mandated local management and union leaders to work out agreements on route inspections. Postal headquarters officials are convinced they can eliminate 2,000 routes if they capture the under time that DOIS is alerting them exists. The chief operating officer of the Postal Service asserted that no route should have more than two hours office time given the Service's gains in DPS percentage and other efficiencies now available to carriers." The chief operating officer of the Postal Service asserted that no route should have more than two hours office time given the Service's gains in DPS percentage and other efficiencies now available to carriers."|

- NALC, USPS MOU on evaluating and adjusting routes through FY2005.

Postal Service Trying to Stay Competitive-From teaming up with a rock band to selling restaurant gift cards online, it isn't Ben Franklin's post office any more. The U.S. Postal Service is battling to keep its place in electronic America by going on the Internet.|

U.S. Postal Service Targets Younger Audience

-Postal Service Faces First-Class Woes-"First-class mail contributes about 60 percent of the Postal Service's $69 billion in revenue. If that falls as much as expected, the Postal Service will have to deal with less income or charge more for commercial mailings — creating what postal officials have referred to as a "death spiral" of rising rates and declining business."|

Three Clerks and Child Bound, Gagged, Locked in Safe during Post Office Robbery-Three postal clerks and a child were bound and gagged in an Ozone Park post office safe Monday night, before one managed to wriggle free and call 911 for help. Two men armed with guns stormed the post office five minutes before 6 p.m., its scheduled closing time, and bound the three clerks and one of their young daughters with duct tape before putting them in the safe, police said.

-This whole thing reeks of an inside job-the robbers either forced open a loading dock door to get into the closed post office or knew the security code  |

 USPS Transformation Plan Progress Report 2004-"The Postal Service is on track to meet and perhaps even exceed its $5 billion savings commitment made in the 2002 Transformation Plan. Through 2004, the estimated incremental annual savings totals $4.3 billion. Cumulatively, that equates to $8.8 billion for the first three years of the Transformation Plan." Outsourcing Injured Employees: "Currently, 356 employees have been outplaced, have retired, or have received compensation reductions through the rehabilitation  program." |

 Tax-Break ‘Commuter Program’ Launched for Postal Workers -"APWU-represented employees are now eligible under IRS rules to purchase as much as $100 per month, pre-tax, in public-transportation fares. These purchases can be used for anything classified as mass transit: buses, trains, van-pools, or any combination of these. Employees can also be reimbursed as much as $195 per month for work-related parking expenses. Through the WageWorks Commuter Program, you can purchase transport-related expense items beyond these limits. But any amount over the $100/$195 cap will be paid with taxed dollars." |

Automated Postal Centers Elicit Privacy Fears-"The U.S. Postal Service's Automated Postal Centers, which USPS officials say are a big hit with customers, have elicited an informal complaint from privacy advocates. Members of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a public advocacy group, say the new computer kiosks contribute to a loss of citizens' rights to anonymous speech. EPIC officials criticized the centers' use of digital photography to capture an image of people when they purchase USPS products at the kiosks."|

CFS Class-Action EEO Still Awaiting Approval-  PR reported several months ago about a Sacramento Rural Carrier, Fred Talbot initiating a class action EEO. "The complaint was filed on behalf of all injured workers who were forced to operate voice recognition computers on nights in CFS. The EEOC district office in San Francisco is reviewing the complaint and will soon decide to accept it for investigation or dismiss it. John Cyncar (Cyncar vs Potter) has posted additional information on his website |

- Also a Judge's ruling on a EEO disability discrimination case several years ago

Postal Service Has Big Plans for IT Modernization in 2005

The organization will build on successful time-and-attendance, retail accounting, and general-ledger implementations of the past few years with improved accounts-payable and human-resources applications, as well as bar-code technology needed to keep pace with its private-sector competitors." The Postal Service is also planning to roll out within the next few years a bar-code system that will let postal workers flag mail that requires special service, such as certified delivery, time stamping, or a signature upon delivery |

 Is Security At Risk Under New Postal Automated Centers?
To help make shipping easier during the holiday season, the U.S. Postal Service has set up automated centers all over the country. But with all the security threats, a former top government inspector says the Postal Service is backpedaling on security in order to make a profit. | 

