POSTAL NEWS

...from various sources.

5.08.2009

‘FMLA Restoration Act’ Introduced


"... The purpose of the bill (H.R. 2161) is to roll back the harmful changes made by President Bush four days before he left the White House: FMLA regulations that went into effect on Jan. 16 have created problems in the field, such as employer representatives contacting workers’ doctors without the workers’ consent, and rejecting previously accepted FMLA certifications. Workers with long-accepted “conditions” have been challenged and have been forced to visit their doctors repeatedly...."  
Source: www.apwu.org




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5.06.2009

Online Postage Tools Can Save You Time

Prepare for the May 11 by taking advantage of USPS web tools.


"...Endicia offers similar services as a third-party website. The company sells printers, labels, scales, and services to automate your shipping process. ..."  
Source: www.washingtonpost.com




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Postal workers allege supervisor treats them 'inhumanely'


"...Lapuh, the shop steward for the Los Alamitos Post Office, forwarded the reports to Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Ca., and Diane Feinstein, D-Ca., in hopes that the workers will see change. As shop steward, Lapuh represents union employees and assists with filing grievances. ..."  
Source: www.ocregister.com




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5.04.2009

USPS Probes Security Breach

Data Companies Issue New Warnings About Breach That Could Lead To Potential Compromise Of Credit Cards


"... Postal Inspectors Service said that of the 40,000 individuals whose information was accessed, up to 300 were compromised and used to obtain fraudulent credit cards...."  
Source: www.cbsnews.com




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5.02.2009

mailbox locator: find a USPS mailbox in your area


"... This page lists locations of USPS Collection Stations (blue mailboxes) and post offices in the..."  
Source: www.payphone-project.com




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Postal Workers and Paper Dust


"...“There's no federal safety standard on it, so it’s a real problem,” reports Bob Williamson, president of the San Francisco chapter of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU). “We’ve had people who have developed occupational asthma from breathing the fine dust.” Other reported problems include bronchitis, allergic reactions, migraines, bacterial infections, conjunctivitis and sore throats. ..."  
Source: www.healthnewsdigest.com




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4.19.2009

Associate Supervisor Program being cancelled?

Associate Supervisor Program being cancelled?


"...On April 10, 2009 Susan M. LaChance, Vice President Employee Development & Diversity, USPS notified the Managers, Human Resources, Area that the Associate Supervisor Program (ASP) is being canceled because of the current business conditions. ..."  
Source: www.napus.org




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4.17.2009

Herrera Threatens Discrimination Lawsuit Against US Postal Service


"... “Under the Postal Service’s own regulations,” Herrera said, “SROs are apartment buildings, and they are entitled to the same method of mail delivery—to individual locked boxes—that is afforded to all other tenants in all other apartment buildings.”..."  
Source: www.fogcityjournal.com




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4.13.2009

[Letters] Postal service hits resident on his blind side


"...I then called the postal service and was told that the card was "square" in size (i.e., 5.25 by 5.25 inches) and that classified it as nonstandard in size. If it was "rectangular," that would have been fine. ..."  
Source: atlanticville.gmnews.com




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Postal past stamped


"... The Toowong Postal Service, which has been delivering mail to residents for 136 years, is celebrating with Australia Post as they mark their national bicentennial this year...."  
Source: westside-news.whereilive.com.au




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Minnick moves to save backcountry postal service


"... Rep. Walt Minnick is asking the U.S. Postmaster to rethink plans to sever the contract that pays a pilot to deliver mail to residents living deep Idaho's wilderness...."  
Source: www.kpvi.com




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4.07.2009

Postal union leaders propose solutions to save service, jobs


"... “One of the byproducts of this relationship is the preservation of discounts that benefit the mailers at the expense of Postal Service stability…The law specifically requires universal service at uniform rates, yet the standard has been nullified with the growth of discounts that were intended to be temporary. Over time, discounts have morphed into a disgraceful policy that rewards large mailers with rate reductions so extreme as to be absurd,” Burrus added...."  
Source: www.workdayminnesota.org




