Postal News- Novemner 2009

Statement of NALC President On Compliance with National Agreement - Let Let me make the following clear to one and all, including Postal Service management at headquarters and in the field, and all letter carriers, at every level in the union and in every post office: No one, at any level, has any authority to amend or violate the national contract, period. PMG Potter memo on honoring contract (PDF). It is up to each one of us to make sure that the changes we bring to the organization are changes for the better,” Potter recently wrote. Respecting and protecting the provisions of the collective-bargaining agreements will help us to do that |

NALC: There Are No Plans To Eliminate Six-Day Delivery

USPS: Declining Mail Volume Leads to Route Adjustments

Report: Employment of Veterans in the U.S. Postal Service - FY 2007

PRC Annual Report: Postal Execs Compensation

USPS Says It Needs To Eliminate 9,200 City Carrier Routes in FY 2009

Postmaster, Supervisor Groups Reject Pay Freeze (PDF)

Tight Times Strain Postmasters

USPS, APWU Reach Tentative Agreement On Four-Day Workweeks

USPS Wants Commercial Outdoor Advertising On Its Property

USPS to Implement Two Tour Initiative Nationwide

Re: Postal Employees Ordered to Stop Offering First-Class Mail

PMG Urges Leaders of Employee Organizations To Work With USPS

Flashback: Postal 1992 VER Cost $1.01 Billion

USPS To Launch Nationwide Program To Track Revenue Performance Of Window Clerks

Postmaster General Cautions of Perfect Economic Storm

Connecticut Congressman Presses Postal Service for Answers Regarding Meriden Route Changes

Appeals Court Upholds Firing Of Postal Carrier For Unsafe Driving

GAO: New Delivery Performance Measures Could Enhance Postal Managers’ Pay for Performance Program

Postal Manager Demoted Over Violation of NALC Contract?

Postal Worker's Self-Defense Claim Can't Save Job

NAPS Challenges USPS Network Plan, Questions USPS Outsourcing

USPS Posts $1.1 Billion Loss For Third Quarter

House Passes FERS Sick Leave Legislation

GAO: Data Needed to Assess the Effectiveness of USPS Outsourcing | Watchdogs question US Post Office outsourcing system

USPS Names Two Postal Execs To New VP Slots

USPS Releases Details Of Voluntary Early Retirement Offer

Burrus: Employees Would Be Best Served by Postponing Early-Out Decisions

NALC: Young Urges Congress to Reject Study for 5-Day Delivery

USPS Early Out Offer Excludes ETs - No Cash Incentives

PMG Potter Announces Reorganization At USPS Headquarters

House Committee Approves Study On Ending Saturday Mail Delivery

EEOC: Postal Worker Was Not Provided Smoke-Free Vehicle

ASFM-100 Work Awarded Back to Clerk Craft at Trenton P&DC

Court of Appeals Keeps Alive 14-Year-Old Lawsuit Against NALC

Postal Service Selects First-Ever Vice President of Sustainability

Video: Postal Workers Protest Terrorism On The Job

EEOC Rules USPS Must Process Class Action Complaint For Rehab Postal Employees

OPM Submits Proposal To Create Short-Term Disability Insurance Program

To Err Is Not Human for Demoted Postal Supervisor

USPS Resolves Dispute With Unions Over Computer Security Rules

USPS Selects Former Halliburton Executive As New CIO

Big Pay Increases Approved For Top Postal Service Officers

USPS Retail Cost Cutting (PDF)

click here to read the award (PDF) | A Short Comparison of USPS Contracts With APWU, NPMHU, NALC and NRLCA |