Are All Duties Associated with Automated Postal Center Bargaining Unit Work? Trenton APWU President Bill Lewis:  "The work is clearly retail work and should go to an APWU sales and service associate working in the retail center.  Management has taken the position that the work associated with the APC doesn’t belong to the Self-Service Postal Clerk since the APC is automatic and not mechanical.  This I will have to explore a bit more to determine if this position is correct." |

Letter: USPS Outlines Plans for Stamp Vending Machines as APCs are Deployed

NALC Files Interpretive Step Appeal in USPS Outplacement Pilot Case The NALC has initiated an Interpretive Step appeal protesting the Postal Service's withdrawal of limited duty from a New York letter carrier whose limited duty job consisted of casing on her own bid assignment and performing other letter carrier duties. Management, acting behind the shield of its misnamed Outplacement Pilot initiative, had based its action in part on the claim that medical evidence indicated the employee would never fully recover. |

Shippers snowed under-- Online rush prolongs FedEx holiday season-Santa makes his rounds with just a sleigh and eight reindeer. For FedEx, it takes more than 600 planes, 70,000 vehicles, and 54,000 couriers and ground contractors to deliver packages in time for Christmas. FedEx's largest client, ironically enough, is the U.S. Postal Service, which relies on FedEx for express service by plane. The Postal Service's packages are collected in big orange bags, which the sorters pick through and separate by destination

National Marrow Donor Program Honors Four Postal Employees
At a luncheon, the four Connecticut postal employees were honored for donating bone marrow to help patients stay alive.

NAPS President Vincent Palladino Dies- Vincent Palladino, President, National Association of Postal Supervisors, passed away suddenly at his home on December 20. 'It is with profound regret and deep sorrow that we announce the passing of President Vincent Palladino. Vince passed away suddenly this morning, December 20, 2004, at his home in Arlington, VA.'
NAPS web site.NAPS has also announced that calling hours will be from 2-4 and 7-9 PM on Wednesday and Thursday at Colonial Funeral Home, 2819 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St Mary's Church, 1101 Bay St., Staten Island, with burial to follow at Moravian Cemetary.

Western States Eligible for Free Credit Reports-Millions of people living in the Western states will have the right to a truly free credit report from three of the biggest credit bureaus at least once per year.  Officials from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion outlined a new website, http://www.annualcreditreport.com, where consumers can gain access to their financial histories from all of them at once.  The site  opened on Wednesday, December 1st.

 FedEx Reports Strong Revenue and Earnings Growth in Second Quarter- "On November 22, 2004, FedEx Express entered into a fifth addendum to its transportation agreement with the U.S. Postal Service, allowing the company to continue carrying higher committed volumes through May 31, 2006 than required under the original seven year agreement which began in Aug. 2001.|

In Booming ZIP Codes, Carriers Needed --North Virginia Towns Face Strains in Service -The population in northern VA is growing so fast that there's a shortage of rural letter carriers. Deborah Yackley, who manages the USPS’s public affairs center for the Washington region, said, “There are carrier shortages across Northern Virginia. Right now, we need a minimum of about 16 more rural carriers [in Leesburg, Virginia alone], because the turnaround rate is 50 percent.” About half the recruits don't stay long because carrying mail isn't a job for everyone, Yackley said. "It is very difficult to learn a route," she said

USPS Release Updated APPS Deployment Schedule and Recommended Staffing-USPS has provided the APWU with a deployment schedule and APPS Methods Guide (which includes recommended staffing for machines). " Each APPS machine can eliminate two or three Small Parcel Bundler Sorter (SPBS) machines. Staffing in Associate Offices may also be affected, due to the consolidation of parcel distribution. Some SPBS machines may be redeployed into some offices that did not previously have them." |

Monday is Biggest, Busiest Mailing Day -"The U.S. Postal Service projects Monday Dec. 20 will be the busiest mailing day of the year, with Wednesday, Dec. 22 the heaviest mail delivery day of 2004." |

Post Office brace for big crowds| Post office workers brave the frenzy
Long Post Office Lines Expected | Post offices gird for Monday | Holiday postal crunch
Mail trucks packed with holiday spirit | PO volume high as holiday rush closes in

