Sunday, August 31, 2008

Postal Service prepares for Gustav


"...Houston, TX —The Postal Service is preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Gustav by advising customers to mail today or tomorrow to ensure timely processing of mail destined for delivery outside the local area...."    



This Article is From: www.kbmt12.com

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Ohio lawmakers hold DHL hearing


"...The field meeting was held to collect testimony on a planned business deal that’s projected to cause an astounding loss of 7,400 to 9,700 jobs based in and around Wilmington...."    



This Article is From: www.wnewsj.com

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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

USPS Mail Processing Facility Consolidations

No. 2 Oakland County project: U.S. Postal Service Processing Center

"...During planning, the USPS also saw some opportunities to incorporate some of the processing functions from its Flint and Detroit centers into Pontiac, but during construction, Congress intervened to review the plan...."    



This Article is From: www.mlive.com

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Watchdogs question US Post Office outsourcing system


"...The US Postal Service's outsourcing tactics are questionable and accountability is spotty. Those were the major conclusions of a Government Accountability Office report issued to Congress this week that specifically said the USPS does not have a comprehensive mechanism for measuring outsourcing results, including any actual savings; therefore, it could not provide information on the effectiveness of its outsourcing programs. ..."    


This Article is From: www.networkworld.com

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Potter addresses NAPUS convention

GROWING OUR SUCCESS

"...“The economy is going to come back,” Potter said. “Our biggest opportunity for growth is with small- and mid-sized businesses. That’s your expertise. Keep doing what you’re doing to show these folks how we can help them grow their businesses.”..."    



This Article is From: usps.gov

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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Postal Early Out Retirement Packages being received


"VER Packets in the mail"    



This Article is From: community.federalsoup.com

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Mark of the Eagle: Episode 2

After a narrow escape from the onslaught of office equipment, Ed, the letter carrier, must unite the people of this office for one final stand. Come back on Monday September 1, 2008 for Mark of the Eagle: Episode 3!


Episode 1

From: YouTube

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USPS Human Resources Report on VER


"...National Retirement Counseling System Annuity Estimate. This information details the postal voluntary early out retirement annuity statement that was mailed to eligible employees. ..."    



This Article is From: VER-Annuity-Estimate-Calc.html

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What Do I Do With An Inherited Stamp Collection?

"...The value listed in most stamp catalogs represent what a dealer would charge you if you went to them to purchase that stamp. It is their selling price, not their buying price. It does not take into account volume discounts, past business dealings with the dealer, or any other thing that establishes you as a frequent customer. For example, most of the 20 cent catalog values that you see in Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalog, for example, are the minimum value and are simply for the dealer's time and effort to secure that one stamp. ..."    



This Article is From: www.stampsofdistinction.com

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Monday, August 25, 2008

How Does Your TSP Stack Up?


"...Envious outsiders cite the TSP's low-administrative fees, the 5 percent match available to FERS employees and the presence of the never-has-a-bad-day G-fund. They include people like John Bogle...."    



This Article is From: www.federalnewsradio.com

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Shipping Assistant: More Reasons to Love the Post Office


"...the Post Office has released a full and robust application called Shipping Assistant (SA). Though still free, it offers many of the features of the paid services. For some sellers, this might be all they need, despite its shortcomings and a few feature implementations that are just plain silly. Keep in mind, however, if you want full functionality, you must rent a Pitney Bowes Mailstation 2 for $19.99/month...."    



This Article is From: www.auctionbytes.com

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The Mail Handlers Update: COLA AT $1,477

New Mail Handler Pay Scale

"...The fourth of ten guaranteed cost-of-living adjustments to be paid to all mail handlers under the 2006 National Agreement has been set at $1,477, based on changes in the National Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the period running from January 2008 through July 2008. This is the largest COLA in the history of collective bargaining with the Postal Service, and reflects recent increases in the cost of energy and food. This COLA is being added to wages effective August 30, 2008, and will be reflected in paychecks on September 19, 2008. The COLA of $1,477 represents an increase of 71 cents per hour...."    



This Article is From: www.npmhu.org

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Sunday, August 24, 2008

Georgia hero saluted with special postal service honor


"...Famed University of Georgia running back Herschel Walker can add another accolade to his already long list of honors. Walker, now a 46-year-old businessman and philanthropist, who rose to greatness as a national high school football star in Wrightsville, is the latest person to receive a commemorative cachet from the U.S. Postal Service.
..."    



This Article is From: www.macon.com

Herschel Walker

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VER Calculation Criteria


Learn more about some of the criteria used to calculate VER:

This information is attached to the VER Annuity Statement Letter:



Source: VER Letter



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Thursday, August 21, 2008

USPS offers commemorative DNC envelopes for sale


"...Five Denver post offices are offering for sale to the public a beautiful souvenir commemorative envelope in celebration of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), to be held Aug. 25-28 in the Mile High City...."    



This Article is From: www.kxrm.com

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USPS authorized to offer more voluntary early retirements

ANOTHER VERA APPROVAL

"...offer voluntary early retirement to all Headquarters and Headquarters-related employees — that includes service centers, organizational units and Area offices — in EAS and PCES positions...."    



