"...UPS says Dec. 21, the last Monday before Christmas, will be its busiest day this holiday season. The shipping giant's brown-clad drivers..."
This Article is From: www.ajc.com
.
Postal news for those interested in the mailing industry, postal employees, stamp collecting, etc...
This site is not affiliated with the U.S. Postal Service
"...UPS says Dec. 21, the last Monday before Christmas, will be its busiest day this holiday season. The shipping giant's brown-clad drivers..."
"...Estimated to bring $3 million in an auction in New York City on Thursday, November 19, 2009, many of the 214 Civil War-era Confederate States and early Canadian postage stamps are one-of-a-kind or the finest known...."
"...Compensation and benefits constitute close to 80 percent of USPS costs--a percentage that has remained similar over the years despite major advances in technology and automating postal operations...."
"...Fourteen percent of identity theft incidents came from online or data breaches, and 5 percent from postal fraud. Once your information has been obtained, thieves tend to open up new credit cards, Travelers reports. Stolen information is used for new accounts 75 percent of the time. ..."
"...Management would electronically delete overtime from the time sheets, according to Bob Guilmette, the union representative for Somersworth employees in the National Association of Letter Carriers...."
"...to present a plan to fully reimburse postal workers for wages they lost as a result of managers manipulating their electronic timecards. ..."
"...SANTA CLAUS, Ind. — Abby Wilmes, a 2009 graduate of nearby Heritage Hills High School, designed this year’s holiday “picture postmark” for the Santa Claus post office...."
"...I believe it is the first time the post office has produced stamps from two different years together in a single issue. The 2008 issue showed a detail of the infant Jesus. ..."
Our friends over at Your Postal Blog have a new 2010 USPS Postal Payroll Calendar for you to print. Click on over and see what Benny the Blogger has to offer. Thanks Benny!
"...The U.S. Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses. It relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. A self-supporting government enterprise..."
"...More than 50 postal workers from the Charlottesville region rallied alongside U.S. 29 on Sunday to protest the possible closure of the Albemarle County Airport Road mail processing center...."
"...U.S. Postal Service. This year the agency had planned to hire 60 workers at the Bethpage Logistics and Distribution Center. Temporary casual mailhandlers earn $12 an hour, with extra pay for night shifts. More information is at usps.com/employment. (Click here to connect.)..."
"...A knapsack that contained clothing and a set of keys, but no identification, was found with the body. Two of those keys, one to a Kia and the other to a post office box, may help officers determine the identity...."
"...A Wall Street Journal report noted that the nearly 8 percent year-over-year increase reflects an expected growth in online retailing, which matches up with a Morgan Stanley report released yesterday that indicates e-commerce will grow from a 4 percent market share today to 6 percent or more by 2012. ..."
"...Imperial Post Office, too. The “Winter Holidays” stamps for Christmas, 2009, feature snowflakes.
The stamps depict a ..."
"...One for our US readers: Stamps.com are now offering free processing to eBay sellers using their service to ship via USPS. eBay sellers can automatically..."
"...mail carriers are being misinformed by their supervisors that the post office is trimming a day from weekly delivery starting next October, the head of the local postal worker’s union said. Postal officials deny the allegation. ..."
"...Loehwing also says he promised that he and Postmaster Philip Cardin would review survey results and use the information to improve the environment at the Post Office. “I just asked that they give us a chance to prove we were listening.”..."
"..."the ability of the Postal Service to deliver mail quickly on six days of the week . . . protects our constituents' quality of life," in addition to facilitating business advertising and product distribution. ..."
"...the good news is the Memphis Area Office is achieving all of this plastic recycling through a similar cost-neutral effort. That’s good for the environment — and great for the Postal Service’s bottom line...."
"...29 clerks and nine mail handlers got letters today letting them know they should find a new job with the postal service, or the service will find one for them...."
"...The U.S. Postal Service has violated federal regulations by failing to provide financial details that justify the planned closing of a mail-processing facility in Gloucester County, according to U.S. Rep. Robert E. Andrews...."
In October, the number of unemployed persons increased by 558,000 to 15.7 million. The unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent, the highest rate since April 1983, surpassing the June 1983 rate of 10.1 percent. The unemployment rates for adult men and whites rose in October while the jobless rates for adult women, teenagers, blacks, and Hispanics were little changed over the month.
"..."Have you checked out Your Postal Blog? I read it and like it. The blog is full of information, discussion, and news and gives a unique perspective on postal life. You can find it here or subscribe to it here. And the ACE patrol won't get you for reading it! It's approved for either personal or postal computers."
..."
"...one of the largest increases in the fee-for-service plans comes from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan..."
"...Most records on mail and star routes have been transferred by the Postal Service to the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC.