Scarborough (Maine) awaits 428,951 sq. ft  postal center-The 10-acre center, which is now moving forward after a two-year delay, still needs final approval from the postal service's Board of Governors. If granted, the project will rank among the state's largest buildings - operating constantly, with 760 employees getting out the mail on a schedule that includes 20 different shifts. The postal service puts the exact size at 428,951 square feet. Initial plans show a hulking workroom dominating more than half of the structure

Sometimes, The Mail Carrier Needs A Short Leash-The relationship between canines and mail carriers is misunderstood. Some dogs tolerate mail carriers, and some don't. A dog might like one postal worker but not another. Some mail carriers are petrified of the bark behind the door. To others it's just a loyal pet doing the job for which it is bred and fed. Many dogs protect homes, and the mail carriers appear as a daily intruder.

Study: 8 Bags of Pecans, Delivered 4 Ways-"Because I could find no recent, unbiased studies of the relative performance of the Postal Service, U.P.S., FedEx and DHL, I did a little research of my own. Using each carrier's standard ground delivery service. I thought the Postal Service had the most convenient and user-friendly electronic service. Printing a label with a tracking number is free. And if you don't like paying for things online, you can pay for postage at machines at more than 2,500 post offices. All told, the Postal Service was the least expensive. | 

- Shippers FedEx, UPS, DHL, Post Office gear up for holiday rush

- Delivery Business Changing-- Focusing on consumers boosts company profits

Wichita Remote Encoding Center Becoming a "Supercenter"-"This is significant because the U.S. Postal Service is closing some encoding centers around the United States and consolidating others" According to one employee in the Wichita center, Wichita's site is becoming a "supercenter." The center employee says workers were told employment could jump from several hundred to more than 1,000 workers next year. Those aren't necessarily full-time positions."|

 Postmaster suspended during investigation -U.S. Postal Service officials said Wednesday that Corpus Christi postmaster Cathy Polderman has been suspended with pay pending the completion of an investigation. James Coultress, a spokesman for the postal service, said that because the reason for the suspension is a personnel issue, no other information could be released. Polderman couldn't be reached for comment

Postal Carriers Bundle Up to Deliver Bundles-Think your holidays are frantic. Try being a postal carrier. Their bags are heavy with holiday greetings and the air is frigid. A Minnesota TV Photographer spent some time with a Golden Valley postal carrier to see how they cope. (video) |

- Delivery Companies Struggle With Snow

Popular New Boxes Defy Gravity; Flying From Post Offices-The U.S. Postal Service provides customers with quick, easy, convenient ways for sending holiday gifts this season. Postal officials expect that many travelers will make their journeys less complicated by mailing gifts ahead -- saving space in their vehicles, and time in airport security lines. Using Priority Mail Flat-Rate Boxes, customers will be able to mail domestic packages -- regardless of the parcels' weight or destination -- for just $7.70 each. The new boxes don't have to be weighed, and there are no zone chart or rate calculations required. The concept is the same as the popular Priority Mail Flat-Rate Envelope, which costs $3.85 to mail, but the boxes are much larger.

Jury rules against letter carrier in harassment suit-A letter carrier who claimed she was the victim of workplace harassment couldn't prove her case, a federal court jury ruled Friday. The jury of five men and three women determined Bonnie Jensen was not harassed or discriminated against on the basis of sex or religious beliefs, as she claimed.

Postal Service Scores Big in Customers' Delivery Comparisons
The U.S. Postal Service -- no stranger to measuring itself for performance success and customer satisfaction -- took the lead in four informal parcel delivery tests conducted by postal customers this holiday mailing season. The "New York Times," "Grand Rapids Press" (MI), KSLTV (UT) and KTVI (MO), within days of one another, conducted mailing comparisons among the U.S. Postal Service, DHL, FedEx and United Parcel Service, measuring delivery time, quality and cost. Shipping identical items ranging from coffee mugs and holiday ornaments to pecans within each test and using comparable classes of mail, the competition began. The "New York Times" test pointed out that the Postal Service possesses the most convenient and user-friendly electronic service of the four delivery agents and was the least expensive and fastest in delivering their pecans, surpassing the other carriers by at least one dollar and one day.

