Postal Service officer received $61,250 performance bonus last year

Postal Service, IG at odds on whether top exec’s $306K compensation package over legal limit

"...The officer, who was not named, made a total last year of $306,250 in annual salary, pension and bonus, IG auditors found in a newly released report. That would be well above the maximum pay limit of $276,840..."    

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

Valpak: USPS putting its own financial health at risk

US direct mail giant urges rethink on Standard Mail pricing

"...rate increase set to come into effect on 27th January, 2013, will not be high enough to cover the costs of the Standard Mail Flats service. The company said in failing to meet its costs, USPS was breaking US postal law, and putting its own financial health at risk..."    

This Article is From: postandparcel.info Read our latest posts! .

Postal Service cheaper services will lead to FedEx gains

FedEx predicts 13% record holiday gain led by cheaper shipment services

"...Cheaper offerings such as SmartPost, where the U.S. Postal Service makes the final delivery, and ground delivery will lead FedEx’s gains..."    

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

2012 Federal Benefits Open Season

2012 Federal Benefits Open Season

"...2012 Federal Benefits Open Season -- November 12 through December 10, 2012. ..."    

This Article is From: www.opm.gov Read our latest posts! .

Get your Lance Armstrong collectibles while they are hot!

Lance Armstrong Postal Service related items from Amazon:

LANCE ARMSTRONG USA POSTAL SERVICE 8X10 SPORTS ACTION PHOTO (2)

Inside the Postal Bus: My Ride with Lance Armstrong and the U.S. Postal Cycling Team

1999 Lance Armstrong Tour de France USPS US Postal Service Photo Print Ad (54346)

2000 United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team Postcard Set

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Lance Armstrong, Postal Service cyclist banned, titles stripped

"Sickened" UCI strips Armstrong of Tour wins

"...Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life on Monday after the International Cycling Union (UCI) ratified the United States Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) sanctions against the American...."    

This Article is From: www.reuters.com

Read our latest posts! .

Octomom thinks postal mail carrier is spying on her

Octomom: I Think My Mail Lady Is Spying on Me!

"...Octomom believes her mail lady isn't just delivering the mail ... she's delivering information about her to other people ... and Octo wants her fired for it! Octo's rep tells TMZ her security caught the mail lady..."    

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

Postal Service sides with APWU represented craft on AFCS-200 assignment issue

Postal Service sides with Clerks on one of the AFCS-200 assignments

"...In a letter faxed to the NPMHU office on Friday evening, September 28, 2012, the Postal Service has outlined its intent to assign one “operator position” on the new AFCS-200 to the clerical craft. The primary craft for the induction activities on the AFCS-200 will remain with the mail handler craft. ..."    

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

Casuals in Lieu of - a history

Casual Control

A historical perspective by Mr. William Burrus, former APWU President

"...Resolution of a remedy was achieved and thousands of employees were provided payment for the assignment of work to improperly hired casual employees. Perhaps even more important was the system that was agreed to for future hiring of casuals. Prior to the union challenge, each office was free to employ casuals without respect to the number hired in other offices so there was no internal control over compliance with the 5% limitation. As a gesture to resolve the dispute postal management offered in arbitration to implement headquarters’ control to monitor the hiring of casuals. This voluntary means of control was incorporated into the arbitration award and the union achieved a means of monitoring the use of casuals to ensure that the contractual limits were not exceeded. ..."    

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

PSE's now permitted as vacation reliefs in small offices

APWU, USPS Sign Agreement For Offices Without a Local Union Structure

"...negotiated the changes in the memorandum, which now permits Postal Support Employees (PSEs) from nearby offices to be utilized in small offices in order to provide vacation relief...."    

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

Post Office reductions eroding service?

Postal cuts meant to help small towns may still hurt

"...reductions as eroding a service that many in small towns have come to rely upon. As postmaster, Rust said she spent many nights at the Buffalo Post Office because she was snowed in, or because a blizzard was on its way and she knew she wouldn’t make it in the next day from her home in Casselton...."    

