Postal Employee Jury Duty Scam

Postal worker gets 5 months for fraudulent jury service
"...summoned for jury service in October 2003 and served on a jury. But then he submitted fraudulent documents to his boss showing he was away on jury service many days past the time he was dismissed. He was caught when a supervisor became suspicious when he repeated the scam in 2006...."
Reference: www.examiner.com

.

Postal Service Launching Competitive Expedited Mail Prices

Express Mail Will Be the Best Overnight Deal in the Country for Most Shippers "...“We are excited to offer our customers these price incentives — a first for the Postal Service,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Expedited Mail. “We already have world-class products and first-rate service, and our new prices make us the best value in the market.”..." Resource: www.usps.com

.

USPS Retaliation for Unfair Labor Practice

Court Upholds Unfair Labor Charge Against USPS

"...The case stemmed from an incident on Aug. 25, 2004, when an employee at a Florida post office discovered white powder in a tray of letters. Mindful of incidents involving anthrax in the mail, several workers protested the supervisor’s instructions to process the mail. The supervisor told the shop steward at the Destin post office to shut up, and an employee filed an unfair labor practice charge, alleging that the supervisor had refused to allow the shop steward to perform his duties...."

Reference: www.apwu.org

.

Forever Stamps

Postal customers buy Forever stamps before prices rise

"...On May 12, the cost of sending a first-class letter will rise a penny to 42 cents. But the United States Post Office's Forever stamps -- which are always valid for mailing a letter -- still are selling for 41 cents...."

Reference: www.islandpacket.com

.

TSP Returns April 2008

Thrift Savings Plan Return April 2008


.

Bryant Annex Post Office Postal Supervisor Problems

Postal workers go postal with picket
"...Limin said. “He’s a bully with a big ego. ”Branch 214 also sent us a letter signed by dozens of workers demanding that post office managers intervene: “[Malig] constantly threatens most of the employees with discipline even without basis just to harass and intimidate us. He yells and screams at almost anyone who disagrees with him. His continued unprofessionalism created a … hostile environment for all the employees under his supervision. He lacks integrity, honesty and truthfulness in every interaction with the employees … This strange, erratic and sarcastic behavior is of great concern to each and every one of us.”..."
Reference: www.sfbg.com

.

.

Air Force Reserve 60th anniversary pictorial cancellation

The Air Force Reserve 60th anniversary pictorial cancellation will continue through June 14.




Above is a pictorial cancellation stamp to be used by the U.S. Postal Service to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Air Force Reserve. The stamp will be used from April 14 to June 14 at the Marietta, Ga., Post Office.

Pictorial Postmarks
60th Anniversary of the USAFR Station
257 Lawrence Street
Marietta, GA 30060-9998

.

Carrier Arrested After Boxing Dog Running Wild In Neighborhood

Here's a sad story ...sad for the innocent little puppy and sad for the postal carrier that protected the little pup from getting ran over and squashed by putting it in a box on a politician's porch to highlight the loose dog issue. Unfortunately, the puppy may have been injured in his escape from the box. Unfortunate as well, is the fact that the postal carrier may have accidentally injured his own career while attempting to protect the dog and shed light on a problem of dogs running loose in the neighborhood. Take a look at an article on the story from the Dallas News. The story: Irving postal carrier who left dog on mayor's doorstep arrested. We offer best wishes to the puppy in his recovery, as well as the postal carrier in his efforts to clear his name.

.

Most Expensive Stamp Ever: lenticular technology

Austrian Post has created a stamp using lenticular technology. The stamp was created by superposing 48 recorded television images on the stamp. This creates an optical effect producing what appears to be a three minute film. For more information on the stamp go to: http://www.post.at/en/271_7694.php
To order the stamp go to: http://www.post.at/eshop/philatelieshop/detail.php?prod=208240


© Austrian Post 2008

Reference: Visit Austrian Post (English version) at: http://www.post.at/en/
Visit Austrian Post in Native Language at: Die Post ...Die Post bringt allen was.

.

Record Profits For Big Oil Companies

Exxon’s $10.9-billion profit disappoints...
"...Last year, ExxonMobil’s record $41 billion in earnings was the highest ever for a U.S. corporation. At the same time, oil prices this year have nearly doubled from 2007, at times rising well above $100. Drivers also are outraged over retail gas prices topping $4 around the USA...."
Reference: www.freep.com

GPS Mail Logger

Here is an interesting item we found on the internet while searching for interesting articles to post. This item is a GPS mail tracking unit that can identify where your mail has been. This looks like a great item for bulk mailers to determine where mail delays may be taking place. Take a look at the website for the BrickHouse Security Micro GPS Mail Logger. The site reads as follows:

Discover Delays And Inefficiencies In Delivery With GPS Location
The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 212 billion pieces of mail annually and they are constantly looking for new ways to improve efficiency and eliminate delays. The answer? The GPS Mail Logger. At half of an inch thin, this GPS Mail Logger is the world�s only GPS Tracking Device that can be mailed in an envelope. Evaluate the effectiveness of your delivery service by pinpointing inefficiencies or delays in the delivery process.