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4.06.2009

Post office bomb threats


"... A Faribault, Minn., woman already on parole for threatening elected officials in Austin, Minn., was charged this week with making bomb threats against 16 post offices in southern Minnesota...."  
Source: www.grandforksherald.com




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Postal Service cancels backcountry air route


"... U.S. Postal Service is canceling a contract with backcountry pilot Ray Arnold, ending the air mail route to more than 20 ranches in the Frank Church-River of No Return wilderness...."  
Source: www.2news.tv




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Littering postal workers targeted


"...streets were littered with rubber bands, as well as many private driveways and paths. ..."  
Source: news.bbc.co.uk




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TWU Launches National Advertising Campaign


"... national advertising campaign to raise awareness about outrageous bonuses to corporate executives and particularly those awards pending at AMR, the parent company for American Airlines and American Eagle.... ...Read the Release... ... Play the Game..."  
Source: www.twu.org




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USPS possible changes in delivery


"... Unites State Postal Service is considering all kinds of changes..."  
Source: www.connectmidmichigan.com




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4.01.2009

Suspicious Package Injures Postal Worker


"... Genesee County say a postal worker experienced eye irritation ..."  
Source: wsgw.com




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consolidation of mail processing operations in its Wilkes-Barre

Update: Postal Service reschedules public hearing on potential consolidation


"... potential consolidation of mail processing operations in its Wilkes-Barre facility into similar facilities in Allentown and Scranton...."  
Source: www.citizensvoice.com




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Postal Service to shift mail processing to Tampa; 59 jobs affected


"... U.S. Postal Service announced today it will be shifting originating mail processing and distribution operations from the Manasota Process and Distribution Center in Tallevast to a facility in Tampa..."  
Source: www.bradenton.com




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Postal Service Confirms Closure of Lakeland Mail Center

39 employees affected


"...The Postal Service is closing its Lakeland Processing and Distribution Center in the post office on Lakeland Hills Boulevard and consolidating it with one in Tampa. ..."  
Source: www.theledger.com




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3.29.2009

New Postal Voluntary Retirement VER for July 31, 2009

Postal News


Read it here: New Postal Voluntary Retirement VER for July 31, 2009

ALL EMPLOYEES except Electronic Technicians (ET); Maintenance Mechanics, Mail Processing Equipment (MPE); Part-time Postmasters.


"... Please Note: The age and years of service criteria must be met by the effective retirement date of this VERA: July 31, 2009. If you don’t meet the criteria by July 31, 2009, you are not eligible for voluntary early retirement...."  
Source: The Postal Newsgroup




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3.25.2009

U.S. Postal Service plans deep cuts


"... The U.S. Postal Service said March 20 it will cut jobs, offer early retirement to tens of thousands of employees and close administrative offices, the latest round of cutbacks in the last year...."  
Source: www.bizjournals.com




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3.24.2009

Downfall of the Postal Service?

Will "DoNotMail" kill the Postal Service?


American mailboxes are inundated with junk mail. More than 100,000,000,000 pieces of junk mail are delivered each year—that’s more than 800 pieces per household. In fact, junk mail in the United States accounts for one-third of all the mail delivered in the world. Even though 44% of that mail goes to the landfill unopened, we still spend 8 months of our lives dealing with it all.
Source: www.donotmail.org


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3.23.2009

USPS District Closings, VER...