 Burrus: The Future of Postal Reform-" APWU maintained that the excessive discounts given to large mailers were the root cause of the Postal Service’s financial difficulties. Now postal reform has once again been derailed. Failure in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 did not prepare the optimists in the postal community for the obstacles in 2004, but events have overtaken earlier assumptions. Those who naïvely embraced White House involvement in 2003 have turned to critics, noting that the Bush administration has its own agenda. As I cautioned early in the debate, “be careful what you ask for, you might just get it.” (12/17)

- Bush administration aims to put its stamp on postal overhaul| 

- E-NAPUS Newsletter: Is History Repeating Itself? (pdf)

Nightmares trump Iraq Vet/Postal Clerk's job opportunity -USPS "was within its rights to fire Eric Huth. He reported an hour or more late on four occasions in the two months he'd been on the job, and the probationary period for postal jobs is three months. Rules are rules. Right, but in some cases, rules get in the way of taking the higher path. See what you think. " |

Nearly 1500 of VER Eligible Postmasters Will Take Early Out-"NAPUS has received confirmation that nearly 20% of the VER eligible Postmasters will take advantage of the opportunity to retire early next year. Nearly 1,500 Postmasters will voluntarily enter retirement on either January 31, 2005 or March 31, 2005. The Eastern and Western Areas led the way with more than 300 Postmasters taking early outs in each area." |

Postal Manager Charged with Stealing $373,000 in Blank Money Orders-A Calif. "postal manager was charged with stealing $373,000 after allegedly telling clerks he needed blank money orders for official U.S. Postal Service business.. according to a federal complaint... The complaint alleges that Robert F. Lenz, while working as manager of internal controls for a USPS Processing and Distribution Center, stole postal money orders and engaged in financial transactions to conceal the source of his criminal proceeds."|

Ex-Window Clerk pleads guilty to Embezzlement-A former window clerk at the Vinton post office pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to embezzling more than $12,300, according to a federal prosecutor

Postal Worker In Mail Truck Leads Police On Chase-A Florida letter carrier is behind bars after police said he led them on a chase -- in his mail truck. There is no word on what charges the man was facing, but Local 10 did learn that his arrest followed an internal investigation. |

- Carrier arrested in postal pursuit

11,000 Postal  Paychecks Missing-Imagine working and not get paid for it. That's a reality for some local U.S. Postal workers as their paychecks were lost. No, luggage isn't the only thing coming up missing on airplanes lately. The checks were to be delivered on a federal express plane. It's been nearly a week and a half and still no checks to be found.

 Wichita Remote Encoding Center Becoming a "Supercenter"
"This is significant because the U.S. Postal Service is closing some encoding centers around the United States and consolidating others" According to one employee in the Wichita center, Wichita's site is becoming a "supercenter." The center employee says workers were told employment could jump from several hundred to more than 1,000 workers next year. Those aren't necessarily full-time positions."|

Postal Reform – Your Job Prospects-by Kevin Gallagher, APWU President Scranton, PA - "The political and public campaign to change the current Postal Reform bills is already high and will get much louder and stronger throughout the winter and spring. They want your wages, retirement, and health benefits reduced through Congressional legislation and they want bigger postage discounts for presorting mail. They also want to have the ability to open mailbox delivery to anyone so that they can establish their own processing and delivery system to completely bypass the USPS." |

- Burrus: If Everyone Paid Their Fair Share, Postage Costs Could Remain Stable

Postmaster found guilty of postal theft and eavedropping on teenage daughter- In a victory for rebellious teenagers, the state Supreme Court has ruled that a mother violated Washington's privacy act by eavesdropping on her daughter's phone conversation. In an unrelated case, Carmen Dixon recently pleaded guilty to misappropriating $129,000 from the Postal Service when she was postmaster of Friday Harbor. |

Jaffer Responds to LA Times Editorial on USPS NASCAR Sponsorship-" (Sam) Ryan should give us credit for our successes, instead of bringing up the same old non-issues. Obviously, the good news about USPS making significant strides on several fronts doesn't fit into his agenda." see article

Jaffer's Response to 'Going Postal' Editorial-"Your recent editorial “Going Postal” (subscription) has been brought to my attention and I must say it’s been some time since I’ve seen such a muddle of misinformation."