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

Retirement incentive goal is to get eligible employees to retire

USPS, postal union agree on retirement incentives

"...“Our goal was to achieve an incentive for members who are ready to end their postal careers; to ensure that no groups of employees are excluded, and to lessen the hardships of excessing for those who remain,” Cliff Guffey, the president of APWU, said in a statement. “This agreement accomplishes those objectives.” ..."    

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

APWU Retirement Incentive - Buyout

APWU, USPS Negotiate Retirement Incentive

"...The APWU has negotiated a retirement incentive agreement that awards eligible full-time career employees a $15,000 payment in two installments, President Cliff Guffey has announced. The first installment will be $10,000; the second will be $5,000...."    

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

Postal Service will not make payment mandated by Congress

U.S. Postal Service will skip out on controversial payment

"...Last Wednesday, Sept. 26, the U.S. Postal Service announced that it will not make the scheduled payment of $5.6 billion to prefund retiree health benefits, which was due Sunday, Sept. 30. The payment was mandated by Congress under a 2006 law ..."    

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

Union worker losses helped achieve one billion dollar annual savings

Missed Opportunity

"...Having achieved the one billion dollar annual savings from the APWU contract and anticipated cost reductions from service standard changes and consolidations, Congress is in no hurry to travel the political minefield of five day delivery and shredding of the negotiations process. ..."    

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

Romney would make deeper changes to the government workforce if federal employees weren’t unionized

Romney wishes some feds weren’t unionized

"... Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney intimated that he would make deeper changes to the government workforce if federal employees weren’t unionized, during secretly taped remarks at a recent private fundraiser in Florida...."    

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

Please stop crashing into our post offices

Floridians Urged to Stop Crashing Into Post Offices

"...The US Postal Service has asked the people of Florida to please stop crashing their cars into its post offices...."    

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

Postal Service Retirement - Best Time to Retire

Best time to retire from USPS

"...I am a CSRS USPS employee (age 56 with 35 years’ service) thinking about retiring at the end of the year. Do the same dates hold true for postal workers as federal employees? To maximize my benefits..."    

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

Romney: nearly half of Americans "believe that they are victims."

Mitt Romney: No apologies, but 'victims' comment not elegantly stated

"...Romney plans no apology for stating that nearly half of Americans "believe that they are victims." Instead, he is expected to respond to questions about the statement by reinforcing the message he delivered at a hastily called news conference Monday night, in which he said Obama favors "a government-centered society" with people dependent on public support...."    

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

Postal employee goes home with no heart

Postal worker leaves hospital without heart

"...A 64 year old postal worker went home from the hospital, without his heart. Now the world's only artificial heart is keeping him alive. Leroy Hanes is now home, all because of a portable power supply..."    

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

Carriers: Restoration Hardware catalog a whopper to deliver

Restoration Hardware catalog a huge feat

"...The new Restoration Hardware catalog has been landing – with a thud – in mailboxes across the country, weighing in at a whopping 5 1/2 pounds...."    

This Article is From: www.news.ruralinfo.net Read our latest posts! .

Only 2,952 Mail Handlers take small buyout incentive, while almost 20% of postmasters take larger buyout cash

3,000 mail handlers accept buyouts

"...More than 4,100 career postmasters — almost 20 percent of the total — signed up for $20,000 buyout and early retirement offers, the Postal Service said last month. Almost 3,800 had left by the end of July; another 330 are set to go by the end of September...."    

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

Will congress halt damaging postal plant closures?

Congress faces continuing resolution, sequestration and postal reform

"...Amid the election-year politicking, the list of unfinished business also includes legislation to restructure the financially ailing U.S. Postal Service and a cybersecurity bill that aims to safeguard the nation's critical infrastructure...."    

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

Opinion: Postal Service ought to be serving and negotiating with all direct mailers in a nondiscriminatory manner

Valassis' sweet deal a sour pill for everyone else

"...Suddenly — and "suddenly" is the appropriate word since the USPS' deal with Valassis was made effective immediately — newspapers, and everyone else in the direct mail business, found themselves in competition with a company that had secured a sweetheart arrangement with a government agency...."    

