Postal Reporter -Postal News July 2004

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Postal News Archive - July 2004

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Top News Story of the Month

• Widow Blames Postal Supervisor for Husband's Suicide-

A widow who says a supervisor at a suburban Delray Beach, FL. post office drove her husband to suicide is seeking more than $1 million in damages from the federal government. The lawsuit says the supervisor would time postal worker Mark Kresin's breaks to the second, assign him several tasks at once and called him "stupid" and "idiot" in front of co-workers. Kresin complained to the postmaster but was told to "stick it out," |

Widow of Federal Employee Sues for $1 Million

History of a 204-b-"Ever wonder why acting supervisors are called 204-bs? In the past it was thought that “204b” was the number of the original form completed to put someone in an acting supervisor position many years go, when the U.S. Postal Service was known as the Post Office Department. Wrong!" |

Top Stories

• USPS Boosts Productivity, Holds Rates Steady -Chief Financial Officer Richard J. Strasser, Jr. told the USPS BOG at a meeting that through Qtr. 3 of fiscal year 2004, the Postal Service further reduced its debt and is on track to hold rates steady to 2006. He said that despite slight revenue declines, the Postal Service achieved a net income of $259 million in Quarter 3 on revenues of $16.6 billion. Productivity gains of 1.8 per cent were achieved by managing costs and employee complement. |

-USPS Sees Steady Rates Until 2006

• USPS Sign $300M Agreement for New Hand-Held Scanners- USPS signed an agreement with Motorola to design, develop and install up to 350,000 mobile data acquisition devices e.g. handheld and hands free, and all related communication infrastructure. The scanner will include both the 4-state barcode (in testing stage) and 2-d codes currently used today in PC Postage| other info |

• Postmasters Next in Line for USPS Early Outs -NAPUS estimates about 500 of the Postal Service’s 25,500 postmasters will take early retirements. Neither the Postal Service nor postmaster groups knew when early outs would be offered , but USPS expects that will be settled by the end of the month. The National League of Postmasters plans to push the Postal Service to offer early retirements to all levels of postmasters. |

- Updated VER Q & A and Summary of Benefits, Leave Provisions

- Postmasters (EAS 11-18) Approved for Early Outs

• Updated Report on National Level Arbitrations (pdf) by Greg Bell, Industrial Relations Director, APWU. The report also includes an update on the case involving dispute over return-to-duty requirements in FMLA Publication 71 . ( In one of the cases (see summary of FMLA court case) cited by Bell, the court awarded an employee almost $500,000 in compensation / legal fees)

- Also See APWU, USPS MOU Re: Corrections of Unsafe Conditions

• National APWU Convention Will Go On As Scheduled -Union Received Assurances From Hotel Management that APWU Delegates would not be subjected to any repercussions of the labor dispute during the convention.

- APWU News Bulletin: Landmark Safety Agreement, COLA |

• APWU Raises Concern About USPS Ad's Spotlight on Letter Carriers --but was informed that the ad described in the July 8th Postal Bulletin is just one part of the “Working For You” campaign that eventually will include all the postal groups that perform essential mail services |

• Delegates at NALC Convention Delegates Back New Route Adjustment System (pdf)-Delegates to Convention authorized NALC President Young and the Executive Council to pursue a better, joint way to evaluate and adjust routes that avoids daily confrontations, maintains 8-hr. routes and the 40-hr. week, and eliminates supervisors. |

- Letter Carriers Union Endorses Kerry-Edwards Ticket |

- NALC News Bulletin: Convention, COLA |Snapshots-Day 3

- Wientzen: Workers, Mailers Have Postal Survival in Common

• Flushing, NY NALC President: USPS Plans To ‘Outplace’ Disabled Workers-"As the Postal Service (USPS) shifts towards a for-profit corporate model, managers have become more and more interested in “trimming the fat” by cutting loose employees deemed unnecessary. To do this, they have introduced a program on Long Island & Flushing, NY called the “Outplacement Initiative.” |

- USPS to Implement Pilot Program to 'Outsource' Injured On Duty Employees-

• District Court Denies USPS Request to Dismiss Portions of Postal Workers' Overtime Suit -USPS sought to dismiss suit claims of violating the RICO Act and Privacy Act. Judge: "..the motion to Dismiss is denied." "...ORDER: A preliminary pretrial conference shall take place on August 12, 2004. At the preliminary pretrial conference, the undersigned shall specify the date by which Plaintiffs must file their motion for class certification.

• USPS Seeks Dismissal of Postal Workers' Overtime Suit

• GAO Report: USPS Needs to Clearly Communicate How Postal Services May Be Affected by Its Retail Optimization Plans-"On the retail side, USPS plans to provide more cost-effective and convenient service by developing new, low-cost alternatives; moving stamp-only transactions away from post office counters; and optimizing its retail network.” Employee groups are concerned with USPS’s attempts to make changes to the postal network. Carrier unions have also raised issues related to actions taken by USPS to establish and categorize carrier routes"|

- Chart: Number by state- Post Offices, Branches, Contract Stations, residents served per retail facility at the end of 2003

• Time is Right for Meaningful Postal Reform -In a commentary to the Federal Times, former Postal Commission Member Robert Walker said, " If the agency is to be competitive, its cost structure must be re-examined, including how it deploys and motivates its work force. Work-force issues are politically sensitive, but reforms that ignore them will simply not be enough to save the Postal Service." |

