-Computer error overpays thousands of postal workers (San Francisco Chronicle)

 Update: USPS Computer Glitch Leads to $103 million in Overpayments - "The Postal Service as asked the Office of Inspector General to the investigate a computer glitch that caused 41,000 employees to receive too much money in their paychecks." The problem reportedly originated when the agency attempted to send bonuses to a select group of employees. The computer misread the instruction that it was given (or computer failed to  follow instructions). USPS spokesman George McKiernan said that reissuing checks or docking future pay would be too difficult for employees who need to use the money in the near future or adhere to strict budgets Also, due to payroll glitch, "a lump-sum payment that was to be paid to 1905 bargaining unit  employees on June 18 has been delayed until July 2."(source: Govexec & USPS)  (6/17/04)  |

• Senate Panel Backs Postal Reform Bill-The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act S. 2468 proposed by Senate Govt. Affairs Committee Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) passed unanimously. The House and Senate could vote on the bills as early as this month.  The three  nominations, Albert Casey, James Miller III to USPS Board of Governors and Dawn Tisdale to the Postal Rate Commission were unanimously confirmed. |

•  Mail Handlers Named as Primary Craft for APPS  (PDF) -In a letter dated June 2, 2004, from John Dockins, USPS Manager Contract Administration, APWU and NPMHU learned the Postal Service has identified mail handlers as the primary craft to perform work associated with the Automated Package Processing System (APPS). The Postal Service also  determined the appropriate level to perform activities associated with the APPS is Level 4.  APPS Passes 1st Test, National Deployment Begins Next Month -The Automated Package Processing System (APPS) passed its first test recently at the Twin Cities Metro Hub in Minneapolis, MN, and begins national deployment in July at the annex in Oklahoma City, OK. APPS combines the latest in automated package sorter technology with optical character reader, bar code reader and video coding capabilities to process a wider range of packages and bundles — even irregularly shaped ones. A total of 74 APPS will be deployed to 70 mail processing facilities by fall 2005 -USPS Today News ). |

• Postal Service Recognized for Diversity-USPS has been named one of the 50 Best Companies for Minorities for the fifth year in a row by leading business magazine FORTUNE. USPS ranked 6th on the list this year up from 11th last year. The news article said "with 59 percent of new hires minorities, USPS has managed to best its own highly rated efforts to ensure a diversified workforce"|

USPS Ranks 6th Among Best Companies For Minorities in Fortune Annual List

EEOC: USPS Diversity Profiles 2003 -USPS' top four major occupations were reported as Postmaster, Supervisor, Clerk, and City Carrier. Large percentage of women (56.71%) are postmasters, smallest percentage (25%) of women are letter carriers.

• GOING POSTAL II…Still Fighting for Dignity In The Workplace- The second book in the series describing working conditions of postal employees by retired Portland, Oregon Letter Carrier Al Ainsworth. Featured stories are a Nebraska APWU steward fired for taking Ainsworth's first book to work ;a picket in Texas protesting working conditions; stonewalling a disabled workers rights and a collection of short stories in "The daily grind." The book is approximately 250 pages and is scheduled for publication on July 10, 2004

• Appropriate Remedy for Exceeding 12hrs. day/60hrs. week Work Limitations -As management continues to right size our work force we will see an increase in overtime hours to cover the shortage in the workforce. Along with this increase of overtime come increasing attempts by management to deny the Bargaining Unit of its rights. Article 8 overtime provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement has been arbitrated and been put to rest, I thought… I see some of the same issues that we fought hard and long for resurfacing. The question of working over 60 hours within a service week continues to surface even after being settled 16 years ago. The issue of 12/60 work hour limitations and the appropriate remedy when management allows you to work beyond the daily/weekly work limitation has been a problem since the 1988 settlement.

• NPMHU Oppose Worksharing, OWCP Changes in Senate Reform Bill - The National Postal Mail Handlers Union is opposed to "worksharing" language in the Senate bill that could open the door to more "outsourcing" of career postal jobs to private mailing companies." The Mail Handlers Union is  also opposed to provisions in Senate Bill  "that would single out postal employees and cut their workers' compensation benefits for future injuries or illnesses.

