POSTAL NEWS

...from various sources.

11.17.2023

United States Postal Service (USPS) may be raising its rates again

"... United States Postal Service (USPS) may be raising its rates on some of its shipping services, but holiday shoppers will be spared the extra cost this season. The higher rates, if approved, won't go into effect until early next year.

It will cost more to ship packages through USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express shipping categories, starting January 21, 2024, assuming the proposal is accepted by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), according to a statement from the USPS. ..."   
Source: www.newsweek.com

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11.14.2023

1918 Jenny Invert stamp sells for $2 million

Finest mint 1918 Jenny Invert tops $2 million in Nov. 8 Siegel auction

Inverted Jenny stamp
"... On Nov. 8, it took roughly two minutes for Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries in New York City to sell the finest example of the famous United States 1918 24¢ carmine and blue airmail stamp with the blue center inverted (Scott C3a), popularly known as the Jenny Invert, for a wisp above $2 million.

That stamp, from position 49 in the discovery pane of 100 that was purchased May 14, 1918, for its $24 face value in Washington, D.C., is in mint, never-hinged condition.

Six of the 100 Jenny Inverts are known mint, never-hinged, and the position 49 stamp is the best of that group in terms of condition and grade. ...

"   
Source: www.linns.com

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11.02.2023

Your post office’s blue collection box may be going away

Your post office’s blue collection box may be going away

From the article: "...the U.S. Postal Service announced it was installing 10,000 new high-security blue collection boxes in what they described as “high-security risk areas.” USPS said it is continuing the process of evaluating where other enhanced security boxes should go with plans to install several thousand more in the future. ..."


Article Reference: www.al.com

10.31.2023

Purchasing Federal Duck Stamps is easy!

Purchasing Federal Duck Stamps is easy!
"... Purchasing Federal Duck Stamps is easy! We offer a variety of methods for you to purchase the annual stamp – whether you need one for migratory bird hunting, admittance to a National Wildlife Refuge, as part of your stamp or art collection, to showcase the wildlife species, or because you want an easy and effective way to support habitat conservation. The annual Federal Duck Stamp goes on sale at the end of June. A “First Day of Issue” event is often held to celebrate the artists, purchasers, and conservation partners. ...Buy Duck Stamp Commemorative Products"   
Source: www.fws.gov

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10.30.2023

USPS touts crackdown on postal crime, carrier robberies, with hundreds of arrests

"... The Postal Service announcement on Wednesday came against a backdrop of rallies by the National Association of Letter Carriers calling for better protection of carriers and harsh punishment for criminals who rob them. They’ve been held across the country in recent months, including one Tuesday in Denver and another Wednesday in Houston. ..."   
Source: www.wsfa.com

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10.25.2023

Stamp Collecting | World War I Stamps

"...The "Great War" forever changed the map of the world. Military occupations, postwar mandates, and plebiscites created numerous new governments. From the disintegration of the Russian, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian empires emerged newly-independent nations, while nationalist and irredentist movements took advantage of the chaos to claim sovereign territory. Whatever their origins, and no matter how long- or short-lived these new governments were destined to be, they all announced their arrival by issuing postage stamps. Enjoy this selection of stamps related to World War I and its aftermath. ..."   
Source: Smithsonian

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10.23.2023

WATCH: Postal Service worker says a man allegedly threw an axe at her truck

"Diondra Weaver says she's lucky the hatchet didn't go through her open window. She drove away with her life and captured it all on video. Advertisement Weaver, a truck driver for USPS, says she was on I-80 Saturday when she says a truck driver thought she was driving too slow..."   
Source: www.ketv.com

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10.22.2023

Connecticut postmaster admits to defrauding USPS through cash bribes and credit card schemes

"... A former Connecticut postmaster could face 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to defrauding the U.S. Postal Service of $875,000 through bribery and embezzlement schemes. Ephrem D. Nguyen, a postmaster for a postal office in Danbury, Connecticut pleaded guilty on Oct. 13 to multiple schemes involving using USPS credit cards to pay a vendor about at least $760,000 more than necessary for maintenance and ..."   
Source:

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10.18.2023

Alabama | Madison residents frustrated with mail delivery

"They say they receive their letters from the mail carrier late at night and they fear this leaves an opening for their items to be stolen. ... “There’s five or six of us on this road and some days everyone gets a package. Most days, someone gets at least one package…and that comes around 2 o’clock. Why not bring the mail then? I don’t like anything sitting in my mailbox overnight. There’s far too much theft going on. They may be checking for checks too. I actually did have one go missing,” Seavers said. ..."   
Source: whnt.com