• Pay-For-Performance Plan Makes Goals Clearer, Postal Managers say-Postal Managers will be judged on how well they met goals set by their superiors. Managers will also be judged on whether their postal facility and the Postal Service as a whole met expectations. Managers will receive their first raises under the new program in January 2005 |

• Union Initiates Grievance on Hallmark Contract Postal Units -"The Keystone (PA) Area Local APWU has initiated a grievance contending that the contract between the USPS and Hallmark Gold Crown to open Contract Postal Units (CPUs) was done in violation of the National Agreement. The Union has argued that any Contract Postal Units (CPUs) must be established in accordance with USPS Regulation contained in various postal handbooks/ manuals ."As a remedy the Union is requesting that USPS: terminate contract; return the work to the Clerk Craft employees; compensate all affected clerks" |

- USPS & Hallmark Gold Crown Partnership Program (PDF)

- Court Rules USPS can keep Hallmark contract details a secret

• Ex-Rural Carrier suing PMG, Postmaster to get job back

Families Speak Out for Connecticut Postal Workers -In a federal lawsuit file this month against PMG and Postmaster, East Hampton Rural Carrier alleged that after she (and others) had asked for the removal of local NRLCA steward --she was subjected to harassment, retaliation, bullying and disciplinary actions (the postmaster allegedly expressed a desire to have the steward remain as union rep) and violation of her 1st amendment rights. The rural carrier also alleged she was subjected to harassment based on sex (all rural carriers at the facility are female and all city carriers are male.|

• Union Fox to Guard Postal Henhouse? There’s a vacancy on the Postal Rate Commission. The post office, as you know, is a government-protected monopoly. Among other things, the PRC is supposed to be an independent board overseeing the monopoly’s operations, approving rate hike requests and considering the closure of under-utilized facilities. Now get this: The person the Senate is considering to fill the PRC vacancy, Mr. Dawn Tisdale, is a former post office employee and labor union leader. Can you say “conflict of interest,” boys and girls? What are the odds that this man would vote in favor of closing an unneeded postal facility if that would mean putting some of his fellow union buddies out of work?

• U.S. Office of Special Counsel Files First USERRA Case -On June 23, 2004, the OSC filed a Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA) case against a federal agency, the first in its 25-year history. Passed in October 1994, the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act states that uniformed service members cannot lose their jobs or benefits because of a call to military service. The case would benefit the individual and any others who work for that agency. "We filed that only because the agency would not do the right thing with regard to the Postal Service employee," Special Counsel Scott Bloch said in an interview on the Pentagon Channel. |

• Delegates at NALC Convention Delegates Back New Route Adjustment System (pdf)-Delegates to Convention authorized NALC President Young and the Executive Council to pursue a better, joint way to evaluate and adjust routes that avoids daily confrontations, maintains 8-hr. routes and the 40-hr. week, and eliminates supervisors. |

- Letter Carriers Union Endorses Kerry-Edwards Ticket |

- NALC News Bulletin: Convention, COLA |Snapshots-Day 3

- Wientzen: Workers, Mailers Have Postal Survival in Common

• Long-Awaited Overtime Union Grievances Yield $100,000+ in Compensation - Western Region Clerk Craft National Business Agent Shirley Taylor successfully represented the APWU in the longest awaited class action grievance in the history of the San Francisco (CA) Bulk Mail Center. Ms. Taylor received an award in excess of $100,000 on behalf of SFBMC Clerk Craft employees for Article 8.5.g (overtime) grievances dating back to 1985. So complex and extensive were the issues and files pertaining to these cases, it was agreed to use a representative case to minimize confusion. The Union challenged Postal Management's scheduling of Overtime Desired List Clerks and Non-Overtime Desired List Clerks without maximizing OTDL clerks up to 12 hours as required by the National Agreement. source: SFBMC Director Tyrone Hewitt via East Bay Unionizer |

• Court Allows New Union Financial Disclosure Rule to Take effect as of July 1, 2004-The District Court denied AFL-CIO's request to delay implementation of Dept. of Labor's regulation requiring unions to disclose more details about their finances. Judge said that the arguments being made to further delay the new financial transparency rule were 'unconvincing.'" The AFL-CIO says that the reporting burden would cost its affiliates (including postal unions) $$$$$millions. (7/13/04)|

• USPS Postal Inspection Service's 2003 Annual Report - U.S. Postal Inspectors in FY 2003 arrested 11,161 criminal suspects, with 56% of the arrests for mail theft. Inspectors investigated 3,150 mail fraud cases, arrested 1,453 fraud suspects, and responded to approximately 80,000 consumer fraud complaints. The report highlights crimes such as: a rural letter carrier pled guilty in 2003 to selling stolen postal (arrow) keys; 43 employees convicted on OWCP fraud; (one employee was injured after 8 days employment and received OWCP for 36 yrs.) 274 convictions for assaults and threats (stats include on-duty postal employees); rationale for reduction of postal police force; standard operating procedure for employees handling registered mail, a publisher signed a $3.7 million settlement for underpaid postage; 'outsourcing' some of its security operations and much more |

- Text from USPS Postal Inspection Service 2003 Annual Report

- Postal Inspectors Keep an Eye Out for Workers' Compensation Fraud (pdf) )

- Internal and External Investigations (902K) | Statistical Charts (162 KB)

