Postal Workers Respond to 'Complaint Website' Critical of USPS and Employees

ConsumerAffairs.Com an independent Web-based consumer complaint site alleges that "Consumers have a lot of problems with USPS...  What's perhaps most unfortunate about this is the hostility displayed by too many postal employees who could care less whether their efforts to serve taxpayers are successful." "We get a lot of e-mail from Postal Service employees, most of it anonymous and not fit for public viewing. One communique we find particularly telling is the following from Bud Tyler of Springfield, VA, who says he is a retired USPS "Consumer Advocate." From the sound of it, he probably is ... unfortunately." |

 White House, Hill Staff Seeking Compromise on Postal Bill-Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., the chief proponents of last year's bill, are leaning toward backing (Bush) administration requests intended to provide financial transparency. In exchange, they said, the White House might allow more flexibility in allowing USPS "to tap a retirement escrow account that the Postal Service contends is overfunded." "In addition to the escrow negotiations, the Senate measure might give USPS greater flexibility in negotiating work-sharing agreements, which allow the agency to offer discounts to large mailers for presorting mail and other tasks normally done by postal workers.  |

'USPS' CFO: Escrow Forcing Rate Increase'

"A rate increase will be filed by the U.S. Postal Service this year only because it must cover a $3.1 billion escrow requirement resulting from changes set forth in the Postal Civil Service Retirement System Funding Reform Act of 2003, a postal official said yesterday |

- USPS Managers Asked to Seek Settlement Agreement in Advance of Rate Case

- USPS CFO Strasser Defends Escrow Rate Case Filing

- Postal Service prepares for rate hike despite strong financial results. (Govexec)

New York Unions oppose Automated Postal Centers -Local unions, including those representing north country teachers, are urging members, families and friends to avoid using the USPS' "Automated Postal Centers," concerned that human tellers could be replaced by technology. "It is partially my fear that we are going to be replaced by electronic clerks, but I don't know that it's going to happen," said Thomas L. Lapp, vice president, Central New York Area APWU. "|

Prosecutors say Former Postal Worker Stole $18 million in Tax Refund Checks-"Federal agents arrested 10 people Wednesday for allegedly taking part in a ring that stole tax refund checks and cashed them at banks and stores around Southern California. The approximately 6,700 checks, totaling about $18 million, were (allegedly) stolen by a former postal worker at a South Los Angeles processing center between early 2000 and December 2003, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Gaffney." |

Postal Service Boosts Internal Controls-"While most agencies have beefed up their internal controls, or checks and balances, since the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act, none has gone as far as the Postal Service. The Internal Control Group, which was created as part of the 2002 Transformation Plan, is responsible for the Postal Service's voluntary compliance to Sarbanes-Oxley, which requires documenting and testing internal controls."|

 Dead Letter Shredder: A Postal Disservice? Durham attorney Bill Olive doesn't like the U.S. Postal Service shredding mail it can't deliver. But under a policy so new it caught two post office officials by surprise, that is what's happening. Olive recently got a letter from the Postal Service's Mail Recovery Center in Atlanta saying his letter could not be delivered and his check had been shredded "to protect [his] personal information." |

USPS Suspends American Airlines Mail Contract- American Airlines has stopped delivering mail for the USPS after failing to meet on-time requirements, postal officials said Monday. As of Saturday, the post office suspended its contract with Fort Worth-based American, the nation's largest airline said Jim Quirk, a spokesman at the postal service's Washington headquarters. The suspension affects all mail carried by the airline to the roughly 160 cities it serves. |

USPS May Close Postal Distribution Center-100 Jobs in Doubt-The Gaylord, MI branch of  is currently undergoing evaluation for potential consolidation with Traverse City or Saginaw for cost-effectiveness that may result in closing the local processing and distribution center that employs about 90 people. Gaylord's processing and distribution facility is one of several items on the table being discussed throughout the state of Michigan and across the country. |

