|
December 31, 2005
Postal Service
Debt-free, But Still Raising Rates?
Carolyn Mack is Decatur's first woman
postal carrier to retire
Sioux City: District Manager says postal
workers' claims are speculation
Postage is in for a small change
e-NAPUS Newsletter: 2005 - Progress, Patience
and Persistence (PDF)
Royal Mail faces battle as postal market is opened
up
December 30, 2005
-
Letter Carrier Charged with 18 Counts
of Unemployment Fraud
(Massachusetts Attorney General) -
In May 2004, Michael J. Boutchie applied for unemployment benefits
from the DUA after being terminated from his position as a letter
carrier for USPS. In order to receive his unemployment benefits,
Boutchie reported to the DUA each week that he was unemployed. Shortly
after applying for unemployment, Boutchie began working for a roofing
company, and continued to work there while receiving weekly unemployment
benefits. Boutchie collected more than $8,000 in benefits while
earning a salary of more than $12,000 with the roofing company.
Boutchie was eventually reinstated as a letter carrier and subsequently
attempted to collect back wages by submitting a form to the U.S.
Postal Service falsely certifying that during his termination he
did not have outside earnings from other employment
|
December 30, 2005
Letter Carrier Loses
Daughter, Grandmother in House Fire
Post office may move Bloomington processing to Indianapolis
Man Nabbed After
Snatching Money From Post Office
December 30, 2005
-
Postal
workers want dust from floor tested for asbestos
- A powdery substance at
the Valley Junction post office in West Des Moines will be tested
to alleviate fears of a handful of employees who think the dust
is floating asbestos, a cancer-causing substance, said a U.S. Postal
Service safety official. Some employees who work at the post office
have said portions of the flooring in the back room, which contains
asbestos, is flaking off in chunks the size of nickels and dimes.
|
December 30, 2005 -
House Panel to Hold
Oversight Hearing on USPS
According to Business Mailers Review
via
Postcom.org, "Look for Rep. Tom Davis, R-VA., to hold an oversight
hearing on the Postal Service in the winter or early spring in the
House Government Reform Committee. This oversight hearing is likely
to look more closely at other issues, such as facility consolidation
activities that are moving ahead quickly across the country or the
issue of service standards, measurements of standards and communication
of those measurements for various mail products."
|
December 30, 2005 -
The
USERRA Notification Poster which must be posted in all Postal facilities
(pdf)
|
December 30, 2005 -
Town Hall Meeting
in Las Cruces (NM) with USPS Officials Canceled -
City officials
met with Postal Service representatives two weeks ago to discuss
numerous public complaints about slow mail delivery service.
Postal workers have also raised concerns about inadequate staffing
to process mail at post offices throughout the United States.
From the meeting with Postal Service representatives, there was
consensus that a town hall meeting was needed to allow the public
to talk about problems and learn more about changes within the post
office.
December 30, 2005
USPS Board of Governors to Meet January 10,2006
Can Of Deodorant Makes Car Crash Into Post Office
Postal workers will
host awareness meeting about Sioux City postmark
OIC answers critics
before leaving local postal position
Internet Sales Show
Big Gains Over Holidays
UK Mail Market Opens
Fully Jan. 1
Final Delivery
NY Congresswoman urges
Postal Service to preserve Purple Heart stamp
Letter:
Thanks for postal Santa Claus
Postal Service career ending after 36 years for Supervisor
December 29, 2005 -
Postal Employees Adopt a Giving Spirit
-Most
people identify the U.S. Postal Service as the outfit that delivers
mail and packages to their homes and businesses, but the U.S. Postal
Service in Memphis has been doing more than just delivering mail
for many years. One way they give back throughout the year and especially
during this joyous season is through the Memphis City Schools Adopt-A-School
program.
Individual post offices around Memphis
have special programs to help less-fortunate people in their communities
but the entire Memphis Postal Service adopted Manor Lake Elementary
School in Southwest Memphis several years ago.
|
December 29, 2005 -
Letter: Postal Service criticism unfair
"The United States Postal Service
is the greatest in the world! Why does this comic strip badmouth
it in the name of being "conservative?"
December 29, 2005
Semis smash on icy highway, mail scattered
Cargo handler steals gift cards from mail at airport
Mugged by the mail
Crowbar mail smash and grab caught on tape
December 28, 2005 -
USPS Ends 2005 With Remarkable Results
The results are in -- the U.S. Postal
Service ended 2005 with a record sixth consecutive year of growth
in productivity, wiped out its debt and delivered fifty percent
more mail to 32 million more homes and businesses than it did 20
years ago while doing it at 1985 staffing levels. These results
are highlighted in the just released
2005 Annual Report of the U.S. Postal Service.
|
USPS releases November 2005 Financial & Operating Statement
(pdf) -"Total Mail Volume for November, FY 2006 was
111 million pieces or 0.6% over Same Period Last Year (SPLY). First-Class
Mail volume was 323 million pieces or 3.8% under SPLY, while Standard
Mail volumes at 455 million pieces or 5.0% over SPLY, continue to
be positive primarily because of the increasing strength of direct
marketing channels. Year-to-date, Total Mail Volume is 1.5% or 571
million pieces under SPLY. YTD, First-Class Mail volume is 3.7%
less than SPLY generating $252 million or 4.1% less revenue than
SPLY."
|
December 28, 2005 -
'Consumer-directed'
health plans attracting healthier feds- The Government Accountability
Office's report
(GAO-06-143)
looked at the first consumer-directed plan offered among the 279
options in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. That plan,
provided through APWU, had about 9,500 enrollees in 2005.
December 28, 2005 -
Bronx (NY) P&DC added to consolidation
study list
As it
stands now
over 44 facilities will be
subject to consolidation,
or subject of AMP (Area Mail Processing) studies.)
- "USPS notified APWU of its intent to conduct an AMP survey
for the feasibility of consolidating certain mail processing operations."
|
December 28, 2005 -
Postal ghosts of Christmases past -
Before modern Christmas cards became fashionable, friends and relatives
could send holiday greetings to anyone in the country for a few
pennies, via postcard
|
|
December
27, 2005 -
Letter Carrier Among Airboaters
Group Still Waiting for Katrina pay -
After Hurricane Katrina struck, Jim Osborne used his airboat to save survivors
stranded by the storm in the New Orleans area. The 47-year-old Port St. Lucie
letter carrier navigated through debris to get to a church where he found an
elderly woman who had waited days for help to arrive. He said he also burst
into the attic of a water-ravaged house to find a family of six dead. But now
Osborne finds himself part of a group of 30 airboaters who were promised pay
for their rescue efforts by Tennessee-based Cat 5 Disaster Services, but haven't
seen a dime. Osborne shelled out thousands of dollars to make the 1,600-mile
round-trip journey. "I need to get some
financial help from this," he said. Collectively, they are owed $600,000.
|
-
Letter carrier ditches route for rescuer's role
December
27, 2005 -
Hundreds
Respond to USPS' Request for Hours of Service Exemption
-
USPS submitted an
application to DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for exemption
from the hours-of-service (HOS) requirements
. The request is on behalf of motor carriers that transport mail under contract
for USPS. Majority of the 800 comments submitted
to FMCSA
oppose granting USPS' exemption request. The comments in favor of granting USPS'
request were from employers of contract drivers.
