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Postal News - March 2006

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TOP POSTAL STORY OF THE MONTH

March 28, 2006 - APWU to OIG: Postal Workers Have A 'Right To Remain Silent'

In recent correspondence between APWU and the USPS OIG, the parties disagreed on postal employees 'Right to Remain Silent'  if questioned by a U.S. Postal Inspector or OIG agent. '  David Williams,  USPS Inspector General wrote, "While noting an employee’s right to remain silent in criminal cases [Miranda Rights] , the General Counsel reminded officers that once “use immunity” has been provided to an employee, he or she no longer enjoys the right to remain silent.  APWU responded by saying in part, " [Weingarten Rights] postal employees always have the option to remain silent, and the option not to sign any forms or statements." More   |

 

March 21, 2006 - Former Oakland USPS District Manager Removal Update

The U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the "initial" decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board in the case of former Oakland district manager Kirby A. Faciane who was removed from the post al service for " unacceptable conduct and Interference with Investigation." Kirby was charged with "creating an actual or apparent conflict of interest by failing to disclose his relationship" with a female who was placed in an Acting Postmaster (OIC) position. PDF version of MSPB decision |

Federal Circuit Court Decision (PDF)  |

PostalReporter Receives Threatening E-Mail Regarding Faciane

 

March 14, 2006 - Appeals Court Upholds USPS Removal of Former Oakland District Manager - Kirby A. Faciane, former USPS District Manager for the Oakland (now Bay-Valley) District appealed his removal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). After MSPB sustained the charges and removal, Mr. Faciane appealed to the Federal Circuit of Appeals. The court found that the Postal Service proved its charges against Faciane and "The board properly considered the relevant evidence before it and did not abuse its discretion in making its credibility determinations." In short, the court affirmed Mr. Faciane's removal by the Postal Service and MSPB's decision upholding that removal |

 

March 16, 2006 - APX Logistics Shuts Down - USPS Moves to Take on Shipments Caught in Transit 
APX Logistics, the country's largest parcel consolidator, ceased operations on Thursday. One senior executive said majority owner Heritage Partners had decided the business should file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. USPS spokesman, Gerald McKiernan said the Postal Service is trying to arrange alternative providers but "in the meantime, the postal processing network will fill in the gaps. "APX says it handles about 250 million packages annually through the U.S. Postal Service - more than any other carrier - and operates more than 400 trucks out of 47 facilities nationwide that manage more than 200,000 truckloads a year.
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March 16, 2006 - Largest USPS Parcel Select Mailer to File for Chapter 11  “MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT has heard from several sources that third-party logistics provider APX Logistics will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection before the start of business March 16. Several sources confirm that the company will also no longer be serving the small parcel/small package business for the U.S. Postal Service. After midnight of March 15, the company will no longer process its small packages/small parcels. APX Logistics claims to be the USPS’s leading package partner and its largest Parcel Select mailer (last mile)." |

 

March 11, 2006 - APWU San Diego President Speaks Out On Rehab Employees - Updated 3/12/06 : submitted to Postal Reporter by San Diego Area Local President Rick Cornelius. "The National Reassessment Process (formally known as the Out Placement Pilot Program) reached a critical point of no return on 2-28-06 in San Diego. Twenty-seven (27) Clerk Craft employees had their rehabilitation job offers withdrawn, employee identification badges confiscated and escorted to the exit door by management. This Union was there to represent the rights of the Union Members during the process."  |

 

March 11, 2006 - Is Bush Clueless on Postal Reform?

Bush said recently  : "But there are things in that bill that are very important to the newspaper industry, and part of that is the funding that keeps rates fair -- because of some overpayment of military pensions -- that we don't think should be put on the taxpayers, the rate payers. So we'd ask your support on behalf of us... As you know, we do support postal reform. And as you accurately noted, we've got the process started, and we look forward to working with Congress on an acceptable bill. Frankly, this issue hasn't made it to my desk prior to me arriving at this meeting. I'm mindful of the bill. I need to know more about the particulars before I make you a commitment one way or the other.  |

 

March 11, 2006 - Management Issues Mandatory Mystery Shopper Scripts
According to Dennis Enderson, President, Denver Metro Area Local APWU, he was recently  provided a copy of a document distributed to window clerks called “Denver Post Office Mystery Shopper Script.” Apparently, management is instructing window clerks to read this script verbatim to each and every postal customer. The script walks the clerk through a process of attempting to persuade the customer to utilize more expensive delivery services and to purchase other postal products.

