Monday, September 30, 2013

PMG working hard to pull postal workers out of Federal Health Benefits Program

USPS says overhauling health benefits key to postal reform

"... However, the Office of Personnel Management is concerned about how the Postal Service's planned exit would affect the FEHBP, which OPM manages. Jonathan Foley, OPM's director of planning and policy analysis, said the overall impact would be about a 2 percent increase in costs per enrollee. But he testified Postal Service's withdrawal from the federal health system would have a larger impact on those plans with a heavy presence of postal employees. ..."    

This Article is From: www.federalnewsradio.com Read our latest posts! .

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Privatizing the Postal Service is not a good idea

Don't privatize USPS yet

"...Although delivering mail may not turn a profit, it is a valuable public service. The Postal Service delivers 40 percent of the world’s cards and letters, according to the Center for American Progress. Sending letters, though less common today, is far from obsolete. Spending a small amount of tax money to keep the postal service afloat is not automatically a bad idea...."    

This Article is From: washingtontimes.com Read our latest posts! .

Friday, September 27, 2013

More Mail Delays

Mail fail: Local newspaper steamed up over USPS delays

"... ongoing cutbacks at the U.S. Postal Service have been delaying the arrival of the paper in subscribers' mailboxes by as much as several days...."    

This Article is From: www.watershedpost.com Read our latest posts! .

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

First class stamps going up, what about standard bulk mail rates?

USPS proposes raising stamp price by 3 cents in new year

"...The United States Postal Service said Wednesday that it has proposed increasing the price of first-class mail to 49 cents from 46 cents, beginning in January..."    

This Article is From: www.nbcnews.com Read our latest posts! .

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

William H. Gross Stamp Gallery at National Postal Museum

Its Main Mission: Forever Stamps

"... the gallery’s 12,000 square feet are devoted to a single object that seems on the brink of extinction: the postage stamp. ..."    

This Article is From: www.nytimes.com Read our latest posts! .

Monday, September 23, 2013

Postal Service says it's broke, but spending $42 million on one facility renovation

What is going on with the U.S. Postal Service? Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe says By mid-October 2013, the Postal Service projects it will have a cash balance on hand of approximately five days of average daily expenses. The aforementioned article claims the Postal Service will be broke by November 2013, yet in one of many examples, evidence seems to run counter to that claim. Specifically, while the USPS is shuttering and consolidating mail processing facilities across the nation, they are at the same time allocating money to renovate and even expand others. For example, Korte is to begin $42 Million design-build construction For a USPS Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) in Houston. This is after claiming the urgent need to close or consolidate facilities due to excess floor space and mail processing equipment sitting idle too much. This tends to give more validity to the perception that the USPS has manufactured a crisis to assist in lowering wages and benefits of workers, thus making it easier to privatize profitable portions of the USPS.    

This Article is From: Postal Newsgroup Read our latest posts! .

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Tim Costello top 3 'District Manager of Year' (PCC recognition)

Tim Costello
Tim Costello
Postal Customer Council recognizes Tim Costello top 3 'District Manager of Year'
"...This year Timothy R. Costello, District Manager, Alabama District, is the recipient of the "PCC District Manager of the Year" Bronze Award. The Greater Birmingham PCC nominated Costello, citing his "outstanding leadership by example --- critical to the Alabama District, the Postal Service, and its customers." Costello competed with District Managers across the nation...."    
This Article is From: www.wsfa.com Read our latest posts! .

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Early retirement offer for 15,000+ Postal Service managers and supervisors

Postal Service: Almost 16K EAS employees eligible for early-out

"...Under the standard federal package, employees can retire early if they are at least 50 years old with a minimum of 20 years’ service or at any age with at least 25 years’ service...."    

This Article is From: federaltimes.com Read our latest posts! .

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Illicit Marijuana mailers prefer Postal Service Express Mail

Postal investigators target drug trade through U.S. mail

"...a local postal inspector, wrote in a recent court filing that Express Mail, in particular, has been used to ship narcotics. “The use of Express Mail is favored because of the reliability, speed and relatively low cost of this service..."    

This Article is From: theadvocate.com Read our latest posts! .

Thursday, September 12, 2013

AFL-CIO resolves to prevent destruction of the Postal Service

AFL-CIO Adopts Pro-Postal Resolution

"...These destructive bills (H.R. 2748 and S. 1486) also pose a dire threat to the pensions and health benefits of postal employees by interfering with the postal collective bargaining process that has worked so well for more than 40 years.”..."    

This Article is From: www.apwu.org Read our latest posts! .

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Remembering 9/11

Remembering 9/11
National Geographic remembers 9/11    
This Article is From: www.nationalgeographic.com Read our latest posts! .

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

How much of our public domain will turn into private fortunes?

Scam Alert! Press Sleeps Through the Great Post Office Fire Sale

"... History is repeating itself today with the nation's postal service, and much of the press is asleep at the wheel. ..."    

This Article is From: www.alternet.org Read our latest posts! .

Monday, September 9, 2013

Federal jobs: postal work is by far the most dangerous

Most dangerous jobs: Postal work tops list among federal civilian positions

"...For a workforce of about 2.1 million, that works out to roughly one fatality for every 39,000 employees..."    

This Article is From: www.federaltimes.com Read our latest posts! .

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Postal Service early retirement offer may be coming for 1,000's of executives, postmasters, and other managers

Big early-out offer may be coming at USPS

"...The U.S. Postal Service is poised to offer early retirement to thousands of executives, postmasters, and other managers, according to the National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS)...."    

This Article is From: www.federaltimes.com Read our latest posts! .

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Have any idea which direction the findings of this 'private-sector' report will lean? Assault on America's working class continues

Postal Service IG Puts Retirement and Leave Benefits Under the Microscope

"...The USPS’ inspector general posted the requests on the FedBizOpps, asking for a supplier with “subject matter expertise” to develop a report that compares the Postal Service’s leave and paid holiday program and retirement benefits to those offered by “major private-sector companies.”..."    

This Article is From: www.govexec.com Read our latest posts! .

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Postal Service claims alleged harassment was not sufficiently severe or pervasive and did not create an abusive working environment

US postal worker claims 'acting manager' repeatedly harassed her

"... In a pre- hearing statement from the post office, the agency states it will prove Colon cannot establish a case of discrimination and that the alleged harassment was not sufficiently severe or pervasive and did not create an abusive working environment...."    

This Article is From: www.wtvm.com Read our latest posts! .