Public Citizen submitted comments stating, "The
USPS application for exemption contains a serious flaw, which renders it procedurally
defective." Michael Foster, Assistant Director, APWU Motor Vehicle Service,
also submitted some strong comments against granting the USPS' request
The Ohio State Highway Patrol, Teamsters and others also voiced their concerns
|
December
27, 2005 -
Editorial: Monopoly Blues
"In my little community in Silverado, CA, there
is a tiny post office where we pick up our mail each weekday. There is no delivery—and,
of course, no alternative for first class mail. The two or three people who
work there are, unfortunately, quite often absent. I have no idea whether illness
or something else keeps reducing their number but more often than not, recently
the mail doesn’t get distributed until late in the afternoon. The USPS tells
me they have to have the mail out at least by 5 PM but until about six months
ago it used to be in our boxes by 10:30 AM or even earlier."
|
 December
26, 2005 -
Mail problems can be resolved: Postal officials
need residents' input
-"A
Christmas "miracle" came early last week for Russell Robbins. His mail was delivered
at 5 p.m. Mr. Robbins, president of the Cheney Place Homeowners Association
in northeast Paradise Valley, said last Thursday was one of the few times in
more than a year that mail was delivered to his subdivision before 6 p.m. "We
received our mail once at 3 p.m. and I asked the carrier if he was ill. He said
he was doing the route in a different order, and that's why we received it early."
|
-
Carriers contest forced overtime
December
26, 2005 -
Maryland Truck Driver Hauling Mail Killed In I-80 Accident
- A postal truck driver from the Baltimore area
was killed yesterday when his tractor-trailer jackknifed on Route 80 in Warren
County during a surprise ice storm that left many of New Jersey's highways like
a giant hockey rink. Kewal S. Soos, 54, of Dundalk, Md., who was not wearing
a seat belt, was ejected from his rig after the truck struck a guide rail on
westbound Route 80 in Frelinghuysen Township, near Blairstown, State Police
at Hope said. Soos, who was carrying a cargo of U.S. mail, lost control of the
truck on the unsalted, ice-covered roadway just after 3:15 a.m., police said.
The cargo was apparently undamaged, police said.
December
26, 2005
Profile: Louisiana
Postmaster elected new president of NAPUS
Postal clerk
puts his stamp on the town
Blue Grass
postmaster ends 36-year career
Old-time post office facing retirement
Postal workers make Christmas a priority
Jewish Santa Made A Few Special Deliveries
Commentary - Postal Consumers: Be Wary of New 'Transformation
Plan'
Mail carriers deliver Christmas wishes
Woman charged with using retired postal worker's identity
Card gets delivered, without
any address
Disabled Postal Worker says
public ignorant of her feline commitment
Santa's Special Delivery
December
24, 2005 -
NAPUS Met
with USPS Officials on Hiring Issues
This week NAPUS leaders met
with USPS officials to discuss hiring issues facing Postmasters in many areas
of the nation. In previous meetings between the two groups, USPS representatives
said that Postal Headquarters had not directed a hiring freeze. NAPUS leaders
said that the inability to fill vacant positions forced many Postmasters to
perform craft duties in addition to the already increased workload of their
normal duties. NAPUS also expressed concerns that the inconsistent hiring requirements
in certain Areas and Districts caused an additional strain on the safety and
health of employees, as well as negatively impacting customer service and the
financial performance of the USPS.
|
December 24,
2005 -
A Little Praise For Postal Workers -
The term "disgruntled postal
worker" is a part of the American lexicon. While it might once have been true,
we couldn't help but notice that some of our friendliest, most gracious encounters
this Christmas season have come at the post office and with our mail carriers.
Postal workers deserve a special salute for doing the heavy lifting this holiday
season - with good cheer. Or the clerks at the 24-hour post office at Tampa
International Airport, who cheerfully kept the line moving last Sunday night
when they surely were dead tired from working so many long days.
|
December 24, 2005
Postal workers won't slow down
A day in the life of postmaster Charlie Laffy
Postal worker keeps chuggin' with love of model trains
December
23, 2005 -Dallas
Postal Worker Pleads Guilty in $580,0000 Embezzlement -
A postal worker who serviced
stamp vending machines has pleaded guilty in a $580,000 embezzlement investigation,
prosecutors announced Friday. Joseph Charles Urso, pleaded guilty Thursday before
U.S. District Judge to misappropriation of postal funds. The now-suspended postal
worker faces a maximum 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Court records
indicate Urso had been a service technician responsible for vending machines
at certain post offices in Dallas since 1992.Prosecutors believe Urso for years
embezzled by stealing funds collected from machines, instead of depositing all
of the money. Urso also allegedly used postal forms to under-report the funds.
|
 December
23, 2005 -
A day in the life of the
Blair Post Office
December 23,
2005 -
Postal Worker's
Failed Attempt to Collect $1 Million from Supervisor
-
Conflict
began when Supervisor sent
letter warning of disciplinary
action
to Worker - A postal worker has been indicted
for bankruptcy fraud after he claimed his boss owed him $1 million for violating
his rights as a "self-ruling sovereign nation." After Gregory I. Armstrong's
supervisor sent him a letter warning disciplinary
action if Armstrong did not improve his attendance at work,
Armstrong argued that he was a self-ruling sovereign whose "power to contract
is unlimited." He then initiated involuntary bankruptcy proceedings against
his supervisor, alleging that he had agreed to pay Armstrong $1 million for
the unauthorized use of his name — which Armstrong had copyrighted. ." It was
sort of nightmarish," said Odell Johnson, Armstrong's supervisor at the Postal
Service center in Capitol Heights. "They were threatening to foreclose my home."
Johnson said the bankruptcy proceedings were closed after it became clear that
Armstrong is not his own country.
|
December
23, 2005 -
Amid variety of electronic communications, mailbox matter
matters -"Young
buyers view physical mail differently than their parents. They've grown up with
computers, e-mail, cell phones and text messaging and hardly ever use mail to
write personal letters or other correspondence. As a result, nearly all of the
mail they receive has a commercial purpose. They look forward to receiving it
and rely on it as a source of new products, services and other opportunities
they might be interested in."
|
December
23, 2005 -
UPS Packages Destroyed -
"Earlier this week, we told
you about a UPS truck that caught fire between Pocatello and Salt Lake City.
Representatives say they're working individually with the customers whose packages
were destroyed in the fire. Reporter Adam Rodriguez spoke with some customers
who say that's not the case." Brown can't do anything for us anymore." Some
customers said they sent the package through the United States Postal Service,
with better results.
