

			August 11, 2010 APWU Policy: Boycott USPS “Voice Of The Employee Surveys” In a letter to local presidents dated Aug. 6, 2010, APWU Director of Industrial Relations Greg Bell reminded everyone of the APWU’s long-standing policy, adopted by the National Executive Board, to boycott all employee surveys. The USPS recently notified the APWU of a new employee survey that they are conducting. We do not believe that it is a coincidence that this survey is being conducted just as contract negotiations are about to begin. \| Why Does USPS Make Retiring Difficult When It Has So Many Excess Employees? Before the Postal Service is granted rate increases that require bending, if not breaking, the law that governs postal rates, postal executives need to explain why they are discouraging employees from retiring when they should be encouraging early retirement. What is the Postal Service doing to reduce its excess employment levels? Nothing. Stephen J. Masse, vice president of finance and planning, told the PRC today that the Postal Service has no plans to offer early-retirement incentives and is waiting for attrition to reduce its employment levels. \| Summary of PRC hearing: Chairman Goldway Says USPS May Not Have Taken Full Advantage Of PAEA - PRC Chairman Goldway said that it appeared as if the USPS has not taken full advantage of all the possibilities afforded by PAEA. Also, "Employee-related costs still account for 80% of all postal costs. All reductions in career employees have been actualized via attrition. There are now no specific plans for voluntary separation incentives. \| USPS Seeks Supplier To Conduct All Non-Work Related Medical Exams USPS is pursuing a National Agreement with a Supplier(s) that has or is capable of developing a comprehensive Medical Provider Organization for conducting all non-work related medical examinations for the USPS. Postal Service offices are located in each of the 50 states plus Puerto Rico. Examinations and testing may be required in or around every city in the country. The medical examinations include but are not limited to: NRP, FMLA second and third opinions, return to work clearances. \| NY Congressman Calls on USPS to Take Immediate Action to Ensure PO Remains Open in Willow Slow growth ahead for direct marketing, report says West Virginia postmaster pleads guilty to embezzling nearly $20,000 from post office Ex-Mail Carrier Lived Large Off False Disability Claim Think outside the P.O. box: Postal Service should serve public’s need
			August 10, 2010 Postal employee admits to massive mail theft An overnight mail handler stole more than 11,000 packages over two years before he was caught by federal agents, 9Wants to Know has learned. Upon being observed and caught by USPS special agents in January 2010, Schmauder admitted to stealing about 50 packages two or three nights a week since January 2008. The postal service estimated losses at $283,913 but admitted there's no way to know how much Schmauder stole. \| Philadelphia APWU President Responds to Letter to Editor As President of the Philadelphia-area local of the American Postal Workers Union (which represents the sales and service associates with whom the public comes in contact with every day), I totally agree with columnist Stu Bykofsky when he said that Benjamin Franklin would be ashamed at what transpired during his recent encounter with the Post Office. But I don't think he'd be ashamed of the Post Office - he'd be ashamed of how management is running it now." read original letter \| Senator Ted Stevens Was The “Father of FERS” Mail carrier killed after being struck by oncoming car Is the Postal Service facing "bankruptcy?" Post offices to consolidate in Central New York Law snuffs out mailing smokes to deployed troops Rally to be Held Wednesday for Downtown Tyler Post Office Hubbard Woods post office to close
			August 9, 2010 NALC Pledges Increased Letter Carriers Push to Retain Saturday Mail Delivery - Letter Carriers union President Fredric V. Rolando opened the 67th biennial convention of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) today, pledging to continue to fight the U.S. Postal Service's "extremely unwise and dangerous plan" to discontinue Saturday mail delivery, while the union works directly with major corporations and postal customers to foster innovations and expansion of the government's nationwide delivery network. NALC Convention Chronicle Day Two (PDF) \| NALC Convention Chronicle Day One \| Sen. Susan Collins Urges PRC to Reject USPS Rate Case Proposal As the author of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of2006 (PAEA), which grants the Postal