Stay Up-to-Date on the Fight Against Consolidations, Closures
"... 09/19/2014 - To keep up with the latest developments in the fight against the consolidation and closure of mail Processing & Distribution Centers, check out the union’s website, www.apwu.org. Click on the Issues tab in the blue bar and select: Fighting Consolidations. ..." Source: www.apwu.org
"... Given the growth of email and mobile advertising as of late, Donahoe sounds a bit out of touch. Many marketers would say direct mail, and print advertising in general, is faltering...." Source: www.fiercegovernment.com
"... Send a message to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. His job is to preserve the USPS for the American public; not help beleaguered members of Congress dismantle it. Plans to move delivery to centralized locations and eliminate collection boxes to reduce the service, which is pivotal to the success of the USPS. It is the USPS’s ability to bring mail to patrons’ door that is the signature of our bond with the American public...." Source: www.rutlandherald.com
Postal Service's big delivery edge: no parking tickets
"...The city of East Cleveland tried to collect some $700 in traffic fines from Uncle Sam last year, only to get a letter from a Postal Service lawyer reminding the municipality that the organization has "federal immunity from state and local regulation." ..." Source: www.sfgate.com
Yes, Fracking Way: A New Post Office in an Oil Boom Town
"... the oil boom town of Williston, North Dakota received as the Badlands Postal Store opened on July 1.
(But what, you ask, about all these new Contract Postal Units (CPUs), Staples pretty-much-CPUs, and Village "Post Offices" (VPOs) USPS keeps opening up? No, we're not counting those, because those aren't staffed by actual USPS personnel. The Badlands Postal Store is..." Source: colossus-of-roads.blogspot.com
Postal Service forges ahead on job cuts, plant closures
"... the service wants authorization to further reduce its workforce. The agency has already shrunk by about 320,000 employees since fiscal 2000, but Donahoe has said legislation would allow the Postal Service to move from 485,000 career employees to 400,000 over the next few years...." Source: www.federaltimes.com
COLA Increase for APWU Employees Covered by the National Agreement
"...In July 2014, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) fell slightly to 698.580. The sixth COLA adjustment under the 2010 National Agreement is..." Source: www.apwu.org
The Postal Service’s Best-Kept Secret: It’s Making Money from Operations
"... “Despite the good news, Postmaster General Donahoe continues to paint a desperate picture of postal finances to justify his push to privatize the U.S. Postal Service,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “But USPS financial reports show the Postal Service is rebounding from the economic collapse of 2008 and can thrive as a public institution – if it is allowed to do so.”..." Source: www.apwu.org
People Use Government to Stay Connected: The Post Office
"...Privatization proponents are also seeking to replace the jobs of well-paid postal service employees with non-union (and so lower paid) workers at retailers such as Staples. (Staples is now offering promotional discounts to U.S. Postal Service rates in order to draw business away from local post offices.) Such action would reduce the number of good, middle-class jobs and could lead to a reduction in mail service to places without certain commercial facilities. ..." Source: www.foreffectivegov.org
Is your mail arriving after dark? USPS service cuts are to blame, watchdog says
"... Mail is being delivered after 5 p.m. more than two-thirds of the time to residents and businesses in the District and the Maryland suburbs, an investigation released Tuesday found, raising concerns about the safety of letter carriers and provoking a deluge of complaints from customers...." Source: www.washingtonpost.com
“This attempt at trickery shows that the ‘Don’t Buy Staples’ movement is having an effect.”
"...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. ..." Source: www.apwu.org
USPS aims to close facilities in Duluth, St. Cloud, Mankato, Bemidji
"...U.S. Sen. Al Franken, who stepped in last time to help Duluth's center earn its reprieve, weighed in again Tuesday.
"If these processing centers are closed, a letter sent from Duluth to Hibbing would travel all the way to the Twin Cities, and then back up to Hibbing," Franken said. "That doesn't make any sense. This will hurt rural Minnesotans, drive customers away from the Postal Service and undercut financial savings. I'll be urging the Postmaster General to reconsider these closures." ..." Source: www.twincities.com
"... If you work for the government, you’re not covered by the NLRA unless you’re a Postal Service employee. But most public employees are covered by federal, state, or local laws modeled on the NLRA...." Source: labornotes.org
"... If you thought Round 1 of the U.S. Postal Services “network consolidations” caused problems in delivery services in Lima and most of Ohio the past few years, brace yourself. Mail service to most parts of the country is likely to get worse..." Source: www.limaohio.com
Video of Birmingham postal worker throwing packages into a ravine leads to resignation
"...The poster, who said a co-worker's boyfriend actually filmed the incident, said the incident occurred on 17th Avenue South on Birmingham's Southside – a very hilly area overlooking Birmingham's skyline. ..." Source: www.al.com
"... The U.S. Postal Service this week filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission that it intended to reduce rates on Priority Mail for businesses and other customers using Commercial Plus and Commercial Base online shipping services. ..." Source: www.dmnews.com
Rationalization of our Network of Mail Processing Facilities…and a Deconstruction
"... The Postal Service will provide detailed information about its network rationalization planning in the coming weeks.