Postal Service Employee Robbed In Montgomery-man armed with a pistol robbed a U.S. Postal Service employee delivering mail;  The robber made off with a sack of mail taken from the delivery truck. The U.S. Postal Service is offering 50-thousand dollar reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Post office delivers tribute to co-worker killed in crash-Co-workers of Sandra Rice arrived in a fitting and familiar fashion to say good-bye to a good friend killed in a Monday morning traffic accident. Nearly two dozen postal service vehicles formed a procession that arrived at Marcy Funeral Home Thursday for Rice’s afternoon calling hours, said Sally Mott, Conneaut postmaster." Our rural and city carriers participated” after successfully rearranging their schedules, Mott said. Ricedied when her vehicle collided with a semi-truck on Interstate 90 in West Springfield, Pa. Rice was on her way to work in Conneaut, Mott said.

 What's in the box?  "If you visit your friendly local post office this holiday season, you will be greeted by a new question beyond the typical pleasantries and holiday greetings. Unless you are mailing a simple postcard, you will be asked "Is there anything in your mail that is liquid, fragile, perishable or potentially hazardous?" |

Last mail call for Mansfield postmaster-John Brunelli has done more than provide for his family, he has cared for his extended family - his employees at the Mansfield Post Office. But after 25 years as postmaster in Mansfield, Brunelli, 60, is retiring this month. "He has been a great guy to work for," postal worker Charles Cirone said. Cirone has worked with Brunelli for nearly 19 years. "He has always backed his workers and at sometime or another he has helped each and every one of us with something such as death in the family, sickness, personal problems," Cirone said. "He has been a valuable asset to this office and to the entire postal service." Each morning Brunelli woke up for the past 25 years his job began immediately with thoughts of his employees and the mail.

Jurors: Letter Carrier was Harassed, But No Law was Broken-Jurors who declined to compensate a Fargo letter carrier for alleged harassment at work were not convinced the woman was mocked because of her sex or religious beliefs, the jury's foreman said. Instead, jurors concluded Bonnie Jensen was harassed by co-workers because they disliked her. That did not qualify Jensen for the $800,000 in damages she was seeking in her federal lawsuit, jurors concluded.

 GIs Get Special (& Free) Delivery -"War is hell — and getting mail to a war zone is hell on the wallet. So workers at the Dyker Heights Post Office at 84th Street and 13th Avenue in Brooklyn and neighborhood volunteers have raised more than $10,000 to mail packages to soldiers in Iraq. "It's our thing now," said Lucille Lovisi, an 18-year veteran postal worker. "We refuse to let someone pay for a package that's APO [Army Post Office] or FPO [Fleet Post Office]."

USPS Kiosks (APCs) Taking Pictures of Customers-cameras have been fitted to new US Postal Service self-service postage machines. And they can take portrait-style photographs of users and store the images for up to 30 days on a Windows XP platform,

-Postal Service triumphs in cross-country delivery battle with FedEx, UPS -Going postal may not be so bad after all. We've heard horror stories about packages getting lost in the mail or battered beyond recognition. As we enter the home stretch for sending Christmas gifts, the oft-maligned U.S. Postal Service earned top marks in a comparison of the Big Three of shipping.

Anthrax Killer at Large -The anthrax crisis, as we have noted before, has receded from public focus. But it shouldn't. Anthrax spores, used as weapons of mass destruction, were successfully unleashed with deadly consequences, and the killings remain unsolved. As a nation, we lose focus on that chilling fact at our peril

APWU: USPS Authorize Polo Shirts for Window Clerks After two years of discussions, the inclusion of polo shirts as part of a window clerk’s uniform is nearing reality. Late last year, following discussions with the APWU, management finally authorized polo-type shirts as part of the official uniform program.

Postal Worker, Bone Marrow recipient finally meet-Last year a postal worker from Connecticut donated bone marrow to a man from Newark, New Jersey. It's a gift that saved a life, and today that man got to say thank you

Postal Angels deliver presents to three Cleveland schools- Some Cleveland postal workers grew wings this week to help out Santa as the 13th annual “Postal Angels” program began making special deliveries at three Cleveland schools. What the Cleveland postal workers do is collect money for nearly 1,000 Cleveland School students this year and then deliver them.

