• 200,000 Postal Workers May Be Affected by USPS Use of Labor Scheduling Software -Postal Workers who work as package and letter sorters could be affected by the postal agency's use of the Labor Force Schedule Optimizer System (SOS) to model workers' jobs. Managers have begun using  the Optimizer System in Philadelphia and at least 19 postal facilities. In 2001, when USPS officials first used the planning tool in a series of pilot and proof-of-concept tests, they eliminated 1,600 full-time equivalent positions out of 11,500. SOS is web-enabled, so management can access and use it from anywhere in the world. |

• USPS seeks dismissal of  Postal Workers anthrax suit- USPS has petitioned the court to dismiss a class action $100 million  lawsuit saying that the court has no jurisdiction over the complaint. The 29-page document submitted on behalf of PMG Potter  also includes an argument that  ,"The Defendants (USPS)  Are entitled to Qualified Immunity."  USPS 3/04 request to dismiss suit (4/29/04) |

 - Brentwood Postal Workers Push Lawsuit Over Anthrax -"Memos Show USPS Knew of Spores" -Lawyers for 2,300 employees at  Brentwood mail facility urged a federal judge to let them move forward with a lawsuit accusing USPS of "lying to the workforce after discovering deadly anthrax contamination in the plant, saying officials must be punished for exposing so many people to harm."

- Postal Worker Anthrax Victims Deserve Day in Court, Groups Says

•  Postmasters Oppose Many of USPS Amendments to Postal bill-NAPUS leaders are disappointed in the Postal Service's proposal to eliminate the prohibition against closing a post office solely for economic reasons and eliminate the community's due process rights to appeal a post office closing or consolidation to the Independent Postal Rate Commission. |

• OIG Report Says Plan Unfair to Customers (PDF)-The USPS Office of Inspector General  says that  the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)  legislation that passed last year will save USPS from over funding the (CSRS) retirement system by billions, but is not fair to postal customers. Any CSRS overpayments being held in escrow should be released the Postal Service and USPS should not be required to pay pension costs for military service. This requirement constitutes a 'hidden tax' on Postal Service customers.

• USPS Suspends Biohazard Detection System Testing & Deployment-Non-determinant test results temporarily halt BDS rollout .Some tests are neither positive nor negative — they’re inconclusive. For the Biohazard Detection System (BDS), an inconclusive test is called a “non-determinant.” . As a result, national BDS deployment is being temporarily halted so we can address this issue.  A non-determinant doesn’t indicate a threat is suspected, it simply means the test result is inconclusive.  |

- CEPHEID,BDS Developer Comments on USPS Announcement (4/29/04)

• USPS & NALC Release Route Inspection Moratorium Q & A -Following input from letter carriers throughout the country regarding difficulties in verifying the cased mail volume under the Moratorium on Route Counts and Inspections NALC & USPS agreed on a simpler, easier-to-use form which will be used to track the daily cased mail volume on all routes. The parties also agreed to a  series of 25 questions that had arisen from the field regarding this moratorium and the route verification process.  |

- Special Message from NALC  Young on Route Inspections Moratorium 
- Gary Mullins NALC VP: (see NALC for copy of agreement and update) 4/3)

• "Aggressive" Timetable Set for Postal Overhaul Legislation- Senator Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine said she plans to introduce bipartisan legislation with Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del by the end of the month. On Wed. Collins laid out an aggressive timetable for a Postal Service overhaul bill.|

- PRC, USPS Board Chiefs Differ on Reform Views

- PRC Chair: More Postal Service Transparency Needed

- Statement of Senator Susan M. Collins

Postal Rate Commission Chairman George Omas [ PDF],

Board of Governors  David Fineman

• PMG Potter Sets Progress Report on USPS -"Tens of thousands of Postal Service customers from around the country will hear Postmaster General John E. Potter on May 26, National Postal Customer Council (PCC) Day, when he delivers his first-ever national satellite broadcast on the state of the United States Postal Service."  |

• Potter Reviews Growth of USPS Programs at BOG Meeting-The U.S. Postal Service's Carrier Pickup program expands next week for a total of 204,000 city and rural carrier routes, Postmaster General John E. Potter told the postal service's Board of Governors at its monthly meeting . Potter also noted the deployment this week of the first Automated Postal Center in Dallas. The APC is a self-service kiosk offering access to postal products and services|

• Direct Mail Is Here to Stay,' Potter Tells Chicago DMA Crowd-Potter also brought up the woes ailing the postal service: unbending unions, crippling obligations to the employees' retirement system and much-needed legislative reform . Another issue that troubled Potter was unnecessary post offices."