 

March 31, 2006 - Postal Service Shelves AMP Study of Centralia Processing Center

“The US Postal Service has placed a study of the possible consolidation of the Centralia (Illinois) mail processing center into the St. Louis distribution center on-hold indefinitely. Postal Service Spokesperson Mike Stancil says the Area Mail Processing study has been shelved until major changes are completed at the St. Louis facility. He says the St. Louis plant is undergoing technological and staff changes, and after those are completed, the study may be revisited. Stancil says the postal service will not pursue the study or make any changes unless they are beneficial to the mailing community. He says there is no time line for when the changes will be completed in St. Louis.” See USPS notification to APWU 12/5/05  |

 

March 31, 2006

Postal Service Prepares to Facilitate Absentee Ballot Delivery

Canada: Postal workers will fight Quebec closure despite agreement

 

March 31, 2006 - USPS Seeks NSA to Boost First Class Use
"Washington Mutual would get declining block rates for mailing volumes above certain thresholds of First Class Mail relating to the company's credit card products and credit services, the filing said. The discount threshold is set at 450 million pieces of mail for the first year. For example, the company would get a discount starting at 2 cents if it mails 450 million to 465 million First Class pieces that year. The case is unlike other NSAs in that the deal's economic value derives mainly from the higher volumes." -

- USPS Request (PDF) | PRC Docket   |

 

March 31, 2006 - Postal Worker Back on The Beat
"A Barron postal worker who drove his mail truck while drunk last summer came back to his mail route as of March 23, but he'll be covering his route on foot for months to come. Barron Postmistress Rhonda Olson said James A. Brown came back to work last Thursday. He will have to walk his city route because he lost his drivers license as part of his OWI conviction."  |

 

March 31, 2006

Elizabethtown Letter-Sorting Facility To Move To Louisville

Glade Park closes its post offices

Car crashes into post office after colliding with school bus

Police hook Postal Worker, two others in Tacoma mailbox ‘fishing’ plot

Wildwood postal clerk retiring after 20-year career
Postal Service: Call off the dogs, seriously

Lesson learned from APX bankruptcy
Cleaning up catalog spoilage
Transportation Infrastructure Failing the Nations, Says UPS CEO

 

March 30, 2006  - Wanted: Qualified USPS Board Nominees
Several recent nominees appear particularly suited to BOG tasks, ensuring that postal management tackles the right problems. Board chairman James C. Miller III seems particularly well positioned. In that light, let’s look at the two current board nominees: Mickey D. Barnett of New Mexico and Katherine C. Tobin of New York. The resumes for the two USPS board nominees show no involvement in postal, direct mail, printing or any industry related to the postal service. Can these nominees help direct the USPS in solving its critical problems, or have they been nominated to resolve an unrelated political problem?."   |

 

March 30, 2006  - PMG Agrees to Third Party Medical Review for Lyon

 " Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) announced that the Postmaster General's office had agreed to a third party medical review for Sergeant Jason Lyon. This comes after a March 22 letter to Postmaster General John Potter and phone calls to Deputy Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, requesting that the United States Postal Service (USPS) review Sergeant Lyon's case. Sergeant Jason Lyon is a member of the National Guard who served in Iraq for the U.S. Army. He has been denied an appointment to serve as a Mail Carrier in Western New York because of a sprained ankle received while serving in Iraq and which has subsequently healed.  While the U.S. military has deemed him fit for service, the USPS has not."  |

- Dept of Labor looking into whether USPS treated Lyon fairly under Vet hiring laws

 

March 30, 2006

Postal Bulletin 3/30/06 Issue

Let Olympia postmark go

Postal probe finds carrier didn't deliver

Employees say Sioux City move is a done deal

DM News' Deliver: Into the Mail Stream
DM News' Deliver: Undeliverable as Addressed Costs
DM News' Deliver: Tips on Preparing Mail
DM News' Deliver: Resources for Mailers 

 