Flat Sequencing System (FSS) Strategy



			November 30, 2009 Postal Projections for 2010 Spark Predictable – and Misplaced – Alarm The Postal Service’s Integrated Financial Plan for Fiscal Year 2010 projects losses of $7.8 billion, and major mailers and USPS executives — along with some members of Congress — have pointed to this grim forecast as evidence that the Postal Service needs a major overhaul in order to avoid collapse. Earlier this decade, a similar rationale was repeated often to justify postal “reform,” and dire predictions culminated in the enactment of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). The opening line then was that “the Postal Service must adopt a new business model.” Over the protestations of the APWU, the predictors of doom “succeeded” in passing this dreadful legislation. \| In Rain, in Snow, but Not on Saturdays? Postmaster General John Potter, who has tried to contain costs by cutting 40,000 career employees among other measures, is seeking permission from Congress to reduce mail delivery from six days a week to five. Does this change make sense or are there other ways ways to keep the Postal Service from hemorrhaging money? \| Postal Service gears up for holidays Postal Service future gets input from First Coast Postal employees retire after more than 30 years
			November 29, 2009 The Shrinking Post Office The U.S. Postal Service loses more money every year. Is there a future for ‘snail mail’? A demoralized force - With a long-term hiring freeze in place, employees have seen hours reduced, delivery routes consolidated, and their efficiency meticulously monitored by a management desperate to cut labor costs. “Many of our carriers hate coming into work,” says Robert McLennan, a union leader in Buffalo. Postal workers are “frenzied with worry,” the Postal Service said such reactions are not surprising, considering the circumstances. “The stress and tension are out there,” says Postal Service spokeswoman Karen Mazurkiewicz. “Everyone is under a magnifying glass.” \| Letter From Postmaster: Tie part of uniform The writer failed to mention that he receives money from the Postal Service to purchase that tie. It is a part of the uniform (for which he received full payment) mandated by the Postal Service that his union agreed to at the national level. Letter Carrier: Mandating ties not so bright \| Credit Card Solicitations on the Decline, USPS Hurting Stamp of disapproval: Postal Service considers moving Marysville sort to Sacramento Large response saves post office Meeting will discuss relocation of Market Street post office Postal employees retire after more than 30 years
			November 28, 2009 Norman hotel delivers home feel for public, postal workers The U.S. Postal Center in Norman, which operates the largest hotel in the state, used to cater only to federal employees and other large groups. Since summer, however, the hotel has opened its doors to the general public. \| Holidays get busy for the Postal Service
			November 27, 2009 Residents Speak Out Against Post Office Closures Everything You Need To Know About Full-Service Intelligent Mail Discounts
			November 26, 2009 Pittsburgh-Area Postal Workers Awarded $75 million In Lost Overtime the United States Postal Service was ordered earlier this year to pay $75 million in lost overtime to nearly 1,500 Pittsburgh-area union employees. The money is to cover the overtime pay full- and part-time employees lost between 1994 and 2004 when the Pittsburgh Processing and Distribution Center hired casual clerks instead. The largest amount paid to any single person, according to the postal service, was $85,568. The smallest amount was $314.59. \| NJ postal carrier charged with stealing from mail to buy Thanksgiving dinner items Ross v. U.S. Postal Service USPS 2009 Annual Report (PDF) USPS 2009 Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations (PDF) $50,000 reward for help capturing N.J. post office robbers
			November 24, 2009 New York: Mail carriers protest postmaster's tactics Saying they feared “workplace violence” brought on by an oppressive management style, about 20 letter carriers picketed outside the Chappaqua post office Monday afternoon. The protest was sparked by Chappaqua Postmaster Pauline Iaconetti’s allegedly abusive treatment of postal workers. While a supervisor in White Plains in 2002, Morton said, Iaconetti was the direct cause of a mass demonstration by postal workers there. \|
			November 22, 2009 Coco-crazy town's post office saved Mail keeps flowing despite cutbacks, changing times Former USPS worker indicted on theft charges November 21, 2009 Ex-postal worker gets 46 months in $20,000 gasoline scam a part-time letter carrier based at the Market Square Post Office was also jailed for participating in an effort to smuggle 57 pounds of marijuana through the mails. In the gas scheme, Gilbert or an accomplice would go to a gas station and pump gas for customers, using the government cards and selling the gas at half the posted price. The scheme ran from December 2006 through fall 2008. \| USPS still missing out this holiday season Illinois man gets four months for restraining postal worker with ax handle Postal Service backs down on SF closures Danville mail truck shooter indicted November 20, 2009 Postal Service calls for cuts of 40 Kalamazoo area jobs, $2.5 million Syracuse: Mail switch reaction mixed Hickory: Opinions divided over potential postal service shift Blizzard of catalogs stuff America's mailboxes: Merry mail or holiday headache? UPS vs. FedEx vs. USPS. Which is best? Congresswoman intervenes in Key West post office staffing reductions Former Kentucky Postal Employee charged with stealing items from the mail BioDefense safeguards the nation’s mail streams
