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Former Oklahoma Postmaster Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $642,808 From Bulk Mail Customers    |

 

Senator Collins: OIG Audit Shows Stunning Evidence Of Excessive Postal Execs Perks - The U.S. Postal Service pays 100 percent of health insurance premiums for 835 of its top employees, an expensive perk that occurs at no other federal agency, . Archive: Postal Execs Compensation & Perks Reported Last Year |  Audit: Ex-Postal Service execs return as private contractors, make more money  | Ex-postal executives return for high-pay contracts  |

 

 

GOP Rep. Darrell Issa: Time for another government bailout

Postal employees have incentives for holding tight to negotiating positions.  NALC responds to recent media attacks on postal workers   |

 

Postmaster General Addresses Need for Fundamental Change |  

 

OIG Says USPS Overfunded Its FERS Retirement Obligations By $6.8 Billion  |  

 

 

Postal Service's History of Seeking Five-Day Delivery to Cure Financial Woes

 |

 

Top USPS Attorney Says They Are Two Sets Of Rules Governing Use Of Postal Equipment - Replace a broken USPS - Letter to the Editor of the Washington Times by Wayne L. Johnson, Commander, Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps (retired) |

 

Appeals Court Uphold Removal of Postal Manager For Falsifying Timecard

 

Board Of Governors Chairman Remarks On USPS Need To Act Like A Business    |

 

Arbitrator Limits Abusive Postal Supervisor’s Contact With Carriers   |Comments

 

USPS Attendance Control Crackdown 2010 - Letter sent out from Area VP to District Managers |

 

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

By Stephen Lysaght, President, APWU East Bay Area Local   |

 

October 3, 2010

Postal Workers Lawsuit Requesting Class Action Charging USPS With Labor Violations Is Denied

 A federal judge in Texarkana (TX) denied a request to certify a civil suit filed by seven U.S. Postal Service mail carriers as a class action lawsuit. The suit alleged the carriers had been forced to work more than 40 hours per week without overtime compensation, had timecards altered to their detriment by a supervisor, been forced to work through lunch to complete their routes and been required to work off the clock. USPS argued that it does try to build in a thirty-minute lunch break into City Carrier routes although there is no guarantee a particular city carrier will get the break  Archive: Postal Workers Lawsuit On Labor Violations Covers 5 States |

 

Former Tanacross, AK postal worker accused of theft

 

October 31, 2010

For Postal Service Retirements, Slow Going Ahead

Here's some bad news for both the U.S. Postal Service and postal employees who are eyeing retirement: The federal agency that has caused months of delays in processing retirement applications and issuing benefits checks isn't going to clean up its act any time soon. Downsizing the workforce through attrition, mostly retirements, is a major part of the Postal Service's plan to fix its finances. But the cumbersome process of getting accurate benefits estimates and timely payments deters retirement-eligible employees from calling it quits.) |

 

Mail Truck Crushes Car in Fatal Collision

October 30, 2010

 USPS Changes Instructions On Excessing Supervisors Based On Workload Credit Process - NAPS Headquarters has been working with the Postal Service to provide a timeline for NAPS branches at the local level to review the results of SWC’s calculations that result in the excessing of supervisors from Customer Service operations. As a result of automated SWC calculations, and the desire of local management to make immediate moves of EAS employees, our members, in certain situations, are being required to make decisions about applying for new positions in less than a week.  |

 

 USPS Suspends Acceptance Of International Mail From Yemen

This service suspension has been issued in response to the potential threat posed by suspicious packages arriving in the U.S. aboard international flights originating in Yemen .The Postal Service has also heightened awareness among its employees, and remains vigilant in ensuring its security processes are adhered to in the acceptance of international mail arriving in the U.S.  Yemen Packages on UPS, FedEx Jets Show `Massive' Air-Cargo Security Hole Discovery of the packages in the U.K. and Dubai, both bound for synagogues in Chicago, triggered an examination of three United Parcel Service Inc. planes yesterday and confiscation of a FedEx Corp. parcel. Both companies halted service from Yemen. Mail bomb plot shows lax cargo, parcel security | White House: Could be more mail bombs   |

 

MSPB: USPS National Reassessment Process Must Find Work For Injured Employees In Entire Commuting Area - More MSPB cases filed by Postal Workers were remanded during the month of October. The cases were remanded because the Postal Service’s job search under the National Reassessment Process was limited to installations within a single district and failed to include the entire commuting area as required by 5 C.F.R. § 353.301(d).   |

 

What Will Potter’s Departure Mean For USPS?

 What are we to make of Jack Potter’s decision to retire as U.S. Postmaster General on Dec. 3? The U.S. Postal Service has been in the news quite a bit in recent years, notably for its mounting financial losses, massive declines in mail volume, reducing workforce hours, trying to close under-performing postal facilities, seeking five-day mail delivery, and requesting Congress to address the prepayment of retiree health benefits. Amid all of the workforce reductions, many “commenters” in the blogosphere contend that Potter failed to address management cuts in recent years.  |

 

OPM Disability Retirement under FERS or CSRS:  While the Law may favor the Applicant, the Process does not - Editorial by Attorney Robert McGill - There is often a suspicion that certain forums are “weighted” in favor of the government.  In speaking with Federal and Postal Workers who are contemplating filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits from the Office of Personnel Management, a concern which often surfaces repeatedly is that the Merit Systems Protection Board is “weighted” in the government’s favor.  While it may be true that the MSPB may find in favor of the Federal Government and its agencies in a majority of cases, this does not necessarily mean that there is a bias on the part of the Administrative Judges.  |

 

Post office shootings still on the minds of Henning residents

Why your mailbox is a chamber of political horrors
Universal service could be dropped by privatised Royal Mail if it becomes too costly

 

October 29, 2010

Appeals Court Sets Schedule For USPS Appeal Of PRC’s Denial Of Rate Increase

Postal First Services Industry to Commit to CO2 Reductions

USPS Updates Leased and Owned Facilities Data

Postal Service called slow to exploit IT

Indiana: Mail merger talk incites critics

Retirement Planning - Trick or Treat

Do Young People Prefer Print Marketing?