Tenn. postal carrier believes fox carried rabies-A local postal carrier believes she encountered a rabid fox on County Road 419 last week. However, local health department officials said they have had no confirmation of any animal recently turned over to officials as having been found to be carrying rabies.

Mail Carrier honored for building school in his native land of Nigeria-For giving the gift of education to the children in and around his native village in Nigeria, postal carrier Solomon Adeagbo has been featured in a special 2005 calendar put out by the Royal Oak postal district honoring heroes. Adeagbo, a rural carrier at the Washington Post Office for the past seven years, was honored for using his own time and money to rebuild a school in his native village of Fawande in Nigeria after it was destroyed by a monsoon in 1998. Adeagbo had attended the school himself from 1968 through 1975.

Uphill battle presses on for windfall, offset reform-Most of the people retiring from federal or postal jobs in the next five years will be entitled to a Social Security benefit because of their work in the private sector either before they joined the government or after they leave. It is based on their own work in a private-sector job, or as the spouse or survivor of someone who will be getting a Social Security benefit. The retiring workers often have only the minimum 40 quarters of service to qualify for a monthly benefit. But if they are due a Social Security check based on their private-sector work history, they can lose up to $3,600 per year of that payment because of the so-called "windfall" law. If they receive a Social Security spousal or survivor benefit and a federal retirement annuity, their spousal/survivor benefit can be eliminated by the so-called "offset" formula

Postal Service Links Delivery Delays to Airlines-For thousands of airline passengers, it took days for their bags to be delivered after a shortage of baggage handlers at US Airways, a computer problem at Comair and snowstorms disrupted holiday travel. Now, the Postal Service says the same problems delayed the delivery of thousands of letters and packages. More than 100,000 pounds of mail, enough to fill at least 22 of its delivery vans, was delayed over the weekend and it pointed to the airlines as a reason for the holdup. |

Unions Deny Holiday Sick Out at US Airways | USPS Service Update

Postal Reform: An Investment in Jobs and the Economy – Institute for Postal Studies – A new study from the Institute of Postal Studies shows that job losses and tax revenue forgone resulting from the failure to pass postal reform legislation would exceed other budget impacts three to one.  In contrast with the critics of postal reform who have charged that the proposed postal reform legislation would increase the deficit by as much as $1 billion per year, this new analysis shows that not passing postal reform could result in a loss of tax revenues in the $2 billion to $3 billion range.  Without postal reform industry experts calculate that the postal price increase to be requested later this year will be 5.2 percent higher than otherwise necessary.  The deficit problem is actually made worse by the impact that higher postal prices will have on the revenue side of the federal budget.

DHL to Handle USPS Packages to Germany-"Deutsche Post World Net AG said its express mail courier DHL has agreed to transport 600,000 packages per year to Germany for the United States Postal Service, beginning in January. No financial details were disclosed. United States Postal Service's packages to Germany were previously handled by General Logistics Systems."

Attempt to blow up two mail trucks in north Richmond (VA.)-Someone apparently tried to blow up two mail trucks in north Richmond, Virginia. A worker found paper jammed into the gas tanks of two trucks and the paper had been set on fire.|

Postal Truck Fire-Police are investigating a potentially dangerous situation at a Richmond post office. Overnight, someone tried to set two mail carrier trucks on fire. An employee reported to work this morning and saw the gas caps were removed and burnt paper had been stuffed inside the tank

Hang up the phone, fill up the mailboxes-Some Milwaukee-based direct mail companies are benefiting as do-not-call legislation has restricted access by telemarketers to millions of homes. The postal service offers reduced postal rates for mail that is sorted and consolidated according to, say, the destination ZIP code. Firms such as Integrated Mail Industries do the sorting and preparation, offering their customers a lower rate than they would get if they simply dropped their mailings into a postal box.... by the time mail leaves the company's dock, it can be designated to go to specific postal carriers. "In essence, private industry was able to do those tasks less expensively than the post office."

E-NAPUS Legislative 12-3-03 Newsletter (PDF)-"Under current law, postal competitors maintain that the USPS does not allocate properly postage among the different classes of mail. They allege that USPS apportions an excessive amount of its "institutional costs" (i.e., overhead) to first-class mail. Consequently, competitive classes, like parcel post, are partially insulated from overhead, and priced too low. Competitors argue that the USPS should assign every dollar of postal operations to every postal product in a systematic fashion, with strict regulatory oversight."

