Sunday, January 31, 2010

USPS offering free mailing course


"...The seminar is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 29 at the Denver General Mail Facility, 7555 E. 53rd Place, Classroom A, Denver...."    



This Article is From: www.aurorasentinel.com

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Package thief caught on camera


"...According to MyBallard.com, UPS delivered the packages at 2:25 p.m. and the theft occurred at 2:43 p.m. The timing could mean the thief was trailing the delivery truck...."    



This Article is From: seattletimes.nwsource.com

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Subsidizing Junk Mail in the Great Recession


"...Nearly half of all junk mail isn't even opened. Richard Conlin, Seattle City Council President: "From the city's perspective, it becomes garbage and we have to pay for disposing of it. And even if it's recycled, recycling still isn't as good as not having it in the waste stream at all."

The public's dislike for junk mail has hovered between 80% and 90% since the early 1990s..."    



This Article is From: www.huffingtonpost.com

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Saturday, January 30, 2010

USPS Current List of Stations/Branches Under Review as of January 29, 2010

Postal Service Updates Consolidation Initiative

No final decisions have been made

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today filed an update with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) indicating that 162 offices remain under review for possible consolidation under the station and branch consolidation initiative. That is six fewer from the last update in December. No final decisions have been made regarding specific office consolidations.

Today’s filing with the PRC updates a review process begun last summer that initially examined about 3,300 stations and branches in urban and suburban areas, focusing on facilities in relatively close proximity to one another where consolidations might be feasible without compromising customer access.

“Consumer behavior is changing. It is important for the Postal Service to adjust to the shift,” says Dean Granholm, vice president of Delivery and Post Office Operations. “We will continue to provide easy access, but changes to our retail network are essential to our ability to continue to provide the safe secure and fairly priced postal services that Americans have counted on for 234 years.”

With more than 36,000 Post Offices, stations, branches, contract and community post offices, the Postal Service has the largest retail network in the United States. Always on the lookout for convenience, though, many Postal Service customers are choosing to access postal services and purchase stamps via alternative access – locations other than a Post Office.

More than 56,000 locations such as supermarkets, drug stores, and other retailers sell postage and selected postal services. Nearly 18,000 ATMs dispense sheets of stamps. It is the online alternative at usps.com, where you can get shipping information, purchase and print postage 24/7, that customers find most convenient. In 2009, nearly 30 percent of postal retail transactions were conducted in locations other than a Post Office.

The Postal Service receives no tax subsidy to operate the nation’s mail service. Revenues from the sale of postage, products and services fund its operations. Last year, the Postal Service reported a loss of $3.8 billion. A number of new initiatives have also been undertaken to build revenue, including Flat Rate Priority Mail pricing and the introduction of greeting cards for sale at about 900 select Post Offices.

As part of the consolidation process, the Postal Service has filed periodic updates with the Postal Regulatory Commission identifying the retail stations and branches that remain under consideration. Today’s filing does not represent a final decision on consolidation. No facility-specific final decisions have been made as a result of this initiative.

Click here for the list http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/stationbranchop.pdf

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/welcome.htm.
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 26th in the 2008 Fortune 500.    





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Friday, January 29, 2010

Carrier charged with $123,000 in mail thefts


"...Tensy May Smith, 52, was being held Wednesday in Westchester County jail with bail set at $50,000 after her arrest Monday in a sting operation. The 15-year U.S. Postal Service employee faces a charge of second-degree grand larceny, a felony...."    



This Article is From: www.usatoday.com

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Save Mother Teresa Postage Stamp Campaign begins

Atheist Group Assails Mother Teresa Postage Stamp

"...“Just when you think the atheists and anti-religionists have run out of things to complain about, they attack Mother Teresa, one of the great role models of the last century. We are encouraging anyone who has been inspired by Mother Teresa to join us in writing letters of appreciation to the U.S. Postal Service to counter the ridiculous complaints they are receiving from the FFRF.”..."    



This Article is From: oregonfaithreport.com

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Worst Work Uniforms: US Postal Workers


"...noble independent agency of the US government takes special care in presenting itself with the utmost professionalism via competent, confident appearances -- minus the occasional bear gut...."    



This Article is From: www.minyanville.com

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Who let the dogs out? Getting blacklisted by the USPS


"...3,100 mail carriers around the country were bitten by dogs or received dog attack-related injuries. For each year between 2001 and 2008, there were more than 3,000 dog bite attacks on USPS workers..."    



This Article is From: blog.seattlepi.com

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Wytheville post office standoff suspect indicted on 6 federal counts


"..."Gator" Taylor, 53, of Sullivan County, Tenn., was arrested late Dec. 23, about nine hours after pushing his wheelchair into the post office, announcing he had a bomb and firing a shot at the postmaster...."    