Longtime Alameda postal worker retiring

 

October 28, 2010

 USPS Using Temporary Schedule Changes To Avoid Paying Employees Overtime

- It appears management officials in many USPS offices across the country are using “temporary schedule changes” to avoid paying Postal Employees overtime.   |

 

APWU President: It is Not My Job To Be Fair And Balanced With Anti-Labor Politicians

 As president of the APWU, my responsibility is not to be fair and balanced, but to align the union with legislators who promote a pro-labor, pro-postal agenda. As Rep. Issa’s editorial reveals, his agenda is extremely hostile to labor — especially postal workers. If the Republican Party takes control of the House of Representatives in the Nov. 2 election, Rep. Issa will become chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and will have extensive influence over legislation affecting postal employees and the Postal Service.   |

 

Fake postage stamps are real worry for Postal Service

Counterfeiters are inundating the US Postal Service with fake postage stamps and inspectors can't even say how bad the problem really is. A hundred-roll of stamps went for $34, compared with the $44 that the real things would set you back. The counterfeiters also give a discount for bulk purchases -- if you buy a thousand stamps the price goes down to 29 cents apiece. But the counterfeiters apparently don't have much to worry about. Detecting fake 44-cent stamps is way down on the list of things overworked Postal inspectors are concerned about.  |

 

Ask President Burrus: Members Are Entitled To Know What's Going On in Contract Negotiations -  I do not believe that the negotiation process is advanced bargaining publicly. Union members have the right to review any tentative agreement the union may reach with management, and have the right to vote to ratify or reject such agreement. However, bargaining is so fluid that the process is not well served through public posturing.  |

NAPUS President Requests a Continuance of DUO Moratorium

Postal worker honored for delivering turkeys to needy families

USPS ranks among brands Americans like best

Elections 2010 – One Lump or Two?

Paper Power: Why Campaign Mailers Still Thrive in the Digital Age

Additional postage has absentee voters licked
Indiana post office consolidation plan meeting Thursday
Rhode Island mail carrier charged with taking cash from mail
Rochester MN postal employee faces mail theft charges

Postmaster learns from GM's woes

Postal Service Mails Fraud Warning to 129 Million U.S. Households

Arlington police ID postal worker slain while walking dog outside apartment

Fed Power in a Close Election

Roanoke Post Office investigates brazen mail theft

No united front at Royal Mail

 

October 27, 2010

Opinion: Postal supervisors should show how to speed up delivery

Letter carriers in several southeastern Michigan communities are raising the same concerns about a hostile work environment many raised five years ago, in particular that they're being told to speed up, to deliver the mail without overtime. We have an alternative: Supervisors who complain about carriers who can't deliver mail by 5 p.m. should show them — and us — how it can be done by moving more quickly.  |

 

$250 shot for retirees

Salinas man convicted in 2008 slaying of /postal worker/girlfriend

 

October 26, 2010

Burrus Shocked, Disappointed By Retirement of PMG Potter

I have no inside information about the reason for Potter’s decision, and no reason to believe that his retirement was demanded by the Board of Governors; but if it was, the Board has made a terrible mistake. The Postal Service is at a crossroads, and its relevance in American society is being questioned. The U.S. Postal Service needs a leader like John Potter to ensure its continued viability. NALC President on Potter Retirement   |

 

Potter Quitting the Worst CEO Job in America

At the ripe age of 55, Postmaster General Jack Potter announced his retirement today from the worst CEO job in America. Some will no doubt speculate about the reasons -- a coming change in Congress or perhaps the failure so far to notch any major political victories on such issues as rate increases, five-day delivery or retiree-benefits reform. But I have my own theory.. The job stinks. |

 

Stealing money from greeting cards gets postal carrier 2 years probation

USPS Recognizes Published Works On History Of American Postal System

Michigan Rep. Seeks Answers From PMG On Proposed Consolidation Of Carrier Operations

New Jersey contractor charged with dumping 32,000 pieces of  mail

High school classmates remember slain post office worker

Truck crashes into post office

 

October 25, 2010

PMG Potter To Retire Effective December 3, 2010

 After nearly 10 years as U.S. Postmaster General and CEO of the U.S. Postal Service, John E. Potter today announced that he will retire on Dec. 3, after 32 years of service. The Governors of the Postal Service named Patrick R. Donahoe, currently Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer, to succeed Potter . PMG discusses retirement and his successor | Potter to Resign as PMG; Mail Groups OK With Legacy | “Shock and disappointment” as Potter steps down at difficult time for USPS | Letter From PMG To All Postal Employees | Senator Carper Statement  | USPS's Donahoe | Who is the new postmaster general?  |

 

APWU Grows Impatient With Pace of Contract Talks With USPS

Management negotiators seem to believe delay will maximize the pressure on the union, because of the looming threat of arbitration. How wrong they are!  |

 

Postal worker shot with BB gun while delivering mail

Former NY Postal Employee Admits Theft

Postal Workers Rally in the Streets of Bowling Green KY

Foreign websites using USPS to ship cigarettes

Full Service Requirements and Risks

Ethics Program Review USPS June 2010 (PDF

 

October 24, 2010

Rural Post Offices Lack Security

Henning tragedy shows dangers when staffers work without cameras, guards or weapons In Henning there were no security cameras to record images of intruders. There was no silent alarm, no bulletproof glass, no panic button, no security guard. Postal robberies are not a new phenomenon. In 1921, Postmaster General William Harrison Hays declared a campaign to try to stop a growing number of postal robberies across the country. He provided weapons to all postal employees "who may have charge of valuable postal shipments, either on trains or in the Post Offices." The campaign included $5,000 rewards to "any postal employee or other person who brings in a mail robber."  |

 

Henning, TN Says Goodbye To Slain Postal Workers
The search continues for the person who gunned down two postal workers in Henning, Tennessee Monday morning. Saturday afternoon, the tiny Tennessee town said goodbye to 32-year-old Paula Robinson and 59-year-old Judy Spray. Investigators said they're following up on several leads but so far no suspects have been identified in the killings |

