"...The APWU expects a decision from Arbitrator Stephen B. Goldberg by mid-July, reports President Mark Dimondstein. “We had hoped to have a ruling by now, but Arbitrator Goldberg has informed the union and management that he is still working on his decision,” Dimondstein said..."
"...OSHA issued rules that mandate transgender employees be allowed to use restrooms associate with their declared gender. It says: 'a person who identifies as a man should be permitted to use the men’s restroom and a person who identifies as a woman should be permitted to use the women’s restroom.' None of the postal employees..."
"...Earlier this year, FOX 2 reported on some employees' growing fear that the air inside the U.S. Postal Service Michigan Metroplex Procession and Distribution Center in Pontiac was not safe. Five postal workers at the facility all died within about a year of each other. According to a report by the U.S. Postal Services Inspector General, the methane detection system had problems, which may have caused these deaths..."
"...This is a powerful example of how the demands of postal workers reflect the people’s demand for good postal service. “But it is just the first step in a long process,” Dimondstein said. The full House must approve the Financial Services Appropriations bill and the Senate also must approve a similar provision in a final appropriations bill before it can become law. A similar measure passed the House committee last year but never made its way through the Senate..."
"...Continuing to allow workers to be exposed to the hazards of falling concrete without following through on an actionable plan to eliminate hazards is unacceptable,” said Vanessa Martin, OSHA’s area director in Indianapolis. “The employees of this facility deserve to be protected from injury on the job...."
"...in discussing buying anything from computer cables to other small to medium items, “If I buy that from a manufacturer across town, or across state, I’ll pay First Class postage … generally speaking, somewhere between $9 and $15 in shipping costs. If I buy that same package from China, I’ll pay 94 cents.” He goes on to explain that so called free shopping is a myth and manufactures must build it into their pricing, while the sweetheart deal for China helps to gut American businesses and manufacturers..."
"...case is highly unusual because the 26-year U.S. Postal Service employee didn't steal anything of inherent value — such as birthday cards with cash or packages with valuable products inside. Rather, she swiped only coupons..."
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| Neither Snow nor Rain |
, the true story of how America has delivered its mail through the centuries, rambles, rattles, digresses (but never dawdles) as it serves up a colorful array of visionaries, hucksters, daredevils and crackpots to keep the narrative humming — and, at times, roaring — along..."
"...Cecil Thomas began his career with the Postal Service following his honorable discharge from the Army in 1966..."
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| LINKmobile |
"...mail carrier told the business owner and his brother they’d have to wait and then they started to assault him, authorities told KTVT-TV (Channel 11). Chris and Jonathan Allahverdi were arrested..."
"...In addition to delivering mail, letter carriers in in more than 10,000 cities and towns across the U.S. will conduct the nation’s largest one day food drive..."
"...These unscrupulous accounting tactics are also admitted by the USPS in a disclaimer near the end of the press release that states that controllable income “is not calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) within the meaning of applicable SEC rules.” That’s right. By any legitimate standard, these reports are not considered accurate or acceptable..."
"...I did overhear Postmaster Blanchard say this to a dance organizer: “I don’t think I’ve ever said Flying Monkeys and Munchkins ever, in my entire life, as much as I did in one day by telephone.” So the costumes arrived, the show went on, and the U.S. Postal Service received an enthusiastic and heartfelt thank you in the program..."
"...will focus on everything from business analytics to cybersecurity to improving the Postal Service’s infrastructure around intelligent mail and payment technologies. In her previous role, Seaver oversaw operations in eight districts stretching from Baltimore to Atlanta..."
"...police received several 911 calls around 2:30 a.m. from residents in the area who heard a loud explosion. Responding officers found nothing and cleared the reports before the destroyed box was found about five hours later...."
"...According to a D.C. police spokesperson, the postal worker, a man, was in uniform when he was found with gunshot wounds in the 1500 block of Galen Street around 5:20 p.m..."
"...congressionally-manufactured financial crisis and the 2008 economic meltdown. “Not surprisingly, as management proceeds with their case, they are pleading poverty and trying to devalue the work APWU members perform. This is an attempt to justify their call for more concessions from the workers. The Postal Service’s demands, including a new, lower-tier career workforce, elimination of cost-of-living allowances, and weakening the no-layoff clause are insulting and outrageous. “The arbitration panel should reject the Postal Service’s demands and grant the APWU’s proposals,” Dimondstein said. ..."