This Article is From: www.roanoke.com

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USPS launched a year-long initiative to increase PO Box revenue


"...Some offices in colder regions promote PO Box rentals as an alternative to keeping areas around mailboxes free of snow. Another district has been working with a customer who realized the USPS Caller/Reserve Service is cheaper than having his own mailroom because mail picked up at the Post Office already is sorted by department...."    



This Article is From: liteblue.usps.gov

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Postal Service Unions Attempt to Reduce Mailing Costs


"...Because workshare discounts are a joke, as president of the APWU, I can extend the following offer: APWU members will perform all mail sortation for .01 less than the discounted rate of 10.5 cents major mailers enjoy for performing a small portion of the process. The USPS will save money, and every APWU-represented mail processor can benefit from a modest raise. ..."    



This Article is From: www.apwu.org

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USPS blocks gift to Haitian-born postman


"... "Never, ever, did we dream we'd run into an issue with the postal service telling us we can't take up a collection and give it to him, " said Keller Taylor of Solebury Township. "Everybody was outraged."

"The postal service has some ethics rules, and we're not allowed to accept cash ..."    



This Article is From: abclocal.go.com

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Monday, January 25, 2010

Unions Save Jobs ...keeping America Working


"...52% of all union members now work for the federal, state or local government, up from 49% in 2008. Or, to better illustrate these statistics: three times more union members work in the Post Office than in the auto industry...."    



This Article is From: blog.heritage.org

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Valentines Postal Office puts its own stamp on Valentine greetings


"...thousands of pieces of Valentine’s Day mail are sent to this out-of-the-way crossroads in Brunswick County for one reason: A heart-shaped, hand-canceled postmark that says “VALENTINES, VA.” ..."    



This Article is From: www2.newsvirginian.com

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Bomb Squad Sent To Local Post Office To Check Out Suspicious Package


"...suspicious package was discovered on top of a mailbox at the U.S. Post Office on Highway 6 in Waco...."    



This Article is From: www.kwtx.com

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Do we need unions? What has the union done for me?


The oft asked questions of non-union members, as well as disgruntled union members, are Do we need unions? What has the union done for me?. For the educated and well-read members of American society, the questions are easily answered. For example, anyone that has ventured to ponder those questions and educate themselves, may have read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, popular classic read, and which shined a bright light on the realms of child labor, prisons, insurance companies, and, foremost, American enterprise and its role in the creation of a new American class of impoverished industrial wage slaves. The book was considered required reading in some school systems in America. Some feel that the atrocities referenced in the book are merely a reflection of times past that could not be repeated in modern civilized society. If you are of that school of thought, consider yourself a part of the privileged caste. Please do not think for one minute that these atrocities do not exist today in our own society, no matter how far removed you may be from it. To this day, you are fed anti-union rhetoric by big business through all media streams in an effort to tilt you into thinking that the unions are responsible for the destruction of the American dream and the outrageous pricing economics of this great country. As members of the highly unionized postal workforce, you are bombarded at union negotiation time, by large mailers screaming about the wages and benefits of postal blue collar workers being the cause of high postal pricing and poor performance, while they attempt to veil the savings they unfairly reap on their own mailing discounts through excessive workshare discounts and other manipulative means. Specifically, what has the union brought to you and the American working class? This should be easy to see, even in the low-wage postal industry. Take a look around you. Ask that casual employee working directly next to a Full Time Regular (FTR) employee or a Part Flexible (PTF) employee, what they think about their wage and benefits. They will tell you about not having health insurance, their low wage, their lack of any decent schedule, their inability to know how many hours they will get this week and the ability of the employer to fire them on a whim without any protection. Unfortunately, most of them have an anti-union thought themselves, as they see the career postal employee as a spoiled employee that doesn't appreciate the benefits and wages they receive. However, that casual employee fails to see that without the union in place, their own wage would be lower and their work environment would be much worse, as the employer would not feel obligated to pay them anything more than minimum wage (also hard fought and won through unions). The career postal employee should look at the casual employee and see in the mirror themselves if the union did not exist. That goes equally to the SDO's and MDO's whose wage and benefits are closely tied to what the union negotiates for the working class. You have health insurance, higher wages, life insurance, tax benefits, safe working environments, retirement programs, better hours, overtime, and a voice, thanks SOLELY to unions in this country! ...and non-union workers in this country owe unions a debt of gratitude for what they have. So support your union and strive to point out to the non-union industries the benefit of being unionized. Stand up against the uneducated anti-union bullies who are quite often pawns in the big chess game of making the rich richer and the working class a separate caste. Unions want us ALL to have a larger, fairer slice of the pie that we all work hard to achieve. That also means we should all work hard and diligently to make our employer a success as well! Yes, we need unions!

   



This Article is From: postal-newsgroup.blogspot.com

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The future for intelligent mail is bright


"...requiring participating mailers to use unique Intelligent Mail Bar Codes on mail pieces, trays and containers, and to electronically submit postage statements and mailing documentation, among other requirements...."    



