Friday, May 25, 2012

USPS early retirement buyout incentive for mail handlers 2012

Mail Handlers to be offered retirement incentive

"...eligible Mail Handlers who choose to leave employment with the USPS on or before August 31, 2012 will each receive incentive payments totaling up to fifteen thousand dollars (for full-time employees). The MOU also provides a moratorium on excessing in all facilities until at least August 11, 2012 (unless excessing was already scheduled). ..."    

This Article is From: National Postal Mail Handlers Local 317 Read our latest posts! .

Monday, May 21, 2012

USPS moves forward against congressional wishes

"...The first phase of the proposal would also reduce the USPS payroll by 13,000 employees, and the agency could employ as many as 28,000 fewer workers once the plan is fully implemented — reductions that Brennan said could be achieved through attrition and by offering retirement incentives...."    

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

Friday, May 18, 2012

USPS Closure or Consolidation Lists for Mail Processing Facilities

Closure or Consolidation Lists for Mail Processing Facilities

"...the Postal Service issued its list of 140 mail processing facilities to be impacted during Phase 1 under its amended closure and consolidation plan. Today’s public announcement by USPS details the phased-in plan for several dozen closings or consolidations this August, as well as a plan for additional closings or consolidations beginning early in 2013..."    

This Article is From: npmhu317.blogspot.com Read our latest posts! .

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

USPS Announcement: Modified Network Consolidation Plan to Move Forward

USPS Announces ‘Modified Consolidation Plan’
Implementation to Begin This Summer, No Specifics Provided

Excerpts From Announcement and Stand-Up Talk:

...consolidation activities will start this summer. After a break from
September through December, this first phase will resume in January
2013. A second phase will then continue beginning in February of
2014 unless our circumstances change.
Employees at affected facilities are being notified of the phases and
general timelines. At facilities where consolidation actiVity will move
forward this summer, employees will receive additional notifications
starting May 21.
Actions taken will comply with collective bargaining agreements,
Postal Service regulations and policies, and other applicable law.

MANDATORY SERVICE TALK
SUBJECT: NETWORK RATIONALIZATION
The Postal Service Is announcing that we are moving ahead with a modified plan to consolidate
~s network of mail processing facilities. A phased approach will be used with Phase One starting
July 1,2012.
4/12

In an effort to keep you Informed so you can effectively communicate with customers, here are
some key polnt!l:
• Some consolldatlon activities will begin this summer, but there will be no facility closures this
summer.
• Due to heightened mail volumes predicted "for the election and holiday mailing seasons, no
consolidation activities will occur from September through Depember of 2012.
• Phase 1will resume in February 2013 and ovemight dellvery of First Class Mall will be
preserved for local areas through the end of 2013. Phase 2 will continue beginning in
February 2014 unless the circumstances of the Postal Service change, and the First-Class
Mail ovemight delivery standard will be applicable oniy to properly prepared and entered
intre-8FC Presort.
• Until a transition date has been announced, mailers will continue to be able to enter mall at
Business Mail Entry Units (BMEUs) at their current facilities.
• In the short term, there will be no ohanges to locations or operating hours of BMEUs, or retail
units, co-located with any affected facilities. A 120-day notice will be provided before any
BMEU moves, consolidations, or changes to hours of operation,
• Detached Mall Unit locations associated with impacted facilities will be maintained tc include
transportation, staffing, current Plant Load and Customer Supplier Agreements.
• Mailers are encouraged to align their preparation and entry to the new network. However,
mailers will continue to receive drop-Ship entry discounts for mall entered at Impacted
facilities based on 3-digit ZIP Codes currently allowed.
• Additional Information on mail processing consolidations is available at
www.usps.com/ourfuturenetwork.
In the event that a customer presents a question to whioh you do not know the answer, please
record the question and escalate to your Consumer and Industry Contact Manager.
Remember to thank our customers for the trust they have placed In us over the years, and that
we value their business, and are working harder than ever to position the Postal Service so that
we can continue to serve them for many years to come....

   

This Article is From: modified-network-consolidation-plan.blogspot.com Read our latest posts! .

Monday, May 14, 2012

More discounts for commercial mailers

U.S. Postal Service Incents Commercial Mailers to Combine Mobile Marketing

"...2 percent postage discount on Standard Mail and First-Class Mail letters, flats and cards (presort and automation) that include a two-dimensional barcode or print/mobile technology..."    

This Article is From: Read our latest posts! .

Friday, May 11, 2012

Postal Bait and Switch

Ralph Nader Calls New Postal Service Plan a “Bait and Switch” Tactic, Not Good News for Rural Post Offices

"...by further restricting Post Office hours the Postmaster General makes the corporate “alternatives” to the U.S. Postal Service more likely and sets the stage for future Post Office closings when the revenues and workload of reduced-hours offices inevitably suffer. The Postmaster General has effectively taken a list of 3,652 offices that were on the chopping block and added nearly 10,000 more offices to that list.”..."    