One of two things could be in play here…They don’t know and don’t actually have a plan, or it’s a big secret. Or they will blame the unions or that old favorite standby scapegoat SOX.
The Postal Service expects the completion of this phase of network rationalization will generate an additional $750 million in annual savings. Unfortunately USPS estimates are always overstated, with service implications understated...." Source: postalaffairsblog.intelisent.com
PMG: Mail processing plant closures announced 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.
via The Postal Newsgroup: PMG: Mail processing plant closures announced again. ..."
COLA adjustments for craft employees are tied to the CPI-W figures put out by BLS. Even though the cost of living seems to be hitting us all much harder than is identified by the manipulated figures of CPI-W, it does identify the rise in the cost of living. Yet with the wages of postal workers becoming nearly stagnant over the past several contracts, the COLA's do at rare times and add tiny increase in wages. It appears that may be the case this upcoming COLA period, but we still have a couple of months to go. Here are the latest figures:
"... The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 2.0 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 233.443 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index rose 0.4 percent prior to seasonal adjustment. ..." Source: www.bls.gov
"...It is not clear what type of skimming devices may be used in this fraud scheme, but the APC kiosks appear to be custom-made by Wincor-Nixdorf, a major ATM manufacturer. As such, many types of skimming devices sold in the cybercrime underground and made for Wincor ATMs may work just as well with this kiosk. ..." Source: krebsonsecurity.com
We don’t care, we don’t have to, we’re the Postal Service
"...The plant consolidations have resulted in delayed mail, late delivery, and countless other service problems. Under POStPlan, service has declined due to reducing hours at post offices and replacing experienced postmasters with poorly trained and underpaid personnel. The shift from door and curb delivery to cluster boxes has confused and angered thousands of customers. When customers try calling to complain, they can’t even get hold of their local post office. ..." Source: www.savethepostoffice.com
"...Police say the suspect in a shooting at a Kennesaw FedEx facility... At 9 :20 a.m. Fiedler issued a new statement saying: "We can confirm that an incident occurred early Tuesday morning at a FedEx Ground facility in Kennesaw, Georgia. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected, and with their families and friends. We are grateful for the assistance of law enforcement. The situation is now stabilized..." Source: www.13wmaz.com
"...Despite continued public outcry, post offices around the country remain slated for closure, placing many historic buildings and community anchors at risk. ..." Source: www.laconservancy.org
"...Sixty-one years after Robert Neumann began sorting mail while trying to keep his balance in a fast-moving train car, he retired Friday as one of the U.S. Postal Service's longest-serving employees. ..." Source: www.chicagotribune.com
Authorities Seek Cause of Deadly California Bus Crash
"... The authorities on Friday were investigating what caused the driver of a FedEx tractor-trailer to cross a grassy center divide and slam into a chartered bus carrying high school students..." Source: www.nytimes.com
PRC tells USPS Load Leveling not ready for prime time
"... possibility is that mailers might simply change their mailing practices to preserve desired delivery dates. If the mailers feel a need for Monday delivery and alter their operations so that they can enter the mail on Thursday instead of Friday, the peak loads on Monday will continue. ..." Source: www.savethepostoffice.com
The Real Reason Postal Workers Don’t Trust Paul Ryan
"...“Considering Ryan’s privatization zeal and his wife’s UPS lobbyist connection,” Brinkley wrote, “it’s clear he will not act in a way that’s in the best interest of the Postal Service.” That sums up the way worried postal workers still feel today. ..." Source: www.businessweek.com
"... Unique to this stamp issuance, all sheets were individually wrapped in a sealed envelope to recreate the excitement of finding an Inverted Jenny when opening the envelope and to avoid the possibility of discovering a corrected Jenny prior to purchase. "We are leveraging the incredible story behind the rare collectible as a creative way to generate interest in stamp collecting ..." Source: www.prnewswire.com
"... In November 1958, Hector was hired to work in the Vineyard Haven Post Office as a postal clerk. The post office at that time was in the building which now houses Rainy Day. Hector became a familiar face behind the counter for many years. He retired in 1983, after 25 years, finishing at the relocated site at Five Corners...." Source: www.mvtimes.com
Postal Service releases its February financial statement: First impressions of the rate increase?