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

New Haven, CT MPO - Mechanical & Building Automation System Upgrade

New Haven, CT MPO - Mechanical & Building Automation System Upgrade

"...There will be a pre-proposal for this project held on September 12, 2012 beginning at 10:00 a.m. on site. Attendance is not mandatory but is strongly recommended. On-site visits may be arranged by contacting Richard Bryant, Manager, Maintenance, at (203) 782-7351. Technical inquires are to be addressed to Project Architect Evelyn Cole Smith of CME Associates, Inc. at (860) 928-7848 or USPS Project Manager Robert A. Giulietti at (860) 285-7176...."    

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

Mail Carrier dies due to heat

Missouri Mail Carrier’s Death Due to Heat

"...Watzlawick’s wife, Kay, said her husband had been feeling ill from the heat the day before he died and asked to be relieved from work early. But he told her a supervisor said no because he had been on vacation the week before when he was recovering a medical procedure on his knee. ..."    

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

Old postal manuals found

Postal manuals from 1940s donated to national museum

"...Buried in the corner of an unused closet for at least 35 years, the book was recently found by Clermont Postmaster Sandy Perkins, who was looking through a dust-covered box at the post office building...."    

This Article is From: www.courier-journal.com Read our latest posts! .

Postal worker helps bust alleged oxycodone...

Postal worker helps deliver suspect to cops

"...Carl Desert, 30, was arrested Friday in the courtyard of his apartment complex, where police and the postal inspector say he identified him-- self as the occupant of the address and even signed for the package. Inside were 1,345 oxycodone pills hidden..."    

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

Federal Duck Stamp Program

Duck stamps that boost wetlands, birds aren’t just for hunters

"... The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says 98 percent of proceeds from sales of the stamp are used to acquire and protect vital wetlands supports hundreds of species of migratory birds, wildlife and plants. The stamps can be purchased from the U.S. Postal Service, from some sporting goods shops and online. Since the program’s inception in 1934, Federal Duck Stamp sales have raised more than..."    

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

Employment Verification Number for Postal Workers

USPS Employment Verification Number Help

"...he Postal Service Employment Verification. The following will provide you with the information needed to verify employment with the U.S. Postal Service. We are not affiliated with the U.S. Postal Service or..."    

This Article is From: Employment Verification Number Read our latest posts! .

Early outs (VER) offered to 3,300 more postal employees

USPS offers early outs to 3,300 workers

"...With consolidation plans moving forward, the Postal Service is further trimming its workforce. To avoid lay-offs, this week the mail agency offered early outs to more than 3,300 employees who will retire Dec. 31, 2012. ..."    

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

POStPlan implementation to begin ...welcome to the new Postal DisService

Trouble ahead: The PRC gives POStPlan a green light

"...point of interest in the advisory opinion. The PRC ran some numbers and produced a list of ten post offices it considered misclassified as Level 2 and 4 because the Postal Service had not correctly calculated the distance to the nearest post office. The Commission suggested that these post offices be reclassified as Part Time Post Offices (PTPO), open six hours a day. ..."    

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

The postal service brought radical change to American retailing

How the postal service revolutionized American retailing

"...at a time when Americans were increasingly attentive to the way high distribution costs were driving up prices, a low-cost parcel post seemed like an obvious way to make the average family better off.

The ascension of Progressive Republicans and Democrats in the 1910 congressional election sealed the deal. President William Howard Taft endorsed the parcel post, and Congress directed the Post Office to begin carrying packages as of Jan. 1, 1913...."    

This Article is From: www.post-gazette.com Read our latest posts! .

Elaborate doping program on Armstrong's Postal Service teams

US doping agency erases Lance Armstrong's titles

"...USADA, which announced its investigation in June, said its evidence came from more than a dozen witnesses "who agreed to testify and provide evidence about their firsthand experience and/or knowledge of the doping activity of those involved in the USPS conspiracy," a reference to Armstrong's former U.S. Postal Service cycling team...."    

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

More big mailer discounts as postal service goes broke

Postal commission OKs ‘junk mail’ discount plan

"...“NAA believes this decision is contrary to law, and will challenge it immediately and vigorously,” said NAA Chairman James Moroney, the publisher of The Dallas Morning News. The commission dismissed the newspapers’ damage estimate, saying in its order that “newspapers’ claims of harm..."    

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

Social Security can be docked for unpaid student loans

Feds Dock Social Security for Unpaid Student Loans

"...retirees are learning that defaulting on student-debt can threaten something that used to be untouchable: their Social Security benefits...."    

