It's back to work: When retirement doesn't stick
"... Al Martorana retired from the postal service in 2005, he thought he had called it quits for good. "It was 30 years, and I just had it with the hauling down the expressway in the morning and stuck in traffic in the afternoon," said the 60-year-old Holbrook resident. "It was time for a change in my life."..."
Source: www.newsday.com
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Learn more about some of the criteria used to calculate VER:
This information is attached to the VER Annuity Statement Letter:
Source: VER Letter
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For those interested, one of the mail handler union sites has added a copy of an actual VER letter received by one of their members.
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"...unilateral decision that resulted in the discontinuation of established local methods of providing individual retirement counseling to bargaining unit employees. ..."
Source: www.apwu.org
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"...The Post Office has received another early out approval for more employee groups. ... Headquarters EAS and ..."
Source: community.federalsoup.com
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Privatization a Worldwide Threat
"... Corporate power, the driving force behind globalization, is leading governments to privatize postal and other public services, a panel of union experts warned several hundred delegates Tuesday at an International Labor Forum. “Globalization hurts workers everywhere,” said Denis Lemelin, National President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers...."
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"... Balfour said the Postal Service is engaged in $40 billion worth of contracts with outside businesses to get the mail delivered. The Postal Service has the largest fleet of vehicles of any company in the country and often has to outsource repairs, he said. "We are trying to determine that the work the outside contractors say they are doing is actually being done," he said. ..."
Source: www.cleveland.com
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APWU and NPMHU postal employees will receive a Cost-Of-Living Adjustment of $1,477 and will be effective Aug. 30. The COLA will be in checks Pay Period 19-08 which is Sept 19. This equates to a 71-cent per hour increase ($56.80 per pay period).
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The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.5 percent in July, prior to seasonal adjustment. The July level of 216.304 (1982-84=100) was 6.2 percent higher than in July 2007. This equates to $1,498 annually for NALC postal employees covered under the National Contracts. The COLA will be effective the pay period beginning August 30 and received in checks on September 19. The new COLA is equivalent to 72 cents per hour
($57.60 per pay period).
Latest CPI-W Release from the BLS CPI Reference: www.bls.govVisit Our Homepage
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Postal service slashes overtime
"... USPS reduced overtime by over 28 million hours through pay period 14, which ended on July 4. The reduction translates to $923 million in overtime savings compared with the prior year. The year to date overtime rate for bargaining unit employees stood at 8.7%, down from 11.7% in 2007...."
Source: www.postalnewsblog.com
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Unable to sell homes, split-up spouses stay put, postpone divorce
"...They have little money to set up new households, pay off credit cards and cover divorce attorneys' fees. “It's very hard,” said Wahlberg, 39, a post office delivery operations supervisor. “I want to move on. I know she wants to move on. But you really can't if you're tied down by the home itself.” ..."
Source: www.signonsandiego.com
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"... NEW YORK, N.Y. — In the interest of security and safety, postal officials will seal mail collection boxes on select streets in Manhattan for the annual Dominican Day Parade. The mail boxes will be sealed after the last collection on Saturday, August 9 and reopened on the morning of Monday, August 11. All other collection boxes and schedules remain unaffected...."
Source: www.usps.com
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"... packages are always weird sizes and never seem to fit in a paper bag, so I came up this handy dandy post office bag. It’s just a long piece of fabric with some handles and pockets, but it works like a charm..."
Source: www.elsiemarley.com
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"...The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has long been the single largest purchaser of plastic pallets in the country, possibly even the world. Over the past year, leakage and budget concerns have led the USPS to re-evaluate its purchasing practices. The USPS has begun purchasing wood pallets, INCA presswood pallets and some low-priced plastic pallets. ..."
Source: www.materialshandling.net
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"... Curtailment of customer services to encourage privatization has also been charged at other government agencies including the Social Security Administration where, as reported in the People's Weekly World May 9, federal employees have protested the closing of centers and reduction in staff. ..."
Source: www.pww.org
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"... deal being worked out raises concerns about competition. UPS spokesman Norman Black said Monday that the arrangement the company is working out with DHL is similar to one it's had for several years with the U.S. Postal Service...."