Judge Knocks Non-Resident Postal Workers Out of  Class-Action Overtime Suit-'Little Tucker Act' limits Florida suit-A lawsuit  filed 1/30/04 on behalf of  four postal workers in District Court  accused USPS of deleting overtime hours from its non-exempt employees, thereby avoiding the payment of wages owed to a potential class of 200,000 employees. On Jan. 18th, a Florida District Court judge ruled that FLSA claims of any non-resident Postal Workers and all claims in excess of $10,000.00, including fees and costs, are due to be dismissed.  Any dismissed FLSA claims are subject to refiling in the U.S. District Court for the district in which they reside or in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Over 4,000 employees from nearly every state and territory of the United States signed consent forms to join this lawsuit. |

USPS Starts Custom Magazine on Direct Mail--The U.S. Postal Service is expected to announce today the launch of Deliver, a magazine targeted to C-level executives about direct marketing and advertising trends. On another note: NARFE's California State Federation of Chapters have joined with members of the California Postal Employees Legislative Coalition. The California Postal Employees Coalition includes representatives from the seven postal unions.  NARFE will  help California Postal Unions educate federal workers and others about "Advertising Mail", the so-called junk mail. |

This Mail Carrier tells USPS: Have guitar, will travel -After the national auditions in Chicago, nine postal employees were selected to appear in national print and broadcast ads. Mike O'Meara wasn't one of them. When Postal Service officials learned that he sings and plays guitar, they booked him for a tour of sorts. O'Meara: "I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would get assignment papers that contained that line: Bring your uniform and guitar," But there he was with his guitar in the Peoria Public Library and in post office lobbies, heralding the Web-based "Click and Ship" services in a jingle penned by a Wisconsin mail carrier. |

Is Controversial new ID badge for Federal Employees Wave of the Future

Debate Over Restructure of AFL-CIO Heats Up -The International Union of Police Associations says top revamp plans now circulating among AFL-CIO unions should broaden occupational diversity among its top decision makers--and limit each union to one seat on its council. The IUPA critique, along with a personally signed criticism from APWU President William Burrus, came just before state federations and central labor councils (CLCs) met in Silver Spring, Md., Feb. 15-17, to try to draft a joint revamp plan. IUPA, Burrus, the state feds, CLCs and others are responding to federation President John J. Sweeney's call to join the dialogue about retooling. Last Year SEIU President Andrew Stern opened the debate by calling the AFL-CIO outmoded. |

Attack on Postal Carrier by White Supremacist Member Believed Racist- A man police identified as a white supremacist assaulted a postal carrier of Asian Indian descent Wednesday afternoon.. They said they believe the attack was racially motivated. Shane Collins, 21, of Modesto walked up to Manjit Singh as he delivered mail and began hitting him, Sgt. Patrick Sullivan said. "None of his mail was stolen," "It was out of the blue." The suspect ran off, and neighbors called 911 as others gave chase. Singh was taken to a Modesto hospital for treatment of facial cuts and a possible broken nose. |

California Postmaster to Get Probation for Theft-A former Planada postmistress is expected to be sentenced to a year of probation  for misappropriating about $8,000 from her post office in 2003 and 2004. Authorities allege she hoarded cash by selling stamps and not recording receipts over a 20-month period. The Postmaster's attorney said she began funneling away some of the money to help out fellow employees who were down on their luck. "What initially started out as her trying to help some people turned into a situation where she ended up trying to pay money back and shift money.  |

Postal workers rewarded with glass pickle if praised by customers
Tom Teeter is one of the post office workers who was honored by his district commander on Thursday in their new "Just Give 'Em the Pickle" reward program. Under the program, postal workers who get a letter of praise from a customer are rewarded with a glass pickle. |