Rural Carrier Guarantee Period For 2010

Bad dogs lead to mail delivery halt in Ohio city

Postal service may shift work from Greenfield, Hudson Falls post offices

 

October 23, 2010

Alabama Postal Clerk arrested after post office fight

They were in a verbal altercation that turned physical,” Billingsley said. “From the investigation, we've been able to determine that they have had some kind of ongoing argument or feud for a year.” He said the fight took place in the post office sorting department Billingsley said the man who was attacked was taken to Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for several abrasions, bruises and cuts to his head. |

 

Video: Who Knew - Discover some of the most unusual places you can still send mail…

Beechview postal worker avoids theft charges

Salinas postal workers to rally to keep local mail processing plant open

Postal service auctioning hundreds of items in Jeffersonville

French Post Office Will Have 10,000 EV's In Use By 2011

Postal Service forces removal of newspaper vending boxes

Massachusetts GOP asks USPS to investigate Democrat's campaign mailings

Law Firm Registers to Lobby on Postal Inspectors Overtime Pay

The dispute regarding overtime pay for postal inspectors has waged for at least two decades. In 2003, two inspectors filed a proposed class action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleging that they were improperly classified as administrative employees and, therefore, ineligible to receive overtime pay. The case is ongoing, and Osborn Law represents the plaintiffs  |

 

October 22, 2010

USPS Sets Up PO Box For Condolences To Slain Henning Postal Workers

A special PO Box has been established for those wishing to offer condolences to families of Judy Spray and Paula Robinson.. |

 

USPS Updates Policy On Workplace Harassment

Incorporates recent legal developments that make it clear that an employer’s anti-harassment policy must prohibit all forms of harassment that violate federal anti-discriminations laws. Harassment is unwelcome verbal or physical conduct, which is so severe or pervasive that it interferes with or changes the conditions of one's employment by creating a hostile, intimidating, or abusive working environment.  |

 

USPS Takes PRC To Court Over Denied Request For Rate Increase

On October 22, 2010, the Postal Service filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit regarding the September 30, 2010 ruling of the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) denying the Postal Service exigent price request. The Postal Service is requesting a review of the PRC’s interpretation of the law that governs how prices can be set under “extraordinary and exceptional” circumstances –an exigent” price increase. The Postal Service is also requesting that the Court of Appeals confirm that the Postal Service has the right to the exigent price increase, as originally filed with the PRC. Rate-Case Appeal Is a No-Lose Venture for USPS | Postal Service Appeals PRC Decision on Exigent Price Request |

 

NY Postal Supervisor Found Guilty Of Operating $10 Million Illegal Gambling Ring - 5 other postal workers previously pled guilty- From 2005 to 2009,  a USPS supervisor, along with several co-conspirators who worked at the USPS and other state and local government agencies, operated a "Lotto"-type gambling business (the "Lottery") which tracked the numbers chosen for the New York State Lotto drawings and paid out on a monthly basis prizes in the range of $100,000 and more.  |

Amazon.com quietly settles mysterious postal investigation

USPS Rated Among Best Companies for Hispanics

Hartford (CT) Letter Carrier Robbed On Delivery Route
Colorado: Mail-In Ballots Will Be Delivered Despite Postage Confusion
Dog attacks halt mail service to neighborhood

Netflix Streaming Officially Bigger Than DVD Rentals

 

October 21, 2010

Retirement: 'High-3″ and service buyback

Community effort sought to keep mail-processing in Alexandria

Magazines dumping the Postal Service, dumping issues on doorsteps
Netflix 'now primarily a streaming company'

Special Delivery - Mount Laurel Postmaster is Phillies batting practice pitcher

Tracking down USPS life insurance benefits

Former USPS Contractor Ordered to Pay $300,000 in Back Wages
USPS facing millions in fines for ‘willful’ safety violations  | Postal electrical problems pervasive

UPS 3Q Earnings Climb 69 Percent on Revenue Growth of 9 Percent

Bring buddies Postal Scheme Tested by Deutsche Post

 

October 20, 2010

Henning Post Office Shooting: Employees' Fight For Security Camera Denied- Mary Hammock is appalled at reports that a fake camera was installed at the Henning post office. The same post office where employees Judy Spray and Paula Robinson were found shot and killed Monday morning. A postal union official tells us if employees had their way, a camera would have been installed years ago. John Sharkey is the vice president of the union that represents the Henning post office. He says they've been fighting for years to put a surveillance camera in place. Postal Notes: Tragedy at West Tennessee Post Office hard to fathom | Mobile unit continues postal service tasks outside scene of Henning post office murders   |

 

USPS Office Of Inspector General’s Audit Plan For 2011

We plan to review the requirements for the Postal Service to participate in the Federal Employee Workers’ Compensation Program, problems existing in the program, and the impacts to the Postal Service of the current arrangement. Labor and Management – The Postal Service must ensure its compensation and benefit costs are effectively aligned in anticipation of further reductions in revenue.  |

 

Burrus: Notion that USPS Can’t Afford Unions Is a Cheap Shot at Workers

APWU President William Burrus has again refuted assertions about the financial condition of the Postal Service that appeared in a recent column in The Daily Caller: “The Postal Service Can’t Afford Unions.” |

 

California-based Mailing Firms to Pay $4.2 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for Underpayment of Postage - California-based companies Quicksort Inc., Quicksort LA Inc. and Quicksort Sacramento Inc. have agreed to pay the United States $4.2 million to settle allegations that Quicksort violated the False Claims Act by falsely representing the level to which it had pre-sorted mailings in order to obtain discounted postage rates from the U.S. Postal Service, the Justice Department announced today.  |

 

Postal Worker Indicted For Falsifying Eligibility To Run In NALC Local Election 

Former election candidate of NALC Branch 217 (located in Jackson, Miss.), was indicted on three counts of allegedly submitting  a false certification of her eligibility for election to Branch 217, which she knew falsely certified that she had not served as a supervisor within two years prior to October 2008. Last year this same NALC Branch was forced to re-run its local election due to problems. |