• Alabama Mail Carrier Slams Into House--Charged with DUI- Police say Wilma Faye Terry was delivering mail on March 19th when she lost control of her mail-truck and ran into a home . She was arrested May 7th and later released on a $1,000 bond. Sources say police seized several bottles of prescription pain-killers. Terry has been off the job ever since. |

- Alabama Mail Carrier injured when truck hits house|| Comments (3/20/04)

• NC Senator, VP Hopeful a Friend to Labor and Fed/Postal Workers- Senator John Edwards: "I believe that the pay received by postal workers is hard-earned and well deserved." "I support current law that prohibits private delivery companies from delivering to mailboxes." During his six years in the U.S. Senate, Senator Edwards has compiled a 98% voting record on issues of importance to the Federal workforce. " Sen. Edwards Mother, Bobbie is a retired Letter Carrier, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and NY Times. (7/6/04) |

- Ex- Postal Commissioner, Who Led Edwards Search, May Get Top Post

• Showdown for Labor at Los Angeles Hotels-Hotel union plan demonstrations starting next week as LA Mayor fears labor strike. APWU National Convention May Be in Limbo

LA Hotel Workers Reject Management Offer -Hotel Workers from 9 Los Angeles Hotels will discuss the next plan of action today. Reportedly, (unofficial) APWU is considering several alternatives including moving the National Convention to Las Vegas or the city of Anaheim.

- Labor Dispute Looms at Calif. Hotels Scheduled to Host APWU National Convention -9 Southern Calif. union hotels agree to lock out workers if contract dispute leads to strike. Westin Bonaventure said a postal employees union which had scheduled an August (23-27) convention that will account for 22,000 room nights had called to ask about talks

• News Flashback! Postal Supervisor Takes Medical Leave After Ordered To Cut Fingernails-A Postal Supervisor in St. Petersburg, Fla. took medical leave in March 2000 after being ordered to cut her 5 inch-long fingernails. The supervisor cited stress brought on by the order and took leave after her supervisors indicated that the length of her fingernails violated the local postmaster's rule that the nails cannot extend be more than a quarter-inch beyond the fingertip. She returned to work in June 2000. |

• Letter Carriers' Bid for Union Hall Sparks Fight-North St. Paul residents want their mail delivered — they just don't want letter carriers hanging out in their neighborhood after dark. That's the message Dan Garhofer said he's gotten from homeowners. Garhofer, president of the St. Paul area branch of the NALC, hopes to convert a vacant library building into a union hall and meeting area for members. The union has signed a $685,000 building purchase agreement. However, a group of neighbors is working to amend or stop the deal. One St. Paul resident who lives across from the facility, "We have nothing against (the union). They deliver our mail and look out for our homes," she said. "We just don't want more traffic or noise and potential alcohol in our neighborhood. |

• Postal Service Cracks Down on Misuse of Media Mail Rates-Packages being mailed at the low-cost media mail rate through USPS will get past the counter unopened. But before those hit the mail trucks en route to destinations, many will be opened and searched to ensure all items enclosed meet the strict criteria for media mail. The Kentuckiana District, along with several districts across the country, are part of a pilot program that requires daily random sampling of media mail packages in search of fraudulent items

• Postal Employees Owe IRS over $200 million in Delinquent Taxes- According to WJLA-TV in Washington ,D.C. Federal Workers owe the government more than $2 billion in delinquent taxes. According to IRS records obtained by WJLA-TV, USPS has the highest number of tax delinquents with 32,269 postal employees owing the government $201,591,423.00. Thanks to PR Reader for this link.- see list of federal agencies |

• Families Speak Out for Connecticut Postal Workers -In a federal lawsuit file this month against PMG and Postmaster, East Hampton Rural Carrier alleged that after she (and others) had asked for the removal of local NRLCA steward --she was subjected to harassment, retaliation, bullying and disciplinary actions (the postmaster allegedly expressed a desire to have the steward remain as union rep) and violation of her 1st amendment rights. The rural carrier also alleged she was subjected to harassment based on sex (all rural carriers at the facility are female and all city carriers are male.|

• Connecticut Postal Workers Plan to Protest Violence at Work -Postal workers and their families are holding an informational picket in front of the East Hampton post office Saturday to address alleged workplace harassment and violence they say their spouses are experiencing. "There is tension, problems, between the postmaster and the letter carriers." .... a spokesperson for the EEOC said the Workplace Environment Improvement Advisory Committee which created guidelines to help keep the post office workplace free of hostility and harassment, has recognized the post office as a trouble work site with a potential for violence.|

• Letter: USPS Outline Plans for Stamp Vending Machines as Automated Postal Centers are Deployed- The Postal Service's self-service strategy "will have an impact on the staffing (SSPC Technicians, Level PS-6, and operator maintainers, generally Level PS-5 when performed by bargaining unit employees) needed to support vending in some districts. Maintenance craft activities may also be impacted."|

• Lance's Wins Sixth Consecutive Tour de France-"Armstrong rode into history Sunday, winning a record sixth Tour de France and cementing his place as one of the greatest athletes of all time. Never in its 101-year history has the Tour had a winner like Armstrong."