			November 19, 2009 Can the Postal Service be Saved? Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny Davis, a member of the Congressional subcommittee that oversees the Postal Service (and, until recently, its chairman), told CBSNews.com in an interview that the agency "is between a rock and a hard place." "It's just not generating the money that you need in order to keep operating," he said. Davis said he was open to cutting Saturday service - perhaps on a rolling basis, so that certain communities would lack Saturday delivery once or twice a month - as well as loosening the health benefit requirements. He also backed a government bailout for the embattled agency if that's what it takes to keep it afloat. \| Some Post Office Retail Units Closed or Closing Early On Nov. 25 & 27 Some of the Post Offices will be closed for retail services on Wednesday, Nov. 25 & Friday, Nov. 27. Regular mail delivery will be unaffected by this temporary change. However, in some cities and towns there will be no outgoing mail collected from either the blue mail collection boxes or the Post Office lobbies and access to P.O. Boxes will be unavailable. Notification of the adjusted hours is posted at each Post Office that will be closed or closing early, \| USPS OIG Audit : NY Metro Area Has Not Effectively Implemented Financial Controls - over stamp accountabilities, expenditures, and financial accounting and reporting. This occurred because unit managers were either unaware of requirements or did not provide sufficient attention to the financial controls. Further, area and district managers could have improved oversight of local purchases and refunds. We identified similar issues at 22 randomly selected sites conducted in the New York Metro Area over the past 3 years in support of audits of the U.S. Postal Service’s financial statements. As a result, New York Metro Area post offices have an increased risk of losing cash, accountable items, and revenue without detection; and misstating financial records. We identified more than $100,000 in monetary impact for questioned costs and nearly $400,000 in non-monetary impact for assets and accountable items at risk. \| The End of Mail? (Just Kidding) If this forecast turns out to be right, then by 2015, single piece mail will drop from the 20% of volume today to around 15%.The Postal Service will need to downsize its retail network, collection efforts, and origination sortation, and transportation from origin to destination facilities to what is needed to handle almost a third less volume. The destination sortation network would require some modest trimming as well, reflecting the decline in single piece mail. Finally, in 2015 the Postal Service would be delivering about the same volume of mail to more households. With delivery density declining, the Postal Service's carriers would likely find themselves delivering less mail over their workday. Today's delivery optimization efforts would need to be intensified to deal with lower density. \| USPS Blocks Popular 'Dear Santa' letters to North Pole, Alaska TheU.S. Postal Service, citing security and privacy concerns of children, will no longer forward "Dear Santa" letters to the Alaska town of North Pole, putting in jeopardy the town's 55-year-old volunteer letter-answering effort by the town. The concern is that names, addresses and other private information about small children could get into the wrong hands. Postal Service officials note that a postal worker last year in Maryland recognized a volunteer in the agency's Operation Santa program as a registered sex offender. USPS stops Santa letters after sex offender responds to kids \| Progress with the Postal Act of 2006 (PDF) USPS COO Pat Donahoe's PowerPoint presentation given yesterday at MTAC meeting \| APWU: Arbitrator Rules 'Separation of Casuals' Language in Article 12 Applies Only to Casuals in the Impacted Craft JC Penney to stop publishing 'big book' catalog London mail sorting could move to Lexington Carrier charged with fraudulently obtaining disability pay in excess of $400,000 Chicago Mail Delivery Now Ranks among Nation’s Best Nebraska Rural Carrier Named USPS National Safe Driver of Year South Bend man charged with threatening postal carrier Postal work is no walk in the park The nitty-gritty of Open Season options
			November 18, 2009 Mayor of North Pole, Alaska says The Grinch (USPS) has stolen Christmas Feds charge Danville mail truck shooter New USPS HR Website Launches Today Health Care Reform: The Good, Bad & Ugly Postal workers: Consolidation may slow mail service Mail found stashed in dryer vents NPR: Weighing Postal Service's Future Update on post office closings process (PDF) 'Save Our Service': Postal workers fight for their jobs USPS Energy Use Down 9% From 2005 to 2008 UPS sees holidays slightly busier this year Older locals want lower East Side post office to stay
			November 17, 2009 APWU: Those Who Tell Workers to Sacrifice Fail to Understand Postal Realities I suggest that those who are unfamiliar with the detailed contractual agreements between postal unions and the Postal Service should refrain from speaking about issues they know so little about. \| Mail Carrier found Drunk, Inside a Residence Police arrested a mail carrier after she was found drunk inside a residence while on the job in Marion earlier this month, authorities said Tuesday. Kristine A. Pflughaupt, 46, of Marion, was charged with public intoxication Nov. 3 after she was found sitting on the kitchen floor of a house at 260 Sixth Avenue, eating leftover noodles from Marie O’Kelly’s refrigerator. \| USPS To End Saturday Service? 5-day delivery: Depends on your perspective APWU: Arbitrator Rules Maximization Provision Only Applies to Work Hours of PTFs 'Save Our Service': Postal workers fight for their jobs Calif.: Marysville mail center could close Former postal worker sentenced Direct Mail Gone Wrong 2 South Jersey post offices begin sales of greeting cards 3 Lansing-area post offices could close, consolidate USPS OIG: Betting on the Postal Service?