Service the limited authority to file an exigent rate case, I want to make the congressional intent regarding the provision completely unambiguous as the Postal Regulatory Commission considers the pending Postal Service request. Neither the language nor the legislative history of the PAEA authorizes the United States Postal Service to file an exigent rate case under the current circumstances. \| USPS History On Six-Day Mail Delivery The Postal Historian at USPS Headquarters has put together a history of six-day mail delivery (updated in 2009). A few Seventh-Day Adventist communities like Loma Linda CA (with 14 city carrier routes) receive mail delivery on Sunday instead of Saturday. \| USPS To PRC: We Use Business Judgment To Determine Price Increases This judgment was informed by knowledge of the industries that use these products, and our customers for these products. \| Postal Service Can't Blame Mail Volume For Its Problems In most news articles about the Postal Service's financial problems, the source of the crisis is usually credited to declining mail volumes. The truth is that mail volume in the April-June quarter was down just 1.7 percent. Over the last three years, in the middle of the deepest recession in a generation, mail volume has fallen an average of 7.6 percent per year. USPS Files Quarterly Report (PDF)\| APWU: While Congress is on Recess in August, Urge Reps to Support Crucial Postal Bills - This crucial legislation is a vital step toward returning the USPS to solvency,” said APWU President William Burrus. The bill, introduced July 15 by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), would alter the methodology for allocating the Postal Service’s share of pension costs for employees whose careers spanned the former Post Office Department and the USPS. Under current law, the costs are disproportionately split between the two, to the disadvantage of the Postal Service. \| PRC Schedule For Three Public Hearings On USPS Rate Increase Request Postal worker accused of stealing gift cards from mail Standard Mail increase is fiscal Q3 bright spot for Postal Service Should Internet retailers print catalogs? NALC 67th Biennial Convention Starts This Week
			August 8, 2010 How to save the US Postal Service It's time to end the monopoly. Deregulation and privatization will greatly benefit all mail customers and ensure a prosperous future for the direct mail industry. The alternative is a slow death. \| Police units sniff out mail stuffed with illegal drugs Torrington mail carrier bitten by pit bull Security camera captures man taking package Yosemite's piano man is also the postmaster
			August 7, 2010 Postal Service seeks $4 billion waiver on upcoming retiree health fund payment - Just as it did last year, the U.S. Postal Service is asking Congress for a $4 billion break on a contribution due next month to its Retiree Health Benefits Fund. "We are in discussions with committee staff on how we can gain some relief this year as well," USPS spokesman Gerry McKiernan said today. While it's up to lawmakers to decide what to do, he said, "I think there's an understanding and appreciation of our situation. ... We're hopeful." \| OIG Audit on PostalOne! Outage
			August 6, 2010 Department of Labor Files Motion To Consolidate USPS Electrical Safety Charges - The Department of Labor (DOL) is seeking to consolidate complaints regarding the Postal Service’s ongoing and systemic violations of safe electrical work practices, and has initiated settlement discussions with the Postal Service in an attempt to correct the hazards. \| Farmington's first woman postmaster takes office Man angry with government sets mail cart on fire, police say Experts say ending Saturday mail will harm small town America Gunmen Target Post Offices In Atlanta
			August 5, 2010 USPS New Delivery Unit Optimization Initiative To Streamline Post Office Operations - The relocation of carriers to nearby cities is called “Delivery Unit Optimization” . This will cause affected carriers and some clerks to be excessed. Some clerk and supervisor positions will be abolished. The residual clerk work in the losing office could also be contracted out to a Contract Postal Unit or Community Post Office. Update: Chart of proposed savings for each district \| Postal Service Ends Third Quarter With $3.5 Billion Loss The net loss in the quarter ended June 30 widened from a year-earlier $2.4 billion. An $800 million adjustment to workers compensation liabilities accounted for most of the difference. Work hours were reduced by 63 million in the first three quarters of fiscal 2010, or 6.6 percent compared to the first three quarters