- National Rural Letter Carriers Stance on Postal Reform

• Lexington Institute: Postal reform slips away-"If closing outdated military bases is tough, closing a post office -- or cutting the bloated postal bureaucracy -- seems well nigh impossible. Any day now, Congress could vote on what's been hailed as the biggest postal reform in 34 years. But personnel cuts, budget rollbacks and post office closings -- all of which are crucial to fixing the postal service's financial problems -- aren't even on the table. Such is the awesome power of our entrenched postal unions."|

• EEOC Gives Final Approval to Settlement in Injured Employees Class-Action Suit against USPS- An EEOC administrative judge gave final approval to a settlement of a class-action lawsuit (Glover/Albrecht vs USPS) that accused USPS of discriminating against injured employees who were allegedly denied promotional and/or advancement opportunities allegedly due to discrimination on the basis of disability. (6/11/04) |

- EEOC: Injured postal workers eligible for back pay (Federal times-6/15/04)

- Dean Albrecht: The recent settlement of the Glover/Albrecht class complaint was not a made whole remedy of all the injustice that rehab/modified employees

- Dean Albrecht's pain defeated Postal Service

• Book: You've Got the Right to Go, When You Gotta Go-Have you ever had to go to the bathroom and been told by your supervisor to wait until your break? That's illegal. Workers have a right to use the toilet "when they need to do so." That's the law according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In one cited case, comedian Jay Leno joked about a company's bathroom rule  |   (see page update for OSHA links)

• Potter: Higher Fuel Costs Hurting USPS-USPS vehicles consume 800 million gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel annually. Potter also noted that high fuel prices have increased heating and electricity costs for the postal service's 38,000 facilities. Despite cost reduction efforts that offset much of the increase, "continued increases will have an adverse impact on postal finances."

 - USPS to Use GM's Fuel Cell Van in DC Area|| photos (6/15/04)

-Statement of Thomas G. Day, USPS Vice President, Engineering

• USPS Award Contract for Security Guard Services--ABM Security Services, Inc., has been awarded a multi-year, multi-million dollar national contract with USPS. The contract covers unarmed security guard services for more than 60 postal service facilities located in 20 states across the country and includes more that 300 security personnel. USPS closed postal police operations  in 6 cities last year saying the presence of armed police is no longer needed at the 6 facilities |

 - Private guards are not allowed to carry guns on postal property

 - ABM also provides cleaning and maintenance service to USPS (8/22/03)

• Postal Clerks' EEOC $165,000 settlement is upheld-EEOC has upheld an administrative law judge's award of $165,000 in damages to two disabled clerks at the Meadville (PA) post office. The two Postal clerks each filed complaints with EEOC under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act after the men were denied the use of chairs while operating CSBCS machines at the post office in September 1999. In 2001, EEOC Administrative Law Judge Francis Polito ruled in favor of both clerks, but USPS filed an appeal with the EEOC claiming the chairs created a safety hazard;  complainant had a pre-existing condition and that this condition had worsened by normal everyday use  and several other arguments

• USPS, Private Shipper in Mexico Sign Licensing Agreement -USPS announced today the signing of a licensing agreement with Estafeta USA Inc., a leading private shipping company in Mexico, which allows the company limited usage of USPS' logo. Estafeta USA Inc. links to USPS' domestic delivery network by clearing inbound packages originating in Mexico through U.S. Customs, transporting them into the U.S and tendering them to the U.S. Postal Service at the McAllen, Texas post office as domestic Priority Mail. (note: did everyone get all of this long sentence??)

• House Panel Passes Bill Revise CSRS Benefits for Part-Time Workers-

• USPS On Roll and Paid Employee Stats April 2004 (pdf)

• NALC Acts To Revise Route Inspections -The NALC Executive Council, decided to present to the National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii for debate and consideration, a proposal to revamp the route inspection process. The current system results in daily confrontations between letter carriers & front-line supervisors and is dysfunctional.  |

- Cased Volume Verification Concluded; Moratorium on Inspections Continues

•  Carrier Arrested for Alleging Assaulting Co-Worker over Postal Policy-Police reported a part time carrier, and a full time carrier, were driving postal vehicles when the argument became violent. The argument ensued over postal policy that allows full time workers to work an eight hour day. The Full-Time Carrier had run out mail and was asking the Part-Time Carrier for his mail so he could get in his eight hours. The Part-Time Carrier allegedly refused to hand over his mail. What happens next is simply unbelievable. |

• NALC Wants to Make Federal Case Out of Letter Carrier Assaults-There's been a series of assaults against letter carriers, but many of the  cases are dismissed or not prosecuted at all . NALC Union officers in Buffalo, NY wants to make a federal case out of it. The U.S. Attorney's office says it's not an automatic federal offense when a letter carrier is assaulted, and says there are other factors to consider like interfering or tampering with mail.