 

Postal Service Slow In Delivering Ballots

Thousands of ballots destined for Clark County voters sat waiting for sorting at a U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Portland over the weekend as postal workers scrambled to deal with an avalanche of political mail. State Official Suggests Cutbacks in USPS Staffing, Service May Be Reason For Delayed Oregon ballots - Oregon has an all-mail election system, and ballots for the Nov. 2 election had been promised to voters by Saturday, Oct. 16. However, according to Benton County Clerk James Morales and Elections Supervisor Jill Van Buren, voters several; counties all had delays in receiving their ballots because of a miscommunication or a mistake that prompted some Portland postal officials to believe that they had until Tuesday to send along those ballots. She suggested that cutbacks in personnel and service might be at fault.  |

 

Letter to PRC on Five-Day Delivery Plan (PDF)

Postal workers picket at Lake Charles post office

Postal Service Denies Plans for Oshkosh Town Hall Meeting

Priority Mail Flat-Rate Ad Campaign Expands

Postal worker admits stealing mail

Postcard from Washington - Canada

 

October 19, 2010

APWU: Second Early Out Payment Scheduled for Oct. 29

Former postal employees who retired or separated from the Postal Service in 2009 as part of the negotiated Early Out Incentive agreement are entitled to receive an additional $5,000, tentatively scheduled for Oct. 29, 2010. Those who participated in the retirement incentive program received $10,000 as part of the agreement in 2009. The final $5,000 payment is scheduled to coincide with the Pay Period 22 payroll. |

 

New Burger King Commercial Featuring Mail Carrier Promoting Breakfast Platter -

New Burger King commercial featuring  Mail Carrier promoting breakfast platter. In the commercial the Mail Carrier sings, “With pancakes and eggs on my plate, the mail has to wait.” note: I saw this commercial on TV and thought it was in bad taste.   |

 

European Company Mails Fake Bags Of Blood In Its Direct Mail Campaign

A European company mails bags of fake blood to prospective clients to emphasize its unrelenting work ethic.  |

 

OSHA Fines USPS $210,000 For Safety Violations At Columbus, OH Distribution Center

Heath Post Office hit by vehicle again

 

October 18, 2010

Updated: Post Office Killings: Reward Increased; Rumors Running Rampant -

People in town don't know what's going on with the investigation. While the cops remain tight-lipped, rumors are running rampant. There are rumors about the killings being the result of a gang initiation. Two Postal Workers killed in apparent robbery attempt‎ - The two victims have been identified as 34-year old Paula Robinson (clerk) and 59-year old Judy Spray (RCA) Two female post office workers were killed Monday in a shooting at a post office in Henning, Tennessee during a possible robbery attempt, authorities said. The Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department said two female employees (rural carrier associate and window clerk) were killed around 8:30 a.m local time in what may have been a robbery at the Henning post office. A third postal employee (a female rural carrier) escaped unharmed. Memphis Commercial Appeal | APWU | $25K reward offered  | Community Shocked Over Postal Shooting | Victim in Postal Shooting Described as 'Always Happy' | Scene at Henning, Tennessee post office  |  See Video |

 

Advice Center Now Available for Retirees

Retired APWU members — or members who plan to retire in the near future — can now e-mail their retirement-related questions.  The union’s expert team of retirement counselors will answer questions regarding military buy-back, disability retirement, Social Security, Medicare, part-time regular calculations, supplemental annuity, cost-of-living adjustments, reporting death claims, Windfall Elimination and Government Pension Offset, or any questions pertaining to retirement planning.  |

 

Colorado Couple Challenge USPS Ban Of Firearms on Postal Property

Attorneys are taking on the US Postal Service's ban on any firearm on USPS property. The Colorado couple presently intend to possess a handgun for self-defense when traveling to, from, through, or on USPS property but are prevented from doing so by USPS' ban of firearms on postal property.  |

 

New retirees shortchanged: 6- to 12-month waits for full pension checks

OPM has informed some agencies that they were now taking six to 10 months, or 12 months, to complete retirement applications this year,' said Dave Snell, NARFE's retirement benefits director. 'Normally, OPM is very good about getting resources moved around to attack these big workloads, but they may not have the resources to handle all of these as timely as they'd like. .|

 

The OIG Wants Your Help on Audits!

With the addition of the Audit Projects section to our website, now you can provide feedback while the audit is being conducted. The Audit Projects section allows you to review the overview of an audit, contribute information, and send documents during this crucial planning phase. In essence, you become an audit team member for the project!   |

 

Walking With The Mailman
Postal Service Faces Major Changes

Lake Charles Louisiana mail center may be in danger of closing

Indiana: Hearing set on consolidating Lafayette, Muncie Mail Operations Into Kokomo

 

October 17, 2010

Republicans Have Little Love For Federal Workers

Just 2 percent of Republicans think federal employees work harder than private sector workers, and almost 6 in 10 think they work less hard. Forty-six percent of Republicans believe federal workers are of a lower quality than the private sector workforce. Democrats are much more sympathetic, with 11 percent believing they work harder than the private sector and almost 1 in 5 believing they're of a higher quality. |

 

OSHA Increases Enforcement Against Serious Safety and Health Violators

The increase in significant and egregious cases demonstrates OSHA's commitment to aggressively enforcing its standards when employers show indifference to protecting the safety, health and lives of their workers.  In addition, inspectors are issuing a higher percentage of citations for violations that seriously endanger workers or show an employer's willful disregard for their safety. Also, many referrals to other facilities within the same company lead to more significant cases, such as the serious electrical and other hazards found at many U.S. Postal Service facilities across the country. |

 

Louisiana Postal Worker Critically Injured In Crash While Delivering Mail

The Rural Carrier was stopped partially in the roadway and on the right shoulder in her 2007 Jeep Wrangler, delivering mail. Mrs. Wood, who was unrestrained at the time of the crash, was air lifted to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport with life threatening injuries |

 

Mail bonding

 

October 16, 2010

Congressman Issa: Where Are All Those Postal Supervisors?