Features

* Tracks your mail with GPS location
* Records your mail�s downtime to pinpoint inefficiencies and delays in the delivery process
* Customized time interval records your mail�s movement as often as your like
* Battery lasts for up to 2 weeks on motion-activated "e;Tilt Mode"e; or 20 continuous hours with minute-by-minute updates
* Fits into an envelope at � of an inch thin
* Integrates directly with Google Earth
* Use it to track mail anywhere in the world
* GPS Location information is stored onto a removable MicroSD card for later review
* Records location, speed, and altitude anywhere in the world for later review

If you have used this item, please leave a comment or a screen capture of a tracking report. Thanks!

new automation mail preparation standards

.
Ross-Simons Slams Proposed USPS Rule Change For ‘Slim-Jim’ Processing
"...the USPS says in its proposal that “many slim-jims will jam letter automation equipment or become significantly damaged during processing. To avoid these problems, slim-jims often are run on flat-sorting equipment, where they process without significant problems, but at significantly greater cost. To rectify this situation, the Postal Service is developing new automation mail preparation standards for letter-size booklets and folded self-mailers that more accurately characterize which pieces can be run on its primary letter-sorting equipment”..."
Reference: multichannelmerchant.com

.

Postal Carrier Dogged for Making a Point

Chihuahua delivered to mayor's doorstep "...contends that he has complained about the puppy wandering loose in his neighborhood, and animal control failed to correct the problem. After the pooch "made sexual advances"..."
Reference: blogs.roanoke.com from a story in the Dallas Morning News

How can I be a postal service mystery shopper?

Postal Service looking for secret shoppers: The Real Deal 4/30/08 "...You can’t just sign up for the program, however. Certain zip codes are chosen, and people living in those zip codes are sent letters at random. While secret shoppers may get to keep items they buy while on the job, the Postal Service isn’t offering you anything in return for your taking part in the program..."
Reference:

The National Postal Museum Needs Your Help

.
The Smithsonian National Postal Museum is looking for photographs and memorabilia of postal employees
"...especially interested in photographs of employees from the 1940s to the present. The photographs are being sought in connection with the upcoming “Portrait of the Postal Worker” exhibit, scheduled to open in March 2010...."
Reference: www.npmhu.org

.

schedules for economic stimulus payments

Below are the schedules for economic stimulus payments related to tax returns processed by April 15, 2008:

Letter Carriers Food Drive is May 10, 2008

ABOUT STAMP OUT HUNGER
On Saturday May 10th, letter carriers in more than 10,000 communities will collect food items and deliver them to local food banks to help some of the millions of Americans, including an estimated 13 million children, who face hunger every day.

Since 1993, families have donated more than a half-billion pounds of food to Stamp Out Hunger. You can help make this year our most successful ever.
Simply place bags filled with nonperishable food items like canned meats and fish, canned soup, juice, pasta, vegetables, cereal and rice next to your mailbox on Saturday, May 10th. *

Your letter carrier will pick up the bags and deliver them to your local food bank.

* Please do not include out-of-date items or those in glass containers.

Forever Stamp

Every Time a Bell Rings… Another Forever Stamp is Sold: Postal Service Customers Prepare for New Prices on May 12 "...The Forever Stamp, as the name suggests, can be used to mail a one-ounce First-Class Mail letter at any time in the future without additional postage, regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change. Customers who buy Forever Stamps now at the current First-Class Mail stamp price of 41 cents will save a penny when the price of stamps — including the Forever Stamp — increases to 42 cents on May 12...."
Reference: www.usps.com

.

www.fedexwatch.com References Book

.

New York Times Reporter Writes About FedEx in New Book "...The New York Times is serializing parts of Greenhouse’s book. The April 20 Sunday Times had an extensive excerpt that focused on former FedEx Ground driver Jean Capobianco..."
Reference: www.fedexwatch.com

.

Cookeville Postal Retiree Serves Online Radio To The Masses

.

We always like to find articles about what postal employees do when they retire. Here's an article on Bill Barnes who is riding the waves ...internet waves that is. Surf on over. Support a retired postal worker by dropping by his website and requesting a song. Tell him "The Postal Newsgroup" sent you! Here is the article out of Cookeville, Tennessee.Cookeville man hits the Internet radio waves "...COOKEVILLE -- Bill Barnes of Cookeville has amassed thousands of songs in his years as a DJ for hire. Now he's going to share those songs with the whole community through a two-hour online radio show which airs from 3-5 p.m. every Monday through Friday at http://community.loudcity.com/stations/thebman38502-yahoo-com...."
Reference: www.herald-citizen.com

.

TSP Snapshot

.

Here is the April 2008 TSP SnapShot:
Click to enlarge image please


.

The Juan Rodriguez Postal Collection

Postal collection reminds Juan Rodriguez of his years of service "...The pieces bring back memories of his time as a postal carrier in Miami, delivering mail to such places as residential neighborhoods and the Miami International Merchandise Mart..."
Reference: www.thevillagesdailysun.com

.