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10.12.2023

US Postal Inspection Service offers up to $150K for info about theft suspects

"...leading to the arrest and conviction of two suspects who robbed a postal service letter carrier in June. Two men robbed a carrier at about 5:45 p.m. on June 6 in the 4000 block of California Street at Ninth Avenue in San Francisco. The pair was captured on security footage, which the USPS is hoping will help lead to their arrest. ..."   
Source: www.cbsnews.com

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10.10.2023

Carrying on: At age 80, an Anchorage mail carrier has served the same neighborhood for nearly a half-century

"...Charles Seamans says his U.S. Postal Service job has been like a hobby. His connections to the Turnagain community make thoughts of retiring difficult. ..."   
Source: www.adn.com

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Postal Service to increase stamp prices again in 2024 due to ‘inflationary pressures’

"... The price of sending mail is about to go up, again. The United States Postal Service (USPS) announced Friday it might increase stamp prices in 2024 for the second year in a row, citing pressures from inflation. If approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the changes would take effect Jan. 21, 2024. New rates include a 2-cent increase for First-Class Mail Forever stamp, among other proposed changes. ..."   
Source: yahoo.com

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10.09.2023

USPS will be closed for Columbus Day, no mail will be delivered

"...On Monday, the United States Postal Service (USPS) will be closed in observance of Columbus Day, a federal holiday. According to USPS, there will be no residential or business mail deliveries on Oct. 9, and will resume services on Oct. 10. ..."   
Source: yahoo.com

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10.04.2023

Postal Worker Supports Fentanyl Addiction with Stolen Mail

"...a case of one postal worker stealing from his customers to support his fentanyl addiction. In January 2022, we received a hotline tip that six cash vault packages for Verizon were missing. The tracking numbers to the Verizon Priority Mail parcels the deposits were in corresponded to a former city carrier’s route in Live Oak, Florida. ...When they searched his vehicle, OIG agents recovered about 409 pieces of undelivered mail, which contained about $3,800, mostly from stolen greeting cards. The agents also seized a mixture of pills the subject thought were oxycodone pills. "   
Source: www.uspsoig.gov

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9.21.2023

Suspects in mail carrier robbery arrested at Fort Worth apartment complex, police say

"... Police from Everman and the U.S. Postal Service, along with other law enforcement agencies, tracked the suspect vehicle to Stallion Ridge Apartments in Fort Worth. The suspects were inside one of the apartments, officials said. They were taken into custody by Everman police and taken to the Everman Jail. ..."   
Source: www.star-telegram.com

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FedEx cites ‘upside’ from UPS labor negotiations and Yellow’s bankruptcy — but Postal Service is giving it a run for its money

"...Shares of FedEx Corp. rallied after hours on Wednesday after the package deliverer raised its full-year profit outlook, as efforts to cut billions in costs — and disruptions at some of its main rivals — helped quarterly results despite continued weaker shipping demand that weighed on sales. Executives, during FedEx’s FDX earnings call, said the company had gained “upside” from sometimes-tense negotiations between archrival United Parcel Service Inc. and the Teamsters union earlier this year and the bankruptcy filing of trucking ..."   
Source: www.marketwatch.com

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9.19.2023

Two postal workers robbed at gunpoint in two separate Jacksonville neighborhoods

Article Title: Two postal workers robbed at gunpoint in two separate Jacksonville neighborhoods
Snippet of Article: " ...they’ve never seen this happen before. The incident report reveals one of the postal workers was robbed at a cluster unit of mailboxes in broad daylight. ...The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office incident report had limited information, but it stated the postal worker said: “she believed if she did not cooperate she would be shot and was in fear for her life.” Sam Shive said he spoke with the postal worker in this report and then called 911. ..."


Source: yahoo.com

[tag] Crime,Most dangerous jobs,letter carrier,Cluster boxes,Safety Issues with Cluster Mailboxes, [/tag]

9.11.2023

In Memorial to the Saudi Attack on America Sept. 11, 2001


Article Title: In Memorial to the Saudi Attack on America Sept. 11, 2001


GOD BLESS AMERICA! WE WILL NOT FORGET!