• Former NBA Star John Salley plays 'angry mailman' in new TV sitcom-Former Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls star John Salley plays an angry, 7ft-tall mailman who just grows angrier every time the show's star tries to befriend him. Salley also diverts packages for others to (comedian) Tom Papa and his wife played by Jennifer Aspen.

-• NALCREST Still A Bargain for Postal Retirees after 40+ Years-Neither rain nor heat nor gloom of night stops folks from living large at the unofficial retirement community of the National Association of Letter Carriers located in Polk County, Florida. Nalcrest (it stands for National Association of  Letter Carriers Retirement, Education, Security and Training) was conceived and developed by NALC in the early 1960s and  is fully owned by the union. Nalcrest’s low rents contribute to its popularity. more info from NALC

• Rural Carrier: Yes, people do call post office for ad inserts-"On June 13, David C. Kaminski asked, “I wonder whether anyone calls the postmaster about not getting enough junk mail?” (Editor’s Note column, “If you think junk mail is like ads inserted in The Rep, just try to stop it”). The answer is yes. I am a rural mail carrier, and if I run short on advertisements, my customers will call. They want their advertisements to plan their shopping trips. These advertisements keep the economy flowing. The provide a job for the people who produce them, keep businesses running with the money that consumers spend when they shop using the advertisements, and they provide postal employees with a job. Kaminski also said, “Perhaps the nation needs a do-not-mail list.” There are a lot of postal employees in the area who buy The Repository. He would not appreciate it if we started a do-not-buy-The Repository list. I do not disrespect The Repository. Please, Repository, do not disrespect my career." KATHY HILTON

June 25, 2004-

eBay and USPS to Offer Co-Branded Shipping Supplies Exclusively For The eBay Community--

Andover Postal Carrier Convicted of Mail Theft

Marketers Who Send Junk Mail Not Welcome, Group Claims
New Postal Machine in San Diego Automates Mailing

Lightning strikes postmaster

Revised Cost  Estimate for H.R. 4341, Postal Accountability Enhancement Act

Postal Worker/ veteran falls between cracks

Letter: Compliments to Somerville (TN) Postal Employees

June 24, 2004-

• At its closed meeting on June 15, 2004, the USPS Board of Governors voted unanimously to add 'Proposed Filing with the Postal Rate Commission for Repositionable Notes (RPNs) Pricing Experiment' to the agenda of its closed meeting and that no earlier announcement was possible. The General Counsel of the United States Postal Service certified that in her opinion discussion of this item could be properly closed to public observation. (source: Federal Register)

• A Tale of Two CEOs-"If you follow the news from U.S. Postal Service headquarters, you've probably noticed a spate of imminent retirement announcements by many middle and senior managers who you have known and worked with over the past two decades. Yes, the population at USPS headquarters is aging, and it's beginning to show."

• Brentwood Employee's Response to EEOC in Anthrax Discrimination Case

• Last Minute Lease Agreement Saves New York Post Office

• USPS Accused of Ignoring Pro-Family Pleas Regarding 'Playboy'

• Latest Postal Bulletin : Limited Use of Postal Property, Directives /Forms Update
• Postal Inspectors Link Two Postal Workers to ID Theft Ring

• Former Notre Dame postmaster charged with destroying mail--a package of outgoing cognac

• Wilma Rudolph stamp to debut July 14

• Ex-Appleton postal worker will be sentenced for theft

• Severance Post Office robbed

June 23, 2004

Letter Carriers' Union Convention Scheduled for Honolulu July 19-23; Over 8,000 Delegates Registered to Attend Sessions

Images from the First Day of Issue Disney Stamp Event at Disneyland

FedEx 4th-Qtr Profit Rises as Growth Boosts Shipping

UPS Files Cases Against Deutsche Post With European Union

Postal Worker Remembered On Anniversary Of Death-It's been one year since postal worker Clayton Smith was accidentally shot and killed. But that year hasn't eased the suffering of family and friends.

USPS Final Rule: Release of Information, Privacy of Information-On October 1, 2003, the Postal Service published a general revision of its rules dealing with records and information (68 FR 56557). This revision updated terminology to reflect the Postal Service's current organizational structure, removed obsolete or duplicative provisions, and revised the fee schedule for disclosure of information where necessary. Further inspection of the affected provisions indicates that minor additional revisions are necessary to remedy oversights in the previous notice and avoid possible confusion

EEOC: Class Certification Proper. A Colorado Postmaster's formal complaint asserted that the agency's application of its merit evaluation system, which imposed a 10% cap on managers receiving a "far exceeds" rating, resulted in female postmasters being denied the opportunity to be eligible for and receive a "far exceeds" merit rating. EEOC subsequently certified a class of all female postmasters employed in 1999. EEOC modified the definition of the class to encompass: female postmasters whose performance exceeded expectations but received a "met expectations" rating due to the 10 percent cap. The class complaint, as modified, was remanded to an EEOC District Office for processing.