Classic Car Stamps

Postal Service provides ‘sneak peek’ at Classic Car Stamps "...Ever wanted to own a classic car but couldn’t afford one? Later this fall, 50 million Detroit classics will roll out of the nation’s 37,000 Post Office show rooms as the second issuance in the America on the Move commemorative stamps series. The 50s Fins and Chrome 42-cent First-Class stamps go on sale Oct. 3, and feature paintings by renowned automobile illustrator Art. M. Fitzpatrick—a ’57 Chrysler 300C, ’57 Lincoln Premiere, ’57 Pontiac Safari, ’57 Studebaker Golden Hawk and a ’59 Cadillac Eldorado. The stamps were modeled after cars still on the road today...."
Reference: www.usps.com

TSP Auto Enrollment?

Board to press for automatic TSP enrollment of new employees
"...draft legislation prepared by the board, new or rehired employees would have 3 percent of their basic pay automatically contributed to one of TSP’s L Funds as soon as they begin work, unless they specifically decline to participate. Employees would have 90 days to opt out of the program and receive a full refund. ..."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Collection Box Blues

Postal Worker Finds $2,300 In Envelope

"... The owner accidently dropped the enveloped in the postal collection box instead of the bank's deposit box...

Source: www.newsnet5.com

CPI-W

Charting average weekly earnings for U.S. workers
"... ..."

Source: www.reliableplant.com

Provide public comment on universal postal service

Postal Regulatory Commission Initiates Public Outreach on Universal Postal Service Study "...The Postal Regulatory Commission today established Docket No. PI2008-3 and invited public comment on universal postal service and the postal monopoly in the United States. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) requires the Commission to submit a report to the President and Congress on “universal postal service and the postal monopoly in the United States, including the monopoly on the delivery of mail and on access to mailboxes. The report is to be submitted not later than December 19, 2008...."
[Reference: www.graphicartsonline.com]

Reference Material:

Universal Postal Service: The obligation that everyone in every part of the country gets the same type of mail service for the same price.

Postal Regulatory Commission

.

United States Postal Service ‘Electronic Postmark’

Striata Adds the United States Postal Service ‘Electronic Postmark’ to its Secure eDocument Delivery and eBilling Solutions "...This new offering guarantees email document delivery, increases inbox penetration, adds the legal protection of the United States Postal Service Electronic Postmark™ and significantly enhances consumer trust...."
[Reference: www.emediawire.com]

.

OPM Launches Enhanced Telework Website

Does the postal service offer employees the opportunity to work at home via the internet/intranet? The postal service participate in telework. The telework website lists a telework cordinator.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Linda M. Springer today announced the launch of an enhanced interagency telework website, www.telework.gov. The updated site features a series of user-friendly improvements designed to make telework information more accessible and understandable to Federal employees.

The site: www.telework.gov/

.

Postal Carrier Lisa Harrell Saves Baby

Postal worker saves infant who fell from second-floor window "...City police said Lisa Harrell was making a package delivery to 306 Second St. about 11 a.m. when she noticed the child in an upstairs window that was open and did not have the screen pulled down. Harrell started to walked to the front door when she was struck in the head, police said. Unsure of what hit her, she put her arms out and the child fell into her arms, according to police...."
[Reference: www.dailygazette.com]

.

stamps were stolen

Melcher Used Newspaper, Tin Foil To Trick Machines, Prosecutors Say "...and four other people allegedly stole $10,486 worth of stamps and other postal property between October and December 2006, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The stamps were stolen from vending machines inside the post offices, the paper reported...."
[Reference: www.thebostonchannel.com]

.

New USPS Equipment

New equipment to lower USPS costs as revenue declines "...Postmaster General John Potter said the agency’s quarterly revenue indicators were “bad.” “These are not normal times,” Potter said. “Economic problems have deepened … and they have been sending waves of turbulence through the Postal Service.”..."
[Reference: www.federaltimes.com]

.

Postal Carrier Town USA: NalcRest, Florida

Retired postal workers have town to call their own "...Located on 300 acres, about 7 miles east of Lake Wales in Polk County, Nalcrest contains 500 apartments. They are full, almost exclusively, with former carriers and their spouses. The village is meant to provide a safe, social and warm retreat for the mail veterans, most of whom completed their 25 to 30 years of service...."
[Reference: www.palmbeachpost.com]

.

New American Flag Stamps Issued

American Flag Never Looked So Beautiful "... Each of the four first-class stamps features a painting created by Laura Stutzman of Mountain Lake Park, MD. “I’m a huge fan of painted flags,” says Stutzman, who used gouache on illustration board to capture the “living, breathing force” of her subject.

The Flags 24/7 stamps will be available for purchase in Post Offices, on usps.com, and by calling 800-STAMP-24 starting Friday, April 18, 2008..."
[Reference: www.usps.com]

.