• Big Blue, the USPS Cycling Team shows meaning of teamwork-USPS cycling team is teaching the American sports public some new lessons about what it means to be a teammate. In cycling it means no glory. No ego. It means working solely for someone else. It means no Lakeresque feuds, no hidden agendas.|

July 31, 2004

• Back to the good days for US-to-Europe mail
• Controversy continues surrounding postal employee's $175,000 lottery winnings
• Letter Carrier a Life Saver
• Just Like Lance, Postal Service Delivers Day After Day

• South African Post Office learns to fight mail crime...American Style-

"South African Post Office (SAPO) investigators are being trained by their United States counterparts to combat postal crimes. The South African and US postal services recently joined hands in an effort to stamp out the problem. Fifteen top SAPO investigators and their counterparts from Southern African Development Community countries, including Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Kenya, are attending a three-day Mathematical Analysis of Route Irregularities in the Air and Transport Mail (eMaria) course at the South African Post Office Learning Institute in Midrand. The Post Office said the course would enable participating countries to access a global database of mail irregularities that occurred in different countries."

July 30, 2004

• LABOR TO LABOR WALK On JULY 31ST In PHILADELPHIA

• Reopening Mail Site a Priority
• Postal Worker Doesn't Send Out Art Group's 'Questionable' Material

• Former Letter Carrier: What's wrong with our postal service?

• USPS Seeks Rate Boost for Repositionable Notes

• USPS Finalizes Simplified Merged 5-Digit Pallet Plan

• Postage stamp honors Gay Author/ Civil Rights Activist James Baldwin

July 29, 2004

• Rottweiler Mauls California Mail Carrier

• Audit reveals 'troubling' questions at Canada Post

• Bolger Center owned by the Postal Service, but its open for anyone’s business.

• Senator Goes Through the Post Office That Was on Fire
• Door-To-Door Mail Delivery Might Stop For One Neighborhood

• Curbside Delivery Decision Causes Confusion
• Postal Service, Bayonne agree on mail delivery to new homes

• Milestones of history on the Boston Post Road

• U.S. Postal Inspection Service Selects Diebold to Service National Intrusion Detection System -

• Postal Worker Drawn to Disney's Magic - George Reiger Jr. claims to be Disney's No. 1 fan. If you want to challenge him, you'll have to beat this: 1,643 tattoos of Disney characters from the base of his neck to the tops of his toes; a 4,200-sq.ft house in Bethlehem, Pa., with 19,000 Disney collector pieces, and six honeymoons at Walt Disney World in Florida. Reiger pours about $50,000 a year into the company cash registers. It's most of what he makes as a postal maintenance worker and magician. He says it makes him happy (click picture for larger view) |

• Court: USPS Denial of "Limited Duty" to Pregnant PTF Does Not Violate the Pregnancy Discrimination Act -The crux of the PTF's argument is that the Postal Service unlawfully restricted her, as a pregnant woman, to light duty, and precluded her from limited duty, because limited duty assignments are only given to employees with on-the-job injuries. The court ruled that this argument had no merit.

July 28, 2004

• USPS May Discontinue Volume Discounts for Certain International Mailers
- Federal Register Notice

• Ex-Rural Carrier suing PMG, Postmaster to get job back

• Postal Worker puts postal credo to the test

• One of Oregon post office's friendly faces prepares for new smiles

• Antiquated Iraqi postal service improving, U.S. postal team says

• UK manager in charge for ending bullying is investigated for bullying
• USPS Parcel Return Services Hits $10M

• RoboClerk: Automated Postal Center Adds Convenience
• Stamps, Postal Cards to Celebrate Native American Art
• Post offices won't have services cut

• AuthentiDate Connects USPS Electronic Postmark With activePDF ToolKit
• The Emperor Has No Clothes... And the Postal Service Has No Reform
- For Mailers It's Pain, No Gain

• USPS Final Rule: Access of Persons With Disabilities to Postal Service Programs, Activities, Facilities, and Electronic and Information Technology. The Postal Service is amending its regulations in order to add a complaint process for employees and applicants under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The rule is effective August 27, 2004.

July 27, 2004

• URS-Led Joint Venture Wins USPS Contract worth $275 Million over10 Yrs.

• Post office damaged in World Trade Center attack to reopen

• Man Drives Truck Into Post Office Annex

• Postal Carrier Accused Of Taking Mail Home

• Olympia, WASH. postal workers among troops serving in war

• East Side facility too small, Postal Service told again

• Postal facility to be renamed for fallen soldier

• Pitney Bowes 2Q Earnings Up 14 Percent

• Opinion: Political junk mail
• USPS Tests PhotoStamps

• Armstrong Will Continue to Rake Money in From Endorsements- This year, Lance Armstrong will make about $4 million from the U.S. Postal Service

July 26, 2004

• Former Assistant PMG James W. Hargrove Dies at 81-Hargrove was a key player in writing and enacting the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970.

• USPS Wins KIOSK Award. The Postal Service’s Automated Postal Center (APC) has won the “Best Retail Kiosk” award from the Kiosks.Org Association . The award recognizes the APC for its ability to provide a full range of postal products, services and information — and its ease of use. There are 685 APCs installed around the country .USPS News Today. According to other reports, "in an effort to reduce wait times and increase efficiency, the U.S. Postal Service is spending more than $100 million on the APC program. It plans to deploy more than 2,500 units by the end of 2004 and 10,000 by late 2006 or early 2007."

