Ashes in the mail: Covid changes the logistics of death

"...“I don’t want to send someone I knew all my life through the mail,” said Stan Reese. The Huntsville, Alabama, resident is starting a business to personally collect ashes for others and then hand-carry them to scenic places, where they will be scattered — on video if requested. He knows that relatives are not always physically able to fly or drive long distances to get a loved one’s ashes, and that quarantine guidelines and potential exposure to COVID makes others reluctant. He said his service will help families avoid having “the last time they see their loved one be when they put a stamp on them.”..."    

This Article is From: www.phillytrib.com
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How to file a claim in the $2.67B Blue Cross Blue Shield class action settlement

"...If you are a Blue Cross Blue Shield customer, you may have gotten a letter in the mail recently about a historic multi-billion dollar class-action lawsuit. Some BCBS customers may be entitled to a chunk of that settlement, which is part of a long running anti-trust suit. The suit claims that BCBS violated anti-trust laws by creating non-compete agreements within its individual plans, limiting competition in the health insurance section..."    

This Article is From: whnt.com
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USPS to consolidate 18 facilities, increasing concerns over mail delays

"...The 18 mail processing centers that are being consolidated are located throughout the country, including plants in Erie, Pennsylvania; Wausau, Wisconsin; Huntsville, Alabama; Gainesville, Florida; Newburgh, New York; Paducah, Kentucky; and Seattle, according to the American Postal Workers Union, or APWU. The APWU said mail previously directed to those plants will be redirected to other facilities. In a statement to NBC News, the USPS said it is "looking to repurpose" the centers being consolidated..."    

This Article is From: www.wrcbtv.com
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Amazon Is Developing A Spy Comedy Based On The US Postal Service

"...the film will follow a young man (Fowler) who discovers that his recently killed mailwoman mother was actually a covert operative in Americas most unexpected secret agency, the United States Postal Service..."    

This Article is From: screenrant.com
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USPS Criticism of Unauthorized Sneaker Turns the Tables on Nike

"...First unveiled in early March, the Nike Air Force 1 USPS appears to draw direct inspiration from the shipping service well-known Priority Mail boxes, down to its blank white canvas and patriotic red and blue accents. The sneaker, USPS notes, is neither licensed nor otherwise authorized by the U.S. Postal Service. The agency said it had made repeated attempts to work with Nike. This is an unfortunate situation where a large brand such as Nike, which aggressively protects its own intellectual property, has chosen to leverage another brand for its own gain, the USPS said..."    

This Article is From: sourcingjournal.com
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(Video) Women accused of attacking U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Flint

"...Federal and local investigations are under way after two women allegedly attacked a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Flint on Thursday. The alleged attack happened on Floyd McCree Drive between the River Village and Schafer Square apartment complexes. The Flint Police Department is investigating along with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service..."    

This Article is From: www.abc12.com
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Postal Service Clerk Craft (APWU) Prepares for National Negotiations

"...The APWU will begin negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in June. The current CBA is set to expire on September 20, 2021. As such, the Clerk Craft officers have begun preparing for negotiations on issues..."    

This Article is From: apwu.org
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Lawmaker demands U.S. Postal Service turn over vehicle contract

"...The chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Friday demanded the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) release a contract it awarded to Oshkosh Corp that could be worth $6 billion to build up to 165,000 next-generation delivery vehicles..."    

This Article is From: www.msn.com
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USPS offers early retirements to non-union employees in agency reorganization

"...To avoid a reduction in force, the Postal Service is offering voluntary early retirements to most eligible non-bargaining unit employees at its headquarters, as well as at area and district offices. The Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) goes into effect April 30, and doesn’t come with any monetary incentive. USPS employees who take advantage of the offer would essentially benefit by being able to tap into their retirement funds early...."    