Postal Arbitration

Profile: Qualified for Medicare and Still Works as Arbitrator-Mediator "...flying to Oklahoma City and, then, driving to Elk City, Oklahoma in order to arbitrate a dispute between the US Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union there over a staffing issue. In fact, Helburn has often arbitrated contract interpretation and discipline issues in the past at many other US Post offices in the Southwest and Southeast, as he has also done at Federal Express and Southwest Airlines too, among others...."

[Reference: www.fedsmith.com]

.

Human Remains Lost in the Mail

Lost in the Mail "...Now, postal officials from Texas to Virginia to USPS headquarters in Washington, who were alerted to the unfortunate set of circumstances late Friday by Inside the Beltway, are scrambling to find not only the remains, but also determine how something so horrific occurred in the first place..."
[Reference: washingtontimes.com]

.

Postal Service Goes Green

USPS launches "green" Web site "...promoting the agency's eco-friendly products and services, as well as recommended “green” practices for mailers. The new Web site can be accessed at www.usps.com/green. ..."
[Reference: www.dmnews.com]

Click Below to see a larger version of this screen capture

.

Jacksonville Beach post office finds new home

The new site is at 1348 Beach Blvd. in a shopping center. "...The new post office at 1348 Beach Blvd. in a corner of the shopping center where two buildings join, will require four tenants to move to other space in the complex. Rosenberg said the agency will spend about $4.2 million to retrofit the 10,000-square-foot facility. The post office will make the move over a weekend so it won't disrupt service, he said..."
[Reference: www.jacksonville.com]
.

Union Donation

[APWU] Union’s Big Contribution Helps Save Small-Town Post Office "...The APWU has given a one-of-a-kind gift to the people of McCausland, Iowa: a donation of $30,000 to help save their post office. The contribution will pay for renovations to a building the small town purchased in order to stave off threats by the USPS to discontinue regular postal service for its 300 residents...."

Reference: APWU]

Federal CSRS and FERS COLA

Retiree COLA Gets Sweeter "...FERS employees get a reduced COLA (usually 1 percentage point less than the actual rise in inflation) starting at age 62...."
[Reference: www.federalnewsradio.com]


File: 2009 COLA Forecast

Postal Service Ends Tax Night Tradition in Some Areas

Post office lacks customer service "...Joseph Breckenridge, the U.S. Postal Service's Alabama spokesman, tried to turn the situation on its head. The Postal Service didn't announce there would be extended hours on April 15, so customers shouldn't have expected them, he said...."
[Reference: www.tuscaloosanews.com]

File Under: Tuscaloosa, Alabama

.

Post Office Extends Hours at Some Offices for Last Minute Tax Filers

Huntsville Alabama Post Office Hours, April 15 2008 Tax Day:
Drop your taxes at one of the following locations to get an April 15 postmark. The Following U.S. Postal Service Huntsville locations are open until midnight Tuesday night.

The Huntsville Processing & Distribution Facility, 3408 Wall Triana Hwy.

615 Clinton Ave.

645 Wynn Drive

2501 Mastin Lake Road

3605 Governors Drive

8401 Whitesburg Drive

File Under: Post Office Extends Hours
.
Reference: Postal News Network

Post Office Extends Hours for Tax Filing Deadline

Many Post Offices across the nation will accept Blue Box collection mail until midnight April 15, to accommodate all of us procrastinating the filing of our taxes. Check your local newspapers and television stations to determine if your Post Office has extended hours for collection of tax filing.

File Under: Post Office Hours

.

Food Inflation, Riots Spark Worries for World Leaders

IMF, World Bank Push for Solutions "...World Bank President Robert Zoellick warned in a recent speech that 33 countries are at risk of social upheaval because of rising food prices. Those could include Indonesia, Yemen, Ghana, Uzbekistan and the Philippines..."
[Reference: The Wall Street Journal]

File Under: Economy Worries World Leaders
World Bank

.

Post Office Hours and Tax Time

Postal Service tips for last-minute tax filers "...Postal officials are encouraging customers to send their mail early in the day to avoid expected crowds and remind mailers to affix correct postage. First-class, letter-size mail requires 41 cents for the first ounce and 17 cents for each additional ounce...."
[Reference: deseretnews.com]

.

National Center for Employee Development (NCED)

What is NCED? NCED is an acronym for the National Center for Employee Development which is a training and conference facility, centrally located in Norman, Oklahoma. The website explains it as the "main NCED campus at NCED is a 72-acre, postal-owned site at 24th and Imhoff Road in Norman, Oklahoma. Although the Postal Service is still NCED's biggest customer, whose employees attend job skills and information training, we also welcome other businesses and groups."

File Under: Postal Training

USPS: Age Discrimination Suit

Former letter carrier sues Postal Service "...After filing a formal complaint with the Postal Service's Equal Employment Opportunity Office in 2003, Marinelli says his boss refused to approve an incentive payment for buying a new personal vehicle, which rural carriers use to deliver mail; refused him leave and vacation time; demanded he show a doctor's note for a sick day; and unfairly increased his work load, among other complaints. Several of those disputes were settled in Marinelli's favor through his union, the suit says. Marinelli said he temporarily went on stress leave at the height of his problems...."
[Reference: www.metrowestdailynews.com]

More Sources: Age Discrimination (EEOC)

.