"...valuable "inverted Jenny" stamp has surfaced six decades after it was stolen from a collectors' convention. The stamp — one of the world's most famous pieces of postage — was among four of its kind taken from a 1955 collectors' convention..."
"... WorldPostalCode is a web-based resource, which provides postal codes of a long list of countries at the website. This is what the experts working for the service tell about it: "If you have ever tried to find the postal code of any state or city, then you shouldn't be explained, how complicated the process is. With World Postal Code, this will no longer be a problem..."
"...During the investigation of the accident occurring on Carter Street, officers discovered USPS mailbags, miscellaneous letters and packages, other individuals ID’s and debit cards all in and around Kilfoyle’s vehicle, according to the police...."
"...The U.S. Postal Service is lowering the price of postage stamps for the first time in 97 years, the agency announced Thursday..."
"...Lyle Jones, 36, a postal carrier, and Lenard Pompey, 39, a postal supervisor, entered their guilty pleas to bribery and conspiracy to distribute marijuana before U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala during a hearing in Birmingham. The judge set Jones' sentencing for June 15, according to court records..."
"... This site is considered a brownfield. Brownfields are former industrial or commercial sites where future use is affected by environmental contamination. Brownfield sites are converted into usable space..."
"...When the Level 8 PSE Tractor Trailer Operators who received pay exceptions are converted to career Level 7 Motor Vehicle Operators, where there are no pay exceptions, they suffer a significant drop in pay. “This is one example of why we should have an all-career workforce,” said MVS Craft Director Michael O. Foster. The conversions have triggered other problems..."
"... Huffman called USPS’ consolidation plan “reckless,” saying the proposed legislation would add a much-needed level of oversight and make sure future consolidation plans “are based on data and the unique priorities of our local communities...."
"...Reuters White House Run is a 2016 presidential election simulation rooted in a data story. Create an avatar and "build the perfect candidate" to compete with your friends ..."
"...“Postal workers earn the right to be justly compensated for our service and hard work,” Dimondstein declared. “The economic lot of workers should be constantly improving, and those improvements should be passed on from generation to generation. We earn the right to be provided a safe workplace, free of harassment and discrimination, and, after concluding our careers, to enjoy a secure and dignified retirement.” APWU members want a workforce where all members make decent wages and get solid benefits..."
"...Amazon sellers were initially greeted with a message that said "for the time being," Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express rates would remain at 2015 levels. It appeared to be against USPS rules to make such statements..."
"...As the victim, who has been with the postal service for three years, recovers, postal inspectors are hoping they can get some answers to solve the case..."
"...A Louisville mail carrier was shot in the face Wednesday morning on Dearborn Avenue in west Louisville. "I was talking to the mailman and then a few minutes later, I heard six gunshots and I ran outside," said neighbor Janice Lewis..."
"...President Obama still proposed the agency slash 12,000 employees in his fiscal 2017 budget. USPS posted a net income of $307 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2016, the first such gain since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. ..."
"...understanding the change only applies to Commercial Base rates. Sellers who expect to get the lower rate at their local Post Office are disappointed to learn it's only available through online postage providers (but, not the USPS's own Click N Ship site - another wrinkle). And that leads to a yet another challenge sellers are facing: because FCPS for packages between 13 - 16 ounces is not available at the Post Office window, some postal clerks are rejecting packages that sellers drop off with Commercial Base rate labels affixed..."
"... Management wants to gut the COLA for current workers and is seeking a new tier in the career workforce that would earn no COLAs; have virtually no protection against layoffs, and face a reduction in annual leave and sick leave. (The APWU currently has a three-tier workforce, consisting of pre-2010 career employees; post-2010 career employees – who earn lower pay..."
"...good news for online sellers who ship packages weighing between 13 oz. and 15.99 oz. However, eBay's system has not updated those particular rates for sellers using its shipping labels to print postage. The USPS is now extending First Class Package Service (FCPS) beyond the previous 13-ounce limit to 15.99, resulting in savings for shippers..."
"...Burns said information gained by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service was key to the seizure and making the arrest. He said arrests were made after Robinson and Oates picked up a package containing the drugs at the Leighton post office. ..."
"...LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - Residents have complained about the unreliable postal service in Moss Bluff and Lake Charles for months..."
"...The top 5 rated agencies include the USPS, National Park Service, Center for Disease Control, NASA and the FBI...."