Source: Federal Employee News

[tag] Saudi Attack on America Sept. 11,2001,Saudis and 9/11,9/11 attacks, [/tag]

9.02.2023

USPS payroll error impacts 45K rural postal workers

"An “egregious payroll error’ apparently kept over 45,000 rural United States Postal Service (USPS) workers from getting their recent paychecks. In a letter on its website, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA) confirmed they have been in talks with the USPS about the issue. ...USPS officials told the union that the issue that caused the problem has been found and is being fixed, so this should not happen again."   
Source: whnt.com

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How the new USPS network discriminates against some users of the mail

"The Postal Service is clearly reluctant to share information about the DFA plan with stakeholders. The Postal Service prefers flashy tv spots, press releases, and articles in Eagle magazine — venues where it can shape the narrative. ...does not really address the question of whether customers outside the busiest markets will get the same “faster delivery” as those within these areas. Clearly, they will not."   
Source: www.savethepostoffice.com

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8.31.2023

US postal workers will now have a clear policy for getting water refills during summer heat, congressman says

"...SAN ANTONIO — U.S. Postal Service workers have spent more than a month delivering letters in 100-degree temperatures, many of them driving vehicles that don't have air conditioning. So when water bottles stopped being delivered to postal stations last month, many workers became confused and frustrated. This led to four U.S. congressmen writing a letter to demand changes in early August and a postal worker rally for better conditions in San Antonio later in the month. Now, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar said USPS is clarifying its policies to better protect their workers. ..."   
Source: www.kens5.com

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8.26.2023

Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamp to be unveiled at U.S. Postal Service ceremony

Article Title: Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamp to be unveiled at U.S. Postal Service ceremony

Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamp
Snippet of Article: "The new stamp will be unveiled at an October ceremony about three years after the Supreme Court justice's death...new Forever stamp that honors the legacy of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The ceremony is scheduled to take place Monday, Oct. 2 at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. at 6 p.m. ET.

The new stamp will be unveiled at the ceremony..."


Source: www.usatoday.com

[tag]Supreme Court Judge, Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamp, Stamp Collecting, [/tag]

8.17.2023

Postal Employee, Michael Ashley is a two-time organ donor

"Michael Ashley, a letter carrier in Rochester, NY, talked about the importance of organ donation... Ashley gave a kidney to a family member in 2002. He also gave a section of his liver to a stranger in an altruistic donation in 2021. He described it as “an amazing experience, and a unique opportunity to improve the quality of life for someone else.”...To learn more about becoming an organ donor, visit organdonor.gov"   
Source: usps.com

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8.14.2023

Postal Service Mail Handler Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) set at $978

  Mail Handler Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) set at $978

Effective August 26, 2023 (Pay Period 19-2023), all career Mail Handler craft employees are scheduled to receive a cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment as outlined in Article 9.3 of the 2022 National Agreement. This is the second of six possible COLA increases under the terms of the current agreement. This COLA increase is based on the upward change in the relevant Consumer Price Index (CPI) following release of the July 2023 Index, using the July 2022 CPI index as a base. The resulting calculation provides an annual increase of $978 for all Steps in Table 1 and for Step P of Table 2. The remaining Steps in Table 2 will receive the proportional COLA increase percentages as outlined in Article 9.3 of the National Agreement.

Reference: NPMHU via NPMHU Local 317

8.10.2023

The Postal Service will release its Life Magnified stamps on Aug. 10.

"The pane features 20 images that explore life on Earth as few have seen it. Using powerful microscopes and specialized photographic techniques, the subjects — which include the surface of an oak leaf and freshwater protozoans ..."   
Source: usps.com

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8.09.2023

Long Island Postal Workers Organize Spirited Response to Attempted Assault by Manager

"management failed to take action against a USPS Labor Relations Specialist who attempted to physically assault the local’s vice president. ...On May 5, 2023, a Labor Relations Specialist from the New York-2 District physically lunged at me with her hand raised to hit me," said Long Island Area Local Vice President Michelle Nadeau. "The United States Postal Service has a zero-tolerance policy. They do not treat managers the same way as they do postal employees." The Postal Service has failed to take any disciplinary action at either the Area or the District level in the two months that have passed since the incident occurred. "We are here to send management in the New York Postal District Number 2, here on Long Island, a clear message that the zero-tolerance policy throughout the postal service not only pertains to craft union members"   
Source: apwu.org