This Article is From: liteblue.usps.gov

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Junk Mail Being Used to Track New Orleans Recovery


"...The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center has linked the number of homes actively receiving Valassis Communications' RedPlum direct mail promos to a Google map incorporating Street View...."    



This Article is From: blog.wired.com

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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

VER Letter / Early Retirement Discussion Board

If you are one of the many people trying to get information on the upcoming Voluntary Early Retirement, the following source is a great place to stop by and get a feeling for what others are thinking and what is going on at different facilities across the country. Here is a snippet of one post. Click the link to read more.

"...I have no doubt that if I sign the dotted line and mail it in, I will be accepted. KCMO is doing a lot of abolishing of Tour 2 jobs, jobs around our area are being abolished and those employees excessed to our plant, also casuals are being fired left and right..."    
Please post to the link to let us know what is taking place in your area! Help keep others informed.



Source: community.federalsoup.com

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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Mail Handler Convention Update


"...Davis. “The architects of our Constitution recognized the need for a government-run postal system that provided universal access and affordable prices to all Americans. In fact, I’m not sure that some people are aware of it, but the U.S. Constitution actually lists the establishment of Post Offices before it talks about granting congressional authority to declare war or to set up a federal judiciary. And so our founding fathers knew that a postal system, government run, . . . was important. The history of the Postal Service is firmly entwined in the history of the development of this country.”
Convention by the day:
# Day One: Monday
# Day Two: Tuesday Part 1
# Day Two: Tuesday Part 2
# Day Two: Tuesday Part 3
# Day Three: Wednesday
# Day Four: Thursday
# Day Five: Friday ..."    



This Article is From: www.npmhu.org

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USPS To Request VER Authorization For Additional Positions

In a letter to Ted Keating, President of the National Association of Postal Supervisors USPS wrote:

"...we have made a decision to request authorization for additional positions, including those that you are recommending. It is important to reiterate however that there is no approval from OPM regarding additional EAS positions at this time...."    



This Article is From: www.postalreporter.com

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In Historic Speech, NALC’s Young Emphasizes ‘Need to Work Together’

APWU 19th Biennial Convention News Bulletin #01-2008, Aug. 19, 2008

"...“Something’s got to change, and we’ve got make it happen,” Young said during an address to APWU delegates on the first day of the convention. “The men and women of the NALC are ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the men and women of the APWU to make sure that it does.” Young said that the most important thing was to get America’s perspective back in order...."    



This Article is From: www.apwu.org

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Monday, August 18, 2008

USPS cuts employee hours

USPS cuts employee hours in response to mail volume loss

"...Due to initiatives to reduce work hours and overtime, compensation expenses for the US Postal Service dropped by $247 million — or about 2.5% — in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, according to a financial report that the USPS has filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission...."    



This Article is From: www.dmnews.com

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Mail processing changes in Maine

Mail service shifts some mail processing in Maine

"...Richard B. Reed Jr., president of the Bangor Area Local 536 of the American Postal Workers Union, wrote a letter to a number of postal customers indicating that the switch will adversely affect mail delivery. "The mail is shipped by truck between (the two facilities) and the extra travel time would add an automatic one day to the delivery process in the best-case scenario," Reed wrote. "The employees here at EMP&DF do not feel that is in the best interest of the customer."..."    



This Article is From: www.boston.com

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Sunday, August 17, 2008

Request for consideration to include all additional EAS field positions as part of a Voluntary Early Retirement (VER)

Mr, Ted Keating, President,
National Association of Postal Supervisors requested USPS seek additional authorization to include more EAS positions for VER eligibility



This Article is From: www.naps.org

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Friday, August 15, 2008

APWU and NPMHU COLA



APWU and NPMHU postal employees will receive a Cost-Of-Living Adjustment of $1,477 and will be effective Aug. 30, 2008. The COLA will be in checks Pay Period 19-08 which is Sept 19, 2008. This equates to a 71-cent per hour increase ($56.80 per pay period).


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Thursday, August 14, 2008

Next NALC Postal Contract COLA...


 
The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.5 percent in July, prior to seasonal adjustment. The July level of 216.304 (1982-84=100) was 6.2 percent higher than in July 2007. This equates to $1,498 annually for NALC postal employees covered under the National Contracts. The COLA will be effective the pay period beginning August 30 and received in checks on September 19. The new COLA is equivalent to 72 cents per hour ($57.60 per pay period).


Latest CPI-W Release from the BLS

CPI Reference: www.bls.gov

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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Elvis Presley: Collecting The King


"...December 21, 1970, the U.S. Postal Service announced in 1992 that Elvis' image would be used for a commemorative postage stamp. In an unprecedented move, the Postal Service let the American public decide whether to use the image of Elvis as a young rocker or one of him starring in a special Hawaiian performance. The image of the young rocker won out, and the Elvis stamp is the most widely publicized stamp issue in history, and the top selling commemorative postage of all time. More than 500 million Elvis stamps have been printed, more than three times the print run for any other commemorative stamp...."    