			November 16, 2009 Postal Service Ends 2009 with $3.8 Billion Loss The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) today filed its 2009 fiscal year-end financial results, showing a net loss of $3.8 billion for the year — despite cost-cutting efforts resulting in $6 billion in cost savings and a $4 billion reduction in required payments for retiree health benefits. Cost savings reflect a reduction of 40,000 career USPS employees as well as reductions in overtime hours, transportation and other costs. Accounting change boosts USPS bottom line \| USPS Executive Officer Compensation For Fiscal Year 2009 PMG Potter: $734,650- Salaries for executive level officers were frozen for calendar year 2009. The salary amounts vary from FY09 and FY08 because USPS salaries are based on the calendar year and not the fiscal year. Therefore, FY08 salary numbers include a portion of 2007 salary figures. In addition, the values in the above table for Mr. Walker are as of February 27, 2009, which was the end of his tenure as CFO. Joseph Corbett assumed the position of Chief Financial Officer as of January 31, 2009, and therefore did not earn FY08 salary. Robert Bernstock assumed the position of President, Shipping and Mailing Services, as of June 30, 2008. \| Summer Sale Boosted Catalog Mailings, Paper Exec Says "The U.S. Postal Service's recent Summer Sale on Standard Class mail boosted catalog volume, according to a major paper company executive. Richard D. Willett Jr., President and CEO of NewPage, cited the program as a significant factor in the recently improved outlook for coated paper. “Several of our catalog customers took advantage of discounted rates on incremental volumes and increased their Third Quarter mailing volumes by more than 20 percent over prior budgets,” he said in a presentation to analysts on Tuesday." \| Bremerton Mail Carriers Are Leaving Sylvan Way Branch Post office set to close in 2011 Angst at the Postal Service Charlottesville: Postal workers picket, protest shutdown Mail center employees rally against job losses Carl Welser: Just where do I live, anyway?
			November 15, 2009 USPS, UPS, FedEx Express and the RLA Negotiating under the Railway Labor Act FedEx Ground and Contract Drivers Take That, E-Mail Mom of 'proud soldier' dissatisfied with postal service November 14, 2009 Postal service, union officials disagree on delivery day cuts Carriers continue to be inaccurately informed that the service will be cut from six to five days next year, said Dave Bellware, president of Branch 1321 of the National Association of Letter Carriers representing those working Rocky Mount. “You can say a lie over and over again, but it doesn’t make it so,” he said. \| APWU: Fact & Fiction: The US Postal Service Fiction: Postal rates drive mail volume. FACT: While postal rates are a factor in determining mail volume, they are not decisive. Fiction: The Postal Service is a model of equal employment opportunity. FACT: The hiring process for employment in USPS craft assignments is transparent and is based on objective factors, such as test scores that reflect an applicant’s knowledge and skills. \| Postal Service looking to cut costs in southeastern Kentucky Final rally for Elmwood Post Office today in Syracuse
			November 13, 2009 Potter insists on five-day delivery as part of Postal Service reform John Potter, postmaster general and CEO of the US Postal Service, used the open session of the November 13 USPS Board of Governors meeting to press again for structural reform of the agency, insisting that real reform must reduce the number of delivery days from six to five per week. The Postal Service reduced work hours by 115 million, the equivalent of reducing the number of full-time employees by 65,000, Corbett said. The USPS has targeted further work-hour reductions for next year of about 80 million to 90 million. \| NY Congressman rips PMG, requests face-to-face meeting on Elmira move U.S. Rep. Eric Massa wants to meet with U.S. Postmaster General John Potter to discuss unanswered questions about moving mail-processing equipment and jobs from Elmira to Rochester. \| Postal Service reassigns DUI employee, but questions unanswered The US Postal Service says it's taken action on a letter carrier who lost his driver's license after a 2nd drunk driving arrest, and was then being driven around his route by other post office workers. Communications Programs Specialist Al DeSarro told News First 5 that the USPS "found other productive work for that letter carrier." The USPS contract with letter carriers does require the postal service to make every effort to reassign a driver who's driver's license was suspended or revoked. DeSarro said this situation might be re-evaluated with the letter carrier union. Postal Service doesn’t keep track of DUI records of it’s drivers? Umm… What? \| Not your usual lunch break: Minnesota letter carrier helps free pilot from plane wreckage Postal Customer Satisfaction Score Reaches Four-Year High Your Mail Actually Safe in Your Mailbox? Mailbox relocation spurred by vandals leaves neighbors without their mail West Sunbury woman pleads guilty to Postal Service theft