March 29, 2006  - Some Mailers Complaining (Quietly) of Slow USPS Service

The U.S. Postal Service's efforts to modernize and cut costs apparently are resulting in sluggish catalog deliveries this spring. And although some mailers say that mail to the West Coast, New Mexico, and Texas has suffered the most, "you can't really define exactly what areas are being affected," says Gary LaBarre, distribution manager for Maple Grove, MN-based printing and production services provider Banta Catalog Group. LaBarre adds, "There have been rumblings from the West Coast that carriers are delivering mail as late as 11 p.m. In general, it's difficult to get a straight answer." Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one mailer says, "We're not sure if this is a process problem, union slowdown, or a combination of both, and the USPS has been slow to give a clear explanation."  |

 

March 29, 2006 - NALC pressing USPS on DOIS flaws, abuse (PDF)

The NALC is actively pursuing the national level grievance over the uses —and abuses—of the DOIS computer system, but top Postal Service managers are still dragging their feet on acting to address the system’s obvious flaws. “The Postal Service has been slow to respond—that’s about the nicest way I can put it,” NALC Director of City Delivery Fred Rolando said. “We’ve outlined all our issues and had several meetings to explain how to correct the problems. But management still doesn’t seem to get it.”   |

 

March 29, 2006 - Mail Carrier Has Worked  51 Years Without Calling-in Sick
"Human resources departments everywhere should study the DNA of mail carrier Bob “Iron Man” Bearor. The media went nuts a few years ago when the similarly nicknamed Cal Ripken Jr. played nearly 17 consecutive baseball seasons without missing a game. Not a bad work ethic. But it pales in comparison to the still active record of Bearor: 51 years without a sick day. The 69-year-old Bearor has not called in sick since sitting behind the wheel of his first mail truck at age 18. People like this simply do not exist."
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March 29, 2006 -  EL Paso: Solution To Mail Problems?
It is a problem that KFOX has been reporting over the last few weeks - slow mail delivery. Now, the Post Office says they are trying to do something about it. The Post Office, by way of a postcard, is telling some of its customers that they are making a serious effort to deal with the recent problems, and that is a welcome sign for many El Pasoans. Some say getting their mail has been as good as ever. The card describes that, by inspecting routes, they will find the areas with unusually high mail volumes and then make improvements. Many think that's a good idea. Mail Problems Continue In El Paso
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March 29, 2006

OPM Issues Warning about FEGLI scammers

Postal Service to 'Outsource' Retirement Counseling? Last year NALC reported the Postal Service was looking to make some changes in the way it handles individual retirement counseling for employees (news, 8/22/05). Now, according to APWU:  "It appears that the Postal Service's decision to consolidate personnel functions, including retirement counseling, into a Share Service will eliminate individual and/or group counseling."  |

Postal Worker, Family Found Fatally Shot In Suburban Home

Sioux City wins concessions on postal decision
Town asks for postal help
White Plains post office renamed after life-long city resident

DM News' Deliver: Video Professor Learns a Lesson in Mailing

Postal employee denies mail theft

 

March 28, 2006 - Postal Rate Commission Rejects USPS Proposal for Expedited Schedule in Consolidation Case - The ruling is a victory for the APWU, which opposed the fast-track timetable, and for citizens whose postal services will be negatively affected by changes to the USPS network. The expedited schedule proposed by the USPS would have prevented a meaningful examination of the effect of END on service, the APWU contended. Adherence to the Postal Service calendar also would have forced the commission to issue an advisory opinion on the consolidation plan based on an incomplete record. The Postal Service is required by law to seek an advisory opinion from the commission when it proposes to make changes in service that are national in scope.  |

 

March 28, 2006 -  Chemicals, Undelivered Mail Found at Home of Ex-Postal Worker

A city police officer noticing smoke coming from an illegal fire in a backyard led to officers finding barrels of chemicals and 34 boxes of undelivered mail. Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne said the mail appeared to be from about 2003, when Russell Meuth worked as a mail carrier in Brazoria.  |

 

March 28, 2006

U.S. Postal Service Earns Award for Marketing Research
Feds nab ex-postal worker who allegedly threatened judge's family
Congress Mired in Fluff

Postmaster halts curbside mailbox push
USPS Investigates Lufkin Mail Theft
USPS OIG Report: Efficiency of the Washington Bulk Mail Center (PDF)

There'll be 36 fewer places to mail letter in Jersey City

Canada: Postal worker's firing uncovers massive mail theft

 

March 27, 2006 - Vietnam War veteran who lost one arm worked as mail carrier for 22 years - Aloysius Henel Jr. worked as a mail carrier for 22 years, and he did his job without most of his right arm. He lost it in the Vietnam War. So, as you might expect, he has some strong feelings about the ability of injured war veterans to do hard work. Henel, of Cheektowaga, retired last month from the Postal Service at age 62. |

