POSTAL NEWS

...from various sources.

1.31.2011

Are the postal unions standing in the way of making changes you need to make?

The new postmaster general speaks out

Postmaster General: "...No. They are led by good people. The presidents are very good people. They're people. They're looking at the challenges that we have with the same, 'Oh my goodness' that everybody else does. These guys, I'll tell you, we've reduced head count in this organization by 225,000 people since the year 2000. There are very few labor unions in the world who wouldn't be jumping up and down ranting and raving about that. ..."  
Source: washingtonpost.com

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1.28.2011

USPS finds Marijuana in package

"...says he mailed the package to himself and has been doing this for several years. According to the arrest affidavit ..."  
Source: www.kxan.com

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1.22.2011

Plan to Close Processing Facility Draws Anger, Frustration

"...According to the plan, all mail will be transported to a processing facility in Oakland. This prompted concerns about a delay in delivery, especially around election time and Tax Day, traditionally the busiest day of the year for the mail system. ..."  
Source: patch.com

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1.21.2011

Postal Service anticipates a Reduction in Force and Voluntary Early Retirement

PMG PLANS TO STREAMLINE MANAGEMENT, MATCH WORKFORCE TO WORKLOAD

"... “As we continue our redesign, we anticipate that Reduction in Force and Voluntary Early Retirement processes will be initiated by the end of this fiscal quarter,” adds Donahoe. ..."  
Source: usps.gov

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1.19.2011

Is Postal Service 'Universal Service' being taken away?

Letters to the Editor

The Postal Service has changed the classification of 32,000 Post Office Boxes at 49 locations from market dominant to the competitive products category.

As a loyal customer of the United States Postal Service, I found myself searching the internet in an effort to check the pricing of Post Office Boxes for one of my business ventures. I have always been proud of the fact that I could use the USPS for my mail related needs without fear that my neighbors or my competition could get a better price than myself. I actually thought that there was a universal service law that mandated I could get the same mail service for the same price. Now I find that depending on where someone lives, they may get preferential treatment in pricing and benefits. Now the Postal Service has changed the classification of 32,000 Post Office Boxes at 49 locations from market dominant to the competitive products category. This new change now provides the following, that I do not qualify for, simply because I do not live in an area the Postal Service does not approve this service for:
The following new services now are available at the approved Post Offices:

  • A “Baker’s Dozen” promotion for new customers (13 months of service for a
    12-month PO Box payment).

  • No key deposit required for the first two keys issued to new customers.

  • A “Signature on File” service for the following signature-required mail: Express Mail, Insured Mail over $200, Signature Confirmation and Return Receipt for Merchandise.

  • Expanded and earlier lobby access.


  • The discounts and benefits, in my opinion, are discriminatory and in violation of the essence of the concept of Universal Service. The sad thing is that this was approved by Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) on June 17, 2010 according to the article found at http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/2010/pb22301/html/info_008.html. It's almost like the U.S. Postal Service is attempting to turn this American service that was developed for the people by our nation's founding fathers, into some private company. This is a frightening thought ...and unneeded. If I wanted to use a private mail service, I would use FedEx, UPS, or some other overpriced corporate "for profit" company. Is Postal Service 'Universal Service' being taken away? I feel it is and something needs to be done to correct this immediately. If the Federal Government is looking to shed debt, the Postal Service is not the place to start. I certainly am never against discounts and extra benefits, but to offer it only to certain people based on geographical location or the distance to a USPS 'competitor' is an outrage. Fix this now! It is bad enough that the Postal Service offers huge discounts to big corporate "junk mailers" who pay just pennies to mail an item while as a citizen of the United States of America I do not get the same, but this is going too far.

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    Postal Service will almost certainly run out of money by the end of the year

    "... The Postal Service's $15 billion line of credit with the U.S. Treasury expires this year, meaning it will almost certainly run out of money by the end of the year...."  
    Source: washingtonpost.com

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    1.17.2011

    Mail scattered along interstates in three counties

    "... A rear door on a postal service truck flew open and scattered mail for miles until the truck was stopped. A postal service spokesman says..."  
    Source: www.missourinet.com

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    1.10.2011

    USPS Early Retiremnet Offer Possible

    Postal Early Retirement

    "... Rumors and speculation on another postal service early retirement are beginning to flood the internet and post office workroom floors across the nation...."  
    Source: Postal Early Retirement 2011

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    1.09.2011

    Postal workers praised after incendiary parcel incident

    Mayor praises postal workers after package incident

    "... Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) praised postal workers who quickly contacted police Friday after discovering an incendiary package..."  
    Source: washingtonpost.com

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    1.07.2011

    L'Enfant Plaza Attack

    "... WUSA9 is reporting that Metro Transit Police plan to increase patrols at L'Enfant Plaza in the wake of an attack on a man there Sunday evening. ..."  
    Source: washingtonpost.com

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    Postal Service pewter stamp coil dispenser

      "...the dispenser sells for $9.99 and keeps stamps at one’s fingertips. And, unlike stamp booklets which often can be misplaced or accidentally destroyed, the dispenser helps safeguard the stamps and serves as a convenient desktop postage center for any small business or home office. ..."  
    Source: usps.gov

    ...or order a Humming Bird Stamp Holder
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    1.05.2011

    Big mailer discounts bankrupting the Postal Service?