This Article is From: federalnewsnetwork.com
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Postal union says it’s more than winter weather and COVID-19 to blame for recent mail delays

"...something else is broken in the system,” she said. The local American Postal Workers Union (APWU) said this issue is, in fact, bigger than just weather or the pandemic...ones said under the new postmaster, hundreds of sorting machines were removed from facilities across the country. “We just don’t have the ability to process it in a timely manner,” he said. “What happened in June or July didn’t fix the problem, it created it..."    

USPS says winter weather to blame for recent mail delays in Indy, local union says it’s more than that This Article is From: fox59.com
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Mail delays wreaking havoc with bill-paying

"...The U.S. Postal Service is finding it hard to deliver mail on time — and that’s having a financial impact and causing inconvenience for many. From social media to complaints to the Better Business Bureau, postal patrons are telling horror stories of bills that don’t arrive, payments that never show up, Christmas cards languishing in faraway places and packages making peculiar, circuitous routes home. “The slowdown is a national issue..."    

This Article is From: godanriver.com
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APWU Annnounces COLA Increase

"...In accordance with the 2018-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement, career employees represented by the APWU will receive a 20 cent per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective February 27, 2021. The increase is the result of a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). It will appear in paychecks dated March 19, 2021 (Pay Period 06-2021).The value of the COLA for full-time employees in each step and grade will increase by $416.00 annually, and the hourly rates for part-time employees will be adjusted accordingly. The COLAs are in addition to general wage increases. This is the fifth cost-of-living increase under the 2018 contract. The COLAs received so far during the 2018 National Agreement will total $1,414.00 per year. Postal Support Employees (PSEs) do not receive cost-of-living increases, but have several general wage increases under the 2018 contract. The next increase is effective on May 22, 2021 when PSE’s will receive another 20-cent raise. Click here for updated pay scales...."    

This Article is From: apwu.org
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Postal Service Delays Causing Late Bills

"...Some people say they are still facing such extreme delays with their mail and getting hit with late fees on bills that were paid weeks in advance. Rosalyn Christopher of Belle Vernon says despite being very meticulous with her bills, it happened to her twice over the last month..."    

This Article is From: cbslocal.com
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'Star Wars' stamps are coming this spring to the U.S. Postal Service

"...The droids featured in this pane of 20 stamps are ..."    

This Article is From: Rocket City News
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Several Postal Service price changes will take effect Sunday, Jan. 24

"...Here are the current and new retail prices: • First-Class Mail letters ..."    

This Article is From: NPMHU Local 317
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Man gets 16 years in federal prison for shooting postal worker in Elk Grove Village

"...Ruebusch, 25, allegedly came up to a mail carrier inside their unmarked vehicle, tapped on the window and fired shots from a handgun as the carrier drove away, prosecutors said. The mail carrier was wounded but survived..."    

This Article is From: abc7chicago.com
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8 postal workers robbed at gunpoint

"...Federal investigators say letter carriers across the country have been robbed at gunpoint, but the number of cases in Albuquerque is extremely high and alarming. "Between mid-October and this week there have been a reported eight armed robberies of letter carriers," said Postal Inspector..."    

This Article is From: www.koat.com
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Biden Can’t Fire Postmaster General

"...Biden won’t have the power to usher in a replacement. Only the Postal Service Board of Governors, which oversees USPS, can hire and fire the postmaster general. The president, instead, nominates people to the Board of Governors, and the Senate confirms them..."    

This Article is From: www.outsidethebeltway.com
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PMG DeJoy announces second USPS reorganization

"...According to the statement, “These organizational changes will not initiate a reduction-in-force.” The statement also said that the hiring freeze announced in August will continue. The last paragraph indicates that more changes are to come: “Further organizational modifications are expected to continue..."    

This Article is From: www.linns.com
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How Much Do Postal Workers Get Paid When They Retire?

"...As an example of USPS retirement under CSRS, a postal worker with a high-3 average of around $60,000 and 20 years of service earns...FERS also uses the high-3 average, paying 1 to 1.1 percent of the high-3 average salary for each year of service. Under FERS, a postal worker with a high-3 average of around $60,000 and 20 years of service earns..."    

This Article is From: chron.com
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