of 2009. That is the equivalent of about 36,000 full-time employees.. Mail volume dropped 1.7 percent, the smallest quarterly decrease in three years. USPS CFO Presentation on FY Quarter 3 Financials \| USPS may be unable to make payment into retiree health fund \| Why are USPS finances worse than expected? (8/05) \| Syracuse, NY: Postal Service considering consolidating letter carriers to neighboring Cities - the Postal Service is considering consolidating some of its services by having its letter carriers report to post offices in neighboring municipalities. This will help consolidate transportation and handling. USPS spokesperson said this is one of the institution’s way of looking for “for innovative and creative ways to save money." \| Mailers Group Says USPS Is Misleading Public About Its Finances The Affordable Mail Alliance today responded to the United States Postal Services' earning report. The report contends that the USPS will not have the capital to continue operations into FY 2011. This claim is false. \| USPS Explains Difference in Shipping Process For Gamefly and Netflix DVDs The testimony of the US Postal Service employees can be summarized:•Gamefly has chosen to use an insert which requires more expensive postage.•Gamefly envelopes are not branded and are hard to manually cull, unlike the bright red Netflix mailers.•Netflix picks up the mail from 130 different locations and delivers it to 58 shipping centers to cut down on machine processing which could damage DVD mailers.•By removing Netflix mailers before processing the US Postal service saves money: less mail is machine processed and fewer jams occur because of DVDs. (8/05) \| Cyclists Say Widespread d Cheating Went On As Part of USPS Team Federal prosecutors have intensified their criminal investigation of the cyclist Lance Armstrong since the end of the Tour de France last month. They questioned many of his former associates, including cyclists who have supported and detailed claims that Armstrong and his former United States Postal Service team participated in systematic doping, according to a cyclist who has been interviewed and two others privy to the inquiry. \| PRC Thanks Public For Comments On USPS Proposal To End Saturday Delivery What effect is the U.S. Postal Service's upcoming rate hike likely to have on business? Postal official explains decision to reduce downtown hours Former letter carrier and accused pipe bomber to represent himself Borough mail carrier reflects on 40 years NY postmaster demands mail box move- PM says he has authority to order move, but can't reveal source?
			August 4, 2010 PRC Is Taking Affordable Mail Alliance’s Request To Dismiss Rate Case Under Advisement - Given the need for further investigation of these factual allegations and the absence of a deadline for action on the Motion, the Commission is taking the Motion under advisement and will rule on the Motion at an appropriate time. \| OIG: USPS Takes Average Of 2.2 Yrs. To Process Employees Ideas Instead of 7 Days - The eIDEAS program is a web-based application that allows Postal Service employees to submit ideas online or at one of the kiosks located in processing plants. The Postal Service encourages employees to contribute constructive ideas to improve customer satisfaction, generate revenue, increase productivity, and improve competitiveness. "When an idea is approved, management can award noncash and cash awards up to $10,000. The complainant and surveyed employees expressed concern about management’s commitment to the eIDEAS program." \| USPS: Human Resource Innovation Savings Exceed $150 Million Annually Seattle letter carriers to picket Thursday GAO says Social Security wrongly paid disability to 1500 federal workers Former postmaster released from hospital, charged with murdering his wife APWU: Norton Urges USPS Stamp Committee to Honor Members Killed in 2001 Anthrax Attack Postal worker helps choking bar owner Postal Service eyes closing Oshkosh mail processing Cape rural letter carrier first 'million mile' woman