2001 Background of Holmes, et al. v. USPS case

June 22, 2004-

June 22, 2004-

According to Denver APWU - "The Postal Service is pursuing plans to establish contract retail services in Hallmark and Office Depot stores across the country. This represents a serious threat to jobs in customer service offices. The APWU will do everything in its power to resist these initiatives. We believe retail services are best performed by genuine postal employees." 

 USPS, Hallmark join forces to offer customers added convenience

June 21, 2004-

USPS Income $919 million over budget- Standard Mail Volume Up 3.8% -

- USPS had net income of $2.9 billion -- $918.9 million over budget -- from Oct. 1 to May 31. Meanwhile, mail volume was up and expenses are under plan. According to USPS revenue was $46.65 billion, 0.5% better than planned, while expenses of $43.75 billion were 1.5% under the planned budget. Mail volume rose 0.7% compared with last year. Standard and International mail grew 3.8% and 6.9%, respectively. However, several mail classes saw declines. Periodicals fell 4.4%; Express Mail, 4.2%; Priority Mail, 2.4%; First-Class, 1.7%; and Package Services, 0.2%. For the month of May, total mail volume fell 2.5%.

West Virginia Rural Carrier inspires others with his positive attitude Clarksburg Rural Letter Carrier Frank "Franky" Billings spends most of his days stuffing about 400 mailboxes with various letters, postcards and packages. He's a mailman -- or, as he likes to say, a rural route mail carrier. But to most people, he's more than just a mailman or rural route mail carrier. To the 400-plus residents he delivers mail to on a daily basis, he's a friend, source of strength and a hometown hero.

Special deliverer: Mailman has fun with costumes, unique gifts-First you hear his whistle, then you see his smiling face. If it's a holiday, he'll be dressed in a Santa hat, or patriotic garb, or some other festive costume. If it's your birthday, he'll give you a dollar folded, origami-style, into a ring. If it isn't any of those, Dave Bohn will still say hello and ask how you're doing. Then he'll go on his merry way, delivering mail to the next house on his route. Bohn is a mail carrier, but he delivers more than just letters to the customers on his route. That's why the Pemberton Rotary Club honored him last month as their citizen of the year

USPS Files Request for Two More Negotiated Service Agreements (NSAs) with the Postal Rate Commission : one for (PDF)and    more from DMNews

- USPS FINANCIAL & OPERATING STATEMENTS May 2004

Handhelds keep USPS managers in touch

Salvaged mail delivered from Warrendale, PA Post Office

UPS, pilots ask mediator to supervise contract negotiations

Mailman faces close encounters of the canine kind

Latest NALC Bulletin-COLA, NALC member killed in Iraq...more

Japan eyes universal postal services after privatizing reform

Mickey Mouse..Donald  Duck.. Postal Service to Issue Disney Stamps

Contract Mail Carrier Isn't the Oldest at 86 in USPS --81 yr. in Alabama Holds Honor-

June 20, 2004-

USPS Gets 140 Replies to First-Class/Standard Proposal-The rule proposal calls for an exclusive-purpose test in which personal information would be permitted at Standard rates only when advertising or solicitation is the exclusive purpose of the piece and personal information is included solely to increase the effectiveness of the ad or solicitation.

Historic Annapolis (MD) Post Office May Undergo Makeover to fit Condos and Retails Shops- into the space behind the building where mail operations once took place. USPS has no intention of closing the wood-paneled post office. It's a pattern being replayed in cities nationwide. As mail-processing operations are moved from older, distinctive downtown buildings, officials seek creative ways to reuse valuable real estate, said Bob Novak, spokesman for USPS' Baltimore district |

- Keating Partners LLC in Philadelphia has worked with USPS on other projects

CAGW: Cycling Waste-The USPS misdelivers

Getting off spam lists can be risky

OPM Release Final Rule on Voluntary Early Retirement Under the Homeland Security Act

Burglars rob, vandalize Paulden (AZ) post office

Fallen soldier/ Letter Carrier leaves behind a large family

Mastrapa's wife, Jennifer, went to post office to bring news of husband's death

June 19, 2004-

Postal worker gets 7 months for stealing cash in greeting cards

Post office disrepair concerns city officials

June 18, 2004-

 Judge delays ruling in lawsuit that claims USPS breached contract

-Florida Letter Carrier about to come home from Iraq killed- Sgt. Arthur Stacey Mastrapa, who kept his scheduled return home secret for a Father's Day surprise was killed along with two other soldiers in a mortar attack in Iraq.  Mastrapa worked as a letter carrier in Altamonte Springs.