    OIG: USPS Fails to Justify
    19 Types of ‘Worksharing’ Discounts for Big Mailers

    "... The OIG found that the Postal Service’s “justifications for 19 workshare discounts that exceed avoided costs by approximately $104 million were not supported by detailed documentation.” ... Noting that more than 80 percent of the mail the USPS delivered in Fiscal Year 2008 received workshare discounts totaling $15 billion ..."  
    Source: www.apwu.org

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    12.31.2010

    Understanding Workers Comp

    "... It covers everything from how a policy is written and what a policy covers to proof of coverage and understanding the basics of premium calculations. You will gain a better understanding of what a workers compensation..."  
    Source: Postal News Network

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    12.27.2010

    Oldest postal retirees get most costly of payouts

    "...More than 100 U.S. Postal Service employees over 90 years old are collecting workers compensation - a fact one U.S. senator calls troubling, arguing that workers ought to be moved to retirement rolls from which payouts would be less expensive. ..."  
    Source: www.washingtontimes.com

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    12.24.2010

    Track Santa with NORAD

    "... If you want to track Santa, you can use the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa Tracker. The NORAD Santa Tracker begins tracking Santa in thirteen days. The NORAD Santa Tracker also offers other goodies, such as the ability to Visit Santa’s Village and download a Santa Tracker App to your mobile device...."  
    Source: North Pole Postmark

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    12.23.2010

    Parcel bomb explodes at Swiss embassy in Rome, injuring one

    "...one diplomatic employee was seriously injured when a parcel bomb exploded in the Swiss embassy in Rome ..."  
    Source: www.nj.com

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    12.20.2010

    93 year old driver backs car into Ormond-by-the-Sea post office

    "... A postal worker, however, did receive a minor scratch on his head...."  
    Source: www.cfnews13.com

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    12.17.2010

    U.S. Postal Service Ready for Busiest Mailing Day

    "... Monday, Dec. 20, marks the Postal Service's busiest mailing day of the year with more than 800 million pieces of mail expected to enter the system. This represents a 40 percent increase in the average daily volume of 559 million pieces of mail...."  
    Source: www.prnewswire.com

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    12.16.2010

    FedEx's special delivery: Better worker pay

    "... Fedex is paying its workers more. Most notably, salaries and employee benefits increased 10% from a year ago. ..."  
    Source: cnn.com

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    FedEx Profit Down

    "... FedEx chief financial officer Alan Graf said the company expects margins to improve in the second half of fiscal 2011 ..."  
    Source: www.memphisdailynews.com

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    Freeze on excessing of some postal employees

    APWU, USPS Announce Freeze on Excessing

    "...The APWU and the Postal Service have agreed to a freeze on excessing while contract negotiations continue, union President Cliff Guffey has announced. ..."  
    Source: www.apwu.org

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    12.14.2010

    Ex FedEx Workers Jailed for Deception in Hong Kong, ICAC Says

    "... The two were convicted for understating parcel weights and depriving their company courier fees..."  
    Source: www.businessweek.com

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    12.13.2010

    Post Office Robbed At Gunpoint

    "...Colorado Springs police are just releasing information about a robbery that happened at a post office. ..."  
    Source: www.kktv.com

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    12.12.2010

    2010 North Pole Postmark

    "... This is an excerpt from the US Postal Service on obtaining a North Pole Postmark..."  
    Source: northpolepostmark.blogspot.com

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    12.07.2010

    Postal Shooting

    Search continues in postal worker shooting

    "...MIAMI -- Authorities in Miami continue to search for the person who fatally shot a postal worker...."  
    Source: www.miamiherald.com

    Miami Postal Shooting
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    Counterfeit Stamps

    Counterfeit Stamps Giving Postal Service a Lickin’

    "... one of the 10 biggest threats to Postal Service revenue, according to the 2009 annual report of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the Post Office. Bogus stamps affect the consumers who buy them, too...."  
    Source: www.foxnews.com