December
23, 2005-
Judge tosses suit claiming unfair tactics citing Postal Reorganization
Act
A federal judge has dismissed a class action lawsuit that alleged Rodale Inc.
used illegal marketing tactics. The suit alleged that the Emmaus publisher had
a practice of sending unordered books to customers, then billing them, violating
consumer protection laws. But U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond of Philadelphia
dismissed the case this week on procedural grounds. Diamond ruled that the section
of the Postal Reorganization Act cited in the suit does not give private individuals
the right to sue. The Postal Reorganization Act sets conditions for sending
unsolicited merchandise to consumers. The Federal Trade Commission would be
the appropriate party to file such a suit, the Diamond concluded
December
23, 2005
NAPUS: White House Drops Lump of Coal in Postal Stocking
(PDF)
APWU: Holiday-Timed Relief for 'Katrina' Families
Tribunal Hears UPS Complaint
Against Canada
Stolen Balthasar
recovered by mailman
Wal-Mart Stuck With $172M Lunch Tab
Stop the Presses: USPS Kills Favorable
Story About Facility Targeted for Consolidation -
Why would the Postal Service decide against publishing
an internally prepared story about one of its most productive facilities?
|
 December
22, 2005 -
Pushing the envelope: Holiday season keeps postal
employees going full-tilt
-
The postman doesn't have time to ring twice these days because he is too busy
delivering packages from those last-minute Christmas mailers. Wednesday and
today are considered the busiest delivery days before Christmas for U.S. Postal
Service letter carriers across the country. Monday was considered the busiest
mailing day .
|
-
Processing
center shifts into high gear during annual postal crush
-
A
most hectic postal day |
Wednesday is busiest delivery day
December
22, 2005-
Post office
jobs will stay empty
Most of the manual sorting of third-class, bulk-rate business mail at the Main
Post Office will be transferred to an automated facility in Akron, U.S. Postal
Service officials announced Wednesday. The change will not lead to any job loss
here, said Victor Dubina, a spokesman for the Postal Service. But there is virtually
no chance now of filling vacant positions at the main post office. The main
post office has 24 full-time positions that are not filled. Karen J. See, president
of the Mansfield Area Local American Postal Workers Union, said workers were
not pleased. "I'm disappointed because Mansfield has lost about 24 full-time
jobs and up to 15 part-time jobs through attrition," she said. "That's got to
have an impact on our community. These are good union jobs.
December
22, 200 -
Running
mailman has energy to burn -You
may have seen him on his postal route, but then again, if you blinked, you may
not have. Edward “Eddie” Loring runs his mail route most days. He said he has
a lot of energy to dispel and uses his job as a letter carrier for the United
States Post Office to do it. At various times of the year, Loring can been seen
on just about any street on Nantucket pushing his mail cart by running behind
it.
|
December
22, 2005-
Mailman delivers
peace
Last week, a group of students at the Haggerty School decided to reward mail
carrier Steve Johnson for his attitude by picking him to be the recipient of
the school's annual Peace Prize. "You can think of peacemaking on a big scale,
but you can also think of it as what you do everyday, the little things," said
parent Ben Mardell, who nominated Johnson for the award. "Little things [Johnson
does] like saying, 'Hi' or 'I've got good mail for you today' that's what makes
a change in the neighborhood." Seven years ago, the postal service tried to
change his route. Outraged, neighbors began a petition which reached U.S. Sen.
John Kerry's office. "The plan was to take Steve away from us," said Mardell.
"So we mobilized."
December
22, 2005-
Marshall Islands : Mail delivery falls from plane
- THE Marshall Islands have been literally bombarded with air mail when a cargo
door popped open on a Boeing 727 as it was taking off from the central Pacific
state. Hundreds of kilos of letters and packages spilled from the Asia Pacific
Airlines plane on Wednesday into people's backyards and a lagoon near Majuro
International Airport. The airline carries mail on contract with the US Postal
Service through Hawaii, Guam, Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia
December
22, 2005
Mail Carrier
Saves Woman's Life
Disappearing
TSP Dividends
Postal Bulletin 12/22/05 Issue
Postal client's honesty cancels out $5,550 stamp mix-up
2 men arrested in Arizona
mailbox thefts
Statue Of Stolen Black Wise Man Found by Mailman
Retired mailman
delivered poetry, too
Family tradition works out well for new postmaster
Bethlehem
post office continues holiday tradition
December 21,
2005-
Dozens affected by gas leak at Remote Encoding Center-
At the U.S. Postal Service's
Wichita (Kansas) Remote Encoding facility ,27 people today suffered minor irritation
apparently because of a gas leak, officials said. Emergency dispatchers initially
said that there were more than 50 possible patients, though none was seriously
affected. The leak apparently came from a gas leak about two miles away; the
facility's ventilation system brought the odors into the building, officials
said. Employees complained of headaches, nausea and light-headedness, but a
check of the building found no serious level of carbon monoxide, officials said.
Of the 27 people treated for the symptoms, seven went to Wesley Medical Center
to be further evaluated, but none was in serious condition, said Dean Crowley,
an acting captain with Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Services.|
27 sickened by gas leak
December 21,
2005 -Postal
Service Withholds Tumwater Article
Manager worried of effect
on transfer - A story praising the productivity
of a Tumwater mail processing plant has been withheld from publication because
it could have undermined the U.S. Postal Service efforts to transfer mail cancellation
services to Tacoma.
Clint Burelson, president of the American Postal Workers Union’s Olympia local,
said the Postal Service had planned to run a story in an employee publication
in December on productivity levels at the Tumwater plant, according to a hard
copy of an e-mail
Burelson received
during the weekend.
|
-
Local APWU: Postal Service Suppresses Article Praising
Olympia Workers
December
21, 2005-
Gaylord mail processing operations survey under way
-
"An Area Mail Processing (AMP) Survey reviewing all operations was launched
Tuesday at the Gaylord Post Office, which employs more than 100 people. “The
survey is to look at improving efficiency throughout the postal service,” said
Jim Mruk, manager of Public Affairs & Communications for the Great Lakes Area
of the United States Postal Service (USPS). Mruk noted that five other AMP surveys
are being conducted within the Great Lakes Area including one in Wisconsin,
three in Illinois, and one in Indiana. Mruk also added that the USPS is doing
similar studies across the country. The Gaylord AMP is the only survey conducted
in the state of Michigan."
In a
letter dated Dec. 19, 2005, the USPS notified
the APWU of its intent to conduct an AMP survey for the feasibility of consolidating
certain mail processing operations at the following facilities:
Gaylord (MI) Main Post Office into Traverse City (MI) P&DC
.|
December 21,
2005 -
Postal Worker
dies in Kanner Highway crash
Shreds of black metal, twisted tires and a blizzard of mail rained down on Kanner
Highway Tuesday afternoon when a full-size black Cadillac was slammed by two
tractor-trailers, killing the female postal worker behind the wheel of the car
and traumatizing witnesses.
|
December
21, 2005 -
APWU: Updated Joint Contract
Interpretation Manual (JCIM) Available
The newly updated Joint Contract Interpretation Manual (JCIM) is now available.
The 2005 JCIM update was agreed to by the parties on Nov. 30, 2005. The JCIM
is intended to be a resource for the local administration of the National Agreement.
Jointly prepared by the APWU and the USPS, the JCIM provides a mutually agreed
to explanation of how to apply the contract to the issues addressed
December 21,
2005 -
Mail Mastery at St. Paul Postal Distribution Center
-
The 1,220 people
who work in the St. Paul postal distribution center aim to make holiday mail
something you don't think about
 December
21, 2005 -
Postal workers picket to keep Sioux City's postmark -
Members of the American Postal Workers Union Local 186 picketed in front of
the Main Post Office in an effort to preserve Sioux City's postmark.
Study Threatens Sioux City Postal Plant
December 21,
2005 -Postal
Worker Charged with allowing bulk mail to pass for free released
- An Anchorage postal worker, charged with theft and once accused of threatening
his co-workers, has been released from jail and can spend Christmas with his
parents as he awaits trial. Michael Sargent's attorney successfully argued he
was not a danger to the community and should be released to his parents' custody.