• Postal Union to participate in Walks to Promote Labor Candidates

• Orient, Illinois Postmaster recovering from dog attack

• Editorial: E-bias-E-government initiatives are not easy but they should not be more difficult than the old processes. USPS offers a case in point. Related article: The check is no longer in the mail

• After48 yrs, It's a new walk of life for Retiring Newport Beach, CA Letter Carrier

• Veteran letter carrier has delivered tons of mail

• NAPUS VP to receive 3rd Benjamin Award Next Month

• Soldier support groups press for lower postal fees

• From The American Postal Worker, July/ August issue : APWU Requests Polo Shirt Program to Go Nationwide-" The pilot polo shirt has been concluded with extremely successful results. Our sales associates love them and the Mystery Shopper scores demonstrate that there is a good reason to make these shirts part of the uniform program." PARS Program One Year Behind Schedule- "The Postal Automated Redirect System (PARS) program is (thankfully) about one year behind schedule. The impact reports to date shows a reduction in CFS staffing levels projected to be about 25-35% of work hours in Phase I. The good news is that CFS employees are due fore their upgrade resulting from the 2003-2005 contract extension. ON Nov. 13, they will be upgraded from Level 4 to Level 5."

July 25, 2004

• Delray Beach, FL. post office to close--Basic postal services contracted out

• Postal Worker Crashes into Raleigh, NC duplex

July 24, 2004

• Postal workers angry over sorting facility's planned closing

• Postal officials will hear appeal on East Side facility in St. Joseph, MO.

• Biting dog halts mail delivery

• Editorial: New Postal Service Distribution Center Special delivery: How often does Philadelphia see a huge public works project that doesn't cost local taxpayers a bundle, yet boosts jobs and business opportunities in an area of the city where both are scarce? You can count the times on one hand, most likely. Topping that short list of projects, though, would be the new U.S. Postal Service distribution center taking shape in Southwest Philadelphia. The $300 million center is bringing cutting edge mail-handling technology to the city, preserving nearly 4,000 good-paying jobs, and already serving as a catalyst for new business nearby.

July 23, 2004-

• Official says this is Armstrong's last Tour

• Police confiscate 55 pounds of pot sent via USPS Priority Mail

• Veteran wants USPS to Send Care Packs to War Zones for free

• Official says this is Armstrong's last Tour

• Police confiscate 55 pounds of pot sent via USPS Priority Mail

• Hilton Hotels & Resorts selected USPS as preferred provider for mailing and shipping needs and stamps.com(TM), an approved licensed vendor of the USPS, as the provider for PC postage.

July 22, 2004

Latest Postal Bulletin: PhotoStamps In Market Test Phase-A new form of USPS- approved PC Postage known as PhotoStamps is in the market test phase. The new PhotoStamps labels are in the mail stream beginning July 23, 2004. These PhotoStamps labels are authorized postage, so employees must process them as usual, without delay. PhotoStamps is an online commercial service that allows customers to create postage with their own designs, images, and photographs. The product is a variation of Stamps.coms NetStamps, and has been approved and in popular use since June 2002

• Two Michigan Men Arrested for Stealing Mail-a letter carrier accidentally left key in the mailboxes of an apartment complex

• USPS National Overnight Delivery Score Hits 96% for First Time in EXFC History

• USPS building 850,000-square-foot Pontiac (MI) center, employing 1,500

• Snail mail? Blame a shortage of carriers

• Former Oklahoma letter carrier given 13 month prison sentence for OWCP fraud

• Peterson’s rented mailbox comes into question

• MDI, USPS celebrate milestone of producing 50 millionth plastic mail tub

• Postal inspectors join investigation of mercury spill
• USPS cites savings through automation
• NALC News Bulletin: Convention, COLA
• Pet store to stop selling doggie treats shaped like letter carriers
• Post Office linked to porn

• Chicago postal worker sentenced for mail theft

• MSPB: USPS can fire employee who forged supervisor's signature on medical forms

• North Plains, Oregon residents going postal about paying for boxes

• UPS Reports 18% Jump in 2nd quarter Profits-Revenue Falls Short

• South Carolina is First State to Make E-Mail with USPS Electronic Postmark Equivalent to Certified or Registered Mail-

• Wientzen: Workers, Mailers Have Postal Survival in Common-The survival of the U.S. Postal Service is in the best interest of both postal workers and mailers, and the two groups must work together, H. Robert Wientzen, outgoing president/CEO of the Direct Marketing Association, told letter carriers this week. The DMA does not always see eye to eye with postal labor unions. For example, the American Postal Workers Union and its president, William H. Burrus, who referred to large mailers as "vermin" in the union's newsletter last year, oppose workforce reform proposals that the DMA supports.