			August 3, 2010 Arbitrator Overturns Postal Employee’s Removal For Allegedly Filing Fraudulent OWCP Claim - The Postal Service relied on videos of the Grievant's reporting for work and a reenactment of the incident. Both videos were found to be inconclusive and did not establish just cause for the Grievant's removal. APWU Steward objected to the Special Agent’s lying to the Grievant in an effort to get the Grievant to admit to making a false claim. The Special Agent e admitted that he lied to the Grievant in an effort to gain more information from the Grievant. The arbitrator returned the grievant to employment and made him whole for all lost wages, seniority and benefits less any interim earnings and government benefits received. \| Seattle Police Pose as Mail Carriers And Can Lie to Suspects Legally by Don Cheney - Seattle [WA] police say they sometimes pose as mail carriers. How do mail carriers feel about being put at risk this way? Does the Postal Service know about this police practice and approve its use? \| Major Mailers Make Billions, But Demand Postal Worker Pay Cuts (APWU) The Alliance demands that postal management attack employee wages and benefits to bring them in line with non-union workers, many of whom are forced to accept any employer demands simply to remain employed. In anticipation of union resistance to demands for concession bargaining, the Alliance and its supporters have pushed regressive legislation that would guarantee their preferred outcome. (The major mailers support legislation that would require arbitrators to consider the financial health of the USPS when ruling on postal contracts. Arbitrators routinely do so, but requiring it as a matter of law is intended to tip the scales in management’s favor.) \| USPS Seeks Dismissal of Pricing Protest Saying the Affordable Mail Alliance made “manifestly misleading comparisons” and advanced a “strained and fatally flawed interpretation” of existing law, the U.S. Postal Service today asked the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to deny an alliance request to dismiss the Postal Service’s current pricing request. \| OSHA Fines USPS $357,000 for Safety Violations in Boston The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the Postal Service nine “willful and serious” safety violations for exposing employees to electrical hazards at a Boston, MA postal facility. The USPS has been ordered to pay $357,000 in fines. \| Letter Carrier’s Creative Defense Fails To Overturn Mail Theft Conviction Monday does not dispute the essential facts of the case, which establish that, while delivering mail as a Postal Service letter carrier, he opened a letter containing a birthday card, removed $40 in cash from the card, and used a portion of those funds to purchase snack food from a liquor store. Monday’s sole contention is that the district court erred in refusing to instruct the jury that, to convict, the government was required to prove that Monday had the specific intent permanently to deprive the owner of the money that he removed. \| Calif. Mailbag snatched from Escondido carrier Over 8,700 Letter Carriers Heading to Anaheim for 67th Biennial NALC Union Convention Zumbox Releases Second Generation Of Its Paperless Postal System Congressman Chaffetz’s biggest donors: postal unions Do Postal Execs Want To Lose Money on Periodicals? USPS Fights Back vs. Motion to Dismiss Rate Hike Massachusetts mailman charged with dealing drugs on route \| Mail carrier pleads not guilty Green Bay to Keep Postal Distribution Center Cutting Saturday Mail Delivery Would Fatally Weaken Postal Service - Joe Paul, Local APWU
			August 2, 2010 NALC: USPS Rejected Our Proposal That Would Of Saved Several Hundred Million Dollars Annually - In November 2006, during the last round of bargaining between NALC and USPS for a new collective bargaining agreement , NALC made an offer to USPS that included a package of proposed savings. In its offer, NALC proposed a separate workforce of letter carriers to delivery mail on Saturday, with all other letter carriers working only on weekdays. \| USPS Names Paul Vogel To Job Formerly Held By Bernstock Postmaster General John Potter today announced the appointment of Paul Vogel as president, Mailing and Shipping Services, effective Aug. 16 (this position was formerly held by Robert Bernstock) . As president, Vogel will be responsible for all product management, product development, retail and commercial products and services, as well as commercial sales. The department is responsible for more than $65 billion in annual revenue. \| That's Bull - 44 cent Video by Postal Employees Rapping against 5-day Delivery \| Former USPS Chief Financial Officer: Eliminating Saturday Delivery Is Not Necessary - The purpose of my testimony is evaluate whether the Postal Service’s proposal to eliminate Saturday delivery is necessary and whether it is consistent with good management practices. I conclude, for the reasons explained below, that it is neither. In my view, the Postal Service’s long-term financial health depends not on reducing the frequency of delivery but on its making its services more available to consumers. Moreover, I would argue, the Postal Service’s current financial situation is in part