Postal employee rights: Religion in the workplace

Circuit courts address religion in workplace "All four cases affect how much employees are protected in the workplace, and all four courts found in favor of the employer. In a final recent opinion that dealt with religion in the workplace, however (Sturgill v. UPS), a UPS employee prevailed over the delivery company that fired him for refusing to deliver packages after his Sabbath began on Friday evenings."
[Reference: www.firstamendmentcenter.org]

More Sources: Religious Accommodation (EEOC)

.

U. S. Postal Service charged expenses to government purchase cards

U.S. Postal Service defends $13,500 dinner charge "...For this occasion, USPS paid for 81 dinners averaging over $160 per person for customers of the Postal Customer Council at an upscale steak restaurant. Further, USPS paid for over 200 appetizers and over $3,000 of alcohol, including more than 40 bottles of wine costing more than $50 each and brand-name liquor such as Courvoisier, Belvedere, and Johnny Walker Gold...."
[Reference: usatoday.com]

Promotional postcards prove profitable, popular

A three-partner firm found a successful niche in offering ad and mailing expertise to small businesses "...they founded Minneapolis-based PostcardBuilder, a company that has accumulated more than 2,000 clients in virtually every state and has grown to nearly $4 million in annual revenue...."
[Reference: www.startribune.com]

File Under: Bulk Mail Services

.

Lavish Postal Service Dinner Party

Lavish $13,500 Postal Service Dinner Party Held At Orlando Restaurant "...At Ruth's Chris Steak House, the motto is, "You can have it all," and a new report from the Government Accountability Office says that's what the U.S. Postal Service tried to give 81 special guests who were attending a national conference in Orlando in 2006..."
[Reference: www.wftv.com]

File Under: Postal Service Pork

.

Turkeys Go Postal on Postal Workers

Postal Workers Attacked by Wild Turkeys "...the turkeys are attracted to the red, white and blue postal trucks...."
[Reference: www.channel3000.com]

.

NAACP sides with Richmond-area postal workers

It asks FBI to investigate claims of 'unrealistic goals' set by local management "...executive director of the NAACP's Virginia Conference, said the civil-rights group got involved "because the people came to us." "We have heard from others who are afraid of retaliation," he said. "They want an impartial investigation, so why not ask the Federal Bureau of Investigation to do that?" He wrote a letter to the FBI's Richmond office on April 1 seeking an investigation...."
[Reference: www.inrich.com]

.

Where did the candidates get their money

The amount raised by 2008 presidential candidates, according to www.whitehouseforsale.org, is $692,939,128. Where did that money come from? Much of the money comes from bundlers. Bundling is the practice of one donor gathering donations from many different individuals in an organization or community and presenting the sum to a campaign. This is a legal manner in which to give large sums of money, yet remain within the restrictions set by law. Go to www.whitehouseforsale.org to identify these bundlers.

.

What is the best career for the future?

If you are looking for a new career or assisting your children in career choices, you will find the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), 2008-09 Edition might come in handy. The Occupational Outlook Handbook tells you:

* training and education needed
* earnings
* expected job prospects
* what workers do on the job
* working conditions
Example: Postal Service Workers

Home Raided by Postal Inspectors

Postal inspectors raid home in identity theft probe "...Postal service officials declined to reveal who they were looking for or what they discovered with the federal search warrant. No one connected with the investigation was arrested. ..."
[Reference: www.theoutlookonline.com]

.

Postal Customers Not Happy With Removal of Stamp Vending Machines

Postal Service fails us — again "...Private enterprise seems to be able to cope with the challenge of keeping vending machines, where everything from soft drinks to headache remedies can be bought, in operation. Why can’t the Postal Service?
..."
[Reference: www.messengernews.net]

.

Postal Employee Retirement

Polled and Pushed on Diversity "...About 26,000 federal employees, who are paid through the General Services Administration, are in the first phase of RetireEZ. The U.S. Postal Service, with about 700,000 employees, will join the retirement modernization project next. The OPM expects that about 2,000 postal employees will file retirement claims every month and that will provide a better sense of how the new system functions, Springer said...."
[Reference: www.washingtonpost.com]

.

Federal Pay Raise and COLAs

Pay Raise & COLAs "...The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.5 percent in January 2008 according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (www.bls.gov/cpi or 202/691-6994). Released on February 20, the CPI-W for January is 206.7. For purposes of calculating the next COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) the index is currently 1.5 percent above the 2007 third quarter average base index of 203.6..."
[Reference: www.federalnewsradio.com]

.

MILWAUKEE - Postal Workers Attacked

Two Postal Workers Recovering After Attacks "... MILWAUKEE - Two letter carriers in Milwaukee are recovering after attacks in their neighborhoods...."
[Reference: www.todaystmj4.com]

.

Photo Stamps

Create your own real postage stamps with your photo of choice "...put your own picture on your stamps. Imagine sending a birthday card to your mother ...when she gets it in the mail, it has a stamp on it that is a picture of her holding you in her arms...."