"...said he learned that delivery wouldn’t begin until a certain percentage of the more than 30 home lots were occupied. Mogle is the second homeowner to buy and occupy a property. Because of the Postal Service’s occupancy rule, he had to go to a location in Jacksonville to pick up his mail, he said. “I know what’s right and what’s wrong, and this is totally wrong. ... The post office is supposed to deliver my mail, period,” Mogle said..."
"...Louie Kunst was delivering packages in the Heritage Hill area when he noticed three teenagers walking down the sidewalk..."
"...The Postal Service is providing a preview of its 2016 stamp program that is sure to attract the interest of fans of Sarah Vaughan, Star Trek, NASA’s New Horizons mission, Trucks, Shirley Temple, flowers, soda fountain fans and the holidays — just to name a small handful..."
"...The City of Pembroke Pines thus made a quick and hefty profit of $5.7 million, pretty much at the expense of the Postal Service. One has to wonder why CBRE, the Postal Service’s exclusive real estate agent, wasn’t able to get more for the property. How was the City of Pembroke Pines able to find a buyer willing to pay $5.8 million more than the City had paid the Postal Service, just two months earlier? ...Postal Service has maintained a retail post office on the property by leasing space from the City of Pembroke Pines ..."
"...USPS is limiting shipping options for self-balancing scooters due to safety concerns after reports that some hoverboards have caught fire...."
"...“Since more than 17 months [have] passed since Raqqa and Deir ez-Zour fell to ISIS, it is possible that individuals from Syria with passports ‘issued’ in these ISIS controlled cities or who had passport blanks, may have traveled to the U.S.,” the report says ..."
"...Richard McDonald celebrated his golden anniversary Wednesday at the Belle Meade post office where he delivers mail. When he started, stamps were..."
"...The NPMHU has prevailed in the first phase of its National arbitration against the Postal Service challenging many of the proposed closings and consolidations of mail processing plants under the Area Mail Processing guidelines found in Handbook PO-408..."
"...Valbridge's award of this contract follows a series of reports by the OIG this past year that have identified what the OIG perceives to be failures by the Postal Service to properly manage its real estate holdings. Earlier this month, a report by the OIG determined that the Postal Service did not know how many vacant properties it owned or leased..."
"...Outside of work hours, employees may identify their political views on Facebook in the appropriate field and even post photos of themselves with candidates for office..."
"...The American Postal Workers Union announced today that its National Executive Board has voted to endorse Bernie Sanders for president. The vote follows Sanders’ rousing speech to more than 2,000 activists at the union’s All-Craft Conference, held in Las Vegas, in late October, where he displayed a deep understanding of postal issues and workers’ concerns..."
"...police impersonators got out of their car, a white Ford Crown Victoria, and attempted to rob the officer. The sources say that the officer reached for his gun and..."
"...you are eligible for what is known as the Special Retirement Supplement or the Annuity Supplement if: you have..."
"...Williams says that several county clerks have expressed concern that the U.S. Postal Service didn't deliver their ballots in a timely manner. So he suggests voters either drop off their ballots with their county clerk or use another county drop-off location..."
"...Canada’s government-owned postal agency said Monday it has put a temporary halt to plans to phase out door-to-door mail delivery in urban areas, about a week before a new Liberal government that promised to restore regular mail service comes to power..."
"...A private post office — the U.S. Postal Service-contracted post office closed about three weeks ago amid an investigation into complaints of slow mail delivery — will be up and running as soon..."
"...Late Thursday, August 13, 2015, the NPMHU National Office filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service, claiming that the USPS breached its binding contractual obligations when it unilaterally announced a reversal of its earlier determination that the primary craft for operating the Small Parcel Sorting System is the Mail Handler craft. The NPMHU is seeking a declaration that the Postal Service has breached the tripartite agreement on jurisdictional craft assignments, as well as injunctive and monetary relief to remedy this breach. The APWU also has been named in the suit, as a required party to any litigation on this subject. ..."
"...there’s a happy ending in this case at least: Tony says the new postmaster in charge of his local office showed up on Wednesday to personally apologize to him for the mix-up..."
"...Last year, the U.S. Postal Service processed 155.4 billion pieces of mail, and it did so with a fleet of over 211,000 vehicles. Now, the USPS is upgrading its fleet with 9,113 model-year 2016 Ram ProMaster 2500 cargo vans, which should be suitable alternatives for delivering larger packages that the current Long Life Vehicle (LLV) can't handle..."