He is 47. They are both elderly. According to charging documents from the U.S.
attorney's office, the 29-year postal employee didn't charge customers for about
$400,000 in bulk mail shipments -- made of items such as business mailings and
brochures -- because he said he wanted to bankrupt the United States Postal
Service, in part because of a missed promotion.
December 21,
2005 -
Postmaster
receives probation in postal theft case
The former postmaster of the Riverton post office has been sentenced to two
years probation on charges he stole thousands of dollars while on the job. Norman
F. Burns, 41, of North Canton, was sentenced Tuesday for misappropriating U.S.
Postal Service funds. He had pleaded guilty to the charge on September 27. Prosecutors
said although Burns was postmaster at the Riverton office, he periodically substituted
for postmasters from the Collinsville, Canton Center, Salisbury, West Simsbury
and West Suffield Post Offices. Between January 2002 and June 17, 2003, he stole
$4,548 in funds that he had collected from customers for box rents at those
offices, according to court documents.
December 21,
2005
Morganville post office back in operation after
auto accident |
Car hits post office
Post office
renovates despite plans to move
Companies Update Software to Support '06 Postal Rate Increase
New Preparation Requirements for Bundles of Mail on Pallets
Franklin, Maine Retired Postal Worker Answers What Claus Cannot
December 20,
2005-
Patriotic Postal Carrier Decides To Resume Military Career
It is the busiest week of the year for the U.S. Postal service. But one longtime
letter carrier has more than that on his mind. Bryan Martin has just re-enlisted
in the military and heads off for training in January. We first met Bryan Martin
last February. While he was on his mail route, he saved two people from a burning
house. His wife says being a hero just comes naturally to him, now he wants
to put those skills to work in the Army.|
December 20,
2005 -
Local APWU: Postal Service Suppresses Article Praising Olympia
Workers
The Postal Service suppressed an article scheduled to appear in a Postal Service
publication that praised the Olympia Processing & Distribution Facility for
its ranking as the most productive plant in the entire nation for a plant of
its size. The article was pulled at Postal Headquarters because a story praising
the productivity of the workers at the Olympia Plant could potentially harm
the Postal Service's efforts to transfer mail operations from Olympia to Tacoma.
Currently, local, state, and congressional representatives, citizens and the
unions are working together to oppose the transfer of the Olympia mail to Tacoma."
Postal Service withholds Tumwater article
|
December 20,
2005
Florida
Mail-Haul Workers Join APWU
|
USPS Unveils 2006 Definitive Stamps
Hutch postal worker carries the weight of Christmas
A day of mailing mania at the main post office
Postal
worker may have stolen checks
Busiest
day no sweat for USPS
For many, e-mail not better than real mail
To Mr. Postman: Deliver da letter
Postal carrier suffers 'nasty bite' from pit bull
Wal-Mart is
target of criminal probe over waste
December
19, 2005 -
Postal
Service Won't Get Medicare Drug Subsidy -
A request by the U.S. Postal
Service for a Medicare prescription drug subsidy, projected to save postal customers
at least $250 million annually, has been denied by the Bush administration.
Officials decided that the Postal Service will not be allowed to receive a subsidy
because it participates in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which
is not taking the subsidy
December 19,
2005 -
Last-minute
postal patrons hang tough in lengthy lines
 December
18, 2005-
Late mail deliveries have become common problem
countywide
-
It was 9:45 p.m. when Dave
Acosta stepped out of the darkness onto the front porch of a North Park house
and began stuffing letters through a slot in the front door. His footsteps startled
the man inside, who burst from the house with a gun, thinking an intruder was
trying to break in. A terrified Acosta explained that he was just the mailman
trying to get his job done, according to a federal labor report of the incident
obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune."
Three years after Acosta's close
call, nothing has changed
|
December 18,
2005
Benefit fund
set up for postal worker killed in accident
Union officials worry postal
business will move to Columbus
Letter carrier
lauded for bringing joy to the blind
Mail flies
through Santa Clarita facility
Postal thieves at work in Searcy
Monday predicted to be busy day for mailing
Oklahoma DA clears Lufkin postmaster
Postal Inspectors probe AmeriDebt Founder
December
17, 2005-
"Don't Tip The Mailman" says USPS
"Don't tip the mailman,"
said Joseph Breckenridge, a spokesman for the USPS. "He's got a good job, makes
a good living." If one neighbor gives the mailman money, and another doesn't,
it creates the appearance that the tipper will receive favorable treatment,
Breckenridge said. "Being government, we can't afford that kind of thing," he
said. Still, it's not against the rules. Mail carriers aren't allowed to solicit
holiday extras, but they're allowed to accept them. Small gifts - such as fruit
preserves or candy - are appropriate, according to Breckenridge.
|
-
NALC: Blockbuster Apologizes for Running anti-tipping ad against carriers
December
17, 2005-
New Postmaster Probably Like Old
"Brenda Holmes is
back as Michigan City's postmaster. It's too early to tell if this is a new
and improved Brenda Holmes after six months of temporary assignments at post
offices around northwest Indiana, or if we're being saddled with the old model
that was responsible for late night mail delivery and running employee morale
into the ground"
|
December 17,
2005-Ship
Till You Drop -As
online shopping goes gangbusters, so do the delivery companies charged with
shipping the orders. Americans are expected to spend $18 billion on online purchases
this year -- a 25 percent increase over last year -- meaning more and more shipping
orders, especially around the holidays. And with Christmas just over a week
away, places like FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service have all hands on deck to
handle millions of letters and packages
|
December
17, 2005
Police investigating gun mailed
to military PO box from Iraq
Post office demolished after the roof caves in
Dude, where's my postmark? Feds may pull Rockford's sorting
site
Thieves cash in on mailboxes
Post office confiscates phony money orders
December
16, 2005 -
Mailman by day, award-winning pimp by night
"For
a decade, he has worked for the U.S. Postal Service, delivering mail and collecting
paychecks as Matthew Thompkins. But on the streets, he was known as Knowledge.
That's where authorities say Thompkins really made his name -- and his money
-- running a stable of dozens of prostitutes, some as young as 13, whom he shuttled
between Atlantic City, Las Vegas and New York to keep clients satisfied and
the cops at bay."
|
December
16, 2005 -
Mail Carrier
Killed in Snowy Crash On the Job
A Wisconsin part-time postal
carrier and mother of three died Wednesday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash
on her route. Patricia Ward was driving her car from the passenger side when
the accident occurred, said Jim Stanley, a USPS spokesman for the Northland
District. The Dodge Neon that Ward drove was not modified for driving from the
passenger area. She had to lean over from where she sat to operate the car.
Passenger-side driving is not illegal for mail carriers, and state statute exempts
them from having to wear seat belts.
|
-
WI postal carrier killed in crash
December 16,
2005 -
Former Letter Carrier indicted on Charges of Stealing
More Than $100,000
-A former letter
carrier has been indicted on charges of stealing more than $100,000 worth of
checks from the mail she delivered, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday.
The indictment alleges that Kristen Nowack stole at least 50 checks from June
to Aug. 19 while working for USPS.
|
December 16,
2005
GAO criticizes
USPS ombudsman role
More charges
for road rage suspect for killing USPS special agent
UPS employees in Minneapolis shootout
Mt. Ephraim
Post Office Roof Collapses
December 15, 2005 -
APWU: Ten More Facilities added to Consolidation Study list
As it stands now
over 40 facilities
will be
subject to consolidation,
or subject of AMP (Area Mail Processing) studies.)