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

USPS ZeroTolerance Arb Award 7-13-12

Arbitrator: Postal Service covered up misconduct by Redondo Beach supervisor

"...The U.S. Postal Service covered up years of serious misconduct by a supervisor at the Redondo Beach post office and ignored complaints made by employees there, an independent labor arbitrator has ruled. ..."    

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

Congressman Paul Ryan and his UPS connections

What can Brown do for you? Congressman Ryan's UPS Express

"...In addition to visiting UPS headquarters on UPS’ dime, Ryan has received significant campaign contributions from the shipper. According to OpenSecrets, in 2000, UPS gave him $10,000, making it his fourth-largest contributor for the election cycle. Over the course of his career, Ryan has received over $48,000 from UPS, which puts the company in his top 20 contributors (Koch Industries is sixth, with $63,000). ..."    

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

PMG should focus on growing the business, not reducing services and delivery standards

Postmaster gives direct message about mail's future
"...Donahoe’s policies should focus on growing the business side of the U.S. Postal Service instead of cost-cutting measures, expected to cost about 100,000 workers their jobs across the nation. To make matters worse, Blaisey predicted Donahoe’s drastic measures would alienate rural citizens and others who depend on the U.S. mail. ..."    
This Article is From: www.columbian.com Read our latest posts! .

USPS over-produced $1.2 Million Worth of ”The Simpsons” commemorative stamps

USPS Stuck With $1.2 Million Worth of Unsold Simpsons Stamps

USPS

"...The United States Postal Service printed one billion “The Simpsons” stamps to commemorate the shows 20th anniversary. However, they were only able to sell 318 million of them. This left the USPS with 682 million stamps, unfortunately washing $1.2 million dollars worth of printing costs down the drain. ..."    
This Article is From: www.inquisitr.com Read our latest posts! .

Danny K. Davis (D-IL) urged union members to fight back against “evil-doers” who would destroy the Postal Service

Rep. Danny Davis: If We Fight, We Win!

"...“If we slip back,” he warned, “the rich will get richer while the poor get poorer and the middle class is squeezed practically out of existence — a world where our jobs are downsized, privatized, outsourced or outright eliminated. Where there is no collective bargaining, where workers have virtually no rights, and where even people’s pension funds are in jeopardy.” ..."    

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

COLA increase for APWU represented employees

COLA Increase
"...APWU members will receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of $375 per year in September 2013, in accordance with the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The raise is the result of an increase in the consumer price index (CPI-W) since January 2012. It is the second COLA under the contract. The expected effective date is Sept. 7, 2013 (Pay Period 20-2013)...."    
This Article is From: www.apwu.org Read our latest posts! .

Postal Workers thrown from post office rooftop

Syrian Atrocity: Bodies of Postal Workers Thrown from Roof

Syrian Atrocity: Postal Workers

"...footage displays a crowd of people callously throwing the bodies of slain postal workers from a post office rooftop...."    
This Article is From: Postal News Read our latest posts! .

USPS Sandusky child porn investigation

"...Sandusky, convicted in June on 45 counts of child sex abuse, is reportedly the focus of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service, which is looking into whether he sent child pornography across state lines, CBS News said Friday...."    

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

facebook testing postcards

Facebook experiments in postcards

"...Big Face is working with a small group of users, giving them the option to turn their pictures into postcards and mail them off to their friends. It says pricing is still being worked out, although the app Postagram does a similar function with Instagram pics for $0.99 a pop...."    

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

Tucson mail clerk indicted for mail theft

GV mail theft complaint leads to conviction

"...After investigating, the OIG turned its information over to the United States Attorney’s Office, which led the federal grand jury that indicted Fernando Cardenas, 60, of Tucson, a mail clerk at the USPS Tucson Processing and Distribution Center, of two counts of mail theft and one count of possession of stolen mail...."    