• DHL Teams up with Miami Dolphins and Pro Player Stadium in Major New Partnership Agreement -The new partnership makes DHL "The Official Express Delivery Provider of the Miami Dolphins and Pro Player Stadium," providing exclusivity in that category and allowing DHL use of the team and stadium trademarks

July 21, 2004

• Proposed Guidelines/Timelines for Postmaster VER |

• Santa Rosa, CA mailman in coma 18 days after fall while delivering route

• Error on Florida post office information card sends callers to sex line

• Postal employees' checks not in their mail -Last week several workers at the Postal Service's Teterboro (NJ) facility didn't receive their paychecks. And it had nothing to do with the year-old state-of-the-art processing and distribution center, or some type of labor dispute. The problem? Their checks were in the mail. "The mailing went awry," said Tony Smith, acting manager for delivery services at the plant. "Some checks accidentally went through the regular mail stream instead of the direct stream. South Bergen County News

July 20, 2004

• 'Snail mail' is here to stay -Interview with Pitney Bowes CEO Michael Critelli

• Postal workers gave to friend in need

• Entrepreneur to Launch Fashion Accessories Line Featuring USPS Stamp Art

• USPS/GLS: another right Royal Mail mess

• Kentucky Carrier indicted on mail theft charge

• Closing of Fort Detrick lab marks renewed intensity in anthrax probe

• Covington Postal Carrier No Longer Considered Missing

• Mail Theft Problems Concern Post Office, Customers

• Postal Delivery Supervisor Sentenced for bribery, fraud, and conspiracy

- Postal Supervisor found guilty

• Armstrong moves into Tour de France lead

• Mailmen deliver more than letters

• Anthrax Scare at Long Beach, CA Post Office-Note Read: 'God Told Me To Send This Anthrax'- 5 postal workers were taken to a hospital for examination, but none had exhibited symptoms of anthrax poisoning. The facility, which was not evacuated, was back in full operation early Tuesday

July 19, 2004

• Postal Reform Passage Doubtful This Week-The postal reform bill was not included on a list of legislative items to be considered by the House of Representatives this week, casting doubt on hopes for swift passage of the bill.

-Congressional Budget Office Cost Reports on Postal Reform Bills

- 2nd revised Report (7/13/04) on costs associated with (House) H.R. 4341

- Report (6/24/04) on the costs associated with ( Senate) S. 2468-

• The check is no longer in the mail

• Post office delivers more than mail to Hawaii
• Miraculous delivery puts postal service to shame
• Postal Worker Close to Retirement, Granddaughter Killed In DUI Accident

• Postal Service Delivers Except to Secret "Pentagon" Hidden in PA Mountains

• Man finds two rare stamps in old estate

• ‘Governator’ to be honored with new stamp

• UPS poised to gain from Net shopping

• Postal Custodian buys U.S. flag that fell to the ground

• Royal Mail move threatens Crown post offices

• Five Dutch postal workers ill from mail containing yellow powder

• Hail to a devoted mail carrier

July 18, 2004

• Book Review: Too Much Like Right and More Poems About Postal Life Part 2

• Anthrax Probers Still Seek Maryland Leads

• Georgia residents sound off about nighttime mail delivery

• Ignacio (CO) residents have mail concerns

July 17, 2004

• Armstrong dominates again, clearing path to record sixth Tour win

• Arb Summary: USPS Improperly Denied MPE Mechanic Light Duty Assignment

• Wallingford, CT. Mail Processing Center to get anthrax detection system

July 16, 2004

• Future Retiree Raises Threatened by 'Family Budget Protection Act'

• USPS Request for Repositionable Notes on Mail (PDF)

• Reward up to $50,000 offered in hit-and-run on rural carrier
• Gene Del Polito: USPS Needs to Think About Product Redesign
• ADVO Reports Third Quarter Results

• Stockton post office recovers from fire

• Postal inspectors fight drug war through the mail

• New Hampshire Postal Worker wins $2.9 million Tri-State Megabucks jackpot

• Harry Potter Birthday Card Shuts Down Post Office-Teen Apparently Adds 'Floo Powder' To Help Envelope Travel

July 15, 2004

• Postal turf battle bad for businesses, customers and cities
• Congress OKs Funds for Bioweapons Vaccines

July 14, 2004

• USPS Barcoding Program to Use Commercial Database | Notice

• Postal initiative to speed absentee ballots to Soldiers

• USPS Officer In Charge Blames Some Carriers for Mail Mishaps

• Departing postmaster rates Delphos office ‘first class’

• Mail carrier in ‘critical but stable’ condition

• Comparison of House And Senate Postal Reform Bills (PDF file)

• USPS AWARDED PATENT- The Postal Service has been granted a patent for an Early Warning System (EWS) that gives mailers a heads-up about newly created streets and addresses. Especially in high-growth areas, mailers face a time lag to get brand new addresses online. EWS gives mailers weekly updates of all new streets. The patent is the first awarded to the Postal Service’s Intelligent Mail and Address Quality group. Mailers who are interested in EWS can call the National Customer Support Center at 800-331-5746.

• Deaf Postal Worker man sues Correction Dept. for denial of interpreter

July 13, 2004

• Former Postal Commission Executive Director Nominated to HUD post-Bush has nominated Dennis Shea, former Executive Director of the Postal Commission to serve as Asst. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Policy Devel & Research)

• Charge dropped against man who collected petition signatures at post office

• Family Robbed by Postal Imposters

• Big Brown's New Bag

• Mail Carrier wins finalist spot for 'fish tales'

• Pay Out On Hold Until Postal Workers Dispute Over Lotto Ticket Is Settled

• SteelCloud Announces Details of $12 Million Contract for AFCS Machines

• 'Bucky' Gets Lucky With Stamp

• NALC Convention Delegates Will Thrash Out Route Inspection Overhaul (PDF)
• Suspicious package causes shutdown at Louisiana post office
• USPS delivers Rudolph 23 cent stamp
• Reward offered in mailbox blasts

• New Hope for Postal Reform in 2004

• Florida Letter Carrier discover Tarzan's escaped tiger on route-an Mahoney, a letter carrier discovered and reported a loose tiger on her route in Loxahatchee, Florida. Wildlife officers hunted a 600-pound tiger called Bobo Tuesday after it escaped from the Florida home of B-movie actor Steve Sipek, who played Tarzan.
• Post office annex in Tulare CA would lighten load
• Hundreds must move boxes--letters carriers afraid of unrestrained dogs

• Postal Inspector to Assist in Security at Summer Olympics in Athens-U.S. Postal Inspector Jim Heavens was asked to assist with establishing postal security for the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. He was asked by the U.S. Embassy in Athens because of his experience during the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Heavens took four inspectors with him during a two-week stay in Athens back in the spring. He's heading out again to lead postal security and will be there for the rest of summer, returning in September.