- Live From Chicago DMA Conference: The USPS Wants Your Business

- The Essence of Postal Reform

- The DMA’s Conference: The Shape of the Next Postal Rate Case

- McHugh: Postal Reform Urgently Needed

- Senate Set for Postal Reform-

- Potter: No Postal Crisis Yet

- Sununu: Lack of 'Political Will' Could Stall Postal Reform

- House Staff Say No Chance for Postal Reform

• Colleagues' work ethic is unnerving to Mail Handler-"I'm a 25-year postal veteran working as a mail handler in California. During the last several years, I have been appalled by the rampant, callous and shameless acts of some of my fellow workers. These people are taking overly long breaks, sleeping on the job, missing from the work floor for hours and then putting in for overtime. Management once in awhile reminds employees to remain "gainfully employed" at all times, but mainly doesn't do anything about it. What should I do? Some fellows have advised me to just join the "truant club," but this is against my values. The EAP counselor has advised me to just do my 100 percent of work and not mind the bad guys. What is your advice?"

Disgruntled in California

•  District Court Rules USPS violated the Rehabilitation Act- Postal Worker Fired After Eight Years Of Leave Wins Disability Case- An Illinois  Postal Clerk who was on disability leave for over eight years before USPS cut off her benefits and fired her demonstrated that USPS violated the "Rehabilitation Act"  by cutting off disability benefits without investigating whether she could fill another job.|

• Ricin Attack Was Ignored by USPS-Insight Magazine: Though postal managers insist they acted properly in the ricin attack, the evidence again casts doubt.  |

• Early Out Approved for Postal Supervisors, Transportation Operations - The  VER offer for Supervisor, Transportation Operations only is to minimize the number of employees potentially affected by involuntary reassignments due to the reshaping and repositioning of the initial level supervisory workforce. Eligible employees who meet the criteria will be mailed an offer letter May 5, 2004. The effective date of retirement will be June 30, 2004. (PR reader) |

- PCS and EAS Employees Impacted by Organizational Change/Reduction-in-Force; Change in Pay and Benefits Policy. PMG Potter memo 4/2/04

- Questions and Answers on Benefits, Pay, and Leave Under VER -updated 4/1/04

 USPS Suspends Biohazard Detection System Testing & Deployment-Non-determinant test results temporarily halt BDS rollout .Some tests are neither positive nor negative — they’re inconclusive. For the Biohazard Detection System (BDS), an inconclusive test is called a “non-determinant.”  As a result, national BDS deployment is being temporarily halted so we can address this issue.  A non-determinant doesn’t indicate a threat is suspected, it simply means the test result is inconclusive.  |

- CEPHEID,BDS Developer Comments on USPS Announcement (4/29/04)

• Postal Employee Fatally Injured at Indiana Retailer's Warehouse-A 37-year postal clerk  was fatally injured in a conveyor-related accident at Brylane's Indianapolis warehouse.  He was assigned to the retailer's facility because of the high volume of mailings there |

USPS Jaffer Sets the Record Straight with Lexington Institute and UPS- Azeezaly S. Jaffer, Vice President, USPS Public Affairs and Communications wrote  "It's not uncommon for us to encounter pundits like Sam Ryan of the Lexington Institute who do not understand what the U.S. Postal Service is, or even what it does. Ryan regularly fires bombastic blasts at what he believes is wrong with the Postal Service, and then recommends simplistic solutions to fix these perceived wrongs." Ryan said in one of his many articles on the Postal Service  ".. why is USPS so opposed to letting a private company deliver an ordinary envelope for $2.22?" and another article Postal Pay at a Premium  basically says that postal workers are overpaid. 

- Jaffer addresses UPS' faulty argument on the Postal Service 

- The Relative Size of Labor Costs at UPS, FedEx & USPS

• USPS and Postmasters Discuss Filling Craft Vacancies "During the past few weeks NAPUS President Wally Olihovik and other NAPUS leaders have met with top USPS officials at both the Headquarters and Area level to discuss filling critical staffing needs in post offices. |

• USPS ending sponsorship of Lance Armstrong-"USPS Spokesman Gerry McKiernan said the agency has decided to go “in another direction” with its advertising." According to an OIG report since 1996 USPS has sponsored 1 national and over 200 local sponsorships.  OIG's audit  reviewed 11 of the sponsorships Pro-Cycling (1996-2002) Heisman (2000-2001) Chicago Bears (1998-2002) New York Yankees (1999-2002)  New York Giants (1998-2002 (Notre Dame (2001-2002) DM Days (2001) First Union (Philly) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-2000) Masters Tournament (1999) Ryder Cup (2001)   |