USPS Outplacement Pilot Program Report (pdf)-USPS advised APWU representatives that "there initial focus would be on employees whose medical restrictions were accommodated in the clerk craft; letters and mail handlers."  "The Postal Service is experimenting with outplacing employees, especially letter carriers, who are on OWCP-approved limited duty for more than one year.  The Postal Service saves money doing this because they provide NO fringe benefits to such employees—no retirement benefit, no TSP contributions, no health insurance, no life insurance, no holiday pay, no uniform allowances, etc. OWCP does not guarantee fringe benefits to employees once they are separated from the Postal Service.." Don Cheney |

Potter to Postmasters: 'Don't Get Into the Rate Discussion'  -PMG Potter, BOG Chair Jim Miller, and Legislators Talk of Reform and Potential Rate Increases -Potter speaking Monday at the 35th annual legislative forum sponsored by the National League of Postmasters said, "It's not about you or me. It's about universal service. If you talk me-me-me, we lose. We have a dedicated work force with a goal in mind; that's what will win on Capitol Hill. Don't get into the rate discussion. No decision has been made. It's not worth talking about. If legislation [or lack of it] drives our costs up, it will be reflected in rates." |

New York Considers Plan Using Letter Carriers to Deliver Medicine in Event of Terrorist Attack -New York is one of 10 cities that have expressed interest in the postal worker plan of delivering medicine to American homes within 48 hours of a terrorist attack. Under the plan, carriers who volunteer would be contacted by phone in the event of an emergency and told to go to a designated depot where they would be given the appropriate medicine and provided protective gear. Whenever possible, carriers would be assigned to their normal mail routes. |

New software will support single barcode standard for intelligent mail-The U.S. Postal Service is running out of envelope real estate. Postal bar codes are filling up the limited space on the front of envelopes, said Charles Bravo, USPS' senior vice president for intelligent mail and address quality. A bigger problem is that the agency's automated bar code sorters are working inefficiently because individual pieces of mail have too many codes. |

- Equipment scans envelopes to help speed up delivery

 Medical Records sold at USPS auction for lost mail- A big envelope stuffed with billing paperwork for Anchorage ambulance patients mistakenly ended up in a lost-package auction last week in Atlanta. An Alabama couple buying books got more than they bargained for when they discovered the stack of Medicare claims full of private patient information. The documents -- in an envelope with no address or return address -- include names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medicines and the medical condition that led to them being transported by ambulance.  |

APWU Investigating Safety Problems on New Postal Trucks-The APWU is aggressively pursuing reports of major safety problems with Leyman lift gates on many recently deployed (7 & 11 ton) postal trucks. Two-hundred-forty trucks equipped with these lift gates have been taken out of service.|

Lawmaker Disputes Bush Administration on Labor Costs Reduction in Postal Reform Bills- As reported by Congress Daily, House Government Reform ranking member Henry Waxman, D-Calif., criticized the Bush administration for holding up the legislation for overhauling the Postal Service. He said "the White House was not engaged in last year's debate on the bill despite efforts by both government oversight committees to keep it informed. "They said they were just too busy," He disputed the administration's contention that the bills do not sufficiently reduce labor costs. "I don't see why it's important to single them out," Waxman said, referring to unionized postal workers. "We don't do that with UPS or FedEx or small mailers or anybody else."|

 USPS Nets $21 Million From First Year of Capital One NSA
"The three-year NSA provides pricing incentives based on increased mail volume and productivity gains that can save the postal service money. Capital One gets discounts of 3 cents to 6 cents per piece during the three years if its annual First-Class bulk volume exceeds 1.225 billion pieces. The discounts rise as Capital One's volume increases." |

Bold Robber Strikes Sacramento Post Office in Broad Daylight-An armed robber struck a Sacramento (Calif.) post office late Monday afternoon, assaulting a postal worker and robbing patrons. |

USPS Goes Fashion Forward With 'Project Runway'-Letter Carriers Aid Contestants to Redesign Postal Uniforms -Today, the focus expands from the delivery of mail to the delivery of new fashion standards, too, as one of the world's most recognizable uniforms undergoes a transformation as part of Bravo-TV's "Project Runway. Bravo's "Project Runway" episode, where the five remaining contestants were faced with a challenge to create a new uniform design for the USPS, delivered the show's biggest numbers to date in total viewers|