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

APWU 'Union Retirement Incentives' coming for elected officials? (Editorial by Bill Burrus)

PLAN B

"... Elected positions throughout the union, including Business Agents and Resident Officers would be cherry picked for retirement incentives and would receive an amount determined by the executive board or president. This amount is expected to exceed $40,000 per incentive, sufficient to encourage the officer to retire. So for each officer who earns in the range of $100,000 or more per year, a postal retirement, plus 30 days severance pay, and unused annual leave will also be paid an incentive that is targeted on a personal level..."    

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

Donald Trump goes postal!

"...has selected the Trump Organization as the preferred team to redevelop the Old Post Office building and annex located in downtown Washington, D.C. Selecting the Trump Organization to redevelop this historic property represents a significant step in turning this underused Federal property into a mixed-use development..."    
This Article is From: news-postal.blogspot.com Read our latest posts! .

APWU layoff protection arbitration ...the downside of excessing or transferring to other crafts

Arbitrator Rules on Protection Against Layoffs

"...Arbitrator Stephen B. Goldberg ruled [PDF] on Aug. 1 that employees represented by the APWU who transfer to or are excessed into non-APWU crafts may not carry the protection against layoffs they have earned under the APWU Collective Bargaining Agreement to their new crafts. ..."    

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

Mary Fields biography - Postal History

Mary Fields

"...In 1895 she found a job that suited her, as a U.S. mail coach driver for the Cascade County region of central Montana. She and her mule Moses, never missed a day, and it was in this capacity that she earned her nickname of "Stagecoach", for her unfailing reliability. ..."    

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

Postal Service Back-Up Plan: Selectively skimp on financial obligations

Postal Service could run out of cash in October

"...The Postal Service has a back-up plan to conserve cash so it'll be able to deliver mail on time and keep the lights on at post offices. It would skip paying into the federal retirement system and would skimp on workers compensation payments due to the Department of Labor...."    

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

APWU retirement incentive update

"...discussions are continuing, APWU President Cliff Guffey has reported. “I understand that there is great interest in this topic among some members, but it is simply not feasible or smart to conduct negotiations in public,” he said...."    

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

Former postal worker makes it big with unofficial postal clothing line

Former Brooklyn postman makes it big with his unofficial postal service clothing line worn by 30,000 workers

Marty Grace

"...Marty Grace, who quit his 22-year job as a mail carrier in 2007 at a Bedford-Stuyvesant post office, now designs T-shirts, hoodies and polos worn by over 30,000 postal workers around the country who rock “Designs by Marty Grace” on the job as opposed to the drab United States Postal Service uniforms...."    
This Article is From: nydailynews.com Read our latest posts! .

Postal impersonator robs condo residents

Fake postal worker led robbery of Cherry Hill condo residents

"...Authorities did not say if the incident was linked to a similar home invasion in Northeast Philadelphia on July 17. In that case, a man posing as a postal worker, stole cash and jewelry from an elderly woman’s home...."    

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

Federal Jobs and Veteran's Preference Points

Veteran's Preference Points and Federal Jobs

"...By law, veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference over non veterans both in hiring from competitive lists of eligibles and in retention during reductions in force. The goal of the Veteran's Preference is not to the place a veteran in every vacant Federal job. However..."    

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

Underground prison mail system: Communication between inmates via mail

Pelican Bay inmates communicated via underground mail

"...A gang leader housed in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay can send coded messages to an outside mail box address set up by a gang follower, who then re-directs the message to a second inmate housed in a separate unit at Pelican Bay, or another state prison. One such exchange of information via a Sonoma County mailbox foreshadowed a deadly prison riot on Feb. 21, 2000, at Pelican Bay...."    

This Article is From: Read our latest posts! .

She's cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs! ...and a mail scam to communicate with prison inmate

Accused Killer in Washington Demands Cocoa Puffs in Jail, Claims It’s Her Constitutional Right

"...Grigsby already has been disciplined for trying to brew alcohol in her cell and communicating with Pedersen via a mail scam...."    

This Article is From: www.frugal-cafe.com Read our latest posts! .

USPS hiring temp mail handlers after offering $15,000 to reduce mail handler staffing nationwide

USPS looks to fill 45 temp positions
"...After nearly closing the William Street processing center in Buffalo in a move geared towards consolidation, the USPS is now putting out the "help wanted" sign..."    
This Article is From: National Postal Mail Handlers Union - Local 317 Read our latest posts! .