self-inflicted, to the extent that postal management failed until just recently to seek rate increases that would generate additional revenue. Successful service businesses raise prices as needed to maintain financial health. \| U.S. Postal Inspection Service Launches Employee Security Initiative Based on the commitment that no employee should have to work in an atmosphere of fear or intimidation, the Postal Service has a zero-tolerance policy for workplace violence. To renew this commitment to employees, USPS and the Postal Inspection Service have launched a security initiative — combining their resources to ensure that employees are aware of steps they can take to avoid becoming a victim of violence, whether on the street or working inside a postal facility. \| USPS conducting study on delivery operations Baby birds die during shipment to Arkansas Many unruffled by proposed postage increase Bernstock Just Won't Go Away Getting it there fast and cheap - the U.S. Postal Service is often your best choice for price and convenience
			August 1, 2010 Six cities to train mail carriers to dispense anti-terror drugs The Postal Service is ready to deliver lifesaving drugs to about a quarter of the residents of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the only metropolitan area in the nation where letter carriers have been trained to dispense medication after a large-scale terrorist attack involving biological weapons. The projected cost to set up the program and train postal workers: $1 million per city, according to the White House. \| Postal Worker gets prison for trashing more than 3, 000 pieces of mail a federal judge ruled last week that a letter carrier's trashing of thousands of pieces of mail warranted at least 5 months behind bars. McCants told investigators last year that the workload overwhelmed him and that he never got a "slow day" to catch up, according to court records. "They ride you too hard, to save my job, to save face, looking out of myself," those documents quote him as saying. \| Illinois mail carrier saves woman's life Editorial: Postal Service cannot survive as is Postal Service needs a new plan to survive in the digital age Post Office Wants You to Know They Caught Thief Who Stole Your Shirt Of the late-night sorts Fed. government to seek life imprisonment for Wytheville Post Office gunman
			July 31, 2010 Some Muncie postal jobs could be Kokomo-bound Rural Letter Carrier delivers mail, gospel USPS executive lists Wydown Skinker 3BD Pueblo Post Office Worker Accused Of Stealing Money Brazos Past: Adopted Texan led rebel post office
			July 30, 2010 USPS: Combination Carrier-Clerk Duty Assignment Cancelled Local APWU President Richard “Ski” Kwiatkowski has reported that the Combination Carrier-Clerk duty assignment posted on July 27, 2010 has been cancelled. \| PMG Potter’s Response To White House On Pilot Test For Five-Day Delivery From an operational standpoint a pilot test conducted on a regional basis would increase some of our costs in the short term. For example, we either would have to make manual changes to mail processing sorting schemes and payroll or utilize information technology to program such changes for a limited time or geographic area. We believe that our information technology programming changes, estimated to cost $10 million-$12 million for a national, full-time implementation, would grow significantly to accommodate a test, as would administrative costs if we decided to forego programming changes in favor of performing manual processing for the defined test period. USPS Said No To White House on 5-Day Test \| Postal Clerk Gets Prison For Embezzling $240,000 A postal clerk from Indianola (Iowa) has been sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $240,000. \| Two Congressional Panels Support Six-Day Service Two congressional panels voted on July 29 to approve spending bills that would require the Postal Service to continue to provide mail delivery six days per week. The two bills — one in the Senate and one in the House — still have a long way to go before they could become law, however. \| USPS OIG Audit Report – Flats Sequencing System: Program Status and Projected Cash Flow - Our analysis shows that using current FSS performance data to calculate projected savings results in a net present value (NPV) of $215 million (a rate of return of 14.49 percent). If we remove the questionable TE savings, the NPV decreases to a negative $311 million (a rate of return of 5.18 percent). Assuming the FSS machines reach the operational target metrics, we calculate gains from FSS to be $441 million (rate of return of 19.26 percent). If