POSTAL NEWS

...from various sources.

9.04.2008

Ex-postal workers cite problems

Postal Service says grievance process wasn’t utilized


"... the postal service has grievance procedures established with the unions. That’s why it’s there and everybody gets their fair say and due process. And then there is a record and upper management and the unions can go back and see what’s involved and how’s it being handled.”Without using the process how will it affect change..."  
Source: www.stjoenews.net




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Analysis of a Postal Scam


"...legitimate looking (but nevertheless equally criminal and spurious) letter via the U.S. Mail. Starting with a sort of official letter, purportedly from Comcast Financial Services & Consultants, a division of Comcast LLC in Englewood, CO. I've won some money - $57,000 in fact...."  
Source: scenicroot.blogspot.com




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9.03.2008

Man Charged For Robbing Gould, Ark. Post Office


"... brandishing a firearm, entered the Gould Post Office and took $200 from an employee. If convicted of the postal robbery charge..."  
Source: www.todaysthv.com




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9.02.2008

Poll results confirm large majority opposes postal deregulation

CANADIAN UNION OF POSTAL WORKERS


"..."The public is overwhelmingly against postal deregulation and supports a
strong universal public postal system," said Denis Lemelin, CUPW National
President. "Hopefully, the review panel will remember these results when
making their recommendations."
..."  
Source: www.newswire.ca




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Postal Service Suspending Service


"... Postal Service employees in the area are being advised to check for changes to their scheduled work reporting status on a daily basis by contacting the USPS National Emergency Notification Hotline to determine if any special instructions have been issued. The toll-free USPS National Emergency Notification Hotline for U.S. Postal Service employees is: 1-888-363-7462...."  
Source: www.kfdm.com




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9.01.2008

US Postal Service: Mail will be secured during Hurricane Gustav


"...has procedures in place to help customers reestablish connection with their mail as soon as weather conditions allow. The USPS is working closely with the Social Security Administration and other agencies to continue disbursing checks that have not been received. ..."  
Source: www.sulphurdailynews.com




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8.31.2008

Gustav -v- USPS

Post Offices May Extend Holiday Closures in Preparation for Gustav


"...The Postal Service is already scheduled to suspend its operations Monday for the Labor Day holiday, but an official statement issued to the media suggests the agency may keep offices that could be affected by Gustav closed. ..."  
Source: www.myfoxhouston.com




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8.29.2008

New stamp an early sketch of Birmingham Museum of Art's Bierstadt


"...At first glance, a light-strewn image of Yosemite Valley on a new commemorative stamp is a dead ringer for Albert Bierstadt's "Looking Down Yosemite Valley" at the Birmingham Museum of Art. But don't be fooled. The stamp pictures "Valley of the Yosemite," a Bierstadt painting from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Issued Aug. 14, it is the eighth entry in the United States Postal Service's "American Treasures" series. ..."  
Source: al.com




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8.27.2008

Former postmaster compiles history of Hanover office


"...he put together a book called "U.S. Post Office History, Hanover PA 17331" outlining the Hanover Post Office's 213-year history. McManus, a native of Hanover,
..."  
Source: www.eveningsun.com




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More Postal Service Mail Processing Facility Consolidations

Article Title: No. 2 Oakland County project: U.S. Postal Service Processing Center


"... consolidated four mail processing centers that were located in Troy in one new 806,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art mail processing facility in Pontiac..."  
Source: www.mlive.com




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8.26.2008

Black Rock City Post Office for the Burning Man festival


"... The BRCPO in Center Camp, has been and is again this year, the only camp with the privilege to run the USPS mail in and out of Black Rock City for the Burning man festival. The BRCPO in Center Camp will be the only Post Office with the USPS Cancellation Permit and Burning Man Cancellation stamp. Only at the BRCPO in Center Camp may mail be deposited to be delivered off-playa with the official Burning Man 2008 cancellation stamp. This mail will be taken out daily to the USPO in Gerlach by the BRCPO Center Camp transport...."  
Source: bm.tribe.net




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APWU Recommends "No Go" on no incentive USPS Early Out Offer


"... We also can expect that if a sufficient number of employees do not accept the early-out offer, the Postal Service will still face a significant deficit, and will still be forced to find ways to reduce the workforce. In light of these factors, it would be foolish for employees to retire early without achieving all of their personal objectives. The union will continue to discuss the details of the early-out offer and will report the results of those discussions. Among the subjects to be addressed are whether all APWU-represented employees will be included and whether eligible employees will receive an incentive bonus for retiring...."  Employees Would Be Best Served by Postponing Early-Out Decision
Source: www.apwu.org




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Mark of the Eagle: Episode 2

After a narrow escape from the onslaught of office equipment, Ed, the letter carrier, must unite the people of this office for one final stand. Come back on Monday September 1, 2008 for Mark of the Eagle: Episode 3!


Episode 1

From: YouTube


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8.25.2008

National Retirement Counseling System Annuity Estimate

USPS

"...National Retirement Counseling System Annuity Estimate. This information details the postal voluntary early out retirement annuity statement that was mailed to eligible employees. ..."    



This Article is From: VER-Annuity-Estimate-Calc.html

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8.24.2008

mailbox explosions

US Postal Inspection Service seeks information in mailbox explosions


"... These most recent incidents follow a months-long string of mailbox explosions that began this spring..."  
Source: www.phillyburbs.com




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Planning for retirement's consequences

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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8.23.2008

VER Calculation Criteria


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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8.22.2008

VER Annuity Estimate Letter

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.


  
Source: VER Annuity Estimate Letter




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8.21.2008

[APWU] Dispute Over Individual Retirement Counseling Appealed to Arbitration


"...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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Another VERA Approval for...


"...The Post Office has received another early out approval for more employee groups. ... Headquarters EAS and ..."  
Source: community.federalsoup.com




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8.20.2008

APWU 19th Biennial Convention News Bulletin #2

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...."  
Source:




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8.19.2008

Postal Service probes repair, maintenance contracts


"... 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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8.15.2008

APWU and NPMHU COLA

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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8.14.2008

COLA Update for NALC Postal Employees


 
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.gov

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8.13.2008

USPS Cuts Overtime...

.

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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8.11.2008

Postal: Economic Hard Times for Postal Employees

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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8.10.2008

Select Manhattan mailboxes to be sealed for parade


"... 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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8.08.2008

post office bag tutorial


"... 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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8.07.2008

Pallet Lessons from the USPS


"...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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USPS cuts impede ‘We Deliver’ promise


"... 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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8.05.2008

Lawmakers Seek Federal Review Of UPS-DHL Proposal


"... 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...."  
Source:




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Postal Service starts discussions on early retirement offers


"..."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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Anthrax suspect’s colleague blames FBI for suicide

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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8.03.2008

Anthrax attacks changed mail handling


"...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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Anthrax case raises worries about biodefense effort

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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More Details on “Early Out.

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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7.30.2008

Possible pipe bombs found at 2 Ohio post offices


"... 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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7.23.2008

Inglewood Postal Employee Shot

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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7.18.2008

USPS Customers/Employees to Donate Gear to Pitch In For Baseball

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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7.16.2008

COLA CPI for June 2008

 
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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