 

March 27, 2006 - APWU Asks Legislators to Support Public Input on USPS Consolidation - The APWU has asked key legislators to support language in the Senate version of postal reform legislation that would require the Postal Service to consider community input when contemplating consolidation of postal operations. The language, offered by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), was adopted by the Senate when it approved the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act on Feb. 9, 2006. Before decisions about network consolidation are finalized, Burrus wrote, “the USPS should be required to provide an opportunity for the citizens of the impacted areas to consider the effect of the consolidation plans on their lives and businesses, and given the opportunity to express reservations, if any.”  |

 

March 27, 2006 - Ask President Burrus

Question: Isn’t the USPS saying publicly that volumes are down? Isn’t it true, according to www.USPS.com, that: Total mail volumes have increased over the last few years; First-class volume was up .1 percent last year; The USPS paid off all of its debt; and,

Over the last three years the Postal Service made approximately $10 billion in revenue from operations?   |

 

March 27, 2006 -USPS to Exhibit New Mail Technology At National Postal Forum

 Generically known as a four-state barcode this development in technology will enable business mailers to sort and track up to a billion pieces of mail at a time as well as to more easily request special services, such as address correction and confirmation of delivery. The new technology will also enable the Postal Service to process and deliver mail more efficiently. USPS to boost package info  |

 

March 27, 2006 - Newspapers Spend Nearly $1B on USPS - The nation's daily newspapers spend nearly $1 billion yearly on services from the U.S. Postal Service, according to a national survey by the Newspaper Association of America. Daily newspapers spent more than $900 million in 2005 on postage for the delivery of First Class, Periodicals and Standard Mail compared with $700 million in 2002.  |

 

March 27, 2006 - Letter Carrier Placed on Paid Leave for Charges stemming from Teenage Son's House Party -Charles H. Taylor, 51, has been placed on paid administrative leave from his letter-carrier job at the Post Office in Wyckoff, said George Flood, a U.S. Postal Service spokesman, on Friday. Police filed numerous charges against Taylor and his wife - including 33 counts of endangering the welfare of children - stemming from a March 17 party at their home at which they were present. About 75 teenagers had gathered at the house after the couple's 15-year-old son invited them via a post to www.myspace.com, a Web site popular among teens, police said."   |

 

March 27, 2006

Study of Rockford mail facility will go forward
Postal Vehicles Damaged in Waukesha County
Postal Rate Commission Meeting on Personnel Issues

USPS Earns Customer Call Service Center Recognition from Purdue University
Jaffer:  'Setting the Record Straight'
Murder, Mayhem and Mail Order

Deliver: What Services are DHL, FedEx, UPS and USPS Working On?

Deliver: The Final Mile

 

March 26, 2006 - USPS VP Discuss Network Realignment, APPS at MTAC Meeting

"Facilities that primarily handle originating mail are subject to partial or full consolidation. Ten facilities have gone through AMP and forty more are in line for transition. The new network of ADCs will allow the Postal Service to move mail out of the air and onto ground transport, which is less costly and more reliable. BMC modernization will replace many of the old facilities built about 30 years ago. Rather than abandon the old buildings, they will be completely renovated and new equipment will be installed. There may be some temporary changes for employees and mailers during this process." |

 

March 26, 2006 - USPS OIG Report: Postal Service Actions to Safeguard Employees From Hurricanes (PDF) -"We concluded the Postal Service took appropriate actions as described in the Integrated Emergency Response Plans and supplemental hurricane plans related to effective notification to employees prior to Katrina's landfall. As a result, Postal Service employees were safeguarded and there were no reported injuries to employees prior to Katrina's landfall. We commend the Postal Service for its efforts-The Southwest Area vice president also stated the OIG report was accurate and that he noted the New Orleans American Postal Workers Union president was not personally contacted regarding efforts to safeguard employees prior to hurricanes. "

Emergency Purchasing in Response to Hurricanes (PDF) |

 