Senator Launches Probe into Royal Oak Work Conditions -Postal employees from Royal Oak and Madison Heights who signed a petition last year complaining about working conditions and management were asked to document specific incidents for U.S. Sen. Carl Levin. NALC Union Representative Charlie Withers said the common thread of the letters -- all written by long-time employees -- is that the work environment is turning hostile again and they fear an incident like the 1991 shooting rampage could happen if something isn't done. |

Brazen Postal Robbery Shocks California Coastal Community-Postal Service Driver Found Tied Up in His Delivery Truck-The postal driver was bound for about three hours before he was found. The driver was not hurt and it was not immediately clear how many bags of mail were stolen. Postal service officials are offering a $50-thousand dollar reward for information leading to the two suspects who tied up the driver and stole mail. |

- Also Police: Drug-Crazed Man Attacks Postal Carrier

Berkeley (CA) Customers Rail Against Post Office Lines -Patrons of Berkeley’s main post office are used to waiting. For years, customers have sat on benches or strolled along nearby blocks killing time until their number was called. But for several, their patience ran out last November when the post office’s pick-a-number dispenser system broke down. Post office officials responded by instituting a formal line, forcing customers to wait inside and on their feet. In addition to restoring the pick-a-number system, new Berkeley Postmaster Ralph Cherry promised to hire new clerks to reduce service delays.|

Postal Technician Awarded Coast Guard Achievement Medal
Electronic Technician also won FMLA Rights for Reservists on military leave.  A boatswain's mate first class in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, Barry Natale recently was awarded the U.S. Coast Guard Achievement Medal for superior performance of duty. Like other reservists who were activated, Natale took a leave of absence from his job as an electronic technician for USPS. He has worked at the Stamford P & DC since 1978. When the postal service refused his request for medical leave because he had not worked there continuously during his military service, he wrote to federal officials. About a year later, the Dept. of Labor clarified that the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 should not discriminate against reservists. |

USPS says it has gained market share in package shipments
"A spokesman for the Postal Service, which delivers mail to 142 million homes and offices, said package shipments have risen "in the high single digits" compared with a year earlier, with the lion's share of the increase coming from two-to-three day priority shipments and from residential shippers using Internet auction service eBay's online postage."

Rural Carriers Key Postal Link-They don't drive a mail truck. They don't wear a uniform. They don't have regular delivery routes, but they know all the faces behind the names on the letters they deliver. They are rural letter carriers and an important asset to the United States Postal Service and residents working very long hours and driving many miles to fulfill the U.S. Post Office's mission of delivering the mail come rain, snow, sleet or sunshine. "They are the backbone of the community," said David Barr, postmaster at the St. James City post office. "They tie it all together." |

Marina del Rey postal center slated for closure-In a move it says few costumers will notice, USPS has finalized plans to close its large Marina del Rey processing center and move operations to a facility in South Los Angeles.|

 Postal Workers Compare 2001 Anthrax Aftermath to Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment- A Rand Corp. study found public health officials gave "very little useful information" to employees at the Brentwood postal facility in Washington and to U.S. Senate staff members who might have been exposed to anthrax spores.  Senate staffers were tested and treated beginning Oct. 15 - the day the Daschle letter was opened. The Brentwood employees were not screened or treated until Oct. 21, after co-workers tested positive for anthrax. |

Coalition of Consumer and Advocacy Groups Call for Postal Privacy Reform - In a letter sent to Chairpersons and Ranking members of the House/ Senate Govt. Committees on Postal Reform--six Privacy Consumer /Advocacy organizations requested , "As the 109th Congress acts on important issues affecting the U.S. Postal Service, we write to urge you to include postal privacy reform in any legislation considered by the Committee.  While American residents now enjoy substantial federal protection from telemarketing sales calls, and state protection from a variety of other invasive marketing practices, the U.S. Postal Service has not made significant strides to reduce unwanted junk mail." |