Retired postal employee leaves art collection worth hundreds of millions of dollars

Great American Art Collector Herbert Vogel Dies

Laumede #16 Gregory Amenoff

"...Slowly, deliberately, but with the eyes of true connoisseurs, the Vogels built up their collection, which some estimate at about 5000 pieces, all on the combined modest salaries of a librarian (Dorothy) and postal worker (Herbert). That collection is now worth incalculable amounts: hundreds of millions of dollars, and climbing,..."    
This Article is From: www.forbes.com Read our latest posts! .

At FedEx: diverted customer demand towards cheaper lower-priced delivery options

Weaker Outlook Prompts FedEx To Align Logistics Network For Shifting Demand
"

FedEx truck at RR crossing

...While FedEx has continued to raise shipping rates to offset higher costs and improve yields, there has been a clear trend of customers shifting from premium services to slower or deferred products while seeking lower shipping expenses. The air freight carriers are..."    
This Article is From: Read our latest posts! .

Mail consolidation of a single mail plant in Maryland causes “significant” delays in mail services

USPS must learn from mail plant consolidation woes, says OIG"

"...the consolidation of a single mail plant in Maryland, close to the US capital, led to “significant” delays in mail services and a $558,000 increase in transport costs. The investigation into the transfer of mail processing from the Frederick, Maryland..."    

This Article is From: The Mailing Industry News Read our latest posts! .

Service Standard change will generally affect service on a nationwide or substantially nationwide basis

NPMHU Brief Challenging USPS Network Rationalization Changes Before the Postal Regulatory Commission

"...The Commission is charged by Congress with giving its considered opinion on this Postal Service proposal, as the planned service standard changes will “generally affect service”—indeed, substantially degrade service—“on a nationwide . . . basis. In so doing, the Commission is required by statute to consider whether the Postal Service’s plan shows due deference to the policies contained in Title 39, including the following specific service standard objectives stated in 39 U.S.C. § 3691..."    

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

Mail Contractors of America (MCA) driver dies, OSHA investigates

APWU, OSHA Investigate Employee Death at Des Moines NDC

"...Reports from the Des Moines BMC Local, which represents MCA drivers, indicate that there has been an increase in the number of incidents involving roll-away vehicles since 2009, when the Postal Service began allowing private-contract drivers to bring trucks to the dock at NDCs...."    

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

Will Postal Service force residents to move door delivery mailboxes to street?

US Senate: Streetside mailboxes may be mandatory

"...Residents of a modest Fort Lauderdale neighborhood were none too pleased last month to receive a letter demanding they move their mailboxes from door to street to expedite delivery. Turns out the letter was..."    

This Article is From: Read our latest posts! .

Closing postal plants and lowering its delivery standards worsen problems

With Cuts on the Way, Postal Service Customers Already Bemoan Delays

"...“The problems only seem to be getting worse,” said Max Heath, a consultant for the Publishing Group of America, whose magazines are distributed through small newspapers. “And the odds of it getting better is almost zero when you consider the changes the Postal Service is about to make, closing plants and lowering its delivery standards.” ..."    

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

Mail Handler Buyouts: Not many takers on small buyout offer

Postal Service: More than 7,000 postmasters, mail handlers could take buyouts (but clerks are still waiting)

"...The Postal Service is offering full-time mail handlers $15,000 to take the money and run; between 2,800 and 3,200 may go, Saunders said. One thing is clear: Proportionately, the early-out option has been a much better sell among the nation’s 21,000 postmasters than its roughly full-time 43,000 mail handlers...."    

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

Rural Letter Carriers Settle Contract: July 3, 2012 Interest Arbitration Award

SUMMARY OF HIGHLIGHTS OF 2010-2015 NATIONAL AGREEMENT

"...summary of highlights of the new National Agreement between the United States Postal Service and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association resulting from the July 3, 2012 Interest Arbitration Award. The Award and the separate opinion and dissent of Interest Arbitration Board Member Joey C. Johnson are available in their entirety on the NRLCA’s website...."    

This Article is From: ruralinfo.net Read our latest posts! .