we remove the questionable TE savings, there is a projected NPV of a negative $85 million (a rate of return of 8.54 percent). \| BOG Member Ellen Williams: Price increase can't be only solution to shortfalls Valley postal carrier back on route after transplant Postal worker gets probation Mail truck pelted with rocks Georgia Congressman Says Moving Columbus To Macon Will Cause Mail Delivery Delays Michigan: Neighbors protest plan to end home mail delivery TN: Country’s oldest mail carrier retires at 91 Ex-postal clerk from Rolla MO admits stealing from Postal Service Cremated Remains of Phoenix Woman -- Lost by U.S. Postal Service -- Recovered Tiny Post Office Delivers CO: Craig Postal Service employees have mixed reaction to Saturday proposal
			July 29, 2010 Rep. Chaffetz Introduces Bill Designating 12 Postal Holidays To Reduce USPS Operating Costs - This bill would grant USPS Postmaster General the authority to implement up to twelve “postal holidays” per year in order to reduce USPS operating costs. The Postmaster General would select days in which delivered mail volume is historically lower than normal. By reducing the number of delivery days, USPS will be able to achieve savings by reducing work hours. \| APWU: Arbitrator Denies Union’s Challenge To USPS Two-Tour Initiative Arbitrator Das denied the union’s grievance challenging the Postal Service’s two-tour initiative. Das accepted the Postal Service’s argument that “Article 3 of the National Agreement grants the Postal Service the authority to unilaterally adopt and implement the ... initiatives at issue, without further bargaining with the Union.” \| USPS Freezes Hiring, Promotions at Headquarters, Areas and Districts We are in receipt of a July 28, 2010, letter from Postal HQ stating effective immediately, all hiring, promotions and placement of non-bargaining employees at Headquarters, Areas and Districts are suspended until further notice. \| Burrus: Mailers Want To Cut Postal Employees Wages At Least $18,000 Yearly The mailers’ motion vividly exposes the lack of respect they have for postal employees and the collective bargaining process. A casual review of the document [PDF - see pages 50-62] reveals their callous desire to punish postal workers for the Postal Service’s financial difficulties — difficulties the mailers inadvertently fostered by promoting the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006. The PAEA imposed crippling financial obligations on the USPS — obligations that are responsible for the Postal Service’s current predicament. To compensate for their colossal mistake, the major mailers wish to penalize postal workers. \| OSHA Fines USPS Mail Facility in Vermont $420,000 The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says worker complaints at the U.S. Postal Service's processing center in White River Junction led to an inspection in January that found employees were exposed to deadly electrical hazards. OSHA says untrained or unqualified workers did work on live electrical equipment without proper safety measures. \| Unusual bunch of foes to postal rate increase unites as Affordable Mail Alliance A retired postal employee convicted of OWCP fraud Texas mail carrier attacked on duty OIG Blog: Cast Your Vote via the Postal Service? Mail now slower than Pony Express Keep the mail coming six days a week Postal Service asked to deliver six pounds of pot to 'Grandma Henderson' Judge could wait until October to rule on East Cleveland post office dispute Car Slams Into Edmond Post Office
			July 28, 2010 USPS In California To Post Combined City Carrier-Clerk Duty Assignment? USPS has notified a Local California APWU President of its intent ( it appears that the assignment has already been posted) to post a “combined full-time assignment” , consisting of six (6) hours of carrier duties and two (2) hours of clerk duties. The Postal Service has proposed to post this job as a City Carrier Craft assignment under the jurisdiction of NALC. \| Senator Panel will block mail delivery cut Sen. Jon Tester says the lawmakers who oversee the budget of the post office will block a proposal to reduce mail deliveries to five days a week. The Montana Democrat said eliminating Saturday deliveries would be a hardship on people living in rural areas without producing major savings for the Postal Service. Some senators expected to block Postal Service's proposal to limit mail delivery \| EEOC Annual Report On USPS Workforce Fiscal Year 2009 USPS agreed to pay $840,044 for 4,584 pre-complaint settlements, of which 433 were monetary settlements averaging $1,940. USPS expended a total of $4,541,324 for 3,014 complaint