			November 12, 2009 USPS bars NIOSH from returning to the Denver P & DC? Postal employees in Denver requested NIOSH to investigate the flat mail sorting machines in Denver and NIOSH initiated an investigation in April, 2009. Denver FSM 100 flat sorting machine workers have recently had an extremely high rate of injuries. The machines are poorly designed and ergonomically unsafe. There has been severe understaffing of the machines causing stress and overwork.In the summer, NIOSH contacted a lead representative of the workers who had originally asked NIOSH to come to the facility. The NIOSH investigators wanted to return to the Denver facility and bring with them an industrial psychologist who wanted to do a job satisfaction survey of the workers. In September NIOSH informed the workers that the USPS Western Area Safety Manager is “opting not to participate in the survey that we had suggested.” \| Supreme Court reviewing former Postal Employee's Discrimination case “When your supervisor grabs you and tells you he’s going to blow your brains out and you get fired, we know that in America that isn’t right,” Wills also claims that USPS fired him based on absences that had been approved by the Family Medical Leave Act. \| PRC Investigates Suspended Post Offices (PDF) PRC initiated this public inquiry to develop further information on the status of suspended offices and the Postal Service practice of suspending offices for extended periods without affording the public the rights guaranteed by 39 U.S.C. 404(d). "The Commission is concerned that post office customers throughout the nation do not have access to local post offices and their services due to suspensions. It is evident that several post offices have been suspended for a number of years, and the Postal Service apparently has taken no effective action to reopen or close such offices." \| KY: Paducah postal worker gets 22 years probation on theft charge Congressman skeptical about cuts in mail delivery More Americans Are Paying Their Bills Online Fire at store destroys Maine post office How Does Labor Law Matter for the USPS? Mail thief caught on tape in Southwest Las Vegas Mishawaka, IN man arrested after assaulting mail carrier Post office preparing for the holiday rush Crowd wants postal station to stay open Charlottesville: Postal Service might move mail services St. Louis: All area post offices will remain open
			November 11, 2009 Small-Parcel Shippers to Get USPS Rate Breaks Fort Payne postman accused of mail theft November 10, 2009 Congressman Paul Hodes Demands Answers in Postal Service Fraud Congressman Paul Hodes called on the United States Postal Service to present a plan to fully reimburse postal workers for the wages they have lost as a result of managers manipulating their timecards. Several weeks ago, an investigation uncovered a scheme at five New Hampshire postal stations to manipulate workers’ timecards, and the individuals responsible for these actions have yet to be held accountable. Somersworth NH NALC Rep claims time sheets were altered \| How Would You Make Over the U.S. Postal Service? Everyone agrees that the U.S. Postal Service could do better. With bankruptcy looming, there's a consensus that big changes need to happen, most involving cutting staff and scaling back services. But what if we could unleash the creative ingenuity of entrepreneurs to improve the post office? We asked Inc. 500 CEOs how they would approach the problem. Here are some of their responses. \| Truck carrying mail involved in crash that kills 4 Some mail delivery may be delayed by Ida Police: Teens shot paint balls at letter carrier Missing mail prompts investigation Bangor Postmaster Waives Preliminary Hearing Champaign post office cuts hours Refurbishing old equipment saves USPS almost $70 million Driving the Customer Away Special Delivery
			November 9, 2009 Job Cuts or Wage Cuts Alan Robinson, President of Direct Communications Group: "...given the difficulty of selling eliminating long-standing contract provisions to their members, postal unions and the Postal Service are likely heading toward an arbitrated contract agreement where an arbitrator will be asked to make the choice between jobs and compensation." \| 150 plants and 400,000 Postal Employees On November 5th, former Deputy Postmaster General Michael Coughlin suggested that the Postal Service in order to survive must have a much smaller footprint with possibly 150 plants and 400,000 employees. There is one major drawback to implementing a 150 plant Postal Service, which is greater than the logistical and management challenge of shrinking the network; the elimination of 200,000 postal jobs at a rate between 20,000 and 40,000 per year in an implementation plan. Shrinking the network at that rate would create a far louder political outcry than even the first round of base closings. Shrinking the network at that rate would also create significant severance or early retirement costs and the Postal Service does not have the cash to pay them. \| OIG: Disappearing Collection Boxes So, Who Drew the Short Straw? November 8, 2009 USPS Board Of Governors Set Agenda For Next Meeting Local post office concerns eased Health Benefits Open Season Flexible Spending Accounts 2009 Open Season: November 9 thru December 27 Christmas Pay Procedures for Rural Carriers
			November 7, 2009 APWU President criticizes USPS for lack of diversity in executive staff In a letter to the Postal Service Board of Governors, APWU President William Burrus wrote he is “deeply troubled” by the lack of diversity in the USPS executive staff, and said, “Although the nation has made significant progress toward equality, it appears that the USPS remains mired in the Dark Ages.” Burrus wrote the letter after receiving a copy of Postal Service’s Official Organizational Chart. USPS Official Organizational Chart \| Burrus Letter \| CSRS vs FERS: Somebody's Got it Made! 35 Elmira Postal Workers receive notice eNAPUS: Postal Subcommittee Trolls for Data on New Postal Products (PDF) Great Falls Couple Mad After Post Office Stops Delivering Mail Postal Service holds public meetings on closing offices in Syracuse Feds weigh impact of new FERS sick leave benefit When the post office leaves November 6, 2009 Postal Service eyes options beyond layoffs and buyouts Employee layoffs are not the only solution to digging the agency out of