Sign of U.S. decline: Postal Service Overnight Delivery of First Class Mail to fade away

It's The End of an Era: No More Overnight Delivery From USPS

"...Despite months of protests across the country, overnight single piece first class mail delivery will end as of Sunday, July 1...."    

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

FedEx: Higher than anticipated earnings ...

FedEx shares gained 3 percent on slower earnings prediction

"...Tuesday up 2.8 percent after the company announced higher than anticipated earnings, excluding a charge for aircraft retirement..."    

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

Postal plants prepare for closures

Everett mail center to stay open until 2013

"... About 100 jobs will be lost as a result of the closure, but no layoff notices have been sent yet. The Everett plant's 65 mail handlers - one of three positions - were offered buyouts, and five employees took them, Walker said.

"I myself have considered taking a carrier route," Walker said. "That's what they're pushing."..."    

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

Beloved Mail Carrier retires from Postal Service

Stewart much more than mail carrier to residents

"...a bond that goes far beyond most relationships people have with their mail carrier. But since he started his route east of Western Avenue and north of 107th Place, Boykin Stewart became much more than a mailman to those on his route, and they became much more to him...."    

This Article is From: www.beverlyreview.net Read our latest posts! .

Former U.S. Postal Service manager is going to prison

Ex-Postal Service manager to serve 18 months for accepting bribes

"...A former U.S. Postal Service manager in Ann Arbor is going to prison for 18 months for accepting bribes from a contractor who lavished him with thousands of dollars in cash and gift cards, a free car, sports tickets, and lap dances and cigars during strip club visits...."    

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

Postal Service / Postal Mail Handler's Union Mediation fails to reach a negotiated settlement

Contract Update #13 -- 2011 Contract Headed for Interest Arbitration

"...Several other factors also have come into play as the NPMHU dispute resolution process unfolds. First and foremost, the American Postal Workers Union and the Postal Service reached a comprehensive agreement in March 2011, and that agreement has been held out by some as a pattern or a baseline for future negotiations. ..."    

This Article is From: NPMHU 317 Read our latest posts! .

Will unions save overnight delivery for First Class mail or will postal service degrade the service?

The union throws the Commission a Hail Mary on the change in service standards

"...If the PRC does not issue an order to stop the Postal Service, overnight delivery will come to an end for Inter-SCF First-Class Mail and periodicals. That’s mail that originates and destinates in the same geographic area served by a single sectional center facility. It’s basically regional mail, in between local and long distance, and it represents about 20 percent of First Class mail. The other 80% of overnight delivery is Intra-SCF mail — the “turnaround” mail that originates and destinates in the same processing plant (basically local mail); it will be preserved until 2014, then that will be the end of overnight delivery for First Class mail. ..."    

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

Joseph Corbett filling in for USPS' sitting CIO who is on extended sick leave

USPS executives shift to fill interim positions

"...Joseph Corbett, 52, has been appointed acting chief information officer and executive vice president at the Postal Service, according to a USPS release. He is filling in for USPS' sitting CIO, Ellis Burgoyne, who is on extended sick leave recovering from an illness. ..."    

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

Valassis NSA could steal away newspaper circular clients

OH: Newspapers battle against special postal rates for Valassis

"...The newspaper industry doesn’t want potential competition, so it’s rallying politicians to oppose the NSA. In a letter to the chairman of the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission, which has the final say on the agreement, Brown said the agreement would “ultimately harm Ohioans who rely upon local newspapers to remain informed about current events.”..."    

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

Rep. Darrell Issa – wants to know why the USPS proposes to play favorites with its postal customers

USPS proposal plays favorites with mail customers

"...The deal would have to be approved by the independent U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission, which will make its decision soon. It should reject the proposal and remind the USPS that its role doesn’t include playing favorites and creating unfair disparities in the marketplace...."    

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

PAEA: PRC to "consult with the Postal Service on delivery service standards"

Postal Regulatory Commission

"...The Act requires the Commission to develop and maintain regulations for a modern system of rate regulation, consult with the Postal Service on delivery service standards and performance measures, consult with the Department of State on international postal policies, prevent cross-subsidization or other anticompetitive postal practices, promote transparency and accountability, and adjudicate complaints...."    

This Article is From: wikipedia.org (10:30pm cst; 6.21.2012) Read our latest posts! .