- "USPS notified APWU of its intent to conduct an AMP survey for the
feasibility of consolidating certain mail processing operations at
the following
locations"
|
-
Postal union seeks support in opposing facility's move
December
15, 2005 -
Computer system
taken in post office break-in
A burglar broke into the West Friendship Post Office early Wednesday and stole
a computer system, postage printer and scanners that the postal service says
have a lot of value to the government, but won't fetch much for the burglars.
Without the passwords, "the computer has no use to anyone outside the post office,"
spokesman Frank J. Schissler said. "Maybe they thought that they could sell
the computer's guts to a pawn shop, but its guts are not a basic PC system.
It was specially designed for the Postal Service." Workers are manually applying
postage until a new printer is delivered, and the lobby will not be open after-hours
until building repairs are made
December
15, 2005 -
NAPUS: 2006 National Rural Mail Count Option Election [PDF]-
A national mail count
will be conducted for 12 days beginning February 24 through March 9, 2006
December
15, 2005
Why the Union Opposes the Olympia
Consolidation (pdf)
WI postal carrier killed in crash
CT Postmasters
Installation Ceremony stirs controversy. ..well almost
GAO report on USPS purchasing changes (PDF)
Lawmakers
announce bill to quickly put Rosa Parks on postage stamp
Postal Worker
brings holiday joy to Post Office
Online banking stamping out stamps
Post Office Goes 'Back to Basics'
Opinion: US Mailboxes - an Endangered Species
December 15,
2005 -
2005: Financially, USPS' best year
since '70s
"Talk of a "death spiral"
at the U.S. Postal Service has been dropped, at least temporarily, in favor
of refrains from "Happy Days are Here Again." The outlook for next year, however,
doesn't appear as rosy. Many mailers are worried that rates may go up dramatically
over the next two years. Rates are already set to go up by about 5.4 percent
across the board in January -- at least in part to offset the cost of paying
$3.1 billion into an escrow account. And the Postal Service said it will likely
have to ask for another rate increase to go into effect in 2007."
|
December 15,
2005 -
USPS to Offer Early Retirement to Katrina-Impacted
Employees “The union has protested
management’s refusal to bargain over this important matter.”
Katrina
VER Information via NAPUS
-The Postal Service
has received approval from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) under its
Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) to offer
VER to career employees in the Louisiana and Mississippi Districts.
The VER effective
dates for full-time employees for this VER offer will be January 31, 2006, February
28, 2006 or March 31, 2006. The VER effective date for part-time employees (PTF
and PTR) for this VER offer will be March 31, 2006.
|
December 15,
2005 -
Case
Study: US Postal Employees
Self-Service Kiosks [pdf]
With over 500,000 employees without computers, how does an
organization offer administrative services electronically? That was the challenge
the Postal Service faced. To overcome it, the service has installed more than
600 self-service kiosks to give employees online access to human resources applications.
note: Anyone using the self-service kiosk?
|
December 15, 2005
-
Postal workers visit sick kids
-Employees
of the U.S. Postal Service in Charlotte visited children at Carolinas Medical
Center on Tuesday
December 15, 2005
Web shortens
lines, post office says
Postal worker, mother of 3, shot to death |
Postal worker gunned down
$21,200 awarded in dog attack
Postal Problems
No easy solutions for Batavia post office
Letter Carrier Delivers Aid
Holiday mail crunch time approaching
2007 Will Be a Banner Year for Direct Marketers
Gov't Encouraging Seniors to Use Direct Deposit
Yearly Crunch Hits FedEx Hub
December 14, 2005-
Ex-postal union official
gets probation
-
The former secretary-treasurer of NALC Branch 1977 was sentenced Tuesday
to three years of probation and 360 hours community service for embezzling more
than $34,000. Chief U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson said Paul Himmelstein
of Newark had repaid the union all the money and that played a part in handing
down a sentence that did not include jail time.
December 14, 2005
-
It's in the MAIL
- 'One
of the busiest places in Minot during the Christmas holiday season is the Minot
Post Office.
December 14, 2005
Mail processing may move to Rochester
Postal Crunch
Mail carrier
accused of stealing rare coins makes first court appearance
Beware of Post Office Mail Theft
Letter carriers hit the road early
O'Reilly falsely claims 'spiritual' Christmas stamps are
no longer offered
 December
13, 2005 -
Postal Workers Arrested In Alleged
DirecTV Scam -
4 of 10 Workers arrested at Post Office-
Agents of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the
state attorney's office pulled of an early-morning raid that netted three of
10 suspects. Agents returned midmorning to the postal facility to arrest another
suspect, one of several managing supervisors taken down in the raid. Investigators
said one of the workers, Edward DeSalle, was a legitimate DirecTV subscriber
who manipulated the DirecTV sales process and requested extra boxes and authorization
cards, then for a fee provided nine co-workers with the boxes.".
The workers' time with the postal service ranged from 17 to 38 years.
|
-
10 Workers Accused of Stealing Service |
Satellite Fraud
and Piracy are Illegal
December 13, 2005 -
Postal Employees continue tradition
for local kids
-(Hornell,
NY) Everyone gets busy during the holiday season, and from time to time even
Santa needs a little bit of help. One of his biggest helpers is Karen Young,
a Hornell postal employee who has volunteered her time for the past 20 years
to answer local letters to Santa. Every year post office employees donate money
to be used for stamps and other supplies to make the Santa mailings possible.
December 13, 2005 -
Loss of Members Puts USPS Board
in Precarious Position
-The U.S.
Postal Service Board of Governors has lost three members this year, putting
pressure on the remaining presidential appointees to maintain the quorum needed
to conduct postal business The White House has a search underway for nominees
to the board, industry lobbyists and congressional aides said. The White House
is looking at former members of Congress and corporate leaders as possible appointees
and may consider bringing Robert F. Rider , whose term expired (12/9/05) and
S. David Fineman, who finished his term on the board last year, back as short-term
"recess" appointments that can be made without Senate confirmation, the lobbyists
and Capitol Hill aides said.
|
December 13, 2005
USPS Donates
$250 Thousand to Postal Employee Relief Fund
Post Office
collects phone cards for soldiers
Marshall Islands,
FSM, Lose US Domestic Mail Rates in January
Post office sought in St. Charles County
New Orleans mail takes long route home
It's the busiest time of the year for the USPS
Closed Red Bank post office will reopen, official says
Fake Postal Money Orders in Tucson
Mailers flock to post offices with holiday packages
Canadian postal workers worried of possible UPS fallout
December 12, 2005-
Ask President Burrus
Question: Why are retirement annuities calculated using the “high-three”
formula? Do you think the formula will ever be reduced to “high-two,” “high
one,” or perhaps just the final year of employment? Question: Why does
the pay-for-performance program apply only to EAS personnel? Shouldn’t the rank-and-file,
many of whom make their supervisors look good, share in the wealth?