[Reference: postal-edaily.blogspot.com]

.

Chantilly Virginia Postal Employees Infected

Chantilly Postal Workers Test Positive for Tuberculosis "...a worker at the post office had an active case of the disease. Fairfax County health officials found that 32 of the more than 120 employees had been exposed..."
[Reference: www.washingtonpost.com]

.

OPM Issues Report On Its New RetireEZ Program

New Program is permanently transforming retirement process "..."We are pleased to report the majority of cases that processed to date under RetireEZ matched the legacy calculation," said OPM Director Linda M. Springer. "In all Wave 1 cases OPM paid full retirement benefits at the payment commencement date. No longer are retirees under the new system receiving interim payments and waiting for months until their actual payment amounts are calculated. This success is directly attributable to the transformation of millions of paper records to automated data that underlies the modernization. All Wave 1 new retirees are getting better service because of RetireEZ."..."
[Reference: www.opm.gov]
www.retireez.gov

.

"Canada Post" Union Busting Alleged

Roughly 170 postal workers suspended five days without pay "...Saskatoon postal workers have been suspended for five days without pay after meeting with their shop stewards during a 10-minute coffee break...."
[Reference: www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/]

.

Postal Cocaine Delivery Leads to Arrest

Mailed cocaine lands man a felony charge "...Drugs had been detected in the package by a drug-sniffing police dog. The package was sent from Chicago...."
[Reference: www.hutchinsonleader.com]

.

Federal Employee Pay Parity

Federal employees seek pay parity with military "...Both military support organizations and several federal workers unions are pushing for a 3.9 percent raise or higher for both groups..."
[Reference: www.stripes.com]

.

WORKERS MEMORIAL DAY

On April 28, the NPMHU and the entire labor movement observes Workers Memorial Day. The day commemorates the anniversary of the enactment of the Occupation Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Act (MSHA) over three decades ago.
[Reference: www.npmhu.org]

.

Continued Attempts to Reduce Workers’ FMLA Rights

FMLA: Here We Go Again "...require workers to provide more proof of illness; to present such documentation more often; and to relinquish medical information to non-medical personnel. If enacted, the new rules also would allow management personnel to contact workers’ medical providers...."
[Reference: www.apwu.org]

.

Audit Identifies USPS Lax in Record Keeping

USPS Audit Reveals Unaccountable Millions "...USPS were unable to make an assurance that any of the $27.6 million in maintenance and repair expenses at facilities were actually used for that purpose. The audit said the lax approach to record keeping by supervisors left the company wide open to fraud..."
[Reference: www.hellmail.co.uk]

.

USPS Vacant Address Data Table for Mailers

USPS offers data table file identifying vacant addresses "...In order to help mailers identify vacant addresses, the US Postal Service has developed a new data table file to be used with commercial address matching software..."
[Reference: www.dmnews.com]
.

Gangs receive guns via mail

Illegal guns went to Puerto Rican gangs, agent says "...ship the weapons to Puerto Rico. Marilyn Quinones-Burgos, one of two women arrested so far, is accused on March 6, 2007, of wrapping aluminum foil around five guns and hiding them in a cosmetic case, then taking the package to a U.S. Post Office and mailing it to ring members on the island...."
[Reference: www.orlandosentinel.com]

File Under: Found in the Mail

.

USPS workshare mailer discounts excessive

PRC Ruling Exposes Unhealthy Relationship Between USPS and Influential Mailers "... The commission ruling reaffirms the APWU’s position that workshare discounts that exceed the postal costs avoided are not consistent with the standard of universal rates for all mailers, large and small. The 2008 PRC ruling is Exhibit #1 in exposing the unhealthy relationship between postal management and influential large mailers.

The Postal Regulatory Commission has issued a strong warning that it will not permit the continuation of arbitrary “sweetheart” deals for large mailers..."
[Reference: www.apwu.org Burrus Update]

.

Postal Exam Spotlight

On occasion we will "spotlight" an area (or areas) of the country where the postal service (USPS) is taking applications for postal exams. In this case we are spotlighting Huntsville, Alabama, where the USPS is excepting applications for Exam 943 -Automotive Technician. The USPS Announcement Number is 232267. We recommend visiting "How do I get a job with the U.S. Postal Service?" which is a great site for explaining the process. There are numerous other places taking applications for different exams. For example, Florida has a variety of examination openings: Custodial Maintenance (229622), General Maintenance Positions (227888), and Electronics Technicians (223515).

File Under: Huntsville Employment
Florida Postal Employment

.

Postal Mail Handler Wage Increase

This information comes to us from the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU).
COLA OF $479 TO BE ADDED TO BASE WAGES

The third of ten guaranteed cost-of-living adjustments to be paid to all mail handlers under the 2006 National Agreement has been set at $479, based on changes in the National Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the period running from July 2007 through January 2008. This COLA is being added to wages effective March 15, 2008, and will be reflected in paychecks on April 4, 2008 (P07-2008). The COLA of $479 represents an increase of 23 cents per hour.