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

Mailed Marijuana Intercepted

USPS Authorities Intercept Tinley-Bound Pot Package

"...Postal Service inspector's suspicion about a peculiar package proved valid when local police reportedly found 223 grams of pot stowed inside...."    

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

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Postal Service announces Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) and incentive offer

Postal Service Announces New Post Office Structure Plan, Which Would Keep Rural Post Offices Open

"...The Postal Service has also announced a Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) and incentive offer for non-PCES Postmasters. The one-time cash incentive of $20,000, will be payable to all full time Postmasters in two installments (December, 2012 and December 2013.) Part-time Postmasters will receive pro-rated payments on the same dates. All eligible Postmasters will receive a retirement kit and a retirement annuity payment estimate from the Postal Service next week. Additional information on the VER and incentive guidelines will be posted as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Workforce Connection , on LiteBlue, at www.LiteBlue.usps.gov...."    postal news

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

New Strategy to Preserve the Nation’s Smallest Post Offices

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service announced a new strategy today that could keep the nation’s smallest Post Offices open for business, while providing a framework to achieve significant cost savings as part of the plan to return the organization to financial stability.

The plan would keep the existing Post Office in place, but with modified retail window hours to match customer use. Access to the retail lobby and to PO Boxes would remain unchanged, and the town’s ZIP Code and community identity would be retained.

“Meeting the needs of postal customers is, and will always be, a top priority. We continue to balance that by better aligning service options with customer demand and reducing the cost to serve,” said Postmaster General and CEO Patrick R. Donahoe. “With that said, we’ve listened to our customers in rural America and we’ve heard them loud and clear – they want to keep their Post Office open. We believe today’s announcement will serve our customers’ needs and allow us to achieve real savings to help the Postal Service return to long-term financial stability.”

The new strategy would be implemented over a two-year, multi-phased approach and would not be completed until September 2014. Once implementation is completed, the Postal Service estimates savings of a half billion dollars annually.

“The Postal Service is committed to serving America’s communities and providing a responsible and fair approach for our employees and customers,” said Megan Brennan, Postal Service Chief Operating Officer. “The Post Offices in rural America will remain open unless a community has a strong preference for one of the other options. We will not close any of these rural Post Offices without having provided a viable solution.”

The Postal Service will provide an opportunity for the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to review this plan prior to making any changes. The Postal Service intends to file a request for an advisory opinion on the plan with the PRC later this month. Community meetings would then be conducted to review options in greater detail. Communities will be notified by mail of the date, time and location of these meetings.

This new option complements existing alternatives, which include:

Providing mail delivery service to residents and businesses in the affected community by either rural carrier or highway contract route;
Contracting with a local business to create a Village Post Office; and
Offering service from a nearby Post Office.

A voluntary early retirement incentive for the nation’s more than 21,000 non-executive postmasters was also announced.

Survey research conducted by the respected Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) in February, showed 54 percent of rural customers would prefer the new solution to maintain a local Post Office. Forty-six percent prefer one of the previously announced solutions (20% prefer Village Post Office, 15% prefer providing services at a nearby Post Office, 11% prefer expanded rural delivery). This strategy would enable a town to possibly have a Post Office with modified hours, as well as a Village Post Office.

The Postal Service has implemented a voluntary moratorium on all postal facility closings through May 15, 2012. No closings or changes to Post Office operations will occur until after that time.

In addition to maintaining a retail network of more than 31,000 Post Offices, the Postal Service also provides online access to postal products and services through usps.com and more than 70,000 alternate access locations. Nearly 40-percent of postal retail revenue comes from purchases on usps.com and through approved postal providers such as Wal-Mart, Staples, Office Depot, Walgreens, Sam’s Club, Costco, and many others.

A list of Post Offices affected by today's announcement and additional details will be available after 4 p.m. ET today at http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/our-future-network/welcome.htm

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional on this issue, please go to http://about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

Follow USPS on Twitter @USPS_PR and at Facebook.com/usps.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Postal Facility Closure Search List Tool

USPS Facilities that Could Begin Closing May 15th

Type in a zip to determine if your postal facility is under threat of closure starting May 15, 2012    postal news

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

Friday, May 4, 2012

Closing of postal facilities prior to postal reform legislation being enacted would be devastating to communities

Postal Closures Likely To Start This Summer

"...Postal Service intends to close or consolidate parts of some 223 postal plants to shrink its network and save $2 billion. The closing and consolidation plans have yet to be reviewed by postal regulators...."    postal news

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

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Postal Facility Consolidation List

Area Mail Processing study decision (2/23/12)

"...the U.S. Postal Service today announced that the Area Mail Processing consolidation studies that began more than five months ago have been completed...." Facility list ›
   postal news

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

Will 'House' let Postal Service die due to inaction?

Fate of Postal Service Awaits Action in House

"...“Without legislation, the Postal Service will not be able to make payments that are due and will likely be forced to slash services. We fear that the resulting degradation of mail service will further drive away postal customers, only hastening the loss of postal revenue, the accelerating contraction of mail processing and mail-related industry, and further loss of associated jobs.” ..."    postal news

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