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8.05.2023

USPS may stop processing mail in Eugene and Medford

"The United States Postal Service (USPS) is considering moving mail processing for nearly all of Oregon to its new processing center near the Portland International Airport. ...The Eugene and Medford mail processing centers were slated for closure in 2015, but that plan was scrapped after Oregon’s entire Congressional delegation called on the USPS to keep them open. ...items would be first trucked to Portland, then trucked back. In the case of a letter or parcel mailed in Medford to a Medford address, they’d have to be trucked more than four hours each way to and from Portland. That could add up to an additional day to delivery time."   
Source: nwlaborpress.org

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7.05.2023

UPS Labor Talks Stall as Union Balks Over ‘Unacceptable’ Offer

"...“This multibillion-dollar corporation has plenty to give American workers — they just don’t want to,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “UPS had a choice to make, and they have clearly chosen to go down the wrong road.” The union tweeted that the company presented an “unacceptable offer” that “did not address members’ needs.” ..."   
Source: www.msn.com

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7.01.2023

U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Groff v. DeJoy is a Win for Religious Accommodation and the American Worker

  U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Groff v. DeJoy

RE: U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Groff v. DeJoy (pdf)

On Thursday, June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in the lawsuit Groffv. DeJoy.

The case was brought by Gerald Groff, who delivered mail as a Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) from 2012 to 2019 in central Pennsylvania. Groff is a Christian who observes Sunday as the Sabbath. Citing those religious beliefs, Groff consistently refused to work on Sundays. For several years, Groff and the Postal Service attempted to find workarounds, such as having volunteers take over his Sunday slots. Eventually, however, the Postal Service began disciplining Groff for his refusal to work on Sundays, and in 2019, Groff resigned. After resigning, Groff sued the Postal Service. He argued that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act , the Postal Service was required to reasonably accommodate his religious beliefs by exempting him from Sunday work.

Before turning to the specifics of the Court's decision, we note at the outset that the Court's decision leaves in place the longstanding recognition that it would be an "undue burden" to provide an accommodation that would violate a seniority system in a collective bargaining agreement, like the National Agreement between the NPMHU and the Postal Service.

The Court's decision did proceed to answer two principal questions:

On the first question - whether the Court should disapprove the "more than de minimis cost" test for determining whether a religious accommodation was an undue hardship - the Court disapproved of the "more than de minimis cost" language. In its place, the Court held that an employer can show that a religious accommodation creates an undue hardship under Title VII if that accommodation causes a substantial burden in the overall context of the employer's business. The Court held that this is a fact specific inquiry. "Courts must apply the test to take into account all relevant factors in the case at hand, including the particular accommodations at issue and their practical impact in light of the nature, size, and operating cost of an employer."

As to the second question - whether an employer may demonstrate undue hardship under Title VII by showing burdens on co-workers - the Court held - using language consistent with the position the NPMHU took in its amicus brief to the Supreme Court, that impact on coworkers is relevant to the extent those impacts affect the conduct of the business. The Court acknowledged that "an accommodation's effect on co-workers may have ramifications for the conduct of the employer's business, but a court cannot stop its analysis without examining whether that further logical step is shown in a particular case."

The Court concluded by sending the case back to the lower court to consider Groff's claim in Iight of the standard described above.

As we wrote to you previously, the NPMHU supports employees' rights to receive reasonable accommodations for their religious beliefs and practices, and will continue to urge the Postal Service to provide those accommodations consistent with the terms of the National Agreement.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the National CAD.

Reference: NPMHU via NPMHU Local 317
 

6.12.2023

Post Office Delivers Package 13 Years Too Late

"...The South African Post Office seems to have adopted an unofficial motto of ‘better late than never.’ A Durban family, the Hanekoms were amused to find two ‘shabby’ parcel arrival notification slips in their mailbox last week. The initial surprise of receiving anything in their seldom-used post box Read more: https://www.2oceansvibe.com/2023/06/12/post-office-delivers-package-13-years-too-late/#ixzz84QcV7zd5 ..."   
Source: www.2oceansvibe.com

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5.30.2023

Would YOU move 7,500 miles to work as a postman? Post Office advertises jobs on British Overseas Territory near Antarctica (but you'll need to sail 800 miles from the Falklands to get there)

"...The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands said: 'An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the team for the 2023-24 austral summer as Post Officer, working at South Georgia, running one of the most southerly Post Offices in the world.' READ MORE: From an underwater letterbox in the South Pacific to a sorting room in Antarctica, the world's most remote post offices revealed They added: 'This role requires an individual who has exceptional customer service skills, and who iscomfortable working in a fast-paced environment. 'Detail orientated ..."   
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