|
 December
12, 2005 -
New man in charge at Troubled Eureka post office
Eureka Main Post Office has its third boss in
three months. Dino Marsango, formerly the postmaster of the Pismo Beach Post
Office, has taken the reins at an office that for the past several months has
been the subject of much controversy. He takes over for Tony Carvelli, who took
over in October for Ed Stoner, a post master who was put on administrative leave
for undisclosed reasons. Stoner was relieved of the position following a visit
to the office by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The controversy surrounding
the office has to do with staffing levels and the flow of third-class mail,
which at various times this year had been backlogged. At times, bulk mail was
stored outside under a tarp. |
December 12, 2005 -
Woman driven to restore clerk to post office
-A woman is going public with her displeasure about the Saxonville (Massachusetts)
post office’s sporadic hours and lack of staff. Antoinette Burrill said this
week she has collected about 70 signatures and plans to gather more as she pushes
to get a second clerk restored to the Nicholas Road outpost. The office closes
from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. every weekday.
|
December 12,
2005
Postal
union seeks support in opposing facility's move
Yes, Arizona
there was a Christmas
Post office's gift: service on Sunday
Tulsa's New Postmaster
Resolved postal-meter issue helps nonprofit service profit
Post packages now or pay the price
Santa's secretary
Survey: Convenient Returns Yield Edge
Government to privatize Philippine
Postal Corp (Philpost)
December 11, 2005
Postal workers will preserve symbol
of service
Postmaster provides personalized service
High mail volume in Nebraska
Maui: Family delivers in postal service
Post office makes holiday house calls
It's in the mail... really, it is
December 10, 2005 -
Postal Worker accused of
letting bulk mail pass through for free
An unhappy 29-year Anchorage postal employee may have put
as much as $400,000 worth of bulk mail into the postal system without charging
customers for it, according to charges filed with U.S. District Court. The employee,
Michael Sargent, was charged Friday with stealing and disposing of public records.
Sargent joked with co-workers that his best friend was "T.C.," or trash can,
according to charging documents. He mentioned to a co-worker that he would like
to see the Postal Service go bankrupt.
|
December 10, 2005 -
USPS Briefs NAPUS on Implementation
of the Delivery and Retail Standardization Process-
Target areas for improvement in delivery operations include city and rural workload
management, route inspections, total efficiency indicators and deliveries per
hour compared to SPLY, and percent to standard for rural workhours.Retail standardization
will emphasize improving LDC 45 window staffing efficiency by reacting to reductions
in window transactions and revenue, and increases in alternate access growth
revenue. Hiring and staffing needs in post offices will be a key agenda item
at the NAPUS/USPS consultative meeting on December 20, 2006
|
December 10, 2005
e-NAPUS Newsletter: Sen. Bond Loosens Hold on S. 662 (PDF)
To avoid Christmas in July, mail on time
Baton Rouge mail operation expands
Streetside mail on way out
Murder suspect's mail monitored, lawyer says
Police arrest suspect in postal theft
December 9, 2005
Arizona: Mail
delivery falls short - more pickets planned
Senator Clinton launches petition to save Purple Heart stamp
Holiday postal rush
Postal Service helps spread the love
Maydelle post office cancels
extended holiday hours
Carriers will play Santa again Saturday
Still
No Wine in the Mail, Months After a New
Law
How a company cashed in on anthrax
EDITORIAL:
Stamps and cents
December 8, 2005 -
Bloomington P&DC added to AMP
Study list
-As it stands
now
over 26 facilities
will be
subject to consolidation,
or subject of AMP (Area Mail Processing) studies.)
- "USPS notified APWU of its intent to conduct an AMP survey for the
feasibility of consolidating certain mail processing operations at
Bloomington
(IN) P&DC with Indianapolis (IN) P&DC."
|
-
Moving postal service to Memphis a bad idea
-
Consolidating Utica (NY)
Mail to Syracuse could affect up to 60 jobs
December 8, 2005-
Newspaper Groups Oppose Postal
Service Discount for Time Inc. Mailer
The federal Postal Rate Commission (PRC) should block a deal that would give
a big postage discount to a single large mailer, the Newspaper Association of
America (NAA) and the National Newspaper Association (NNA) said Thursday. NNA
and NAA are trying to derail a United States Postal Service (USPS) application
to create special Standard -- or bulk -- mail rate discounts up to 3-cents per
letter for Bookspan, a book-marketing partnership of Time Inc. and Bertelsmann
AG. They also argue that the USPS "does not obtain any cost savings from the
proposed arrangement."
|
December 8, 2005 -''Financial
Concerns' Prompt OPM to Consider Dropping Postmasters Benefit Plan
- the notice sent to the postmasters plan faulted
the league for failure to comply with OPM directives, failure to adjudicate
health claims in a timely and accurate manner and failure to ensure that the
plan pays or denies claims properly. The notice said that OPM no longer considers
the league or the postmasters plan "a viable contracting entity" for the federal
health benefits program.To
wait until only four days are left in the open season to announce something
of this magnitude is just beyond belief," said Steve D. LeNoir, president of
the National League of Postmasters, which sponsors the plan. "The timing is
just terrible." LeNoir said OPM "felt we were not financially solvent." He said
the plan had been working with OPM to address concerns "and we're surprised
that they would not allow us to submit our compliance plan."
|
-
OPM
plans to drop Postmasters Benefit Plan from insurance offerings
December
8, 2005 -
Postal Supervisor Charged With Stealing Post Office Funds
-
A Milford woman has been charged
in U.S. District Court with embezzling U.S. Postal Service funds while serving
as a supervisor at the Wayland Post Office since her appointment in October
1998. Sheryl E. Burr is accused of using a Postal Service merchant purchase
authorization card to obtain goods for her own personal use in addition to those
bought to use in supervisory duties. According to Postal Service Special Agent
John Horgan, a number of transactions billed to the U.S. Postal Service by Burr
attracted the attention of investigators. They included a vacuum cleaner and
accessories valued at $960, three satellite radio systems worth $787, income
tax preparation materials priced at $109 and a "Blue Tooth" mobile telephone
headset for $63
|
December 8, 2005
Letter Carrier
Saves Life
Delivering more than the mail for 35 years
Man saves
Postal Worker from dog attack
USPS Issues
Final Rule for Conduct on Postal Property
Transportation companies treating customers better online
-- study
Decision on
Otho post office still in the mail
APWU, Other Unions Rally for
Workers Rights
Burrus: Good News on Mail Volume
Junk Mail Beats Spam Again in '05
Revenue, Pieces, and Weight
by Classes of Mail, Quarter 4,
2005 (PDF)
Postal Bulletin 12/8 Issue:
TSP Policy Change — Elimination of TSP Percentage Caps
APWU: Health Plan Open Season
Ends Dec. 12
New 39-Cent Stamp on Sale Today
Thayer postal worker commended
for service
Post Office's Operation Phone
Card
Colorado: Semi Rear-Ends Postal
Truck, Spills Mail on Road
Postal union fears shift of work
to Memphis
NALC President Young: Kit Bond
is holding up progress
Holiday season stress hitting
postal workers
Fire in postal
collection box destroys some mail
Mail carriers increasingly being
attacked by dogs
December 7, 2005
December 6, 2005 -USPS
Ends Year in Black and Debt Free; Escrow Fund Looms
The U.S. Postal Service
reported today it concluded fiscal 2005 with a net income of $1.4 billion on
record revenues of $70 billion and record volume of 212 billion pieces of mail.
"Financially, we are in the best position we've been since the 1970s," said
Postmaster General John E. Potter at the December meeting of the Board of Governors.