debt, said Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform's federal workforce subcommittee. "It would be a mistargeting of our problems to look at the backs of our employees." But Lynch expressed disappointment over the agency's consolidation and cost-savings efforts thus far, particularly because recent buyout offers have not generated enough employee interest to reduce the Postal Service workforce. At Hearing on Postal Service future, hope is in short supply \| statements and streaming video of yesterday's hearing \| Mobile post office, itself a stopgap, is now gone Congressman says Must Explain closing of Philadelphia L&DC Family of murdered mail truck driver searches for answers November 5, 2009 Postal Service: Rumors of death exaggerated Hickory: Postal service sets date for public forum Albany: Post office gets big backing How to avoid drowning in Open Season's flood of choices
			November 4, 2009 GAO: USPS Needs To Continue Making Cuts In Its Workforce And Network Costs - USPS has asked Congress to change the restrictions established by PAEA so that it could offer new nonpostal products and services such as banking and insurance. Allowing USPS to compete more broadly with the private sector could lose money, and fair competition issues would need to be considered. Thus, in addition to its revenue-generation initiatives, USPS will need to continue making significant reductions in its workforce and network costs. House Subcommittee Holds Hearing to Examine Postal Service Revenue-Generation Initiatives - On Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 10:00am the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia will hold a hearing entitled, “More than Stamps: Adapting the Postal Service to a Changing World.” The purpose of the hearing is to examine revenue-generation initiatives recently undertaken by the Postal Service in order to further address the agency’s ongoing financial challenges. \| USPS announces 2010 shipping prices In addition to an overall price increase of 3.3 percent, on average, for Priority Mail, there will be new prices for Express Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International, Priority Mail International, Parcel Select and Parcel Return Service, also effective Jan. 4. Prices for First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Parcel Post and other mailing services products will not change in 2010, with the cost of a First-Class Mail stamp remaining at 44 cents. Details of the new rates (PDF) \| Burrus Update: Caught Like a Burglar With the Goods in Hand The union’s challenge to Postmaster General Potter to set the wages of mail-processing employees at an amount that is less than the worksharing discounts major mailers enjoy has generated several flawed responses by mailing industry officials, APWU President William Burrus reports in an Update for union members. \| Who could replace Potter? It has been made quite clear by the Board of Governors Chairman Carolyn Gallagher that Postmaster General Jack Potter will not be leaving anytime soon. The question is still exists - who could replace Potter? \| Postal worker found drunk in mail truck The Future of the Postal Sector \| Eight Challenges for a Postal Business Model FERS Sick Leave Cure: Rumor vs. Reality Child Support Company Sued By U.S. Postal Service Pitney Bowes Asks - What’s next for the USPS? Mail Truck Rollover Kills Driver in Nevada Are 19 L.A. communities losing their U.S. Post Offices? Hearings scheduled on Albany NY area post office closings Congressman seeks to save Green Bay mail processing center from move to Oshkosh Local family battles post office over shredded death certificate A perfect fit for postal ads
			November 3, 2009 Postal carrier charged with littering after dumping mail Post office changes routes in recession Mail theft on the rise in Las Vegas Consolidation proposed for Kinston mail service Letter to the Editor: Wrong to close efficient postal center
			November 2, 2009 Family: Post office job pressures led to threats This is a case of a good man driven to obsession by the treatment he received at work. He is really just a cool guy who is very creative," Henry David said. "This difficulty and pain at work has been going on for at least two years. He disintegrated, and the obsession took control. The post office system and management style, he just couldn't shake it off. \| Are There Other Viable Alternatives for 6-Day Delivery Operations? In these challenging times, reducing the cost of delivery operations — one of the Postal Service’s largest expenses — could save millions. One option the Postal Service is considering is to discontinue Saturday city and rural delivery and collection services \| Most TSP funds slip in October Dead letter: The world's ailing postal services Smith Electric Vehicles to partner with AM General on USPS EV It's 3 p.m.; do you know where your postman is?
			November 1, 2009 5 Minutes Or Less Dealing with lines and the people who are in them is the subject Manager, Customer Service Operations, Alice VanGorder discusses in the latest segment of “Talkin’ Retail.” VanGorder reminds retail associates that the Postal Service wants to limit a customer’s time in line to no more than 5 minutes. “That’s our standard, that’s our goal,” she says, adding there are several ways retail locations can reduce time in line. \| Pricing Volume Mail Postal Service: Study backs consolidation to Richmond Burrus: The Challenge: Postal Wages and Discounts After 37 years, Lee County postal worker cancels last stamp Ukiah postmaster wrapping up 35-year career