Rural letter carrier a Lifesaver of note

APWU advise members to refrain from participating in postal reform programs / campaigns organized by other organizations

Western Area Transfer Opportunities June 18, 2004

Fire destroys Post Office in Pennsylvania

NAPUS: Impact of Post Office Level Changes (pdf)-throughout the year, the field processes changes to authorized post office EAS levels (both upgrades and downgrades). NPA differentiates between post offices by assigning unit indicators based on EAS level groupings

Four Salinas CA Letter Carriers notch 1 million safe miles

Pitney Bowes Campaign Teaches 'Value of Mail'

Three postal employees charged with taking mail

Postal Worker delivers tombstone

AuctionDrop says poised for growth with UPS deal

BioDefense sees growth with mail scrubber

Community Banks Critique ID Theft, Postal Proposals-A group representing community banks raised concerns this week about regulatory proposals to combat identity theft and adjust some commercial mail rates. The ACB group also raised concerns this week about a proposal from the U.S. Postal Service. It claimed its members could be overly burdened by a planned test to determine which letters should be eligible for relatively cheap Standard Mail rates.

Commentary: What is the Postal Service Trying to Tell us-Businesses providing services usually try to find a logo, slogan or icon that inspires trust, and conveys proficiency and product excellence, or so one is told in Marketing 101. So exactly what is the U.S. Postal Service trying to tell us as they trot out a jackass and a green monster to promote the priority mail service?

Dulles Postal Center Gets Anthrax Detection Equipment

June 17, 2004-

Retirees Looking At 2.4 Per Cent Raise in 2005
Original Free Victory Stamps unglued postmaster -Cadet contracted with a printer to make Free Victory Stamps, without checking with the U.S. Postal Service first. Sheets of 50 stamps "sold like hotcakes" at Post Exchanges -- until the Postmaster General's office stopped their use.
 

June 16, 2004-

- Special Assessment of APWU Members' Dues Postponed

• USPS Changes Retirement Plan for Manually Set Postage Meters-The Postal Service proposes to revise the Retirement Plan for Manually Set Postage Meters, published in the Federal Register on December 13, 2000, for meters with lease expiration dates on or after October 1, 2004. The proposed retirement date for these manually set electronic meters will be May 31, 2005. The Postal Service will set no electronic manually set meters after February 28, 2005. Comments on the Proposed Plan must be submitted on or before July 15, 2004.

• The Case of the Invisible Post Office-You've got one letter to mail at the post office downtown. Your job: find it.

• Battle Against EEOC Changes Heats Up- More than 100 members of Congress are urging a House Appropriations subcommittee to reject an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) request to use funding from its fiscal 2005 appropriation to set up a privatized national customer service center and close and consolidate field offices. On October 27, 2003 EEOC Chair Cari Dominguez launched an “initial restructuring proposal” that would, among other things, establish a privatized national call center for handling questions from the public on legal rights and protections. The EEOC also would eliminate federal workers’ rights to a hearing, create an electronic filing system for claims that would shut out workers, and cut funding for investigations and litigation.

June 15, 2004

• Mail: The American Jobs Machine

• Postal Governors Approve Major Capital Projects-Board approved funding to purchase 1,587 stacker modules for 955 DBCS machines and 2,041 tray carts as supporting equipment, wireless tracking and more.. |

• DHL targets rivals with $150 million ad campaign

• Signature gatherers forced off Post Office property

• Letter carriers say high number of dog bites no laughing matter

• Discovery channel is Armstrong's new sponsor

• Officials Promise Mail Service Improvements:

• Rare Lewis and Clark stamps reach Salem

• The high price of security

• Is the Future of E-Mail Under Cyberattack?

• Dog psychology lessons 'help postmen': Giving postmen training in dog psychology has reduced attacks on them by 80 per cent, the German post office is claiming. Deutsche Post said yesterday that all 79,000 of its delivery workers have now been on the courses.

Senate Postal Reform Bill on Hold? According to Postcom.org. "Sources have reported that Senate Budget Committee chairman Don Nickles (R-OK) has placed an indefinite "hold" on the Senate's postal reform bill. Also, the Congressional Budget Office has told House government reform committee chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) that "enacting H.R. 4341 would result in on-budget savings of $26.1 billion and off-budget costs of $34.5 billion over the 2005-2014 period. (The net expenditures of the USPS are classified as 'off-budget.' Thus, CBO estimates the net cost to the unified budget would be $8.4 billion over the 2005-2014 period." See CBO Report |

Postal Reporter has provided a better printing format [in pdf] of 'how to measure length and girth' . Some window clerks have expressed [to Postal Reporter] of a desire for USPS to provide the graph in color. 