Auth-Florence Awarded $146 Million USPS Contract for Cluster Mailbox Units-Auth-Florence Manufacturing was awarded a seven-year, multi-million dollar contract with the USPS. "As of this Monday, Auth-Florence will be the "sole provider" of cluster mailbox units and outdoor parcel lockers to the USPS. The contract may be renewed for up to 15 years." AFM spokesman Stacy Kohlmeier explained that until now, "Auth-Florence and American Locker and Security have provided the postal service with the cluster mailboxes. (Earlier this month USPS did not renew its contract with American Locker). The postal service then gives or sells the mailboxes to builders. " |

Former USPS Official Sentenced to 46 months in Prison -for receiving more than $750,000 in bribes over twelve-year span-Daniel J. Williams, Jr., was sentenced for receiving bribes   and other payments over a twelve-year period from individuals associated with printing companies seeking preferential treatment by Williams in the awarding of USPS contracts. Previously, Judge Kennedy entered a consent order of forfeiture requiring Williams to forfeit a Corvette automobile, a Rolex watch, his personal residence and a residual amount of money up to $771,363, which properties represent the proceeds of Williams's illegal receipt of money and other things of value. Until his retirement on September 1, 2003, Williams was a printing specialist at USPS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. |

 NY Bill Would Create Do-Not-Mail Registry-"The board shall establish and maintain a "do not mail/e-mail state-wide registry" which shall contain a list of customers who do not wish to receive unsolicited direct mail marketing. The board may contract with a private vendor to establish and maintain such registry."|

Post Offices Likely to Survive Despite Calls for Privatization
" According to Sam Ryan, most of the USPS $69 billion budget goes toward employees, and the organization has been unable to cut costs to meet rising expenditures. |

02/28/05

• Arbitrator Rules for Trenton APWU in Anthrax Travel Grievance

• 2.4 Million Veterans Will Pay New Health Care Enrollment Fee

• USPS Files Negotiated Service Agreement Request for HSBC

• African American Postal League (A-PLUS) National Convention set for April 7-10

• 13th Conference on Postal & Delivery Economics June 1–4 in Antwerp, Belgium

• Postal carrier provided help to the needy

• U.S. Identity Thefts Spur Senate Hearings
• Patriotic Postal Box

• Omaha Postal district tops in on-time delivery

• Soap Opera Time: Florida Postal Worker/Lotto winner sued — again
• Slain postal worker's family ATM card used
• Japan postal privatization to boost profit
• Israeli postal workers ready for strike
• USPS Honolulu District Hires Former Police Chief to Head Hawaii Emergency Preparedness Unit

02/26/05

• Postal carrier saves customer's life

• UPS to expand Louisville hub
• Owner gets last chance on old post office
• W'town P.O. foot traffic is driving Bay Staters to Green Mountains

• Postal Worker accused of murder won’t face death penalty
• Nigerian scam uses fake Postal Service money orders

02/25/05

• NARFE: Talking Points for Govt. Pension Offset / Windfall Elimination Provision

• STAMPED OUT: Post office lays off 65 city mailboxes
• Postal Worker busted for allegedly smoking dope on way to work

• Man Begs To Be Captured After Post Office Robbery

• Artist "outraged" patriotic poster removed from Post Office

• FKI Logistex JFK Center Project Is USPS's 14th Largest Contract In 2004

• UPS to Close Hub in 2006, Laying Off 1,400

- New package-flow technology not delivering at UPS

• Rate hike may kill Purple Heart stamp

• Postal Service promotes its Web site
• New Jersey Mail carrier assaulted by High School students
• Nebraska Postmaster wants to cancel mail fraud
• New Jersey Postmaster Is Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) buff
• Down and out: Felled mailboxes irk town residents

• Web Developer: USPS Web Tools gives away your password
• Poster of 9/11 removed from post office lobby
• PostalPEOPLE Powered: New HR Initiative Underway

02/24/05