Opinion: Post Office Treats Christmas Stamp Like Pornography; Sells It from 'Under the Counter'-"Where, I asked the attending postal clerk, "are the traditional Madonna & Child stamps?" "Those stamps," said the clerk with an odd, ecumenical smile, are here in this drawer, "under the counter."

Postal workers keep the faith- Each year, Beauchesne and Thomas answer more than 1,000 letters to Santa that arrive at the Cape Coral post office where they workWhat started out as a letter-writing project has grown each year. The couple responded to 1,200 letters this year. A few years ago, they started selling pizza to co-workers so they could raise money to fulfill the Christmas wishes of some of the children who wrote in. For the last two years, they have hosted a golf tournament to raise the funds to make those wishes come true. This year, they raised $1,700 and purchased clothes, shoes, toys and Winn-Dixie gift certificates for seven families including 16 children.

Revolutionary First Day Digital Color Postmark Creates Unique Collectable Stamp collecting will take on new color January 6 when the U.S. Postal Service introduces a First-Day Digital Color Postmark product with the issuance of the Lunar New Year Souvenir Stamp Sheet.

Postal Service Delivers On Christmas -"Mail carriers nationwide delivered dreams in Christmas packages yesterday via express mail, which arrived at post offices overnight. They dropped off boxes wrapped in multicolored Christmas paper, surprising some residents who answered their doors on Christmas Day." |

- Special deliveries come in nick of time

- Postal Service Delivers On Christmas

- Santa Claus delivers Christmas eve mail in Shreveport-Twenty-year tradition continues in 2004-A jolly old elf took time out from his Christmas duties Friday to help U.S. Postal Service worker Danny Hatchett deliver mail in Shreveport.

Editorial: Bleeding From a Thousand Cuts -Not that the mailing business was ever easy, but the industry’s challenging economics seem to be getting tougher when it comes to managing the costs associated with producing mail. Four looming issues threaten to squeeze the bottom line of mail service providers even more than they’re already being hurt by the rising costs for buildings, paper, equipment and employee healthcare and other insurances. The issues are metering costs, sales taxes, legislated costs and postage rates. These costs are conspiring to dissuade marketers from using the mail -- not because it isn’t effective, but because it’s costing too much.

Eight of Cape COD (Mass.) postmasters to retire early-With 50 postmasters on Cape Cod, the retirements mean one-quarter of the high offices will be empty. And most of the retiring postmasters are from rural stations, where they are the sole employee or supervisor to a small band of clerks. Postmasters at larger stations, such as Hyannis, were not offered the early out.It is anticipated that local employees will fill in the empty spots.

USPS to buy retail software-In a bid request issued Nov. 26, USPS officials listed 56 mailing functions that they need the software to perform. In addition to supporting those functions, the software must run on USPS' existing hardware, which includes 78,000 terminals bought in the late 1990s and later

North Pole's Only Full-Time Carrier delivers mail, holiday spirit-As North Pole's only full-time mail carrier, Curt Haase was hustling and bustling to deliver truckloads of packages and piles of holiday catalogs and cards. A couple of years ago, Haase realized the postal service plays a major role in the season and decided to start dressing the part of a holiday helper. Haase bought a Santa hat one day at a North Pole store. The next day, while in Fairbanks on his day off, he bought a red fleece jacket and modified it with the USPS postal emblem on the front and a logo on the back that says "Santa's Helper USPS North Pole." He added white trim and jingle bells around the cuffs and collar.

USPS: Customer Markings on Envelope Not 'Personal' -The U.S. Postal Service issued a customer support ruling this month clarifying that certain customer markings on the outside of advertising matter do not constitute personal information under the rules of the USPS Domestic Mail Manual. As a result, such matter can be mailed at Standard rates as opposed to First-Class rates

Postal workers deliver heartfelt farewell to Iraq-bound co-workers

Postal worker's 50 Years of working for Uncle Sam lauded

City, Postal Officials sort out maibox kiosk dispute

Alleged Postal Bandit Strikes Rio Rancho
FedEx results offer window to UPS, trucking outlook

Editorial: Catalogs personify waste our culture embraces
 December 20th, Monday is Biggest, Busiest Mailing Day

- Post office volume high as holiday rush closes in
- Holiday postal crunch on way
- Sunday Busy Sunday

- Hectic time, fun time

 Former clerk sentenced for embezzling $37,000 from USPS-The Finance Station Clerk used a series of deceptive bookkeeping entries to survive an audit in May 2003 and, when facing another audit, faked a robbery to cover up his theft.