"Despite the strong financial and productivity records of recent years, we are
facing a modest increase in postage rates in January." Although today's postal
financial news is positive, Potter cautioned that the forecast for 2006 projects
a surplus from operations, but coupled with an anticipated escrow requirement
of $3.1 billion, the Postal Service will likely have a net deficiency approaching
$2 billion
|
Potter Cautious on FY06 Forecasts for USPS
Audited Financial Statements
presentation
given by CFO Dick Strasser to the BOG, and the
FY 2006 USPS appropriation request,
via PostCom.org
December 6, 2005 -
Arizona: Postal Carriers Short on Staff
"Bob Hanson believes
there is more to the problem than the holiday crunch. As president of the National
Association of Letter Carriers Branch 1902, he claims the Postal Service refuses
to hire career employees and that's hurting his letter carriers in Paradise
Valley and other East Valley communities. "We've received complaints from carriers
about working long hours, but the real concern is for safety. Imagine someone
sitting in their house at 8 p.m. hearing their mailbox being rattled. They don't
know it's just the mail carrier," Mr. Hanson said."
|
-
San Diego: Late mail leaves some residents in the dark
December 6, 2005 -
USPS OIG Semiannual Report to Congress
Highlights -
Changes to the Mail Processing Network, Evaluation
of Mail Processing Plants The Evolutionary Network Development (END) is the
Postal Service’s network redesign strategy. New automated equipment that is
being developed will sequence flats (large envelopes, magazines, and publications)
in delivery order. This will eliminate manual sorting and thereby achieve savings.
The Postal Service plans to field test this equipment in April 2006 with deployment
scheduled to begin early in 2008. Controlling Costs in City Letter Carrier Operations
- The Postal Service has two methods at its disposal to achieve this lower cost
— convert some existing city routes to rural routes or establish new growth.
The Postal Service is planning to redeploy the bottom 100 of the 800 underperforming
APCs and more -
full
report
|
December 6, 2005 -
Giving tree' transplanted from Barnegat Post Office
- The U.S. Post Office is no longer going to
allow the Food Pantry to place its "giving tree" in the Post Office lobby. The
tree, also known as an angel tree, is a holiday staple, allowing local residents
to contribute to children in need. People pluck off a little tag that may read,
for example, "Boy, 8 years old," or "Girl, 10 years old," and then buy a gift
accordingly. But officials at the local U.S. Post Office branch said that higher-ups
are enforcing a long-standing rule this year. The rule prohibits solicitation,
no matter how worthy the cause, on any part of U.S. Post Office property.
December 6, 2005 -
Late mail leaves some residents in the dark
- Postal Workers Struggle With Long Shifts -Some
San Diego residents are complaining that their mail doesn't arrive until well
after dark, or worse: not at all
|
December 6, 2005
Residents want to keep post office
Pit Bull mix attacks letter carrier
Rudolph, Ohio, offers special postmark again
Mail Tubs Need to be Returned
Canada: Neither rain, nor sleet, nor punches
December 5, 2005-
Letter Carriers to Picket Missouri
Offices Of Senator Bond to Protest Hold On Postal Reform Bill-Active
and retired Missouri letter carriers will engage in informational picketing
on Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST in four cities across the state
to protest the action by Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) that is blocking a U.S.
Senate floor vote on bipartisan postal reform legislation aimed at improving
universal mail delivery and curtailing future postage rate increases.
|
-
NALC President Young Urges Senator to Lift 'Hold' on Postal
Reform Bill
December 5, 2005 -No
downtime for USPS managers
U.S. Postal Service managers won industry honors
in 2005 for their information security and privacy practices. Now they face
new security challenges in issuing mandatory electronic identity cards to about
1 million employees and contractors and improving the postal agency’s business
continuity and disaster recovery procedures. Both are tall orders, said Peter
Myo Khin, USPS’ manager of corporate information security. Issuing
secure identity credentials will become mandatory
by Oct. 27, 2006, under Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12. Myo Khin
said complying with HSPD-12 will be expensive for USPS, especially complying
with its mandatory clearance process before issuing computer-readable identity
cards.
|
December 5, 2005 -
My Letter to Santa Claus
- By Brian
Thomason, Denver APWU Clerk Craft Director - "My wish this year is that
every child receives a Christmas gift from Santa. There have been many disasters
in the world this year. There are still people missing in Sri Lanka. Some kid’s
parents were washed out to sea. Will they still receive a gift? Here in our
country we had all the horrific hurricanes and terrible tornadoes and storms.
I am concerned about all of those children too. What kind of Christmas will
they have with all the damage that occurred? Their homes lost, destroyed, flooded
and un-inhabitable. These families must still be going thru a living hell! Santa,
I work for the US Postal Service. I am going to try to help you with this task.
I feel that because we sort and deliver so many of your Christmas gifts every
year, that I consider all postal employees to be “Santa’s Elves”
|
December 5, 2005 -
First female postmaster in Philadelphia started as carrier
- In case you missed it,
Nov. 18 was Postmaster Day in Philadelphia. Mayor Street proclaimed it in honor
of the official installation that morning of the first female postmaster in
Philadelphia history, who follows in the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin. Judith
L. Martin, 46, started in 1987 as a letter carrier in Hartford, Conn., Martin
said she joined the post office as a letter carrier because of its job security.
Within 18 months, she was an acting manager. She held three postmaster positions,
then oversaw 84 other postmasters before becoming postmaster here in July. As
postmaster of Philadelphia, she manages 62 stations, postal retail stores and
branches in the 191 zip code. Her workforce delivers more than three million
pieces of mail daily to 712,000 residences and businesses.
December 5, 2005 -Traffic
World: Contract Driver against granting USPS HOS exemption
-
As a government agency, the Postal Service is exempt from HOS rules, but its
contractors are not. The agency has more than 5,000 contracts with motor carriers
for moving mail. Without the change, Anderson said the Postal Service would
be forced to redo some of its contracts, which are built around the old rules.
"Existing contract awards were based on internal operating costs and rate structures
determined by existing regulations, not the new rules," Anderson said. "Given
the rigid time schedules of Postal Service mail processing operations, the revised
rules would require more drivers and, in some cases, unique highway transportation
operations in order for the mail to arrive/depart on time." One driver who said
he drove for three years for a USPS contract carrier told the FMCSA that allowing
the exemption would jeopardize highway safety. "We were paid only for the trips
we ran, not for the down-time unloading, etc.," Steve Reeves wrote. "As a result,
it was common to spend 12 hours (or more) of my day and be paid for only five
or six. This encourages some mail drivers to hold down second jobs, and seldom
do they (or their employer) faithfully track the hours as required." Reeves
urged the FMCSA to make USPS operate like any other shipper
|
December 5, 2005
Spencerport postman delivers
packages in a different way
USPS re-ups
Nortel PEC Solutions for automated business mail system
Postal Worker's last day at work,
first day of a new life
USPS E-Services
The Impact of Age, Generation, and Life Stage on Use of Mail
and Media
Rates for FedEx Ground, FedEx Home Delivery to Raise 3.9
Percent
UPS hands full in legal battles with their franchisees
December 4, 2005-
The Snail in the Mail
- Hundreds have signed
their names, declaring that they've experienced a problem receiving promotional
and sales fliers on time, and that they want it to stop. The regional managers
of the Eureka Main Post Office, Congressman Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and
through him, the PMG have heard their complaints. The office has gone through
four different postmasters since 2003. Eureka
Postmaster Ed Stoner was put on administrative leave after having made statements
to the media that there were no more delays in third-class.