"...waiting around at home all day, only to check the tracking later and find that a carrier attempted delivery when you finally left the house. That’s what happened to Consumerist reader Tony — only he had video to prove that no one from USPS ever showed up, despite what the tracking information said online..."
"...complaints of slow mail delivery at the Settlers Bay contract post office, a situation that came to a head on Saturday when local residents found the office had been closed...."
"...New Hampshire Postal Workers Union has endorsed Bernie Sanders!..."
"...To avoid addressing the complaint, the PRC concluded that service regulations are unenforceable. Contrary to all past pronouncements, the commission declared that service standards couldn’t be “violated” in any legally meaningful sense. “This is an unauthorized revision of the law,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein, noting that the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) addresses USPS service standards. “Until the commission’s rule of unenforceability is corrected..."
"...It delivers 15% more packages on average than the rest of the country; one route in Texas last year delivered twice its expected volume...."
"...In a major blow to the Postal Service’s deal with Staples, Region 5 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint on June 26 charging that the USPS illegally subcontracted work to the office-supply chain and ordering the agency to return the work that existed on July 31, 2014, to the APWU bargaining unit...."
"...In anticipation of a second wave of digital disruption, the U.S. Postal Service's Inspector General released a report outlining 10 mobile-focused efforts..."
"...Subcontracted drivers working for Parcelforce – the parcel delivery arm of the Royal Mail – are under investigation after delivery vans were suspected to have stopped outside addresses without dropping off packages, said officials at the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)..."
"...Sanders had implored Brennan to end organizational changes that had slowed the delivery of mail. Yet last December, the board of governors called upon a federal statute to establish a temporary emergency committee with special powers to make decisions in the absence of a quorum ..."
"...Police said the packages were all addressed to specific female recipients. The postal service has been tracking packages to those people recently..."
"...Alabama town of Seale, has been indicted by a Montgomery grand jury on one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, 14 counts of mail fraud, 14 counts of aggravated identity theft and 14 counts of embezzling mail..."
"...a $1.2 billion controllable operating profit for the year. “This quarter is generally, from my understanding, on track with what we expected,” said Sarah Ninivaggi, USPS public relations representative. “We’re still on track to see a controllable income for the year.”..."
"...The U.S. Postal Service and its internal watchdog plan to review whether or not some of the agency’s employees may have violated federal policies by using their government email on the infidelity website Ashley Madison..."
"...Under the new rule, new locking and non-locking curbside mailboxes must be able to accommodate the insertion or removal of a new minimum-sized mail item 7 inches high by 13 inches wide by 16 inches deep..."
"...Wallingford facility on Saturday afternoon when he was knocked down and run over by a truck trying to back up to a loading dock..."
"...On July 26, 1775, the Continental Congress created the Post Office, naming Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. Here’s a look at 10 fascinating facts about a unique American institution...."
"...USPS administration decided unilaterally to change delivery standards and at the same time close many of the large processing centers in the best postal service in the world...."
"...The Rural Postal Act of 2015, introduced by Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) on July 9, aims to improve mail service by restoring stronger service standards and placing a two-year moratorium on the closure of additional mail processing plants. It also would make the requirement for six-day mail delivery..."
"...Bernie Sanders has been an outspoken champion of postal customers, postal workers and the public Postal Service — demanding expanded services for all Americans, an end to mail delays, and an end to the closure of postal facilities,” Dimondstein said in a statement...."
"...“It’s a meet and greet, he’s an important candidate,” Dimondstein said of Bernie Sanders. “He’s not in the pocket of the corporations, and wants corporate money out of politics. We hope to hear from him, to go into some of what his platform and program is, and how it relates to working folks. I have not officially endorsed Bernie, but I’m happy to be a co-host so he can meet with other labor leaders.” He said he is expecting a group of between 30 and 40 labor leaders to attend..."
"..Specifically, Pennini was told not to contact, stalk, harass or injure any member of this trio — but on June 8, he sent one of them a text message anyhow. Shortly thereafter, Pennini was arrested by members of the Aspen Police Department at the post office, located at a benign sounding address: 235 Puppy Smith Street..."
"...(Officer Kirk) Wheatley opened the pack and observed a Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun in the pocket,” the report says. “Wheatley later confirmed the pistol to be fully loaded with 14 rounds of live ammunition, was accompanied with 28 additional rounds of ammunition, two sets of handcuffs, three folding knives and one multi-tool.” Pennini is out of jail on bond..."