To view the new Mail Handler Pay Wage Scale Chart click the following link: Mail Handler Pay Scale

.

Disability Fraud Denied by Ex-Postal Employee

Ex-postal worker denies disability fraud charges "... In 1978 and 1979, she had two back surgeries and by 1981 had returned to work full-time as a mail processing clerk. ..."
[Reference: www.billingsgazette.net]

.

Federal Retirement Calculator

Here is a great tool offered by the The United States Geological Survey (USGS.GOV) the Get a rough estimate of the Federal annuity you would be entitled to on the day of your retirement. Please note: this calculator is an estimate and should not be used as an exact calculation of your retirement benefits. For a more detailed and more precise estimate, please contact your agency's personnel office. Click the appropriate link below to visit your retirement category:

FERS Retirement Calculator

CSRS Retirement Calculator

.

House Bill: No Penalty for CSRS Part-Time Work

House Committee Passes Bill to Allow Federal CSRS Employees To Work Part-time Without Penalty "... Enactment of this bill would enable Federal employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System to work part-time prior to retirement without incurring penalties to the annuity they have so rightly earned ..."
[Reference: www.opm.gov]

.

FedEx Not Immune From Economic Hard Times

FedEx Sees 'Limited' Growth Ahead "... "Our fourth-quarter earnings outlook has been impacted by higher-than-anticipated fuel prices and a weak U.S. economy," said Chief Financial Officer Alan B. Graf Jr. ..."
[Reference: Wall Street Journal]

.

Thrift Savings Plan -v- Day Traders

Thrift Savings Plan Crackdown Is Working "... Efforts to discourage "market timers" in the Thrift Savings Plan are showing progress. Only 549 people last month defied a new policy limiting trades in the TSP ..."
[Reference: www.washingtonpost.com]

File Under: TSP Trade Limits

.

Junk Mail Debate

Efforts to Block Junk Mail Slowed "... the Direct Marketing Association has made $141,877 in contributions to federal candidates, including $6,610 to Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.), who chairs the subcommittee that oversees the Postal Service and does not face reelection until 2012. ..."
[Reference: www.washingtonpost.com]


.

Postal Recycling Program

Postal service launches recycling program for electronics, ink cartridges "... Customers can pick up free envelopes for the Mail Back program at post offices nationwide ...>
[Reference: www.chicagotribune.com]


.

Audit Concludes Postal Service Wasted Million's on FedEx Contract

Inspector General: USPS Wasted $17.8 Million on FedEx Contract "... the Postal Service’s Pacific Area incurred approximately $17.8 million in unnecessary costs by the use of "expensive" FedEx transportation to move mail that could have been moved on low-priced surface transportation or on less costly passenger airlines. “The Postal Service also paid FedEx to sort mail when they could have avoided those costs..."
[Reference: www.apwu.org]

.

Placing Fliers on Mailboxes

Postal Service: No material in or on mailboxes without stamps "... "You can't put anything in or on a mailbox without postage," he said. "There's federal law to back it up."...>
[Reference: www.eagletribune.com]

File Under: Mailbox Regulations

.

Postal Buyout Rumor Control

What's the latest news on the rumors of a postal buyout? The rumors run rampant, but the Federal Times reports there are no plans according to "Ask the Experts" (posted March 15, 2008.
[Reference: www.federaltimes.com]

Inaccuracy on Stamp Honoring Biochemist Gerty Cori

Postal Service goofs on stamp honoring St. Louis Nobelist "... The new stamp bares Gerty's photograph next to a sketch of the Cori ester. But if you know anything about chemistry, you'll see the formula is wrong. ..."
[Reference: publicbroadcasting.net]

File under: Gerty Cori Stamp, Cori ester, Stamp Error

.

Introduction of Postal eCareer

The U.S. Postal Service is introducing the new eCareer Postal Job Application Tool. Postal Employee's have a new automated way of applying for internal EAS jobs. USPS will soon be mailing postcards to the workforce detailing how to log on the new online system that will replace the PS Form 991. With eCareer, an employee can create an online candidate profile, that will contain your experience, skills, education and training. To create a profile, sign in to LiteBlue with your employee ID and postal PIN. Next "click" on "My Life" and the eCareer link under the Internal Jobs heading on the right side of the page. Then, "click" on "Search and/or Apply for EAS Jobs". After that click on the Candidate Profile link on the Personal Page to complete the candidate profile. Some EAS jobs are being posted now. All EAS vacancies will be posted beginning April 1, 2008.

eCareer site

.

.

FERS Sick Leave Bill Update

Bill Would Give Retirees Partial Pay for Unused Sick Leave "... FERS employees would be eligible for a lump-sum payment of up to $10,000 for their unused sick leave. The proposed benefit would apply to accrued sick leave exceeding 500 hours. ...">

[Reference: www.washingtonpost.com]

.

TSP Frequent Trading Limit?

TSP To Limit Frequent Trading "... Apparently, some savvy traders in the Thrift Savings Plan are having a major impact on cost of TSP trades. According to the data provided in a Federal Register Document ..."