 USPS has published in the Federal Register "proposed revisions to Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) E670.5.5, which sets forth guidelines for determining whether the coverage provided by an insurance policy offered by an authorized nonprofit organization to its members is not generally otherwise commercially available." Comments on this proposal are due on or before July 15, 2004

• Heroic Letter Carrier honored-

• USPS to pay $25M for network

• Window Clerk ends 37-year career with USPS

•  CEO Gary Mulloy leaves Advo

Prison industry legislation could effect Cenla institutions- Federal agencies are required to purchase goods from the prison industries system, creating an unfair monopoly, according to opponents. Pending legislation would eliminate the purchasing mandate over a period of five years and force agencies to seek bids from private companies as well as the prison industries. Employees of the Federal Prison Industries program, commonly referred to as Unicoris also a textile factory that produces inmate clothing plus physical training shorts for the Department of Defense and repairs mailbags for the Postal Service

June 14, 2004-

News tidbit: Calif. NALC has won another arbitration award sanctioning a management official for violating the 1992 "Joint Statement on Violence and Behavior in the Workplace" (Arbitrator Claude Ames). However, NALC also lost one (Arbitrator Donald Olson). Arbitrator Carlton Snow in a August 16, 1996 National Arbitration Award stated:    "[T]he Joint Statement on Violence and Behavior in the Workplace constitutes a contractually enforceable bargain." .... "The grievance procedure of the National Agreement may be used to enforce the parties' bargain, and arbitrators have available to them the flexibility found in arbitral jurisprudence when it comes to formulating remedies, including removing a supervisor from his or her administrative duties." NALC has been diligent in applying this decision in its  grievances.

June 13, 2004-

USPS Suggests Changes to Reform Bills-Although USPS generally supports the postal reform bills , the agency told mailers about two amendments it hopes to see added to the legislation. One change urged by  USPS would require that each competitive product maintain an institutional cost contribution of 25 percent The other amendment calls for refining the cost attribution factor used for postage purposes to ensure that the method of cost attribution is based on a transparent assessment of cost causality.

- National Postmasters League on Postal Reform bills, "is waiting to see how several unresolved issues are handled before endorsing either bill."

- Mailers Urge Responses to USPS Rule by June 18

• Electronic Hand-Held Measuring Device-USPS is seeking information for potential sources to provide a hand-held pen, wand or similar portable device that will be used for determining the length, width, and height as well as the combined length plus girth on parcels that qualify for Balloon Rate, Nonmachinable Surcharge, Oversize Rates. This device (if USPS decides to invest in it) could be increase revenue. Additionally, such a device will  assist window clerks in determining correct parcel rates. |

• Calif. Anthrax Incident Spurs Concerns in Biodefense Research -Some believe scare at Oakland (Northern Calif.) Children's Hospital exposes loopholes in biodefense -The live sample, shipped via FedEx in liquid form three months ago, . CDC & FBI are  launching a full investigation |

• From PR Reader- Death penalty for Vietnamese postal official guilty of $600,000 embezzlement-Thieves in the US Postal Service are treated much more leniently. Compare:  "A former registry clerk who was a 25-year employee was sentenced on March 4, 2002, to 41 months in prison, three years' supervised release, and restitution of $497,014 after pleading guilty in November 2001. Postal Inspectors arrested the former clerk in August 2001 for stealing $3.2 million in registered remittances from the Phoenix, Arizona, P&DC. He was sentenced at the high end of the sentencing guidelines because, as an employee of the U.S. Postal Service, he abused the public's trust."

Wilmington DE Post Office to move in 2005-Wilmington Trust will not renew its lease with the federal government for the post office in the bank's skyscraper near Rodney Square, officials said. The lease expires in September 2005, U.S. Postal Service spokesman Ray Daiutolo Sr. said. He said the postal service is looking for another location. Wilmington officials said they are working to make sure the new site is near the current one

The five biggest lies told to consumers-Recently the United States Postal Inspection Service issued a report based on over 80,000 mail fraud complaints they received in 2003. According to the USPS here are the biggest lies used by rip-off artists to sucker you into giving up your cash:
 

Brookfield's zip code-06804-is number of the day - Acting Postmaster Heidi Mygodmey and her staff sponsored the outdoor celebration at the Post Office in recognition of the numerical date 06-8-04, which matches the zip code that Brookfield has had since the sorting system was established in 1963.