"... While it is way too soon to say how mailers will ultimately respond to the rate increase, it looks as though higher rates are not driving away vast amounts of mail, and overall, the Postal Service looks to be doing okay for fiscal year 2014. Year to date, five months into the fiscal year, the Postal Service has made a profit of $1.1 billion in controllable operating income. ..." Source: www.savethepostoffice.com
NHP post office starts to sort out delivery problems
"... “It’s not the mailman. It’s the management,” he said last week. “The management all should be canned.”
In late February, state Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) said his office had alerted Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand about the problem and was steering complaints about sporadic mail delivery to her office...." Source: www.theislandnow.com
USPS truck crashes near Ollala, mail flies everywhere
"... A US Postal Service driver in South Kitsap was hurt Monday morning when her mail truck went off the road and into the water...." Source: q13fox.com
Residents Say No Mail Delivered for 7 Days; Carriers Blame Shorter Hours
"...Local mail carriers told the TV station that management recently began ordering them to clock-out by 6 p.m., which has forced many carriers to leave work with piles of mail undelivered. ..." Source: patch.com
Springfield Police Arrest Two in Connection with Fabricated Robbery
"...Springfield Police say they arrested the Springfield Post Office employee, who originally claimed to be the victim, as David Allen Rice, 20, and his sister Courtney Diane Goines, 20. ..." Source: www.wmbb.com
Postal Supervisor Intercepted Cocaine-Containing Package, Took It Home
"...Authorities say the federal grand jury in Hartford returned the indictment Wednesday on the charge of embezzlement of mail by a postal service employee. ..." Source: cbslocal.com
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Pearl Jackson expected to get her pain and arthritis medication Wednesday, but it never came.
Waiting on a package to be delivered in the snow? It might not arrive until next week
"... Post offices with ZIP codes that start with 356, 357 and 358, which are in the Huntsville, Decatur and Muscle Shoals areas, did not close and were open for regular hours, she said...." Source: al.com
Postal Reform Bill Would Create New Health Care Plan for Agency
"...The revised language would require the Office of Personnel Management to create a Postal Service Health Benefits Program, and to administer it within FEHBP. Any company currently offering an FEHBP plan that contains more than 5,000 postal enrollees would be required to offer the same plan within the new postal-specific system. About 90 percent of all postal enrollees would be covered by this provision, while the remaining 10 percent would be exempt from making the switch. ..." Source: www.govexec.com
Police say man installed skimmer in post office kiosk to steal bank information
"... Salt Lake City police are looking for a man they say installed a skimmer in a post office kiosk to steal bank information, then began withdrawing money from victims' accounts...." Source: www.deseretnews.com
Staples’ selling postal products without USPS workers stirs fears of privatization
"... Donahoe said privatization “would be a crazy idea. I think the Postal Service as structured is a great service provider. . . . Why would we ever put anything like that at risk?”..." Source: www.washingtonpost.com
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"... the oil boom town of Williston, North Dakota received as the Badlands Postal Store opened on July 1.
(But what, you ask, about all these new Contract Postal Units (CPUs), Staples pretty-much-CPUs, and Village "Post Offices" (VPOs) USPS keeps opening up? No, we're not counting those, because those aren't staffed by actual USPS personnel. The Badlands Postal Store is..." 
"... “Despite the good news, Postmaster General Donahoe continues to paint a desperate picture of postal finances to justify his push to privatize the U.S. Postal Service,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “But USPS financial reports show the Postal Service is rebounding from the economic collapse of 2008 and can thrive as a public institution – if it is allowed to do so.”..." 
"... Unique to this stamp issuance, all sheets were individually wrapped in a sealed envelope to recreate the excitement of finding an Inverted Jenny when opening the envelope and to avoid the possibility of discovering a corrected Jenny prior to purchase. "We are leveraging the incredible story behind the rare collectible as a creative way to generate interest in stamp collecting ..." 
"... In November 1958, Hector was hired to work in the Vineyard Haven Post Office as a postal clerk. The post office at that time was in the building which now houses Rainy Day. Hector became a familiar face behind the counter for many years. He retired in 1983, after 25 years, finishing at the relocated site at Five Corners...." 
