Don’t buy school supplies at Staples

Don't Buy From Staples

"...If it is allowed to continue, the Staples deal will replace public post offices with private, for-profit companies whose decisions will be motivated solely by the bottom line. And it will replace good, stable jobs our communities need with low-pay, high-turnover, part-time positions that hurt our economy. That would be bad news for workers, consumers and the American people. ..."    

This Article is From: The American Postal Workers Union (APWU)
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Postal Service would have posted a net income of $10 million in quarter ending June, 30 2014 if not for...

Postal Service reports $2 billion loss

"...The USPS' financial filings said the adjustment to workers' compensation expense -- an exercise that is on paper rather than a reflection of actual costs -- counted as a $540 million expense. The agency's retiree commitments for the quarter totaled $1.43 billion. Without those two expenses the agency would have posted a net income of $10 million. ..."    

This Article is From: www.timesdispatch.com
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Joan Tittle: Stamp Collector

Meet a Postal Service groupie, the woman who will collect every stamp

"...Tittle is a stamp collector, though collector is too dull a word to describe her pursuit. A few years after she retired from being a high school gym teacher in 1993, she began traveling around the country attending as many “first day of issue” ceremonies as possible. Civil War stamps, Kwanzaa stamps, Joe DiMaggio stamps — she wants them all. And not just the stamps. Tittle collects the souvenir envelopes the stamps come in..."    

This Article is From: www.washingtonpost.com
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Is Your State Senator Stepping Up To Save Your Postal Infrastructure or Silently Allowing Its Destruction?

The Senate Can Help Stop Service Cuts and Plant Closures
"...A move by the USPS that will slow America’s mail service and that threatens tens of thousands of jobs requires an urgent response, said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. On June 30, the USPS announced its intention to close and consolidate 82 mail processing facilities in 37 states throughout the country beginning in January 2015. On Aug. 1, the USPS posted a notice in Federal Register announcing that the consolidations will eliminate overnight mail delivery..."    

This Article is From: www.apwu.org
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Help!! Send this message NOW to stop the slowing of the mail and the destruction of the Postal Service. We need your help please.

Send your senators a message now to help save the Postal Service

"...While the Postmaster moves forward with his disastrous scheme to dismantle the postal network, Congress has the power to undo his plans -- but they need to hear from us!

Work is underway in the Senate to prevent USPS from going forward with its decision to close and consolidate 82 mail processing facilities nationwide. Send your senators a message today in support of Senator Tester's letter urging swift action on postal closures!..."    

This Article is From: capwiz.com
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Amazon Sunday Delivery Facts

Amazon Sunday delivery: Key facts to know as USPS rolls out service nationally
"...The Sunday work is performed primarily by “non-career employees,” which is lingo for part-time employees. A U.S. Postal spokesman said these employees most likely would not receive as many hours as they do if it were not for Sunday delivery. Because of this, you will often see them not in uniform...."    


This Article is From: www.geekwire.com
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Amazon Prime (One Year Membership) .

It's time to ‘Dump the Postmaster General!’

The Postmaster General (USPS)

It's time to ‘Dump the Postmaster General!’
"...After noting that some have called Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe’s actions criminal, and a clear violation of the law that created and maintains the Postal Service as a fundamental right of the people, APWU President Mark Dimondstein called the PMG “Wall Street’s Trojan Horse, the privatizer from within.”..."    

This Article is From: www.apwu.org
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“This attempt at trickery shows that the ‘Don’t Buy Staples’ movement is having an effect.”

Statement by Mark Dimondstein President, American Postal Workers Union on Staples Announcement on ‘Pilot Program’ Performing USPS Work

"...A Staples announcement on July 14 indicating that the company is terminating its no-bid deal with the U.S. Postal Service and replacing it with an “approved shipper” program is a ruse. Staples and the USPS are changing the name of the program, without addressing the fundamental concerns of postal workers and postal customers. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck.

The Staples announcement and a letter from the USPS dated July 7 make it clear: They intend to continue to privatize postal retail operations, replace living-wage Postal Service jobs with low-wage Staples jobs, and compromise the safety and security of the mail...."    

This Article is From: www.apwu.org
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Former Shelby County postal worker from Birmingham area sentenced for money order "kiting scheme"

Money order scheme gets former Shelby County postal worker home detention and probation

"...36, of Birmingham, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Hopkins to five years of probation, including six months home detention, for his guilty plea to six counts of theft of U.S. Postal Service money orders and one count of theft of government property. ..."    

This Article is From: www.al.com
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How much can the Postal Service offer as an early retirement incentive (VSIP)? Lump-sum payments up to $25,000 as an incentive to voluntarily separate

How much can the Postal Service offer in an early retirement incentive (VSIP)? $25,000

"...The Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment Authority, also known as buyout authority, allows agencies that are downsizing or restructuring to offer employees lump-sum payments up to $25,000 as an incentive to voluntarily separate. When authorized by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), an agency may offer VSIP to employees who are in surplus positions or have skills that are no longer needed in the workforce who volunteer to separate by resignation, optional retirement, or by voluntary early retirement, if approved. By allowing employees to volunteer to leave the Government, agencies can minimize or avoid involuntary separations through the use of costly and disruptive reductions in force (RIFs). Agencies such as the Department of Defense that have been granted agency-specific VSIP authority are not required to seek OPM approval for their use of this option...."    