On March 20, the US Postal Service announced District Closings, Voluntary Early Retirement, and Reductions. The announcement reads as follows:



USPS ANNOUNCES ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE CLOSINGS, EARLY RETIREMENT OFFER AND
STAFFING REDUCTIONS


Today the Postal Service has announced it will close six of its 80 district offices. USPS is also
eliminating positions across the country and offering another round of voluntary early retirements.
These actions are expected to save the Postal Service more than $100 million annually.
The six offices closing — located in Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and Washington State — house administrative functions and will not adversely affect
customer service, mail delivery, Post Office operations or ZIP Codes. The functions of these offices will
be assumed by 10 surrounding districts.
The Postal Service’s districts are being re-aligned as follows:
�� The Boston and Connecticut districts will assume the operations of the Massachusetts District.
�� The Northern New England (formerly Maine) District will assume the operations of the New
Hampshire/Vermont District.
�� The Western Pennsylvania (formerly Pittsburgh) District will assume the operations of the Erie
District.
�� The South Florida and Suncoast districts will assume the operations of the Central Florida
District.
�� The Seattle and Salt Lake City districts will assume the operations of the Spokane District.
�� The Northern New Jersey and Southern New Jersey districts will assume the operations of the
Central Jersey District.
USPS will reduce administrative staff positions at the district level nationwide by 15 percent. In addition,
more than 1,400 mail processing supervisor and management positions at nearly 400 facilities around
the country will be eliminated, and nearly 150,000 employees nationwide are being given the...

The Mandatory Stand-Up Talk reads as follows:

Mandatory Stand-Up Talk
District Closings, Staffing Reductions and VER Announced

With the economic recession resulting in the Postal Service ending fiscal year 2008 with a loss of nearly $3 billion, we
are facing an extremely difficult financial challenge.
Streamlining operations and improving efficiency throughout the Postal Service is a constant, ongoing process. Over
the past year, we have refined this process by modifying networks, consolidating functions, adjusting delivery routes
and restructuring administrative and processing operations. Today, Postmaster General Jack Potter announced new
steps to further our efforts. These actions are expected to save the Postal Service more than $100 million annually.
First, the Postal Service is closing six district offices.
These six administrative district offices were chosen based on their proximity to other districts that could absorb the
additional workload without compromising the delivery, retail and mail processing functions of the Postal Service.
Today, more than 500 employees were notified by their area vice president and/or district manager that their district
offices were closing.
An opportunity for voluntary early retirement (VER) also is being offered.
This nationwide offer is open to nearly 150,000 employees who meet the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
conditions, and who are at least 50 years of age with 20 years of creditable federal service, or any age with 25 years
of creditable federal service. An annuity estimate will be mailed to all VER-eligible employees starting April 6, 2009.
Another step being taken is instituting a 15% administrative staffing reduction of positions in all remaining 74
district offices.
Postal headquarters already has reduced its employee complement by approximately 15% and the area offices are in
the process of a similar staffing reduction.
At nearly 400 of our mail processing facilities around the country, more than 1,400 supervisor and
management positions are being eliminated.
Reduction in force (RIF) avoidance strategies will be in place for employees impacted by district closings and staffing
reductions.
There are no signs of an early economic recovery. Financial projections call for a continued decline in mail volume and
revenue.
Now, more than ever, we all must look for ways to do our jobs more efficiently and help to continue the service
performance and customer satisfaction improvements we have gained in recent years.
By doing so, we can help ensure that the Postal Service will continue to deliver for America now and in the future.
Additional information — and questions and answers — about all of these new changes can be found under the Hot
Topics section on Blue. VER information can be found under the Hot Topics section on LiteBlue.

3.22.2009

Postal service to trim 3,000 workersS


"... More than 3,000 U.S. Postal Service jobs will be cut and one-quarter of the USPS workforce offered early retirement, postal officials say...."  
Source: www.marketwatch.com




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U.S. Postal Service offering early retirement to 150,000 workers


"... would reduce management staff by 15%, which would eliminate more than 1,400 processing, supervisor and management posts at nearly 400 facilities...."    



This Article is From: www.latimes.com
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3.17.2009

Trimming shipping costs with the Postal Service


"... Commercial shippers can now take advantage of new volume price incentives with Commercial Plus, an up-front price incentive for qualifying shippers using domestic Express Mail and Priority Mail, who meet established volume requirements. On average, Commercial Plus prices for Express Mail are 14.5 percent less than USPS retail prices and Priority Mail prices are 7 percent less...."  
Source: www.fedsmith.com




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Early outs, again?