July 12, 2004- Special interests -- corporations, labor unions and causes -- are bankrolling lush parties at the Democratic National Convention in order to buy access to public officials who gather in Boston in late July to nominate John Kerry for president. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) who is an influential member when it comes to postal service issues, is being feted by Deutsche Post, the company with a controlling interest in DHL International, which competes with the U.S. Postal Service Davis said "there was not really anything'' he had to vote on that was directly Deutsche Post-related and he agreed to front the function because the company wanted "to make sure'' it had a presence at the convention. (Chicago Sun Times)

July 12, 2004-Alaskan Carriers Want Post Office To Obey Rules-Wrong Mileage Shortchanged Airlines -Nineteen Alaskan air carriers have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) contending that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been shortchanging them as they deliver mail to rural Alaskan communities. In the complaint, the carriers contend that the Postal Service violated DOT rules and imposed its own mileage chart for reimbursements last November. If left alone, the change could have cost the carriers an estimated $335,000 a year.

• Catalogs Drive Web Sales: USPS Study

• USPS Research Shows Direct Mail Drives Online Sales

• USPS Board of Governors Meeting Set for July 19-20 in San Francisco, CA-Matters to be Considered: Implementation of PRC Recommendation for electronic return receipt service Springfield, Massachusetts, Logistics and Distribution Center; Pontiac, Michigan, Northeast Metro Processing and Distribution Center; Informational Briefing on Letter Mail Automation.

• Your TSP Account Or Your Job
• Search For Covington Postal Worker Continues

• Maintenance Worker to compete in Las Vegas 8-ball Championship

• Twelve-year-old golden retriever delivers the mail
• A call to post office now long distance

• Eco-friendly postal trucks get green light in New York

• Mystery: Letter from 1960 presents a puzzle

• UN Aims to End Spam 'Epidemic' by 2006

• What’s in a name? For GAO, a new one The General Accounting Office is no more. Well, at least the name of the congressional audit agency no longer exists. When President Bush signed the GAO Human Capital Reform Act into law yesterday, a provision in the bill changed the GAO to the Government Accountability Office.

July 10, 2004

• Post office evacuation has some workers worried

• Homes refused mail delivery-New development needs a 'cluster box,' PO claims

July 09, 2004

• USPS offers discontinued philatelic items on eBay

• Postal Employees say they deserve share of co-worker's $175,000 lottery prize

• National Geographic Story About Nalcrest Gets Mixed Reviews From Residents

- more info from NALC
• Protect Your E-Mail Address

• Anthrax Equipment Coming to Md . Mail Facility

• National League of Postmasters Honors Michigan Postmaster

• Postmarked with history and no wait -A post office in a historic Portland building attracts few, apparently because not many know it's there

• Postal service 'promotes' Airmen

• Charges possible in Vermont powder incidents
• Mail carrier hurt in wreck

• Mailman Mauling

July 08, 2004

• TSP Wasted Millions in Computer System Debacle, Senators Say

- SENS. Collins and Lieberman Say Failed TSP Computer Program Wasted Millions

• Lack of carriers disrupted parts of 90802 (Long Beach, CA)

• Mailbox vandalism explodes

• Scare leads to shutdown at post office

• Houston Mail Carrier attacked by pit bull |

• 3 letter bombs targeting officials are defused in Belfast postal headquarters

• New Stamp Honors Writer James Baldwin July 23rd

• Greco to Lead DMA

• Postmaster and Clerk placed on Leave Pending Criminal Investigation

• Customer Councils Forge Bond With the USPS

• Armstrong dons yellow jersey
• UPU Congress Plans to Revise Terminal Dues System

• Military call-ups take a toll on post office

July 07, 2004

• Postal Bulletin July 8th issue: New MI AS-910-2004-8, Biohazard Detection System Alert-Positive Test PRC Scrolling Ticker; Type 1 Uniform Requirements; EMA Schedule for Rural Routes; Vitamins Discount for Postal Employees

• PRC issues decision on Experimental Periodicals Co-Palletization Dropship Discounts For High Editorial Publications

• Charges dropped against Carrier

• Letter Carrier/Marine returning for 2nd Iraq tour

• Postal Service Truck, Motorcycle Collide
• CDM Incorporated purchases block of USPS Electronic Postmarks

• Lest We Forget - A Postal Record of One Man’s War

• White powder scare shuts down Vermont post office

• Man sues over mail 'misdelivery'