"...Recently, a bipartisan group of senators, including Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, met with Postmaster General Megan Brennan to discuss a long list of Postal Service complaints. At the top of the list was lagging delivery times that are continuing to get worse. As part of the evaluation process, Peters and the group maintain that declining postal standards and the consolidation of mail processing facilities is negatively impacting rural communities across their states..."
"...The Florida postal worker who landed a gyrocopter at the U.S. Capitol this spring said Monday that he opposes any plea deal with prosecutors that requires a prison term of “several years,” saying his actions were a “pure act of civil disobedience.”..."
"...Today’s vote by the House Appropriations Committee to approve an amendment to restore postal service standards is an important step forward for postal employees and our customers – large and small. The bipartisan vote was 26-23. Postal workers have been fighting the drastic cuts in service that USPS management implemented unilaterally..."
"...the plea agreement states that because Galapo has accepted responsibility for her actions and saved the government the time and expense of a trial by pleading guilty, probation will be recommended to the judge..."
"...Guidelines don't include a time frame for implementing the consolidation of any given mail processing facility that's on the chopping block. Because of that, any feasibility study that was done to determine if the facility should be closed could be outdated by the time USPS actually starts the closing process...."
"...“He alleges a “coordinated effort at the top to really nail me,” despite the lack of property damage, injury or intent to do either with his protest. The letters Hughes carried may still reach Congress, with the help of a 70-year-old man named Joe Lane. Beginning on June 10, the Connecticut-based thriller writer will walk the halls of Capitol office buildings hand-delivering Hughes’ letters to members of Congress. ... urgent need to reform our campaign finance laws. ..."
"...The decision to defer the next phase of the initiative was based upon operational considerations, and was made to ensure that the Postal Service will continue to provide prompt, reliable and predictable service consistent with the published service standards. The planned consolidation activities will resume in 2016..."
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| How does the Postal Service reward workers? |
"...With the exception of the Houston P&DC and Queens P&DC, the USPS has suspended all remaining closures and consolidations to a date to be determined. ..."
"...The USPS "also chose to not refurbish the vehicles, which would have cost about $3.5 billion." The latter option would have added as much as 15 years to the life of the vehicles...."
"...Postal Management scuttled the prospect of reaching a deal before the deadline by insisting on a permanent, new lower pay scale and reduced benefits for future career employees as well as givebacks in pay and benefits for current career workers..."
"...The Postal Service has released its service performance reports for the second quarter of the fiscal year, January 1 to March 31, 2015. They show that it's not just your imagination — the mail has been slowing down, and in some cases, by a lot. The reports can be found on the..."
"..."We remain committed both to reversing this decision, preventing further closures, and to ensuring that Connecticut residents do not experience delays in mail delivery," the statement reads...."
"...“We will not be closing that facility this year,” said Ruiz. “The center will still be used for all incoming mail to Petaluma, as well as all parcels. No jobs will be lost.” ..."
"...Tony Boyd, president of the union's local chapter said he knows two postal employees are on administrative leave after he and a union steward brought irregularities in postal employees "ring times" to the attention of the local postmaster and regional director...."
"...Everything from the bogus figures in the reports – that haven’t changed since they were first issued two to three (some four) years ago – is wrong. The numbers weren’t correct then, and couldn’t possibly be correct now. The misrepresented findings are clearly “rationalized.”
Management is using AMPs to rationalize their actions, with little basis in fact. They are moving equipment, knowing there is no place to reassign all of the impacted employees. Postal workers are constantly bombarded with realigned schedules and tour changes.
A few years back, management decided to practically eliminate Tour 2 in most plants, and forced employees on standby time, so work could be saved for the evening. Now, we have “four walls,” 24-hour clock, and employees are being moved back on Tour 2 with plans to work around the clock. Go figure...."
"...there was no one available to cancel their return so that it is postmarked on April 15. According to one witness, some people were ringing a bell and banging on the counter at the customer service desk. ..."
"...Hughes wrote about the planned gyrocopter flight on his website, The Democracy Club:
"...A spokesperson for the USPS Southern Area provided the following response to our inquiry about the OIG audit report on the Dallas, TX MTESC: "You asked whether shippers or other customers should know anything about this matter. I would like to stress that this was a localized event, limited to the Dallas MTESC, and is not representative of the country as a whole. ..."
"...Postal Service compensation, established through union negotiations, is not always competitive..."
"...Police say the men identified themselves as postal workers. After the victim opened her front door, the men reportedly forced their way into the apartment. That's when one of two men threw the woman to the ground and pointed a gun at her. ..."