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"..."We do not oppose voluntary early retirements, but we do object to any plan to offer them selectively and exclude some employees from eligibility," Burrus said. "We also believe that for this VER, which is not the result of contract negotiations, severance pay must accompany an offer of early retirement." ..."
Source: www.govexec.com
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He calls motives ascribed to Bruce Ivins in mailings that killed 5 ‘ridiculous’
"... a friend and former colleague of the microbiologist says federal investigators were going after the wrong person and that it was their pressure on Ivins that led to his demise at his own hands...."
Source: www.msnbc.msn.com
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"...Five lives and millions of dollars later, the anthrax-by-mail mystery may be solved, but the way the post office and many government agencies handle the mail has undergone major changes..."
Source: ap.google.com
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Experts say that federal oversight of booming industry is severely lacking
"... the revelation that FBI investigators believe the anthrax attacks were carried out by Ivins, an Army biodefense scientist who committed suicide last week after he learned he was about to be indicted for murder, has re-ignited a debate: Has the unprecedented boom in biodefense research made the country less secure by multiplying the places and people with access to dangerous germs?
"We are putting America at more risk..."
Source: www.chron.com
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Postal Service Announces More Details on “Early Out"
"... On Aug. 18, an annuity estimate will be mailed to all VER-eligible employees from Eagan, MN. In addition, on Aug. 22 a VER offer packet will be sent to all eligible employees containing a cover letter, an application and a list of questions and answers. Interested employees will have from Aug. 25 to Sept. 30 to submit their application. It’s important to note that Sept. 30 is the date when an employee's voluntary choice to retire becomes irrevocable...."
Source: www.npmhu.org
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"... Two post offices were evacuated Tuesday in southeastern Ohio after the discovery of objects that appeared to be pipe bombs, authorities said. ..."
Source: ap.google.com
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Co-Workers Upset Over Postal Employee's Shooting
"... opened the door with a gun in his hand and raised it at them. ..."
Source: kfiam640.com/
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Postal Service Goes to Bat for Children in Need
"...Pitch In For Baseball accepts new or gently used youth gloves, cleats, aluminum bats, catcher’s gear, instructional books, videos and aids such as batting tees. Rhode describes “gently used” as gear one would feel comfortable giving to a friend or family member. If in doubt, Rhode said to go ahead and mail items to:
Pitch In For Baseball
1901 Pennsylvania Avenue
Fort Washington, PA 19034
Customers visiting Post Offices through the end of August will see additional information on the program, or they can visit www.usps.com/baseball. Examples of Postal Service mailing options include guaranteed overnight Express Mail Service or Flat Rate Priority Mail service at just $12.95 that can be delivered in just two to three days.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game ..."
Source: www.usps.com
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Contract COLA: $1,330
"...The actual COLA will reflect the increase in the CPI between January and July 2008. It will be payable the second full pay period following the release of the July 2008 index..."
Source: www.nalc.org
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Burrus to VER-Eligible Employees: ‘DON’T GO’
"... APWU President William Burrus is advising union members to delay making a decision as long as possible...."
Source: www.apwu.org
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Employees Would Be Best Served By Postponing Early-Out Decisions
"... I ask that eligible employees delay making a final decision on early retirement until the union concludes discussions at the national level. If we are not successful, we will announce that we have reached an impasse, and individual decisions can then be made.
In the interim, help us help you by delaying your decision.
Please note: The Postal Service has told us it plans to make additional requests to the Office of Personnel Management for approval to offer early-outs to other categories of employees, including some members of the Maintenance Craft, Letter Carriers, and Rural Letter Carriers. ..."
Source: www.apwu.org
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APWU Meets with USPS, Seeks Bargaining Over Early-Outs
"... "We do not oppose Voluntary Early Retirements,” he explained, “but we do object to any plan to offer them selectively and exclude some employees from eligibility,” he said. “We also believe that for this VER, which is not the result of contract negotiations, severance pay must accompany an offer of early retirement."..."
Source: www.apwu.org
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20,000 postal clerks, mail handlers may get early retirement
"...calls for closing airport mail facilities and consolidating bulk mail centers, along with streamlining the computer software that maps postal routes. The closings are expected to lead to staff reductions and more outsourcing. ..."