March 26, 2006 - $2,900 In Cash Stolen From Neal Bay Post Office
U.S. Postal Service inspectors are investigating the theft of $2,900 from a drawer at the Neah Bay post office  (Washington state ) on Friday afternoon. A clerk at the post office last saw the cash about 11:30 a.m. before the post office closed for lunch, said Neah Bay Police Officer Earnest Grimes. ``When they opened the drawer again, the money was gone,'' Grimes said. The thief is believed to have jumped the counter and grabbed the bundle of bills, Grimes said. 
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March 26, 2006 - Going postal: Kingston leaders, preservation group angry about new curbside mailboxes -The Postal Service announced the program in 2004. At the time, officials said it was part of a plan to allow letter carriers to complete their increasingly longer delivery routes without having to trudge the streets in the elements. In part, the motivation for the change is that e-mail, online bill paying and other Internet services have taken business away from the Postal Service, and street delivery routes are taking longer to complete.  |

 

March 26, 2006

Stamps, serving as doorways to history

Editorial: Postal Service sends bad news

Kindness, a postal worker, and a soldier far from home
Good, bad news often delivered online
Post office toasts USPS Web site, new automatic doors

 

March 25, 2006 - Realignment shifts Carolinas, Arizona, Nevada-Sierra Districts
Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer Pat Donahoe announced an organizational realignment that will transfer administration of the Arizona and Nevada-Sierra Districts from the Pacific Area to the Western Area and the Carolinas from the Eastern Area to Capital Metro. The change will be effective April 1.
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March 25, 2006 - USPS technology not expected to affect new post office proposal
"This technology is expected to dramatically reduce the size of post offices from which carriers operate. "This includes Kodiak," Hunter Roop, in charge of real estate planning for the U.S. Postal Service in Denver, said Thursday. Roop said the postal service anticipates bringing into service in 2008 new flat mail sorting machines. The machines will "delivery-sequence" all mail except packages at the processing centers, so the mail arrives at the destination post office already sorted. The mail will then be delivered in sequence according to individual mail routes at any given post office. |

 

March 25, 2006 -  Home Is Where The Mailbox Is

Post Office's General Delivery Service Gives Homeless Identity -   To most people Ronald Crawford is just another bum, taking up a perfectly good seat in the subway station he calls home. But Crawford says he will never be completely forgotten, thanks to a very small window at the very back of New York's main post office. It's called general delivery. "I get garbage mail," Crawford says. The only difference is that Crawford doesn't mind in the least the junk mail he receives. "I have something with my name on it and I'm recognized. You know, so I kind of appreciate it," he says. In New York City alone, 7,500 homeless people use general delivery. |

 

March 25, 2006

e-NAPUS: Postmasters Master the Hill (PDF)
Disability cheat to serve prison time

 

March 24, 2006- Santa Fe Post office recruiting part-time mail carriers

Santa Fe's (New Mexico) post office is hiring part-time rural mail carriers to fill in for regular carriers on Saturdays, sick days and vacations, a flier distributed by mail in the Santa Fe area says. This marks the Postal Service's first round of hirings since it promised in January to hire more employees, and bringing on part-timers is the quickest way to get more people moving mail, said Jude McCartin, spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said.  |

 

March 24, 2006 - Why (And How) The Postal Service Must Bring Costs Under Control - by Charles Guy, PH.D - Recent productivity increases were based largely on labor attrition. That is, while union contracts bar the USPS from laying off employees, the Postmaster General was able to shrink the workforce by encouraging voluntary retirement and not to replace departing workers. With that tactic already maximized, future productivity increases may be much harder to achieve. That means the USPS must consider new ways of reining in costs. To do so, it will first have to make its case to labor unions (and also the public). One obvious strategy is to try to achieve – either by settlement with labor unions or through arbitration – a reduction in the rate of wage increases and a removal of no-layoff provisions.  |

 

March 24, 2006 - Maintenance Position Upgrades

As of March 18, 2006, approximately 500 maintenance employees who occupy duty assignments as Carpenters; Letter Box Mechanics; Maintenance Electricians; Painters, Plumbers, and Welders are being paid at the PS-7 level. Also effective March 18, 2006 more than 3,300 former Level 5 Maintenance Mechanics are now being paid at PS-6. See: Implementation of Maintenance Upgrades MOU 3/16/06[PDF]   |

 

March 24, 2006

USPS BOG Approves Parcel Return Service, Repositionable Notes

Bug powder forces Fort Myers mail center evacuation
Employee Organizations Issue Joint Letter on Postal Reform