• Jacobs Engineering Receives $275 million Contract from USPS

July 06, 2004

• FedEx Introduces FedEx Kinko’s to Small and Mobile Businesspeople

• Financial Mailers Urge Hastert on Postal Reform-

• activePDF, Inc. Enables Digital PDF Signing With USPS Electronic Postmark

• Eagle Rock Post Office Copes with Main Office's Load

- Man in Custody for Eagle Rock Post Office Fire

• Tarboro NC Post Office renamed after former19th Century U.S. Rep

• Mailbox madness
• Trenton P&DC Renovation Updates
• USPS won't deliver ZIP shift

• Post office closes as clerk, 77, retires

July 05, 2004

• A New Antitrust Paradox-Flamingo Industries and Future of the Postal Service

• NM Postmaster: Post Office is not the Biblical city of Jericho, walls won’t “come tumbling down"

July 04, 2004-

• Gruesome 1982 murder of Ohio Postmaster a vivid memory

• Marshall Islands Postal Service issues New Reagan Stamp

• UPS Offers High-Visibility Solutions

• Effort under way to keep North Syracuse Post Office open

• Distinct signature found in 2001 anthrax

• Postmaster Learns Fate in Court

• New system provides Express Mail service to Guam

• Police look into dog attack on Retired Postmaster-"All those years in the postal service and now I get attacked by a dog," said Edward Garrow.

• Redo it: Norwich Post office seedy, but it shouldn't have to be

• Political Parody Stamps

• Postal Reform Progress Slows Due to Congressional Delays -According to a Mailers Group: "Momentum to pass postal reform legislation has slowed in Washington after the already packed Congressional schedule was delayed one week in honor of the late President Ronald Reagan. Although the House leadership promised a debate on postal reform legislation this month, it is now unlikely that floor time will be available until after the Independence Day recess-- and even then it will be difficult to schedule time on the House floor in the three weeks between the July 4th recess and the Democratic Convention. It will be even more challenging to schedule floor time in the more deliberate Senate, which has yet to consider a multitude of time-consuming, controversial legislation, including the Defense Authorization bill." Despite delays the mailing community is still lobbying hard to ensure that Congressional leaders understand the urgency of passing postal reform this year.

July 03, 2004-

• Missouri Mail carrier honored by police dept. for rescue of ailing woman-Carrier Gary Camp knew Sandra Sorbo wouldn't leave her mail uncollected; he called 911.

• Postal Reform: Yea or Nay??
• Trinidad & Tobago postal worker jailed 89 years for fraud
• Spoof: Post Office selected by Surgeon General for hypertension study

• Ceremony for immigrants-turned citizens may be a first at Post Office

• Homemade Ice Cream Owner Lobbying for ice cream stamp

July 02, 2004-Former New York Relief Postmaster sentenced for stealing postal funds -A former relief postmaster of Versailles was sentenced to one year of probation for writing $2,424 in postal money orders to herself. A fire destroyed the Versailles Post Office on Jan. 18.

July 02, 2004-

USPS and Royal Mail Agree to let Global Express/Air Parcel Post Contract Expire-

German billionaire's Plan for Tacoma Post Office close to fruition

Lost Letters Found in Odessa TX Post Office Wall

Insurers Association of America Stresses Importance of Postal Reform

July 01, 2004-Tidbits from Mailers´ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) meeting -"In the summer the Postal Service will launch a Reply Mail web site that will provide information about how to use reply mail, allow customers to apply for permits, pay fees with a credit card or through CAPs, confirm ZIP+4 codes, and electronically create pre-approved camera-ready formats. Another innovation planned for the fall is electronic return receipt service (businesses) that will eliminate the current green card attached to the recipient’s envelope, and allow the sender to receive an electronic facsimile of the recipient’s signature. The electronic return receipt will cost $1.30 compared to the current price of $1.75.Commenting on further efficiencies related to automation, USPS Richard Strasser said that there was still potential to reduce the in-office time for carriers, but there is a limit since the physical delivery time is not as flexible."

July 01, 2004-

Editorial: Reform: I Just Don’t Get It-Sen. Susan Collins, chairwoman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, recently published an article in a local Maine newspaper. Its purpose appears to be to communicate that the postal legislation she co-sponsored “will make the necessary reforms to ensure that nine million jobs [dependent on the USPS] are protected and that Americans, regardless of where they live, can continue to rely on services from this vital 225 year old organization into the 21st century.” In other words, don’t worry, I’m here to ensure that none of our small rural Maine post offices will be closed. But will the bill really help the U.S. Postal Service?

Mail Piles Up Due To Carrier Staffing Shortage-Some residents and businesses in Lebanon, NH went without mail for 3 days last week because of Postal Service staffing shortages. Last week, carriers decided to work no more than the 60 hr. work limitation specified in their contract.

-USPS files charges against New York woman -A Stormville woman has been charged with a number of crimes stemming from allegations that she filed numerous false claims with the Postal Service alleging that merchandise sent through the mail failed to reach its intended destination. It was then that Kristin DiFalco allegedly filed forged Domestic Claim Inquiry Forms with the Post Office in order to obtain reimbursement for the false claims

Postal workers in Mobile honor fallen heroes

SWAT Team Raid recovers stolen mail

U.S. Postal Service to close Monday

Thornton takes postmaster position in Douglass

Mail carriers rally behind ailing co-worker

Postal employee pleads guilty to stealing cash from mail

Driver sentenced to 18 months in hit-run death of Connecticut carrier

Postal Rate Commission posts docket for Bank One and Discover NSA

Postal critic's complaint about USPS' recently introduced Disney stationery