• Automated Postal Center Available in Providence RI Post Office

• Post Office in Copiague, NY will be renamed in honor of Maxine Postal

• NYC's 'Son of Sam' /Former Postal Worker  Denied Parole

• Letter Carrier Russell Graybill III testifies at Scott Peterson trial-Prosecutors tried to use postal bar codes and cellular phone records this morning to punch holes in Scott Peterson’s account of what happened the day his pregnant wife was reported missing
• 'George the Mailman' was west-side fixture

June 10, 2004

Deadline Looms for Potentially Damaging Nonprofit Postal Ruling-

MSPB Upholds EAS-20 Postal Manager's Demotion

-Postal Bulletin June 10th issue-POM Revision, ASM Revision, National Vacancy Announcements, Household Diary Study, New Management Instruction: AS-840-2004-2, Electronic Messaging (e-Mail)

USPS hopes to install 100 anthrax detectors this year

Would Proposed Postal Service Legislation Help Bring Down Costs?

 New, expanded post offices help serve growing areas-For supervisor Ben Carter, there is no comparison between the old post office in Fairfax, Va., and the new one that opened April 12. Now that U.S. Postal Service has completed new post offices in Fairfax and other cities this fiscal year, it is turning its attention to other underserved or growing areas. A survey running from mid-May to July is expected to find out what places across the country need new or expanded post offices. The Postal Service wants bigger workplaces wherever it finds an office that needs about twice as much space to prepare mail for delivery.

-Lockheed Martin Wins $33 Million Contract to Upgrade Address Recognition Systems to Dispatch Mail Faster -Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has been awarded a $33 million contract from the U.S. Postal Service to introduce address recognition capability earlier in the mail processing cycle to help postal centers nationwide dispatch mail faster. As part of the Postal Service's Optical Character Reader (OCR) Enhancements for Letter Automation Program, Lockheed Martin will upgrade Remote Computer Reader (RCR) machines at 350 postal centers throughout the United States to provide greater sort capability on 1,086 Advanced Facer Canceller Systems (AFCS). AFCS machines automatically position envelopes so that postage can be cancelled and envelopes can be marked with an identification tag that enables further processing.
USPS on automation roll: Postal Service unifying records management policies

Paid attention to your mail carrier lately? "It could be we have two 'dual-appointed, casual employees,' who are not full-time employees, and they don't get a uniform allowance, so normally we let them share some other employee's uniforms.

June 09, 2004-

Fast anthrax test OK'd-A new test funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and developed in collaboration with a commercial partner has become the first test approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for detecting antibodies to anthrax. The test, produced by Immunetics Inc. of Boston, provides an easy-to-use clinical laboratory tool for assessing whether patients have been infected with anthrax

USPS to implement Emergency Management System-The U. S. Postal Service discovered a major flaw in its emergency-response system following the deaths of five people from anthrax sent through the mail in the fall of 2001: There was no quick way to let postal workers and others know about such attacks at mail facilities. The Postal Emergency Management System allows web-based and wireless communications among designated USPS individuals who are responsible for planning and coordinating activities that must take place during emergency situations. It enables nationwide staff to initiate, track, and manage emergency responses. The PEMS application is the Information Technology component of the USPS Integrated Emergency Management Program.

• USPS On Roll and Paid Employee Stats April 2004 (pdf)

- USPS FINANCIAL & OPERATING STATEMENTS April 2004

- USPS Report of Revenue, Pieces, and Weights of mail QTR II FY 2004

• High-Tech Postal Center Available In Cary, NC

• Postal employee indicted in thefts of cash, gift card

•  Where's the Mail? GrayHair Knows With 3PAR Utility Storage

June 08, 2004

• NALC Acts To Revise Route Inspections -The NALC Executive Council, decided to present to the National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii for debate and consideration, a proposal to revamp the route inspection process. The current system results in daily confrontations between letter carriers & front-line supervisors and is dysfunctional.  |

- Cased Volume Verification Concluded; Moratorium on Inspections Continues

• USPS Files Proposal for Flat-Rate Priority Mail Boxes

- USPS filing with Postal Rate Commission (pdf)

• Mail delivered after nearly two decades in postal worker's home

• Civil Service Will Remember Reagan as the Anti-Government President

•  FedEx Snatches USPS Global Express Contract from DHL World Express -"About 7,400 Postal Service locations will offer the new co-branded service. As demand for this product grows, so will the number of Postal Service access points," the Postal Service said in a statement. The new service] will be provided by FedEx Express starting July 1.