Dead Tree Edition - The response to an article two weeks ago that quoted Rep. Darrell Issa as saying one in seven U.S. Postal Service employees has stirred up an unprecedented amount of reaction. Without doubt, the supervisory ratio within the Postal Service is far, far higher than 1:7," said Louis M. Atkins, president of the National Association of Postal Supervisors. Many comments, though acknowledging that the Postal Service has too many layers of management, also questioned Issa's numbers. NAPS President Responds To Congressman Darrell Issa’s ‘Trash Talk’   |

 

New Orleans Post Office Is Renamed To Honor Much-Loved Mailman

On Friday, the Uptown postal station was officially renamed the Roy Rondeno Sr. Post Office Building..  The beloved postman had worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 37 years and was nearing retirement. He died in October six days after being badly injured by a car while standing at the back of his truck, sorting the mail from the Uptown station. |

 

NALC Before the PRC: Six-Day To Five-Day Street Delivery And Related Service Changes, 2010 (PDF) - Eliminating Saturday delivery may end NALC Food Drive

Statements before the PRC from (PDF): Mail Handlers | USPS |

 

Contract driver suit against USPS dismissed
Readers Cry Foul Over Mailing Mag's Cover
Wisconsin: Racine postal workers collect 1400 books for children

October 15, 2010

APWU: Guffey Elected President, Bell Wins as VP

Votes in the APWU election of national officers are being tabulated by the American Arbitration Association, under the supervision of the Election Committee APWU Unofficial Ballot Results | APWU Election Of National Officers Ballot Count  |

 

USPS Plans to Excess 14 More Jobs In Elmira, NY
West Virginia postal employees exposed to hazards
Massachusetts mailman spotted house fire, helped save dogs

October 14, 2010

Postal Service Echoes Enron Abuses

The need for reform at the top and a complete overhaul of the current USPS culture is evident when you look at the scandals revealed recently, including the Bob Bernstock scandal in July, the resultant Office of Inspector General investigation with its grave revelations of high-level cover-ups, the lack of any ramifications to the perpetrators and the candid explanations of fear of retaliation offered by managerial employees. Only Congress can address this cultural issue by changing the USPS. Remember, the scandals and investigative revelations point to ineffective internal "checks and balances" in the Postal Service. All the systems that are supposed to guard against mismanagement and abuses are nowhere to be found - the board of governors, the OIG, the complacent officers - none are doing their job to control the culture of abuse and manipulation of rules and regulations that is destroying the USPS' viability from within.   |

 

Postal Employee’s USPS Official Personnel Folder Lost In the ?

From PostalReporter reader: USPS cannot find my co-worker's  OPF, she has tried calling all around but they are giving her the run around. My co-worker said she is unable to pull it up on the LiteBlue page it is totally gone. Hopefully you might have some type of info that you can relay back to me for her help. Does anyone have any info on how this 27- year Postal Employee can a copy of get her OPF?  |

 

USPS Seeking Vendors To Create Electronic Solution For Labeling Mail Transport Equipment  - The USPS is seeking a solution that will eliminate the need for paper, ink, and labor hours associated with the labeling of MTE in a USPS mail processing environment.  |

 

Customer: Wilmington’s understaffed main post office is an outrage

On Tuesday, I visited the downtown Wilmington (Delaware) Post Office at 8:30 a.m. There was only one counter person and 20 people waiting in line. This is totally unacceptable service from the United States Postal Service. This is the biggest and busiest post office in the state.  |

 

OSHA fines USPS $212,500 Electrical Hazards at Huntington, W.Va facility

The willful citations address the facility’s failure to properly train employees, use safety-related work practices when exposed to energized parts and provide proper electrical protective equipment.  |

 

Affordable Mail Alliance Argues PRC Ruling Allows USPS To Exploit The Unused Rate Authority -  AMA’s members have a substantial economic interest in the CPI price cap formula. The methodology adopted in the OGC letter for computing the Postal Service’s unused rate authority under the CPI cap could subject users of market-dominant products to approximately $360 million per year in extra postage and fees compared with the computation of the price cap formula that AMA and the Postal Service believed was in effect until recently.  Mailers Alliance Fights 'Nonsensical' Price-Cap Ruling  |

 

2 arrested for allegedly pointing gun at postal worker

Eight Florida Postal and Contract Workers Charged With Mail Theft
USPS to hold public meeting on Muncie, Lafayette IN consolidations
Letter: Town needs its post office

USPS ‘Droop Test’ Snags Delivery of Kansas Weekly
Boston DM: Postal Service doing its best during difficult times

Letter Carrier Found Guilty Of Theft Of Mail In Cairo, Georgia

Canada Post to anchor a new online advertising network

 

October 13, 2010

APWU Sets the Facts Straight on the USPS

APWU President William Burrus has ridiculed assertions about the Postal Service that appeared in a recent column in the E-Commerce Times: “There were so many misstatements in your article,” Burrus wrote, “I hardly know where to begin.” In the Oct. 8 article, Theodore di Stefano, a managing partner at an investment banking firm, said six-day delivery is probably a thing of the past, yet failed to mention that the USPS is obligated to deliver mail six days per week by legislation that will likely be renewed by Congress.   |

 

Getting USPS back to black

Postal regs delay newspapers

Federal agency says Postal Service stinks

How Will The PRC Decision Impact Small Parcels?