Source: federaltimes.com
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May 2008 CPI-W COLA
"...The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 1.0 percent in May 2008 according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS)..."
This Article is From: www.narfe.orgVisit Our Homepage
Airport post office facility may close by year's end
"... Closing of the branch, whose official name is the Cleveland Airport Mail Center, is being considered as part of an overall streamlining plan, U.S. Postal Service spokesman David Van Allen said Monday. Danny Pride, president of Cleveland Area Local American Postal Workers Union, said the union has been told the Postal Service already has decided to close the center when its lease expires at year's end. Officials are delaying the announcement as long as possible to avoid a backlash, he said. ..."
Source: blog.cleveland.com
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"... It states that district manager Shelwyn Epperson “unilaterally changed terms of employment by closing the Sunday operation in several offices on the western slope” and did not negotiate the changes with union representatives, which Gray claims is in legal violation of the National Labor Relations Act. “The APWU believes the Sunday closures will negatively affect customer service,” reads the charge. The Aspen post office previously had some clerks in the office — and some mail carriers delivering Express Mail — on Sundays...."
Source: www.aspendailynews.com
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APWU to Meet With USPS Over Possible 'Early Out' Offer
"... six-day delivery are being re-evaluated, which guarantees we will be seeing proposals for revolutionary change. APWU is demanding bargaining on any proposal to offer “early outs.” We believe that all APWU-represented employees should be eligible, and that there should be monetary incentives for interested employees. ..."
Source: www.apwu.org
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Paper Lives
"...Some reasons paper will not die for the foreseeable future.
* Internet access is not universal, so mail remains the primary method of delivering transaction documents such as bills and invoices as well as marketing messages. While Internet adoption rates continue to rise, it is unlikely that it will ever reach the near 100% coverage provided by the postal service. A recent study in the U.S. found that only 62% had home Internet access.[6]
* The Future of Mail and Transaction Documents Study concluded that the value of printed transaction documents will remain essentially stable, dropping .0066% a year through 2010 and that revenue related to printed direct mail will continue to increase at 4.5% a year..."
Source: members.whattheythink.com
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Exclusive: Wyoming Mountain Depicted On Colorado Stamp?
"...Al DeSarro, with the U.S. Postal Service, said that Engeman's artwork "was not based on any specific picture of a mountain." He said it is supposed to be a generic representation of a mountain -- not a specific mountain in Colorado. The U.S. Postal Service plans to issue a total of 60 flag stamps in alphabetical order -- one for each state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories as well as the stars and stripes..."
Source: www.thedenverchannel.com
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USPS ‘Network Plan [PDF]’ Would Adversely Effect Postal Workers, Service
"... Regrettably, postal management has developed a business plan that relies almost exclusively on reducing work hours as a means of remaining financially solvent. Year after year budgets are established that call for reductions in the number of employees, the consolidation of facilities, and other cost-cutting measures. This is a failed strategy and it cannot sustain America’s mail service. However, if management intends to continue down the road of employee reductions and contracting postal activities, we shall insist that every change be made consistent with our Collective Bargaining Agreement. We shall also engage the American public so that they are aware of intended changes that would erode mail services. ..."
Source: www.apwu.org
Further Reading:
POSTAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENHANCEMENT ACT § 302 NETWORK PLAN, June 2008 [PDF]Visit Our Homepage
"... The bill would help reduce wasteful, inefficient, and detrimental subcontracting by the U.S. Postal Service by requiring the USPS to bargain with postal unions before it engages in significant contracting-out. Thanks to outreach and education efforts by APWU locals, the legislation has gained 116 cosponsors since it was introduced by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) ..." Source: www.apwu.org
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"... Only a few days after the tornado brought destruction to the Town of Windsor, a disabled 93-year-old retiree in Denver thought it was his duty to donate what he could to the disaster stricken town. Ted Koomanoff sent a $100 check as a donation to the clerks at the Windsor Post Office..."
Source: www.coloradoan.com
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7 businesses have stations
"... The stations are called Contract Postal Units and were opened in the city as a response to the population surge in East Baton Rouge Parish since Hurricane Katrina, said Judith A. Brining, customer relations coordinator for the U.S. Postal Service in Baton Rouge. ..."
Source: www.2theadvocate.com
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