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    12.06.2010

    Like health care reform? Consider the U.S. Postal Service

    "... I went to my local post office branch recently because I needed to buy some stamps using cash. I discovered that the stamp machine would accept only credit cards or debit cards. Therefore, I had to..."  
    Source: newsok.com

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    The Post Office and the Community

    We were a name, not a number

    "... Once in a while one of us kids got to go in and get the mail out of the box. On occasion the Wyoming wind would blow the mail out of our hand on the way back to the car, and we had to chase it down. My dad used to get his size 13 shoes from King Size, and they came one to a box. The post office box would only hold one shoe, so the second shoe came a day or two later...."  
    Source: www.casperjournal.com

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    12.03.2010

    Postal Service seen 'vital' to U.S. economy

    "...calling the Postal Service the second-largest civilian employer in the nation (Wal-Mart ranks first), said, "Our survival is vital to the American economy...."  
    Source: www.washingtontimes.com

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    12.01.2010

    Charges of luring a child into a motor vehicle dropped for Bangor Postmaster Gregory Schlegel

    Luring charges dropped against suspended Bangor Postmaster Gregory Schlegel

    "... Gregory G. Schlegel, 54, of Bushkill Township, initially faced charges of harassment and luring a child into a motor vehicle after a day of reported bizarre behavior on Oct. 21, 2009. ..."  
    Source: www.lehighvalleylive.com

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    11.30.2010

    Postmaster General’s retirement package ridiculous

    Chaffetz calls Postmaster General’s retirement package ‘ridiculous’

    "... Rep. Jason Chaffetz called the $5.5 million retirement package
    for outgoing Postmaster General John Potter absurd and unfair in the wake of the United States Postal Service’s announcement that it had lost $8.5 billion this year...."  
    Source: dailycaller.com

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    Proposed federal pay freeze will not affect postal workers

    Analysis: What the pay freeze means to feds [Federal News Radio]

    "... The proposed freeze will not affect military personnel, postal workers or federal retirees. Retirees did not get a cost-of-living adjustment this year. ..."  
    Source: www.federalnewsradio.com

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    11.29.2010

    Holidays are no vacation for postal workers

    "...the Postal Service predicts Dec. 20, the Monday before Christmas, will be the busiest day. ..."  
    Source: www.dailycomet.com

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    Best Cyber Monday Deals Online For 2010

    Best Cyber Monday Sales, Deals Online For 2010

    "... put together a guide to finding details on Cyber Monday sales. Note that some retailers are offering one-day-only discounts, while others are offering a "Cyber Week,..."  
    Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

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    Tags: Best Cyber Monday Deals, Best Cyber Monday Deals 2010, Cyber Monday, Cyber Monday 2010, Cyber Monday Deals, Cyber Monday Sales, Cyber Monday Sales 2010, Cyber Monday Sales Deals,

    Post office wasting $94M on FedEx deal

    "... WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- The United States Postal Service has wasted $94 million on its contract with FedEx, an internal audit asserts...."  
    Source: www.upi.com

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    11.27.2010

    USPS Execs get their pay increase, now time to change the rules

    USPS to tie pay, bonuses to finances

    "...approved contract with Paul Vogel, the $245,000-per-year president of shipping and mailing services, a provision states that he'll receive, at minimum, a performance incentive of 25 percent of his basic salary at the end of each year. ..."  
    Source: www.washingtontimes.com

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    11.26.2010

    FedEx Radioactive Package Misplaced and Found

    Missing FedEx box with radioactive material found in Knoxville

    "... A hospital shipped the boxes from Fargo, N.D., to the East Tennessee company by way of the FedEx hub in Memphis...."  
    Source: www.knoxnews.com



    Tag: Radioactive package FedEx, Radioactive mail, Radioactive parcel,


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    11.24.2010

    APWU Contract Extended to Dec. 1, 2010

    "... “The union’s strategy has been to offer proposals that will also benefit the Postal Service,” the union president said. “Returning work to our members makes sense because our members can perform the work more efficiently and less expensively than subcontractors and supervisors.” ..."  
    Source: www.apwu.org

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    11.23.2010

    Postal Service told to pay $11.6 million for crash

    "...lost control when a Postal Service truck pulled in front of him, and that the car struck a fence, causing a board to strike her in the stomach. ..."  
    Source: www.ajc.com

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    11.21.2010

    Amid changes on Capitol Hill, Postal Service faces uncertain future

    "... "There are too many postal workers, too many distribution centers, too many post offices and a reluctance to make those changes," he told reporters last week. Issa also said USPS has too many supervisors and a total of 200,000 unnecessary positions. ..."  
    Source: www.govexec.com

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