Letter carrier sues homeowner over dog attack

Folks upset to lose Ardmore post office

MD: Postal Service Looks At Consolidating Martinsburg Operations

Haslet postmaster bids farewell to her job

UK Government Paves Way For Postal Privatization

 

October 12, 2010

Michigan Letter Carriers Protest Pressure To Work Faster

About 370 postal workers petition Levin about ‘hostile work environment- Postal employees say the pressure to deliver mail and return to the office by 5 p.m. is mounting and the “unwritten rule” is creating a hostile work environment.. About 370 letter carriers in seven cities signed petitions asking U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, to investigate local and regional demands to finish routes earlier or face discipline. “Many employees are slowly witnessing a resurgence of 1991 when a fired letter carrier went on a shooting rampage at the Royal Oak Post Office.   |

 

Informal Ruling Makes Postage Increase of 1.7% Likely In January

Dead Tree Edition - Postage rates are likely to increase about 1.7% in January as a result of a letter that the Postal Regulatory Commission's chief lawyer issued today. Postmaster General Jack Potter promised not to increase postage rates during 2010, but postal officials seem eager to bump up rates once the calendar changes over to 2011. The Postal Service only has to give 45 days' notice before announcing price increases that comply with the rate cap. So it seems likely that USPS will announce increases by mid-November, and perhaps as early as Friday, that take effect in early January. |

 

USPS OIG: Review of Wilkes-Barre Processing and Distribution Facility Consolidation (PDF)

Car crashes into Savannah post office

USPS OIG: Southeast Area Processing and Distribution Center Consolidations (PDF)

PRC Public Inquiry Log September 2010 (PDF)

APWU: National Officers Election Ballots Due Oct. 14

Pitney Bowes to Host U.S. Customer Summits At Mail Services Facilities

 

October 11, 2010

Post Office Shows Where US is Headed

If the growth rate of losses projected over the next decade continues until 2030, it will lose more than $1 trillion in that span ... the Postal Service is a great jobs machine, employing 712,000 people at an average annual compensation, including wages and benefits, of $83,000. And those hefty pay checks are a great source of political contributions for Democrats. In 2010, almost 90 percent of the approximately $4 million contributed to campaigns by postal unions went to Democrats. Take a guess where much of the opposition to reform comes from. But high-priced labor, which accounts each year for about 80 percent of costs, leads to high-priced mail services, and even higher costs for taxpayers.   |

 

Industry mail center targeted again in consolidation study

(Calif.) USPS considering moving outgoing mail operations to Santa Ana or Los Angeles-  The latest study is the third to begin in the past two years, and comes as the Postal Service begins its fiscal year this month with $2 billion cash on hand, just enough to cover one pay period, according to USPS spokesman Richard Maher. "The mail volume continues to drop and our financial situation continues to deteriorate," Maher said. "It's not economically feasible to run a number of operations that are running under capacity." The Industry center has more than 700 employees, many of whom would be asked to relocate if outgoing mail services are consolidated. Other positions could be trimmed through attrition. The previous studies have prompted fears that the Industry center could eventually close. |

 

Former Postal Worker pleads guilty to theft

A former employee of one of the U.S. post office branches in Granville (NY) pleaded guilty last week in federal court to a misdemeanor charge for stealing more than $3,500 while working at the post office. Federal court records show the window clerk rang up 184 fraudulent "service not rendered" refunds in the post office's computer system over the 13-month period, pocketing $25 or less each time. Tennessee postal worker arrested in connection with $90.000 theft  |

 

Some Postal Employees Will Get 11 Paid Holidays instead of 10 in 2010

- USPS New Year's Day Holiday 2011 falls on Saturday. Postal Employees with Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun Scheduled Days off will be paid for their designated holiday on Thurs. or Fri. (2010)  |

 

Connolly: Congress must address USPS problems

Petaluma mail center would keep bulk mail

Postal Service hiring temporary staff for Christmas holidays In Seattle Area

Electronic Postage Statements – Boon or Bust?

Pound Ridge Mail, NY Carrier Is Sentenced For Larceny

Postal Worker pleads guilty in theft from North Dakota PO

 

October 10, 2010

 80% of Post Offices Losing Money

One reason the U.S. Postal Service is teetering on financial ruin: four in five post offices lose money. And shutting any of the 32,662 outlets down is nearly impossible. As mail volumes fall, the Postal Service "does not have sufficient revenues to cover the growing costs of providing service to new residences and businesses while also maintaining its large network of retail and processing facilities," Phillip Herr, director of physical infrastructure issues for the Government Accountability Office, told a congressional subcommittee last year. An added concern is that the Postal Service can't afford to maintain its deteriorating buildings; an earlier GAO report includes photos of deteriorating facilities, including one Pennsylvania station that suffered a partial roof collapse.  |

 

Congress Approves New Postage Stamp To Benefit Species Conservation Efforts

USPS tells employees: be alert for campaign mailings and ballots

Residents upset After USPS mistake
Lunch goes postal: why I love the U.S. Postal Service

 

October 9, 2010

Dunn Center post office closing after Postmaster resigns

Mailman makes going postal happy in central Pa.
Mail theft reports grow in Amarillo
Union rep says service, jobs would be impacted if Alexandria LA postal center closes

Concerns about service, jobs arise with talk of closing Alexandria postal center

Minneapolis City Council acts to protect mail carriers from dogs

October 8, 2010

USPS Subcontracted Online Employee Training Program Causing Problems

[The APWU] Clerk Division officers recently reported on problems union members are facing since management established OASys, the Online Employee Scheduling and Assessment System. Many aspects of this program, which requires employees to schedule typing tests and other exams online, violate our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Members have reported that although they are required to schedule tests online, management often refuses to allow them to use USPS computers for this purpose. Furthermore, many locations are not conducive to testing, due to such problems as faulty keyboards, cramped space, noise, and dirty surroundings.  |

 

NAPS President Responds To Congressman Darrell Issa’s ‘Trash Talk’

CA: Postal Service considers cuts at Petaluma center
Postal Service customers in Florida fight cutbacks
FL: Hundreds deliver big push to keep postal facility here

End of mail processing in Oshkosh may lead to higher rates
Michigan postal employee accused of mail thefts resigns; may face prosecution

Dunn Center post office closing after Postmaster resigns

Wytheville Post Office Hostage-Taker Gets 40 Years

 

October 7, 2010

USPS Revise Its Policies on Rehiring Postal Execs

Last month the Washington Post reported: The Postal Service has awarded more than 2,700 contracts to former employees since 1991 and awarded 17 no-bid deals to former executives between 2006 and 2009, according to one of the audits. Most of those executives earned six-figure sums, the report said. One unnamed executive received a $260,000 no-bid deal in July 2009 to train his successor just two months after retiring. The Postal Service  has revised its Management Instructions (MI) on “Contracting With Individuals or Rehiring Into Career Nonbargaining Positions”  effective immediately.   |

 

USPS Adds New Self-Service Retirement Application For Postal Employees

As announced in March of this year, the Postal Service has added a new feature (eRetire) to LiteBlue which will provide employees the option of using self-service to begin the retirement process.         USPS Getting Its Retirement Act Together? Nope   |

 

What Happened to APWU National Election Ballots ?