			October 30, 2009 Georgia Postmaster ordered to leave office under criminal investigation Allegations involve violating the Privacy Act - Jerry Schafer, who was in charge of all postal operations in the city, since has sought to retire voluntarily, but that retirement would not preclude charges being brought against him later, said Sam Montalvo, a public information officer for the postal service’s Office of Inspector General. Montalvo described the alleged criminal matter as “misuse of postal government information, which is a violation of the Privacy Act.” \| The Reinterpretation of William Burrus Many postal workers have jumped to the defense of APWU president William Burrus as a result of my article, Mathematically Challenged: Burrus Proposal Doesn’t Add Up for USPS. But if many of these defenders are correct, they should be angry at Burrus for garbling the message and distracting people from the real issue. \| E-mail to save snail mail? Wyandanch post office robbed at gunpoint Grade Your Government: USPS Mailman pleads not guilty to killing jogger USPS Petitions Against Local Rent Increase Ukiah postmaster wrapping up 35-year career Mail carrier wouldn’t pick up ballots Postal carrier made change that kept mail from Chesapeake couple MS: Fondren post office boxes burglarized Arrest made in robbery of St. Louis letter carrier
			October 29, 2009 Retiring Postal Employee Pulls Gun on Postmaster The main post office in Albany was shut down Thursday afternoon when a retiring employee pulled a gun on his boss. "We are locked down," said a Postal Service employee. "We had an emergency and we are locked down." Just after 12:30, a 52-year-old man, who's about to retire, confronted postmaster Ron Bradley in the back parking lot of the post office. Bradley was in his car and told police the mail handler pulled a gun on him. Updated: Postal worker pulls gun on Postmaster \| APWU: Postal Service Relies on Incomplete Data, Discriminates Against Underserved Communities -An analysis of the postal stations and branches being considered for closure shows that the USPS study process “discriminates against communities with high percentages of low-income, minority and transit-dependent residents,” according to recent testimony submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) by the APWU. In addition, the union asserts, the Postal Service uses incomplete data to support its conclusions. \| Victory! FERS Sick-Leave Credit Becomes Law President Obama signed legislation Oct. 28 that will allow postal and federal workers who retire under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to receive credit for sick leave when they retire. \| Rap Song: I'm The Mailman From PostalReporter reader: "Two yrs. ago I wrote a rap song called I'm the mailman. Well last year I finally recorded it and has performed at our annual holiday party, our state convention, and at a picnic/rally for Chicago's local #11 union this pass summer. It's a great song and I think everyone that visit this site will like it." \| Roof collapses at Connecticut PO NJ Senator wants answers from PMG on Philadelphia L&DC closing Irrational Pricing at the Postal Service Police: Suspect Shot at Mailman Mailman wins $50,000 on 'Millionaire' Mail carrier charged with delay and destruction of mail Two postal workers plead guilty in thefts
			October 28, 2009 Congress Must Fix Funding Requirement; USPS Must Expand Goals, Burrus Says - In a follow-up to testimony before a Senate subcommittee, APWU President William Burrus explored alternatives to station-and-branch closures, facility consolidations, and five-day mail delivery — which the Postal Service is proposing in reaction to a severe financial crisis. Burrus urged lawmakers to encourage the USPS to expand its goals. The Postal Service’s financial difficulties are caused by three major factors, Burrus wrote [PDF] Oct 23: the requirement to pre-fund retiree healthcare costs; the nation’s economic crisis, and excessive workshare discounts. \|Comments (49) Drew Aliperto Named As New Pacific Area VP Postmaster General Jack Potter has announced the selection of Drew Aliperto as vice president, Area Operations, for the Pacific Area. He replaces Michael Daley, who will retire next month after a 37-year career with the Postal Service. \|Comments (63) APWU Urges Locals to File OSHA Complaints Over Electrical Hazards Why doesn't the USPS want a price increase in 2010? October 27, 2009 St. Louis: Postal Carrier Robbed at Gunpoint
			October 26, 2009 Congress in no rush to cut mail delivery Despite the U.S. Postal Service's persistent financial distress, Congress appears unlikely this year to approve the postmaster general's cost-cutting proposal to eliminate Saturday mail delivery. Postmaster General John Potter, who proposed five-day delivery in January, contends that ending Saturday delivery could save his agency up to $3.5 billion annually. But a concurrent estimate by the Postal Regulatory Commission put projected savings at $1.9 billion. \|Comments (81) USPS ‘Incentive’ Program Results In 19,000 APWU-Craft And 3,000 Mail Handlers Retirements - Depending on whether they were eligible for early or regular retirement, employees were required to apply for retirement by Sept. 25 or express interest by that date. Some employees can revoke their decisions until the effective date of retirement, so the final tally could be significantly lower than the 19,738 reported by the USPS. \|Comments (74) USPS Policies Threaten Postal Viability New Heights – Of Absurdity – In Rate Setting - In 2010, the APWU will return to the bargaining table to determine future wages, benefits and working conditions. It is expected to be a contentious round of negotiations, with postal management attempting to recover from the massive deficits experienced over recent years. Much of the revenue loss could have been avoided through proper rate-setting, but it is anticipated that instead of facing their mailing partners, management will turn to the employees: Those who they praise will be asked for sacrifices so that postal executives can continue