• Police investigate mail scandal
• Prescott Arizona Citizens group protesting mail quandry - A group of citizens concerned with inadequate mail delivery service standards will hold a petition drive.  The group will also be picketing the Arizona State Convention of NAPS meeting to draw attention to the issue. The petition requests that USPS provide the same standard of overnight local mail delivery to the Prescott and Prescott Valley area as it does to nearly every other similarly populated area in the US.

• Cooper Tire unit wins 10 yr. USPS contract to retread tires

• USPS, FedEx Ally on Global Express Guaranteed

• USPS Scanners Help CD Shippers Stay on Key

June 07, 2004

• Will Postman Ring Twice After Postal Reform?

• The Postal Service would like Congress to include two amendments within its proposals for postal legislative reform. The first pertains to the attribution of costs (an amendment to which PostCom heartily agrees) and the second concerns the markup rule for competitive products. The Postal Service also objects to a provision within the Senate bill (S. 2468) which would convey responsibility to the Postal Regulatory Commission for developing service performance standards for all market dominant mail products. (Postcom.org)

• Automated Postal Center Opens in Pennsylvania

• The challenge of anthrax decontamination-

• Senator Collins: For Postal Service, Collins-Carper bill a lifesaver--When we place a 37-cent stamp on an envelope and drop it in a mailbox, few of us realize how important the U.S. Postal Service is to the economy of our nation. The Postal Service and the industries that rely on it account for nearly 9 percent of our gross domestic product. The USPS is a labor-intensive organization; $3 out of every $4 in revenue goes to pay the wages and benefits of its employees.  full story

• Viewpoint: Allow Postal Service to compete-Supposedly Congress is riding to the rescue of the U.S. Postal Service, which has been troubled for years by an arcane labor system and shortsighted financing. But the legislation that is proposed fails to offer critical fixes to put the post office on better footing. The USPS is still mired in a twilight world  full story

• DOD, USPS to use low-tech e-voting

• Editorial: Will postal reform deliver for small business

• USPS Host Sponsor to Multicultural Business Conference

• Retired Postmaster may never leave the life of USPS

• Canada's Postal Service Refusing to Ship Medical Marijuana

• Check is in the Mexico mail for local courier

• At Pitney Bowes, The Profit Is In The Mail-Pitney Bowes has essentially created a cut-rate postal service for large corporate customers: it picks up mail, sorts it, then ships it via FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service or another mail carrier

June 05, 2004-

• Court upholds NLRB ruling that USPS did not violate NLRA-The American Postal Workers Union petitioned for review of an order of the National Labor Relations Board holding USPS did not violate § 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1), by ejecting two nonemployee union organizers from its Bulk Mail Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Because the NLRB had a rational basis for its decision, the court denied  APWU Atlanta, Georgia Local's petition for review.

June 04, 2004-

• Eighteen Mail carriers transferred from Downtown Racine WI Post Office-

• USPS Resumes Installation of Biohazard Detection System (BDS) |

• USPS Board of Governors Meeting June 15th in Washington DC

• Mail theft raises red flag for residents

• USPS to Honor Mickey Mouse and Friends on Stamps

• Police arrest three after mail stolen from trash

• End of an era: Postmaster retires after 38 years -When Enola Mixon began her career with the U.S. Postal Service in Greensboro, mail was still sorted by hand. Priority and express mail didn't exist. And few women or minorities held leadership positions.

June 03, 2004

• Book- Web of Betrayal : A Work Saga for the 21st Century

• Power outage leads to mail shortage

• Pit bull tears ear off Canada Letter Carrier

• Delivery is not Door to Door
• They're going postal-Tenants cry foul over lack of U.S. mail delivery-

•  Symbol Technologies Executives Indicted on Corporate Fraud Scheme-The will pay $3 million to the US Postal Inspection Service Consumer Fraud Fund and an additional $98 million. Carriers Track Mail with Symbol's Scanning Computers

• Survey: Customers Rate Package Delivery Service Highest in Satisfaction. -The survey by the University of Michigan Business School, part of its annual study of how more than 80,000 customers rank their experiences with about 200 companies, rates the package delivery service business highest in satisfaction. By far, the industry with the highest rating was the package/express delivery service industry, with a score of 81, up from 79 last year. FedEx Corp. remains the leader, with a score of 83, but UPS  at 80, and USPS' package and express mail service, at 77, were not far behind. In fact, the postal service is steadily closing the service gap with FedEx; 10 years ago, it was 16 points behind.