Normally the APWU election committee would be counting ballots this week, at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel downtown. But there has been a problem. So far only 39,071 ballots have been received which is only a small percentage of the union's membership and a much lower total than in past elections.   |

 

USPS Seeks Guidance On Its Rate Cap

The U.S. Postal Service is asking for a ruling on something that was supposed to be clear -- how much it can increase rates without getting special permission. A Postal Service lawyer asked the Postal Regulatory Commission today for guidance regarding how to interpret the price cap on most mail products (including First-Class, Standard, and Periodicals), which is based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). Rate Increase Coming in 2011  | Q&A: PRC Chairman Goldway on Exigent Rate Case Ruling   |

 

USPS Collects $3.8 Million In Price-Fixing Scheme by Several Airline Companies
Wytheville (VA) Post Office Gunman to be sentenced
At Netflix, the picture is darkening

Tennessee Postal Worker charged in theft

 

October 6, 2010

Postal Worker Wins Discrimination Suit Against NY Postmaster

After complaint filed Postmaster detailed to USPS District Manager of Operations- A federal court jury has awarded a U.S. Postal Service employee about $125,000 in back pay after finding that her full-time position was eliminated because of complaints that she was being discriminated against for being a woman.  |

 

Zumbox to Showcase Platform for Digital Postal Mail at Post-Expo 2010

Feds keeping mum about Woodbury CT Post Office investigation

Postal Service plans more life for its vehicles
Inspector general: Pension payment reform could cure Postal Service financial woes
Exploring NYC's (Nearly!) Empty Farley Post Office Building

FEHBP Premiums: Burying The Skunk

Mooresville Post Office gets special recognition

Rapides Parish Police Jury seeks keep postal jobs in Alexandria

 

October 5, 2010

Rep. Darrell Issa Team: USPS Retirement Overpayment is a Myth

The overpayment is a myth dependent on changing the law to conjure up an overpayment through backdoor accounting. Twice, Congress has passed and the President has signed laws that clearly define the retirement benefits obligations of the federal government and the USPS. It was not until the USPS began facing its current fiscal crisis (due to declining revenue from a world-wide move to electronic over "hard" mail communications and the USPS' extremely high fixed costs...labor amounts to a full 80% of the USPS budget) that it began working with Congressional allies to reverse both laws and create an overpayment out of thin air. |

 

Court Denies APWU’s Request Seeking USPS Pay For Performance Records

- APWU requested information from USPS under the Freedom of Information Act on September 10, 2008.  APWU requested “the most recent Pay for Performance bonus and/or pay increases . . . ” APWU had requested disclosure of USPS' decisions regarding bonuses and salary increases for its employees. USPS denied APWU's request arguing that such information is of a commercial nature and exempt from public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In a recent decision, a federal court agreed with USPS and denied APWU's request. |

 

Curbed enthusiasm: Macon post office requests curbside mailboxes, confuses residents

USPS searches for break even point

Seattle: Postal Service hiring temporary employees for the holidays

What Next for the Postal Service in 2011?

 

October 4, 2010

PMG Potter: Give U.S. Postal Service The Freedom To Compete

In a letter to Wall Street Journal: We operate within legal constraints that hamper our ability to operate efficiently and profitably and therefore are seeking legislative changes that: (1) enable us to alter frequency of delivery; (2) allow us to close unprofitable post offices; (3) restructure the obligation to prefund retiree health benefits, an obligation not required of any other private or government entity; (4) permit us to create and offer products and services beyond mail; (5) assure that arbitrators consider the agency's financial health when agreement cannot be reached with our labor unions; and (6) resolve overfunding of our pension systems.  |

 

Ohio Postal employee arrested for pulling a knife on a customer

A post office employee has been arrested after allegedly putting a knife to the throat of a customer he thought was trying to rob him. The Postal Worker has been charged with assault and aggravated menacing for pulling a knife on a man at the Monroe Post Office Saturday. Postal worker on leave after knife incident   |

 

Fort Worth Postmaster scrutinized in Postal Service inquiry

The Fort Worth postmaster is on paid administrative leave while the watchdog arm of the U.S. Postal Service investigates the office, several sources said. The inspector general is investigating possible problems with the recording of mail volume, which can be a key driver of budgeting and efficiency measures, officials said. The Postmaster  said he continues to work on post office projects while on leave and hopes to have the matter cleared up as soon as he meets with the district manager.  |

 

Postal worker delivers mail with one leg

Bill Kuehling had to have his leg amputated in 2001. Kuehling lost his leg in 2001 but he has been working for the postal service since he was 18 years old and is in his 29th year as a mail carrier. |

 

Why did federal health-care costs increase?

Health insurance premiums for federal workers will increase next year, but would have been higher if not for the government's bargaining power, the Obama administration's personnel chief said Monday. The government announced Friday (without the fanfare of other years) that health care costs for federal workers will increase at a far greater rate than their pay next year, but still at rates less than the premiums of many private-sector workers. FEHBP Premiums: Burying The Skunk  |

 

Editorial: Postal Service Rewarding Resignations

Apparently, if you are a top Postal Service executive who wants a big raise, the way to get it is to resign. The strategy has worked for some, according to a report by the agency's inspector general. Former Postal Service employees have been awarded more than 2,700 outside services contracts by the agency since 1991, according to the report. Between 2006 and 2009, 17 former executives were given no-bid contracts. Most of them received six-figure payments. One was given a $260,000 contract to train his successor. |

 