investigations, for an average expenditure of $1,507. USPS agreed to pay a total of $5,631,795 plus other benefits for 598 complaint closures through settlement agreements, final agency decisions, and final agency orders fully implementing AJ decisions. The highest number of complaint allegations was disability discrimination. Clerk and Supervisor positions have the highest number of women, the letter carriers had the lowest amount of women in its craft. \| Postal Worker Shot At Louisiana Post Office While Leaving Work The search is on this morning for a suspect who shot a postal worker at the main post office on Woodward Ave. in Shreveport. Police say this happened around midnight as the victim was leaving work exiting through the back of the building when the suspect shot the victim twice in the arm. \| Arbitrator: USPS Failed To Give Full Consideration to Employee's Request For Voluntary Transfer - An arbitration decision sent out by Gary Kloepfer to APWU Union officers and members. The arbitrator sustained the Union’s grievance; he ruled the Postal Service violated grievant's right to request a transfer under the National Agreement and the MOU Regarding Transfers by virtue of its failure fully and fairly to consider his work, safety, and attendance records. note: the title of this summary was created by PostalReporter as Mr. Kloepfer had a different title in his email. \| Maintenance Employees To Split Almost $92,000 For USPS Subcontractor Work - The Union contended that the work was subcontracted without the prerequisite "due consideration" of the five factors of Article 32 of the National Agreement, and asked that all affected employees be made whole. \| USPS Contract Postal Unit Closes After Losing Too Much Money On Operations - contract postmaster Quinton Biggs said he no longer can afford to subsidize his deal with the U.S. Postal Service. \| Postal Service Loses Cremated Remains Mail carrier mauled by two pit bulls in Minneapolis South Dakota Rural Letter Carrier Sentenced To Probation for Mail Theft Michigan: To keep post office, residents fight Can summer camps revive the lost art of letter writing? Post office robbed in Mississippi Fire At at New Jersey mail facility forces evacuation and damages some mail Minnesota NALC Branch President Sentenced for Embezzlement
			July 27, 2010 USPS To Conduct Two-Part Survey Of Employees and Customers The survey is intended to gain insight into people’s perception of the Postal Service brand and how the organization has impacted them. \| APWU: Locals Rally to Save Saturday Service As part of a nationwide campaign, local union members across the country have ramped up the fight to Save Saturday Service, taking action to alert the public to the dangers of the Postal Service’s plans to eliminate Saturday delivery. \| Postal Worker Killed By Freight Train While Delivering Route A veteran rural letter carrier for the Wayne City post office was killed Tuesday morning when his mail vehicle was struck by a train at a rural crossing. \| South Carolina Post Office Used Back Of Old Timecards For Customer Notices - complete with names and social security numbers - The timecard is dated 2004. News 19 called the Batesburg-Leesville Post Office and a woman there told us it must have been an accident. They are in the process of using recycled paper. Post Office Admits Error in Sending Out Personal Information \| Postal Worker Fired For Using Profanity Loses Suit Against Union The U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, issued a startling decision on June 16, 2010, in Jeunes v. Potter. The Court upheld the removal of a postal employee who “admits that he used profanity during a verbal altercation with a co-worker on October 26, 2007. The US District Court of Connecticut has dismissed the suit filed against NRLCA Word to the wise: Disputes With Co-Workers Is Not Worth Losing Your Job \| Postal worker convicted of assault was accused before Brenda Powell feels she's been violated not once, but twice. First, by the US Postal worker who sexually assaulted her on the job. And then, by the US Postal service that failed to protect her from an employee with a history of inappropriate sexual behavior. \| PMG Names New Chief Postal Inspector NNA joins alliance, files motion to dismiss postal rate increase proposal Ex-postmaster charged with embezzlement Postal Employment in the Federal Government APWU: Convention Resolutions Updated For Intelligent Mail, Occasional Failure Is An Option The Biggest Threat to Direct Mail: The U.S. Postal Service