Some claim that the managers get bonus checks for keeping costs down. They say
that may be the reason why the district management has not provided the Eureka
P.O with the staffing it needs. San Francisco District Manager Scott Tucker
dismissed the accusations.|
-
Postal Workers, Officials differ on need for more clerks
(9/23/05)
December 4, 2005 -
USPS Service district raises $43,500 to fight cancer-
The
Mid-America District of the U.S. Postal Service issued a challenge to post offices
in western Missouri and eastern Kansas during National Breast Cancer Awareness
Month. The challenge was to sell 500,000 Breast Cancer Research stamps during
October. The offices ended up selling more than 544,000.
December 4, 2005
Leak in gas line delays mail
delivery
Busy Season For East Texas Post Offices
Boos For The Rate Increase
Senators weigh in on Las Cruces (NM) postal issues
West Michigan post offices expand services
December
3, 2005
Will postal
insurance pay up if one of these items is damaged?
Postal Worker Rockin' John rockin' on
Plan to cut Olympia postmark advances
Post office closed due to mold
Letter carrier honored for helping 11-year-old
girl
You've got (movies in the) mail
December 02, 2005 -
Postal Network Redesign Could
Boost Savings, But Cut Jobs
NAPS Legislative Update -
"For years the Postal Service has kept its plans for the realignment of the
postal network under lock and key. With declines in mail volume
and increases in automation looming larger each year, postal network redesign
may be the silver bullet that unleashes huge increases in processing and transportation
efficiencies, producing billions of dollars in cost savings for the Postal Service.
Those savings could come through the elimination of “excess network
capacity”, resulting in the closure or consolidation of potentially large numbers
of processing and distribution facilities -- and the elimination of thousands
of jobs."
|
APWU: FSM
100 Machines Changes Will Reduce 900 Full-Time Positions
" USPS has announced plans to retrofit
approximately 200 FSM 100 machines, about one third of its inventory.
Flat mail that requires preparation will be integrated into the FSM 100 machine.
The retrofit is expected impact clerks and mail handlers. The USPS
anticipates a reduction of the work-hour equivalent of approximately 900 full-time
positions, spread across both crafts, nationwide. A retrofit of the FSM 100,
the Automated Tray Handling System eliminates the need to label flat tubs and
to replace flat tubs once they are dispatched from the machine. The anticipated
impact of this system will be a reduction of one mail processing clerk from
each five-person crew that is currently used to operate an FSM 100.
- USPS
schedule for deploying:
Automatic Induction (pdf)
|
AFSM/ATHS
(pdf)
December 02, 2005 -
NALC: Tell Rep. Flake NO to Privatization
-
As you know H.R.
22, The Postal Enhancement and Accountability Act of 2005 passed the House by
a vote of 410-20 on July 26th. The NALC e-Activists worked very hard to help
pass Postal Reform, but also to defeat a number of anti-worker amendments. One
of the amendments was offered by Congressman Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and would have
required within the legislation a five-year privatization pilot program, specifically
to study alternate means of delivery. In an October 25th
letter
to Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman James C. Miller III, Congressman
Flake expresses his interest in pursuing privatization further and even asks
for USPS help in doing so.
|
NALC President Young Urges Senator to Lift 'Hold' on Postal
Reform Bill
December 02, 2005 -
USPS Seeks Waiver of Driving Safety Rule
In an action
that could have serious safety implications, the USPS has applied for an exemption
from a Department of Transportation rule that limits the number of hours that
drivers can spend at work. If the waiver is approved, Highway Contract Route
(HCR) drivers would be permitted to drive more than 11 hours in a day and could
be at work (driving and on standby) in excess of 14 hours. HCR drivers work
for private mail-carriers under contract with the USPS
|
December 02, 2005 -
Special Postal Bulletin New
Rates and Fees Effective January 8, 2006
This special issue of the Postal Bulletin contains information about the rate
change, including resources for customers and employees, new rate and fee tables,
and revised postage statements. Customers and employees can find additional
information at
www.usps.com/ratecase.
December 02, 2005 -
Postal Service says New Orleans
mail on the way
The Postal Service’s effort to recover and sanitize flood-damaged mail has been
completed and that mail is now being delivered in the New Orleans metropolitan
area, the U.S. Postal Service said in a news release Thursday. The Postal Service
has worked with an environmental engineering firm to collect and inspect this
mail. Mail that was intact with a legible address was isolated, dried and sanitized
prior to delivery in New Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and Cameron parishes.
December 02, 2005
Las Cruces Mail Complaints Reach Senator
e-NAPUS Newsletter: Thanksgiving Misgivings (PDF)
Postcom: How CD/DVDs Affect Letter Mail Automation
USPS: Standard Mail Strong Despite October Dip
Postal Service's New Catalog Request Card Service
Postal Service boxed in by holiday mail
Slow delivery on check of letter carrier's damage
31-Year USPS Veteran John Sadler Joins Bowe Bell + Howell
Flooded mail to be delivered soon
Madison postal clerk indicted
USPS Kicks Off Operation Santa Program
Detectives looking for post office bandit
December 01, 2005 -
Protecting Parcel Post - Letter From Ralph Nader to PMG Potter
"I was recently surprised
to discover that the "2005
Holiday Shipping and Mailing Guide" gives shipping deadlines for
Global Priority Mail, Global Express Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Priority
Mail, and Express Mail, but not Parcel Post. It has also been brought to my
attention that postal clerks are
now being instructed not to mention the term "Parcel Post" to patrons.
A clerk has even been suspended for making a patron aware of Parcel Post before
trying to push them to use more expensive shipping options."
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December 01, 2005 -
Masked Men Handcuffs Postal
Worker to Sink , Steal Stamps
The Valhalla (NY) post office was robbed early
this morning by two masked men who threatened a lone postal worker with a gun
and left him handcuffed to a bathroom sink for more than an hour after taking
an unknown amount of stamps from an office safe|
December 01, 2005 -
Sex Offender Arrested While
Delivering Mail
- "On Monday, neighbors noticed part-time postal carrier Kim Holbrook Daniel,
delivering mail in street clothes and in a personal car, so they called police.
"He apparently did not complete his route Monday and he was going back out in
his own car the next day trying to complete the route," said Burke Swearingen,
Homewood Police Chief. It turns out that Daniel was convicted in 1983 for a
Texas burglary and attempted rape of a 12-year old. Although he did his time
and registered in Pelham where he was living, he did not register in Homewood
where he was working at the Snow Dr. Post Office."
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December 01, 2005 -
Postal workers get refresher in bulk -
The U.S. Postal Service says it has retrained workers at the post office after
a second time- sensitive mailing from a community group was misdirected and
delayed
December 01, 2005 -
NJ Mail Handler dies after being
hit by minivan during walk home from work
Floyd Burzi, of Terrace Avenue, was on his way
home from his job as a mail handler at the U.S. Postal Service Bulk Mail Center,
in Secaucus, when he was hit at 3:11 a.m. by a Mercury Villager minivan driven
by Rider Cedeno, 36, of Stuyvesant Avenue, police reports said
December 01, 2005
Woman marvels that cash she put in mail came back
Cleaner accused of stealing money orders at post office
Woman dies trying to pass rural carrier
League of Postmasters: Pay Variance Adjustments Announced
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