The information in Record Group 28 includes registers of mail and star routes from 1814 to 1960, although there are gaps in these records. Records from 1870 to 1918 were destroyed decades ago. The records usually show the names of the stops along the route as mail traveled between Post Offices, the names of the bidders for the contract, the frequency of service, the distances involved, and the modes of transportation. They usually do not show the names of subcontractors. There are indexes to mail routes by individual Post Offices in some time periods. ..."
"...Remember! Not all Post Offices established before 1986 are listed. We cannot respond to requests. See Publication 119, Sources of Historical Information on Post Offices, Postal Employees, Mail Routes, and Mail Contractors, for information on how you can research Post Offices. ..."
"...Newell said. “The postal worker said that when he was driving away he saw Warner pull a pistol out of his pocket and begin firing.” ..."
"...main post office in Albany was shut down Thursday afternoon when a retiring employee pulled a gun on his boss.
"We are locked down," said a Postal Service employee. ..."
"...Accepting their analysis of the value of sorting and applying barcodes, the American Postal Workers Union has issued a challenge: We will accept their conclusion and we demand that the Postal Service compensate mail-processing employees accordingly. Set wages at a rate that would be slightly less expensive than the workshare discounts the USPS offers to major mailers...."
"... About 18,000 U.S. Postal Service employees are expected to take $15,000 buyouts to leave their jobs this year — far less than the 30,000 originally projected by the agency.
Postal officials say that figure isn’t final. Employees were required to sign up for the incentives by Oct. 16,..."
"...The features include Track & Confirm, Post Office locator, and the most popular application — ZIP Code lookup. ..."
"...employers must apply the law's protections (essentially nondiscrimination and reasonable accommodation) to more employees. On September 23, 2009, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued draft regulations to implement the newly-amended ADA...."
"...Plate proofs are the pre-production postage stamp “master copy,” because they were used by printers as the last step..."
"...APWU-represented postal workers will receive a 1.2 percent increase in annual salaries effective Nov. 21, based on the grades and levels in effect on Sept. 6, 2006. The raise will be reflected in paychecks issued Dec. 11, and apply to employees covered by the APWU-USPS 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement and the 2006-2010 Operating Services Agreement...."
"...subsidies for big business.
“With the economy faltering, the USPS simply cannot afford to offer giveaways,” he said. “Mail volume has declined in response to the nation’s tough economic climate, so this is a perfect time to return the work performed by private pre-sorters and mail consolidators to postal employees.”
Since the union offer would save the Postal Service one tenth of one cent on each letter and flat, the challenge is a win-win proposition, Burrus said. “I hope that the postmaster general gives it serious consideration.”..."
"... It was shocking, however, to read that the president of the Association for Postal Commerce suggests that “the time has come for postal employees to start sharing some of the sacrifices.” As APWU members know, postal employees have made tremendous sacrifices as the USPS confronts financial difficulties. More than 40,000 jobs have been wiped out in the last year; thousands of employees have been reassigned to work sites hundreds of miles from their homes; and part-time employees have had their hours slashed.
... I have issued a challenge to the Postmaster General:
Discontinue the exorbitant postage discounts that are offered to large mailers — which are currently as high as 10.5 cents per letter — and allow members of the APWU to perform all mail-processing functions at the rate of 10.4 cents for every letter and flat.
..."
"...The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
(CPI-W) decreased 1.7 percent over the last 12 months to an index
level of 211.322 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased
0.1 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.
..."
"...There are two bits of news regarding this holiday. First, USPS Holidays
list Columbus Day as a post office holiday. Their complete list is..."
"...As part of this proceeding, the Postal Service has filed periodic updates identifying the retail stations and branches that remain under consideration.
The filing does not represent a final decision on consolidation. To date, no facility-specific final decisions have been made as a result of this initiative. ..."
"...The US Postal Service is shutting down a Priority Mail facility in Gloucester County -- and with it, wiping out nearly 600 jobs. Officials with the USPS say they're losing too much money..."
"...allows the US Postal Service to delay $4 billion in payments to a retirees' healthcare fund. The measure, passed by a 62 to 38 vote, was added to legislation that extends funding federal programs at current levels and raises Congress' budget by 6%...."
"...latest scam is the Mystery Shopper where an individual shops at a store and reports their experience in order to receive a reimbursement check..."
"...The USPS expects the Senate to take up the matter on September 29, according to agency spokesperson Gerry McKiernan. That payment is due September 30...."
"...Postal employees on temporary total disability who are interested in applying for the $15,000 incentive should be aware of an opinion issued by the Office of Workers Compensation on Sept. 24:
According to the agency, the incentive would be offset by reduced payment of compensation under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). “The $15,000 amount will affect the amount of FECA (Federal Employees’ Compensation Act) compensation a claimant on total disability will be entitled to,” the Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation wrote [PDF].
However, compensation payments based ..."
"...To date, fewer than 21,000 employees have applied for the incentive or expressed interest, so there may be no reason for concern; however, in the event that the number of applicants reaches 25,000..."