Postal worker's 50 Years of working for Uncle Sam lauded -Modesto CA Paul Banzhof spent 22 years in the Air Force, and his duties included servicing nuclear warheads. For the past 28 years, he's worked for the Postal Service, and he isn't through yet.

12/18/04

Mansfield Letter Carrier helps out in crash

Jury rules against letter carrier in harassment suit

Crestline firefighter exposes himself to female postal employee
Striking Canada Post workers slow mail delivery
First female carrier in York, PA dies

Post office delivers tribute to co-worker killed in crash

Anthrax Killer at Large

Letter Carrier Last Juror to Decide on Peterson Death Sentence

USPS Financial & Operating Statements September 2004 (PDF)
FederalNewsRadio: Choose Your Doctor with Care
Stamp of Approval
Letter Carrier Lawsuit Goes to Jury
Post Office says workers remain on high alert for suspicious packages
Heritage Foundation: Delivering Choice
USPS Upgrades Merlin Web Page
E-mail hasn't taken place of greetings made of paper

Postal Service Helps In Search For Missing Girl

Revolutionary First Day Digital Color Postmark Creates Unique Collectable

Popular New Boxes Defy Gravity; Flying From Post Offices

12/17/04

USPS Financial & Operating Statements September 2004 (PDF)
Crestline firefighter exposes himself to female postal employee
Striking Canada Post workers slow mail delivery
First female carrier in York, PA dies
FederalNewsRadio: Choose Your Doctor with Care
Stamp of Approval
Letter Carrier Lawsuit Goes to Jury
Post Office says workers remain on high alert for suspicious packages
Heritage Foundation: Delivering Choice
USPS Upgrades Merlin Web Page
E-mail hasn't taken place of greetings made of paper

Postal Service Helps In Search For Missing Girl

12/16/04

18-year-old gets lengthy prison term in postal robbery

Quick use of antibiotics can head off anthrax, Hopkins scientists say

Eugene Postal Worker Spreads Joy

JDM Begins Construction on New Postal Optimization Center
12-year-old girls busted boosting mail

It's crunch time at post offices

Anthrax detection system for Seattle mail center
Route gives carrier a sense of Santa
Woman steamed by mail theft

12/15/04

Psychiatrist testimony attacks letter carrier claims

- Postal workers accused of harassment deny claims on witness stand

 Two Men Wanted in attempted hold up of Houston postal worker

Bell Ringers Return to Post Offices

America Is No Free-Market Leader in Postal Reform

Study: Mail Carriers May Be to Blame for Roadside Ruts-"If you find yourself in a rut, blame the mailman. U.S. Postal Service carriers may be causing dangerous depressions and trenches to develop on the edges of rural two-lane highways, posing risks to motorists, according to a study by the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta." |

Local-by-Local National APWU Election Results

Post Office Lease Troubles: Uncertain in Curtin

Hampton post office gets big dose of holidays

Local Postal Workers Answer Santa's Wish List

Kalona postmaster to take Early Out retirement Jan. 31

Flat rate boxes can mean savings at the post office
Speck thrilled with receipt of Postmaster Award
Postal Workers Weather Cold and Christmas Decorations
Packages from Postal Plus not mailed out
New postal service for holiday items

12/14/04

Former Postmasters League President retires

Is the Postal Rate-Setting Process Broken? (PDF)
Postal officials testify in Jensen case

Tiny Post Office inside Old General Store is Letter-Perfect

Postal Carriers collecting money for boy who needs heart transplant

Going postal a bit easier this season

UPS, FedEx Predict Strong Holiday Volume
Postal workers put their own personal stamp on holiday deliveries
Carrier busted for stealing gift card
 Post Office cutting Saturday collections |
Postal elf helps Santa with his mail

12/13/04

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