Tags: Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA)

Postal Service taunts Postal Regulatory Commission stating it has no power to block closures

Regulators have no power to block mail plant closures, says USPS

"...The Postal Service said the regulators did not have the authority to block its closure plans, and that any attempt to delay closures..."    

This Article is From: postandparcel.info Read our latest posts! .

USPS Mobile App

USPS Mobile App

"...Access USPS.com’s most popular tools on-the-go. Get instant, on-the-go access to USPS.com’s most popular tools with USPS Mobile. Find Post Offices™ and collection box...."    

This Article is From: android-apps-iphone-apps.blogspot.com Read our latest posts! .

Will Mail Processing Plant closures be delayed?

Postal Service processing plant closures in jeopardy

"...Don’t look now, but a key piece of the U.S. Postal Service’s downsizing drive this year is at risk of getting smoked before it even gets started.

It’s the piece that involves closing or consolidating 48 mail processing plants in July and August. As part of that effort, the Postal Service is seeking a legally required advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission on a related proposal to revamp first-class mail delivery standards...."    

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

DBCS Ergonomic Risk Hazards found at Kalamazoo P&DC by OSHA

OSHA Finds DBCS Ergonomic
Risk Hazards at Kalamazoo

"...To prevent musculoskeletal disorders, OSHA strongly suggested that the Kalamazoo P&DC work with USPS to eliminate the ergonomic risk factors identified in the Feeder and Sweeper tasks...."    

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

Cost Cutting at USPS takes focus away from revenue generation

Too much USPS focus on cost-cutting, says Ruth Goldway

"...Rolando said the Postal Service had a “unique opportunity” with its position reaching all 150m addresses in the United States six days a week, but that it was risking opportunities by closing much of its network...."    

This Article is From: postandparcel.info Read our latest posts! .

APWU Files Complaint to Stop Postal Service From Implementing Plan on July 1

APWU Files Complaint to Stop USPS From Implementing Plan on July 1

"... Noting that “the Postal Service case is extremely lengthy, technical and complex,” the APWU complaint [PDF] alleges that the USPS failed to submit the plan to the PRC far enough in advance of the July 1 implementation date.

The complaint points out that the Postal Service has made numerous revisions to its plan, as well as to the testimony of USPS witnesses in support of the consolidation plan and projections for savings...."    

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

Postal Service Urged To Step Up War on Drugs in Southeast Alaska

USPS Urged To Step Up War on Drugs in Southeast Alaska

"... Ketchikan, Alaska - As communities throughout Southeast Alaska report significant volumes of illegal drugs transported via the United States Postal Service (USPS), United Stes Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is asking the Postmaster General to address the matter..."    

This Article is From: www.sitnews.us Read our latest posts! .

APWU desires to halt consolidation of mail processing facilities until PRC issues an advisory opinion

APWU Seeks to Stop Consolidations
Until PRC Issues Opinion

"...The APWU assailed a “modified” USPS consolidation plan at a hearing before the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) on June 7, and notified the panel that the union will file a complaint seeking to stop the Postal Service from consolidating mail processing facilities and reducing service until after the PRC issues an advisory opinion on the plan...."    

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

Retirement Incentives for APWU represented employees being discussed (informal)

Informal Discussions on Early-Outs, Incentives

"...financial incentives for retirements and separations, but no official offers have been made or discussed, union President Cliff Guffey reports. “We expect the Postal Service to make a formal request to negotiate over early-outs and incentives..."    

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

Bogus Post Office Emails can infect computer

Virus Alert: Do Not Open Bogus Post Office Emails

"...If you receive an email about a package delivery or online postage charges, do not open it. It appears to be from the post office, but it is a scam than can infect your computer. ..."    

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

Rural Americans depend on the Postal Service

Embattled U.S. Postal Service gets help from rural America

"...Rural Americans say they regard their local post offices as the centers of their communities. With UPS and FedEx service limited or more expensive in some areas, many rely on the Postal Service to deliver medicines, while families need it to pay bills and small businesses and craftsmen use it to ship goods to customers...."    

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

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! .

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! .

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! .

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! .

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! .

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! .

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...."    

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.

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    

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

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...."    

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