Sen. Akaka: Impact of Eliminating Saturday Delivery In Hawaii

Should Saturday delivery be eliminated in Hawai‘i, the alternative suggested by the Postal Service is renting a Post Office Box at a local retail facility.  Unfortunately, in many areas in Hawai‘i, P.O. Boxes are already scarce. Postal facilities in Hawai‘i are already understaffed, stretching Postmasters, Supervisors, and other employees.  The Postal Service says that in order to make Saturday Express Mail delivery, post office staff may be required to make special deliveries, calling in to question how many staff will be available at retail facilities on Saturdays. |

 

OIG: Summary of Substantial Overfunding in Postal Service Pension and Retiree Health Care Funds (PDF)

USPS seeks innovative, legislative relief for financial woes - Federal News Radio

APWU Members March for Good Jobs, Change in America

PA.: Mail service shifting to Pittsburgh

CT.: 3 Postal Workers removed from Woodbury PO Amid allegations of possible theft

OK.: Mail Mix-Up Keeps Tulsa Man From Getting Mail

FL: Postal worker challenges council member in Clermont election

Letter Carrier Saves 3 Lives; Honored In Washington

 

October 3, 2010

Postal Workers Lawsuit Requesting Class Action Charging USPS With Labor Violations Is Denied - A federal judge in Texarkana (TX) denied a request to certify a civil suit filed by seven U.S. Postal Service mail carriers as a class action lawsuit. The suit alleged the carriers had been forced to work more than 40 hours per week without overtime compensation, had timecards altered to their detriment by a supervisor, been forced to work through lunch to complete their routes and been required to work off the clock. USPS argued that it does try to build in a thirty-minute lunch break into City Carrier routes although there is no guarantee a particular city carrier will get the break  Archive: Postal Workers Lawsuit On Labor Violations Covers 5 States |Comments (51)

 

Former Tanacross, AK postal worker accused of theft

 

October 2, 2010

USPS Has Too Many Supervisors And Too Many Employees, Congressman Says -The U.S. Postal Service could cut its workforce by one-third and its supervisory ranks even more, a leading Republican Congressman indicated this week. "The Post Office has 200,000 people who should be retiring," Rep. Darrell Issa said in a speech Wednesday to The Heritage Foundation. USPS had 568,301 employees at the end of August. "When I say retiring I mean we don’t need them. But let’s bear in mind it’s just not the guy at the post office; it’s the thousands of people who are doing maintenance at post offices that we don’t need to have so many of."   |

 

Potter defends free health insurance for USPS executives

Postmaster General John Potter is standing by his agency’s policy of paying the full cost of health insurance premiums for senior executives. According to a recent audit,  the U.S. Postal Service could save about $577 million in fiscal 2011 if its contribution rate for those employees matched that of the federal government   |

 

Rough Week for USPS Highlights Importance of Bill to Fix Finances

“The PRC ruling fully justifies the APWU’s objection to the PAEA, and stands as stark evidence that the supporters of the legislation erred in their decision to require the Postal Service to pre-pay billions of dollars in future healthcare costs while severely limiting its opportunity to increase revenue,” he said.  |

 

Did the PRC’s Decision Send a Message to the USPS?

Will the financially strapped USPS think twice in the future about proposing an exigent rate case increase given the PRC’s resounding consensus? Can PRC Decision Change Postal Practices?  |

 

Undelivered Mail Found In Home Of Deceased Arkansas Postmaster

The U.S. Postal Service reported Friday that it is preparing to deliver some 500 letters found in a home in Hartman, a town of about 600 people. Merlin "Bucky" Walters worked until his death at age 89. He was reportedly the last postmaster to receive his position by presidential appointment, she said.

Postal Service says mail found at home of deceased Arkansas postmaster to finally be delivered |

 

Shipping rate hikes: Postal Service is out, FedEx is in

FedEx Express intends to increase its rates by an average of 5.9% effective Jan. 3, though a drop in its current fuel surcharge will result in a net average increase of 3.9%, the company says. But FedEx Express is also changing the formula under which it figures air and ground shipment rates by package dimensions, a step that can increase the rates for some packages by more than 15%. “For a lot of shippers, that will be a significant hit,” Sailor says.  |

 

US Postal Truck Slams Into Home

Postal Service on track to 'run out of cash' in a year

Living in a Post-Post Office World
Mailman arrested for theft of cellphone, obscene pictures
USPS says droopy newspapers to cost more to mail
USPS may consolidate Batesville AR plant into Jonesboro

 

October 1, 2010

Postal Service expects $6 billion year-end loss

Despite the tough news, Potter said USPS remains committed to seeking Congressional approval to cut Saturday mail delivery and close unprofitable post offices. "We have not changed in terms of what's next," Potter said. "We need to try and grow revenue. We'll continue to use any tool that we can."  |

Rolando: Key GOP lawmakers playing “Russian roulette” with USPS

USPS pays another $5.5 billion for future retiree health - "It is very disappointing that GOP members of the Senate who have oversight responsibilities with regard to the Postal Service would take a party-line stance in this irresponsible action," National Association of Letter Carriers President Fredric V. Rolando said.  |

Federal employees' health insurance premiums to increase 7.2 percent

For postal workers, premiums will grow $6.10 per pay period for individual coverage and $12.73 per pay period for family plans. According to OPM, the increase is due to changes in the health care market and added plan features, such as tobacco cessation incentives, preventative screenings at no cost to enrollees and extending coverage to adult children age 26 or younger.  HMO: US. Postal Rates (PDF)  |

 

NAPS Legislative Update: Postal Service Suffers Three Stinging Defeats

Collective Bargaining Repercussions. Pessimistic cash flow forecasts and other signs of problems on the horizon with strengthen Postal Service management’s hand in its contract negotiations with APWU and the rural letter carriers that currently are underway. The unions know that they will need to make painful concessions in pay, benefits, and jobs. The only question is how deep those concessions will be and in what combination. Those contract talks are likely to end up in the hands of an arbitrator next year.  |

 

TSP shows strength in September

Indiana mail carrier flees burning SUV
USPS set to become “broadcast medium” as First Class mail declines
Tired of waiting, Marine raises new flag over post office
Ohio leads on Post Office closing list

Post Office Says It's Too Cool To Abide By Credit Card Merchant Agreement