to provide subsidized postage to their friends. \|Comments (41) Update: Only 18,000 of 30,000 take USPS buyout This early retirement offer was the most successful yet of four made by the Postal Service in the past 18 months, with a response rate of 6.6 percent. Few employees accepted previous offers: The last offer, which was extended to 147,937 employees in June, was accepted by just 2,505 employees — less than 2 percent. The previous offer, which concluded in February, was accepted by 2.3 percent of eligible employees. Yoerger, the postal spokeswoman, said the agency is hoping to eliminate 93 million work hours this year, the equivalent of 53,000 full-time employees. \|Comments (104) USPS Renames Mystery Shopper Program USPS has decided to refocus its Mystery Shopper program to improve desired employee behavior and influence customer loyalty and brand recognition. “To better align with the program’s objectives and feedback from the field, the Mystery Shopper Program will become the Retail Customer Experience”, said Dean Granholm, vice president, Delivery and Post Office Operations. \|Comments (54) USPS seeks change in financial reporting rules The Postal Regulatory Commission's decision will determine whether the Postal Service has to list its 2009 payment to the retiree health benefit fund as $5.4 billion, or $1.4 billion, as intended by the legislation. \|Comments (11) Grand Forks mailman accused of drunk driving placed on unpaid leave, could face discipline Workers Protest Changes At Steubenville Post Office USPS Working Out Details for Winter Sale Mail is the workhorse of b-to-b marketing Non-profits kick off holiday direct mail efforts Feds On a Winning Streak Former postal worker appeals federal sentence in embezzlement case
			October 25, 2009 California: Postal officials decide to spare American Canyon branch More questions than answers at postal hearing North Dakota: Grand Forks mail carrier arrested on DUI charge
			October 24, 2009 Congress should preserve postal service Financial burdens forced upon the postal service and no one else in our nation, public or private, quash any chance of the postal service staying out of red ink in this economy. \|Comments (50) Postal facility to close, cost 86 jobs APWU: Unions Protest As Health Insurers Plot to Kill Reform Postal worker retires after 40 years Post Office sees decline in direct mail service
			October 23, 2009 Congress Approves FERS Sick-Leave Credit: "At long last! After a protracted campaign, postal and federal workers who retire under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) will receive credit for sick leave when they retire. The new benefit was included among a number of pay and retirement provisions in a compromise version of the 2010 Defense Authorization bill, which the Senate approved 68-29 on Oct. 22." NPMHU: Victory on FERS Retirement Provision \| Dealing with postal employee's fear Steubenville May Lose The Rest Of Its Postal Processing Did anyone take the USPS buyouts? Leave With Pay Casual exception, Penalty OT exclusion periods set Bangor postmaster gets bail reduction 2,000 Coconuts Mailed to Postmaster General Former postal worker gets five years probation
			October 22, 2009 Mailers Council Calls for Legislative Reform to Avoid Postal Service Insolvency The Mailers Council’s white paper offers these recommendations for addressing the Postal Service’s problems: The Postal Service needs to be allowed to reduce its head count; It must be allowed to close unneeded facilities and consolidate its retail network; The Postal Service needs greater control over compensation. \| Postal Service CFO Says More Lobbying Needed The stop-gap legislation signed by President Obama on Sept. 30 reduced the U.S. Postal Service's $5.4 billion health-care retiree payment for fiscal 2009 to $1.4 billion. That's a big help, but the USPS needs permanent change, says Joseph Corbett, its executive vice president and chief financial officer... As far as the proposed five-day mail delivery schedule, Corbett says the groundwork has been laid. Hypothetically, he says, if no permanent structural changes are made regarding prepayment of retirees' health-care benefits, the "spotlight would grow brighter on five-day mail delivery. \| Lawmakers say Senate health care bill could hit feds with new taxes Virginia representatives Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran have taken issue with an excise tax included in health care reform legislation crafted by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont. The provision in the bill would levy a 40 percent tax, beginning in 2013, on the overall value of health insurance plans that cost more than $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for families. Though the tax will be imposed directly on insurers, most analysts believe employers and consumers ultimately will bear the price of the tax, as insurance companies will charge more to make up for the fee. NAPUS: Finance Committee Health Bill Could Hurt Postmasters and Federal Workers \| Bangor, Pa. postmaster charged with soliciting 3 girls, 2 women for sex, drugs while checking collection boxes - As the Bangor postmaster drove around checking collection boxes Tuesday afternoon, he was also looking for sex and propositioned two women and tried to lure three girls into his car, he allegedly told police. Gregory George Schlegel was charged Tuesday afternoon after the women and girls -- ages 12, 13, and 17 -- reported the incident. \| L antana residents send message to PMG Potter - on coconuts KC woman and son indicted for alleged assault of postal inspector More Online Retailers Offer Free Shipping Rethinking the Parcel Market More Labor Problems at FedEx Ground USPS OIG Audit Report: Carrier Optimal Routing (COR) System (PDF) UK postal workers begin two-day national strike