This Article is From: www.btobonline.com

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Monday, January 18, 2010

Postal worker needs plastic surgery after dog attack


"..."Whilst welcoming this significant victory in relation to personal injury compensation, it does emphasize the importance of the ongoing CWU Biteback campaign which continues to fight for tougher laws to protect postal and other workers and members of the public from dangerous dogs...."    



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

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Postal carrier killed in Inlet shooting


"...Post Office worker and mother of three young children was gunned down by her ex-boyfriend Wednesday morning, ..."    



This Article is From: www.gtowntimes.com

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Vail case being treated as murder-suicide


"...Pima County Sheriff's Department is investigating a possible murder-suicide late Sunday in Vail that culminated with a U.S. Postal Service inspector shooting himself while on the phone with a 911 operator..."    



This Article is From: www.azstarnet.com

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Saturday, January 16, 2010

Postal Workers Seek Answers in Public Meeting


"...It was a tense discussion as U.S Postal Service (USPS) representatives met with workers and residents of Bay County Thursday, as they sorted through a proposal to close the Panama City distribution center..."    



This Article is From: www.panhandleparade.com

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OIG, USPIS Launch Workers' Comp Fraud Initiative


"...this initiative is an opportunity for the OIG and the Inspection Service to collaborate and focus on protecting the integrity and financial health of the Postal Service.

If you know someone who is defrauding the Postal Service, contact the OIG at 1-888-USPS-OIG or at www.uspsoig.gov...."    



This Article is From: liteblue.usps.gov

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

GF postman sentenced for driving a mail truck while drunk


"...could be subject to discipline, considering that USPS policy prohibits on-duty employees from drinking alcohol or being intoxicated...."    



This Article is From: www.grandforksherald.com

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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Nine-Million-Member Union Coalition Calls For Defeat Of Cadillac Tax


"...it will unfairly hit working-class families. The letter from the federal and postal employees frames the tax as both inequitable and potentially damaging to the prospects of recruiting future government employees..."    



This Article is From: www.huffingtonpost.com

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Sunday, January 10, 2010

At funeral, postal workers deliver special tribute


"...Sixty postal trucks lined the entrance of Evergreen Cemetery yesterday afternoon in a tribute to a Framingham letter carrier who died last week. Kurt J. Boudreau, 43, died Dec. 27 after falling ill at his Marlborough home...."    



This Article is From: www.metrowestdailynews.com

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Saturday, January 9, 2010

Postal service retreats ... Marines, Beanie Babies team up


"...Among the criticisms: the word "munitions" was overly broad; the ban would violate the Constitution's Second Amendment; the postal service lacked the legal authority to issue such a ban; and there wasn't a big enough problem to even worry about...."    



This Article is From: www.timesrecordnews.com

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Friday, January 8, 2010

U.S. Postal Service to honor carrier who helped save 10-yr-old boy trapped beneath car


"...Christopher H. Leipert, who has worked since May as a temporary mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service office at 1300 Cumberland in Saginaw, has responded humbly..."    



This Article is From: www.mlive.com

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Marlow postal carrier indicted on theft charge


"...part-time postal carrier from Marlow is facing federal charges accusing him of stealing medication from the mail...."    



This Article is From: www.koamtv.com

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UPS plans to cut jobs for additional cost savings in 2010

UPS raises fourth-quarter profit outlook

"...restructuring will eliminate about 1,800 management and administrative assistants, the company said, in part through normal attrition and by buyout offers for about 1,110 employees...."    



This Article is From: www.marketwatch.com

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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Postal Service considers closing local mail processing center, consolidating work in Macon

Eight jobs would be lost in Columbus processing center

"...the Postal Service decided to close out a similar facility in Athens and move the work to a metro Atlanta facility. The agency is also studying whether it should close an outgoing mail facility in Atlanta itself, which could also move to the metro Atlanta site...."    



This Article is From: www.ledger-enquirer.com

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Postal deficit may lead to less delivery


"...So what is the postal service to do? The biggest change coming could be in Saturday delivery. The agency is planning to ask Congress to let it stop running mail routes six days a week. Donahoe says that could save $3.5 billion each year...."    



This Article is From: marketplace.publicradio.org

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Sunday, January 3, 2010

Uncle Sam offers more buyouts for workers


"...Postal Service extended offers to 30,000 employees. A little more than 21,000 have accepted, the Post reported. The offers expire Thursday...."    



This Article is From: washington.bizjournals.com

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$50,000 reward offered by USPS for robbery of mail carrier


"...robbed a postal carrier in Reseda, California, a suburb north of downtown Los Angeles, as the carrier was sitting in a parked mail delivery truck, authorities said...."    



This Article is From: www.digitaljournal.com

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Saturday, January 2, 2010

If we are attacked by biological weapons — the Post Office will come to the rescue


"...Postal Service in charge of delivering drugs and other medical supplies required for surviving the attack...."    



This Article is From: www.examiner.com

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