[Reference: The Postal News Network]

.

Talented Nevada Postmaster

Nevada postmaster turns comedian "... Musick is not only a U.S. Postmaster in Nevada and a Bucyrus resident, he is a professional cartoonist, humorous illustrator, comedian, spokesperson and ghost writer..."
[Reference: www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com]

.

Postal Plant Manager Firing Upheld at MSPB

The following is an excerpt from an MSPB ruling on the Postal Plant Manager firing. The document is in ADOBE ACROBAT format.

"... As Plant Manager, the appellant was expected to avoid any actions that might result in or create the appearance of using his position to give preferential treatment to any person and of losing impartiality as a Plant Manager, which affected the integrity of the agency’s operations. ..."

[Reference: MSPB.gov]

USPS Headquarters Hiring Freeze

Postal Service freezes hiring at headquarters "... announced the hiring freeze in a March 7 memo to postal executives. ..." [Reference: federaltimes.com]

File Under: post office march 11 announcement

Links to this post: USPIS Forum at http://forums.officer.com

.

Postal Service May Process Mail-In Ballots

Mail-in ballot gathers steam for Florida Democratic primary re-do "... beginning to look as if the U.S. Postal Service could be the answer to the growing dispute over Florida's presidential primary.U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson on Sunday pressed for a do-over primary this spring by mail ...>

[Reference: www.orlandosentinel.com]



.

Social Security Question and Answer

Postal employees under FER's may find the interesting. SOCIAL SECURITY Q&A: How does the SSA calculate my retirement benefits? "... What assumptions about my future earnings does the Social Security Administration use to calculate the retirement benefit estimates on my statement? ..." [Reference: www.grandforksherald.com]




.

Abu Dhabi postal workers to get free accommodation

Abu Dhabi postal workers to get free accommodation "... Dubai: The Board of Emirates Post has proposed that those working in Abu Dhabi post offices who live in other emirates should be given free bachelor accommodation. ..." [Reference: www.gulfnews.com]


.

Philatelist Passes: Harvey Karlen

Harvey Karlen: 1918 - 2008: Expert on city's postal history "... Among his books were "Chicago's Mail: An Anthology of Postal History Articles Focusing Upon the Community's Growth, Its Interests and Its Attitudes" and the playfully titled "Chicago's Crabgrass Communities: A History of the Independent Suburbs and Their Post Offices That Became Part of Chicago." ..." [Reference: www.chicagotribune.com]

Links for Harvey Karlen books:
Chicago postal history;: Selections that honor the collecting interest of Richard McP. Cabeen

Chicago's mail: An anthology of postal history articles focusing upon the community's growth, its interests, and its attitudes

Postal Service Announcement: Changes Ahead

Postal News - USPS to announce major shipping news March 11 "... will share with employees our new pricing strategies to compete in the shipping business. ..." [Reference: liteblue.usps.gov]


.

Global Terrorist Incident Map

Although this may be considered a little off-topic for a website that provides postal news, we at The Postal Newsgroup are not above offering links and information to sites we see as beneficial to our readers. The Global Terrorist Incident Map is just one of those sites. There is some controversy as to whether the site, as a by-product, tends to inspire panic, especially since many of the incidents are hoaxes. However, we see it as a valuable tool in keeping informed.

A Postal Buyout Without the Cash!

Taking a look back to the Postal employee buyout of 2006, we find an article by Mike Causey dated April 10, 2006, from Federal News Radio. The article is titled, "Early-Outs Without a Buyout: Like Batman Without Robin?" As usual, Mr. Causey is right on the money when he writes, "Offering federal workers the chance to take early retirement, but without a $25,000 buyout, it's like offering your kids a banana split with no banana. Tiny Tyler, who will eat anything, may bite. But the rest of the brood will say thanks but no thanks!"






.

Law Enforcement Records Names, Addresses on Outside of Envelopes Traveling through the mail

Here is an Orwellian story sure to make you go ...Hmmmm. Law enforcement request to record names, addresses and other information from the outside of letters and packages of suspected criminals every year since 1998, according to U.S. Postal Inspection Service data. Here is an article from USA Today: Law enforcement requests for postal info granted. Is sanctity of the mail limited only to internal contents?

Postal Early Outs, Postal Buyout, Postal Early Retirement ...a look at the past

With all the talk amongst the Postal Service rank and file about Postal Early-Outs, USPS Early Retirement Offers, there is always the hopes and dreams for salary bonuses to workers as an incentive in a Postal Buyout. So far, all the rumors of any early retirement, are just that ...RUMORS! However, should a buyout offer present itself, what might it look like? It the past, 1992 specifically, the Post Office offered this:
A six-month salary bonus for either regular or early retirement. Workers are eligible for immediate pensions at age 55 with 30 years of service, at age 60 with 20 years or at age 62 with five years of service. During an early-retirement open window, employees can retire at any age after 30 years of service, or at age 50 with 20 years of service. [Reference: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1023543.html]

.