			July 26, 2010 Atlanta Postal Supervisor Stabbed, Hospitalized Atlanta police say a supervisor at a bulk mail center was stabbed and a co-worker is under arrest. Atlanta police Maj. John Dalton said the supervisor was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital after being cut on the face and ear, and stabbed seven times in the back. Postal Supervisor stabbed multiple times at Atlanta BMC \| Sen. Susan Collins: USPS Proposed Exigent Rate Increases Are Not Justified Under Law - As the author of the 2006 postal reform law, I completely agree with the Affordable Mail Alliance that the Postal Service's proposed exigent rate increases are not justified under law. The law was not meant to be used to remedy poor economic performance or to offset an ongoing marketplace trend, such as the increased use of electronic over traditional mail. Affordable Mail Alliance Calls on PRC to Dismiss Postal Service Rate Hike Request - AMA’s motion argues that the rate hike violates the cost controls Congress put in law to protect consumers and that the Postal Service needs to cut costs and modernize rather than raise rates an average of ten times the rate of inflation. DMA Statement on Postal Service Rate Hike Request \| Group asks Carper to help prevent postal rate hike \| Do Congress And PRC Agree With USPS's Request For "Exigent" Rate Increase? (PDF) \| Plan to scrap Saturday mail delivering angst Columnist: Franklin would be ashamed of the post office Postal cutback could deliver rural problem Small Town Post Office Suddenly Shut Down
			July 25, 2010 Should APWU Reverse Its Decision To Boycott USPS Voice of the Employee Surveys? Ask President Burrus: I would like the National Executive Board to reconsider its stance on participation in Voice of Employee surveys. Here is my reasoning: Management releases their “findings” and states something to effect that 63 percent of those participating gave a favorable response. That may be true, but it is very misleading because the good members of the APWU have boycotted and not voiced our opinions. The union decided to boycott the surveys because postal management used selective responses to justify regressive contract proposals \| Disputes With Co-Workers Is Not Worth Losing Your Job Several weeks ago two postal employees got into a verbal and physical altercation. "According to reports, at one point one of the females pushed the other, causing her to trip on a rug. Reports said that the female braced herself before she fell to the ground. The female then tried to call 911, at which time the other female disconnected the call by hanging up the phone. The victim is eight weeks pregnant, reports said." Don't make it easy for the Postal service to downsize its workforce by getting into verbal and/or physical disputes with co-workers. \| US Postal Inspector in Maine has perfect record In Criminal Cases U.S. Postal Inspector Michael Desrosiers has investigated numerous criminal cases leading to hundreds of convictions over his 14 years on the job in Maine. Virtually all of them resulted in guilty pleas. In one case, a judge found the defendant guilty. His first case to go to a jury trial ended the same way last week – with a conviction. \| Congressional mandates account for most of USPS's recent losses USPS incurred operating losses in 2007, 2008, and 2009, prompting some observers to declare the agency in a fight for its survival.1 There is no question that the USPS faces long-term challenges that it must overcome in order to remain financially self-sustaining in the 21st century. First among these challenges is Americans’ increasing use of the Internet for digital, rather than physical, mail delivery. But these long-term challenges are not the principal cause of the USPS’s recent losses. A 2006 Congressional mandate that the USPS pre-fund its retiree health benefits—a requirement imposed on no other government entity or private-sector company—accounted for all of the operating losses in 2007 and 2008 and a significant portion of the operating loss in 2009. In 2009, the recession accounted for the rest of the loss, as it sent USPS revenues plunging by over 9%. \| The Postal Service and National Labor Relations Act Putting the Subcommittee Vote in Context 100 Years of Progress: APWU History Video Of Postal Workers Movement Feds question local supremacist over threat to mailman Tupelo voices: USPS decision stupid, wasteful Internet company sees future in snail mail Newspapers protest loss of Saturday mail delivery

If There Is No Work For Postal Clerks, Why Are Supervisors, Carriers Doing It?

Cyclists Say Widespread d Cheating Went On As Part of USPS Team

OSHA Fines USPS Mail Facility in Vermont $420,000

Senator Panel will block mail delivery cut