This Article is From: www.opm.gov
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Are Postal Mail Service Standard Changes and Mail Processing Plant Closures Deteriorating Customer Satisfaction?

Rating the U.S. Postal Service on Customer Satisfaction

"...measures for Priority Mail, Express Mail and Parcel Select," but that the agency did not meet any of those goals in fiscal 2013. ..."    

This Article is From: www.ecommercebytes.com
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Postal Early Retirement 2014 ... With Incentives buyout for Postmasters

Postal Service offers postmasters early retirements ahead of RIFs

"...The Postal Service is offering buyouts and early retirement options to more than 3,000 postmasters before it proceeds with a reduction-in-force (RIF) in early 2015...."    

This Article is From: www.federaltimes.com
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American Postal Workers to Launch Vigorous Campaign Against Plant Closures, Consolidations

APWU to Launch Vigorous Campaign Against Plant Closures, Consolidations

"...“I believe the decision to resume plant closures is a purposeful attack by the Postmaster General, who is retaliating because he could not get five-day delivery. He’s also frustrated by the union’s powerful campaign against the deal between the USPS and Staples,” Szeredy said.

Ignoring the Possibilities

The Postal Service claims the plant closures will generate $750 million in annual savings. “Yet he is ignoring a report by the USPS Office of Inspector General that says the Postal Service could generate $9 billion by offering basic financial services without any cuts to traditional postal service,” Szeredy said. “Something is wrong with this mentality.”

“The Postmaster General also neglects to mention that the USPS earned a profit from operations in fiscal year 2013 and in the first two quarters of 2014,” she added.

Donahoe claims that there have been steep declines in first-class mail, Szeredy pointed out, “yet he fails to tell the public that the USPS has already given away 60 percent of first-class mail processing to Pitney Bowes and other pre-mail sort houses.”..."    

This Article is From: www.apwu.org
Bolding added.
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PMG: Mail processing plant closures announced again

Plant closures on again

After recently announcing a two year moratorium on plant closures, the PMG has recanted that idea and has again announced a return to shuttering hundreds of much needed mail processing facilities. The PMG cited a three year decline in first class mail volume as well as exigent price increases or a lack thereof as the reasoning. In a short video to employees, the PMG OFFERED NO DETAILS on what impacts the new closures will have on employees. It appears the postal service is unsure of what it is going to do, but they are going to do it anyway. Stay tuned for an update when more details are available.    

'Must See' Video on Postal Privatization and the 'Staples' Store Deal

The Video the PMG Doesn't Want You to See
"...The Postal Service’s propaganda machine has been working overtime in recent months, with workers forced to watch videos featuring Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe spewing falsehoods about “the state of the business” and the deal with Staples. APWU President Mark Dimondstein takes on the PMG’s claims in a new video that every postal worker should see. But while management can require employees to view his message while they’re on the clock, the union can’t. So make sure your co-workers hear the truth! Please show the video in swing rooms, cafeterias, at union events, and wherever postal employees get together...."    

This Article is From: www.apwu.org

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Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe supports agenda to fund roads for cut to five-day delivery

USPS supports five-day delivery swap with highway fund boost

"...a budget accounting trick that would finance road projects by preventing a future bailout of the U.S. Postal Service. But the top postal official says he couldn’t be more pleased. “We not only need five-day delivery,” Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said..."    

This Article is From: www.washingtonpost.com
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Revised Annuity Employees (RAE), a new code on PS 50 Forms

New Code on Form 50 Reflects Bigger Deduction for Retirement
"...The new designation reflects that the employees were hired as career employees on or after Jan. 1, 2013, and are covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) as Revised Annuity Employees (RAE). In accordance with the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, career employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2013, pay more for their retirement benefits than their predecessors. ..."    

This Article is From: www.apwu.org
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APWU NBA challenged the re-election of Robert Sulentic to Staples’ board of directors

Staples Execs Get an Earful at Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

"...APWU National Business Agent Shirley Taylor challenged the re-election of Robert Sulentic to Staples’ board of directors, noting that he has an apparent conflict of interest. Sulentic is also CEO of CBRE, the giant real estate firm that holds an exclusive contract to sell post offices and other USPS facilities...."    

This Article is From: www.apwu.org
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Article: House plan would steal from the broke U.S. Postal Service to pay for road and transit projects

Postal Service Funds Would Go to Highways Under House GOP Proposal

"...House Republicans are constructing a proposal to keep thousands of road and transit projects from grinding to a halt this summer by transferring funds into the nation's nearly depleted Highway Trust Fund from the already money-losing U.S. Postal Service...."    

This Article is From: www.nationaljournal.com
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Contrary to the wishes of the citizens the Postal Service serves, House Committee Passes Destructive Issa Bill

Committee Passes Controversial Issa Bill

"...May 21, 2014 - The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee members passed the latest postal bill offered by Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), which would end “door delivery” for 15 million postal customers. The vote, which passed along party lines 18-13, occurred less than 48 hours after it was introduced." title="Committee Passes Controversial Issa Bill ..."    

This Article is From: www.apwu.org
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