This Article is From: www.hofmag.com

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The FERS is Flying


"...about three things you can do to plan for retirement under the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) so that you won't be caught financially short at retirement...."    



This Article is From: www.federalnewsradio.com

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Monday, August 11, 2008

Alabama Post Office Burglarized And Set On Fire


"...burglars broke into the post office between 1 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. Friday.
Epes is located along I-20/59, between Boligee and Livingston. ..."    



This Article is From: www.nbc13.com

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'Road Rage' Led to Federal Agent's Shooting Outside Florida Post Office

"...on his way to a dialysis appointment when he and Pettit, 52, who also was driving, exchanged obscene gestures.

Wonder pulled into a busy post office parking lot, and Pettit followed. The men began arguing and Wonder pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot Pettit once in the back of the head..."    



This Article is From: www.foxnews.com

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Friday, August 8, 2008

Chinese stamp exhibition

Singapore launches Chinese stamp exhibition

"...first official postage stamps in China, Cultural Revolution stamps - Stamps as propaganda tools, as well as contemporary Chinese stamps..."    



This Article is From: news.xinhuanet.com

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Postal worker’s age bias suit goes back to the district court


"...Because the Supreme Court expressed no view as to the First Circuit’s holding (89 EPD ¶42,690) that sovereign immunity did not present a bar to the worker’s suit (the Postal Reorganization Act generally “waived the immunity of the Postal Service from suit by giving it the power ‘to sue and be sued’ in its official name”), the circuit court remanded the case to the district court for further proceedings consistent with the Supreme Court’s opinion and the sovereign immunity portion of its decision. (Gomez-Perez v Potter, 1stCir, 91 EPD ¶43,255)..."    



This Article is From: hr.cch.com

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Thursday, August 7, 2008

USPS Wood Pallet Splintery Retun


"...It seems the USPS got into its present dilemma by failing to create an adequate pallet control system. Now it seems the USPS may be embarking to another equally precipitous course of action. It is moving to a wood pallet program without specifications and other quality control measures in place to ensure a consistently good quality pallet every trip. ..."    



This Article is From: www.materialshandling.net

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Post Office Parking Lot Shooting

Federal agent dies after Fla. post office shooting

"...Pettit was shot once by a man during a possible fight in the post office parking lot, officials said. No one else was injured, and it wasn't clear whether the shooting was related to the agent's job. The suspect drove off in a car and police were combing the area for him...."    



This Article is From: ap.google.com

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Circumstantial case against Army scientist is unveiled


"...the timing of the announcement, a week after Ivins’ suicide and a month after the government paid another former Fort Detrick scientist almost $6 million for wrongly implicating him for years, drew skepticism about whether authorities now had the right man. Ivins’ lawyer, Paul Kemp, asserted his client’s innocence and called the government’s news conference "heaps of innuendo and a staggering lack of real evidence — all contorted to create the illusion of guilt by Dr. Ivins."..."    



This Article is From: www.star-telegram.com

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Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Postal Workers - No Time To Stroke Cats


"...Most postal workers are fiercely proud of the job they do and see it very much as a community role, way and above the concept of putting letters through letterboxes. This view would seem to be supported by Royal Mail itself which runs an annual competition to find postal workers that have demonstrated a commitment way and beyond the requirements of the job. In that respect, postal workers do stand out against employees in many other service industries, even if not entirely unique. Postal workers, at least for the moment, see the new working ethos as akin to working like robots, particularly with timed walks, but they weather the changes in the hope that it will at least secure more jobs. ..."    



This Article is From: www.hellmail.co.uk

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Meriden postal routes cut


"...a mail carrier showed up a little before 7 p.m., explaining to Swedock that route cuts had been made and the carriers were trying to adapt.
"That's ridiculous," Swedock said Monday. "It's ridiculous for the carriers too. I'm all for efficiency, but at the same time, if it ain't broke don't fix it."..."    



This Article is From: www.myrecordjournal.com

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Q&A: Is there proper postal carrier attire?

Are postal carriers not required to wear uniforms anymore?

"...Permanent full-time city letter carriers and other postal employees who deal with the public are required to..."    



This Article is From: www.tampabay.com

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Sunday, August 3, 2008

Anthrax Update

New DNA Technique Led Authorities to 'Anthrax Killer'

"...A government scientist told the Associated Press Sunday that investigators started with DNA from some of those victims and matched specific DNA patterns to anthrax cultures that the suspect, Army scientist Bruce Ivins, 62, was responsible for in the lab...."    



This Article is From: www.foxnews.com

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FERS Sick Leave

House Passes FERS Sick-Leave Bill

"...included in a larger bill, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1108), which Waxman also authored. The bill is similar to a bill (H.R. 5573), which was introduced earlier this year by Rep. James Moran (D-VA).

Under the provision, federal employees who retire within three years from the date of enactment would receive credit for 75 percent of unused sick leave; employees who retire more than three years after enactment of the legislation would get full credit, similar to CSRS employees. Federal employees hired after 1983 are covered by FERS; most of those hired in 1983 and before are covered by CSRS...."    



This Article is From: www.apwu.org

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