"...There is a strong rumor out there that there will be another VER coming soon. At this point it is just that, a rumor, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Postal Service, in an effort to continue downsizing in response to reduced volumes, announces another VER...."    



This Article is From: www.postmasters.org

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3.09.2009

Postal Service closes West Springfield annex


"... The move, made effective on Feb. 7, means that letter carriers from West Springfield and Springfield who started and ended their days at the so-called Riverdale Station will work out of the Agawam and Springfield Post Offices..."  
Source: www.masslive.com




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U.S. Postal Service and rising cost of stamps

Letters to the editor of the Seattle Times


"... The U.S. Postal Service just paid $1.2 million for the postmaster's 8,400 square-foot house, so he can relocate to Texas. Isn't this nice of them to do in this spiraling economy? I think most consumers are fed up with the rise in cost and the decrease in service we have seen the past few years at most post offices...."  
Source: blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com




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3.03.2009

USPS sales campaign blitz


"... Only one week old, the sales campaign — during which the USPS sales team will spend the next 90 days and 90 percent of its time with customers — is intended to generate as much revenue over the next three months as possible. The Postal Service is moving forward with integrated sales and service teams to focus on serving the needs of its customers to grow the Postal Service’s business...."  
Source: liteblue.usps.gov




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2.26.2009

USPS March 2009 COLA - Postal Cost of Living Adjustment

Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Update

"...After the final month of the six-month measuring period, the fifth COLA under the 2006 National Agreement and the Operating Services Agreement will be zero. ..."    



This Article is From: www.apwu.org


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2.24.2009

Charlotte Post Offices cut evening hours


"... USPS says it's cutting hours to save money as it faces a record declines in business. But local union president Leroy Moyer says the shorter hours will save little..."  
Source: www.wfae.org




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2.23.2009

USPS Delivers High School Graduation Invitation...22 Years Late


"... The letter, which had been opened, carried 22 cents in postage and a June 2, 1987, postmark...."  
Source: www.ktvl.com




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2.21.2009

SLIDESHOW: Mail must get through


"... Two decades ago this month, the United States Postal System opened its 72-acre National Center for Employee Development east of 24th Avenue SE on SH 9 in Norman. It's grown to about 500,000 square feet of office and training space in addition to a 445,000-square-foot housing facility -- and with close to 1,000 smoke-free guest rooms is the largest hotel in Oklahoma...."  
Source: www.normantranscript.com




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2.20.2009

Postmaster General Gets Pay Bonus as Agency Falters


"... In all his total compensation -- salary, bonuses, retirement benefits and other perks -- topped $850,000, a spokesman with the U.S. Postal Service told FOXNews.com on Wednesday. At the same time, the Postal Service, an independent federal agency, is crumbling..."  
Source: www.foxnews.com




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2.15.2009

A Postal Employee Retirement Community - Nalcrest, Florida 33856


"... Where does a postal employee go to retire? Some postal retirement seekers look to Florida for retirement living ...and where better to live than in a postal retirement community with nothing but other retired postal workers living next to you? No dogs allowed! ..."  
Source: postal-newsgroup.blogspot.com




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Postal workers seek help to keep work


"... stop the U.S. Postal Service from deciding to move postal cancellation and some mail processing to Akron. Such a move would affect outgoing mail processed by Mansfield from the 448 and 449 ZIP codes. "It would delay all our mail," said Wendy Hammon, president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 903...."  
Source: www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com




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Rare misprint US airmail stamp to be auctioned in Warwickshire


"... The 1918 US airmail stamp depicts the Curtiss JN-4 Jenny aeroplane flying upside down...."  
Source: www.birminghampost.net


Visit Warwick and Warwick Auction House for more collectibles.


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