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5.08.2023

Man killed by police after pointing gun at officers in Post Office parking lot

"...Plant City police said they were forced to shoot a man who aggressively pointed a gun at them. Officers responded to a 911 call of a suicidal man in a parking lot of the U.S. Post Office at 2501 Walden Woods Drive at 5:16 p.m. Sunday. According to a release from the Plant City Police Department, when officers arrived, they saw a man armed with a firearm. Officers attempted to "de-escalate the situation," but the man pointed a gun at the officers. After the man pointed the gun at officers, he was shot and killed by police. ..."   
Source: abcactionnews.com

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5.03.2023

New USPS electric vans delayed until mid-2024, according to court docs

"...Enthusiasm over the announcement was rapidly tempered, however. The NGDV has been designed to be powertrain-agnostic and can be fitted either with electric motors and a lithium-ion battery or an internal combustion engine. And it rapidly became clear that only a small minority of NGDVs—10 percent in fact—would be battery-electric vehicles. Insult was added to injury the following year when it emerged that the internal combustion engine version of the NGDV was barely any more efficient than the current vehicle unless it was operated without the climate control system. ..."   
Source: arstechnica.com

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4.26.2023

USPS delays rollout of new pay system after data shows major cuts for rural carriers

"...The Postal Service is delaying the implementation of a new pay system that would currently lead to many rural carriers seeing significant pay cuts. The National Rural Letter Carriers Association announced last Friday it reached an agreement with USPS to postpone the new pay system, the Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System (RRECS). Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino told the union in a memo last Friday that USPS now plans to push the launch of RRECS from April 22 to May 6. ..."   
Source: federalnewsnetwork.com

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4.01.2023

Postal Service just shuttered post offices in several different places

"The USPS is continuing to close California post offices. ...the agency has been keeping California customers updated on which facilities are currently closed and which ones have been reopened on its Service Alerts website. Two post offices in the state are still dealing with ongoing weather concerns ..."   
Source: bestlifeonline.com

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3.30.2023

Tornadoes ravage South | Post Offices in MS, AL close for repairs

"A Post Office in Camp Hill, AL, sustained water damage from the storm that spawned the tornadoes and has set up a mobile retail unit in that facility’s parking lot. Customers are also being advised that they can conduct retail transactions at the nearby Post Office in Dadeville, AL. ..."   
Source: usps.com

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3.29.2023

Native American Heritage Month begins Nov. 1

"...the Postal Service will issue a stamp honoring Chief Standing Bear, the Ponca chieftain who won his freedom in court, setting an important legal precedent for Native Americans. More than 4,000 employees of the Postal Service identify as Native American or Alaska Native. More information on the observance can be found at nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov. ..."   
Source: usps.com

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3.27.2023

Cyber breach affects eastern NC postal service

"The mail service is conducting an investigation, but employees are unhappy with the outcome so far, they said. Larisa Covington, from Jacksonville, said in February she was expecting her direct deposit to hit her account and realized her banking information had changed to one she had never heard of. “I had $2,000 stolen from my LiteBlue account,” Covington said. ..."   
Source: www.msn.com

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Readers Digest | What Could Happen if the U.S. Postal Service Stopped Delivering Mail

"...the United States Postal Service (USPS) is chronically in debt and in danger of being disbanded entirely. This issue has been an even bigger concern as of late as citizens are worried that the reductions in USPS machines and other equipment could slow down the speed and accuracy of mail-in voting for the general 2020 election coming up in November. Having the option of mail-in ballots is pressing this year as many won’t be able to physically go to polling places due to COVID-19. Although the USPS just announced that there will no longer be any reductions until after the November election, many are concerned that the damage is already done. And those are just some of the newest developments in terms of what’s going on with the USPS. While it’s hard to imagine what an America without the USPS would look like, here are some possibilities. ..."   
Source: www.rd.com

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3.23.2023

Mail truck driver union members protest reduced schedules

"Local members of American Postal Workers Union on Wednesday held signs reading ‘stop unfair labor practices’ in front of their employer 10 Roads Express, “We really want to sit down and understand why the routes are being changed the way they are and make sure we’re getting the most productive routes with the most hours for the company, for the workers,” said Arrion Brown, national support services director at American Postal Services Union. Local drivers said the company is changing route schedules and cutting hours without negotiating in good faith. ..."   
Source: www.centralillinoisproud.com

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