Postal Service Conducting Survey in Bryan, TX

Goleta Post Office Offers Help After January Shooting

The Little Post Office That Could

Bloody Mail Investigated
USPS Accepting APX Logistics Packages
The mail must go through - except to his house

USPS February 2006 Financial & Operating Statements

 

March 23, 2006 - Congressman Intervenes on Behalf of Vet Rejected for Letter Carrier Job - He's getting national attention and support from people in high places. But so far, decorated military veteran Jason R. Lyon is having no luck in his quest to become a mail carrier. Now a congressman wants the Postal Service to reconsider its decision to deny a mail carrier's job to Lyon. Rep. Brian M. Higgins, D-Buffalo, sent a letter Wednesday to PMG John E. Potter asking him to take a second look at Lyon's case. "Karen L. Mazurkiewicz, spokeswoman for the USPS Western New York district said, "We have to be fair, not only to him, but to others who have been turned down for mail carrier jobs for similar reasons.   |

 - Fit for warfare but not for mail duty | USPS rejects Iraq veteran cleared for military duty

 

March 23, 2006

Mail call is changing for New Orleans residents

Businesspeople talk mail

Leaders break ground for post office
Olympia Postal Workers protests plan to transfer Tumwater duties

Stamp this idea ‘bad’

Letter: Postal service manipulates message on plan to shift mail
Military Vet/Postal Worker is 'Hometown Hero'

Fort Myers Mail distribution center evacuated

 

March 22, 2006

Mail found strewn across delivery routes

Postage stamps stolen in break

 

March 21, 2006 - USPS, NALC & NRLCA Sign MOU On New City vs. Rural Delivery Disputes

 The National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, and the Postal Service have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the processing of new city/rural grievances. Any settlements at Step A (city) or Step 1 or 2 (rural) that would result in the reassignment or assignment of deliveries require the agreement of authorized representatives of all three parties at that level. Additionally, if a grievance is appealed to Step B (city) or Step 3 (rural), the representatives at that level will ensure the file is properly developed and documented, and forward the file along with their supported recommendations to the national level for review by the national city/rural committee. The memorandum will expire in one year if not extended by the parties. also Delivery Redesign Cases Resolved |

 

March 21, 2006 - Fit for warfare but not for mail duty -
"While Sgt. Jason R. Lyon was serving with the Army in Iraq, he suffered a sprained ankle when he jumped off a Humvee. He also nearly had his head blown off by a roadside bomb that killed three of his friends. After extensive medical treatment and physical therapy, military doctors have certified the Hamburg serviceman physically fit to return to combat duty in Iraq. But the U.S. Postal Service says he is physically unfit to deliver mail." Lyon still could pursue a position as a mail clerk or custodian and receive hiring preference - US Postal Service rejects Iraq veteran cleared for military duty |

 

March 21, 2006

Chicago: Charges filed in slaying of postal worker
Heavy Snow Impacting Mail Service

Albuquerque: Postal Staffing Shortage Blamed

Anchorage Airport post office's all-night hours may be cut

Man Upset With Service Allegedly Beats Mailman | Two accused in attack
PRC Issues Recommended Decision on RPN Test

Niles Post Office commits to safety

Crescent Lake presses for new post office
Bi-lingual post office opens in Memphis
New Orleans: USPS problems continue to perplex
Rural post offices deliver more than mail

Inconvenienced customers ready to go postal

 

March 20, 2006 - Mail carrier forced to strip at gunpoint

From Khou-TV 11 : "Police were called to the 6600 block of Park Lane in southeast Houston Monday afternoon where a mail carrier was allegedly forced to strip at gunpoint. One suspect waited in a vehicle while two others allegedly approached the male postal worker with a rifle and ordered him to remove all of his clothing. The suspects fled the scene with the man’s clothes after a neighbor saw the confrontation and asked what was going on. The neighbor called 911 and provided the nude man with some of her husband’s clothes." Postal carrier robbed of his clothes in bizarre attack  (see video of carrier) |

 

 

March 20, 2006

USPS Hits Homerun With Unveiling of Baseball Sluggers Stamps

In Alabama hamlets, the post office delivers more than the mail

Mojave Mail Processing Operations Now in Bakersfield GMF

Deutsche Post Says Monopoly Loss Won't Lower Profit
 

March 20, 2006 - Minneapolis Postal Workers Reduce Ergonomic Injuries -"Thanks to the leadership of an employee-run Ergonomic Risk Reduction Process team, reported injuries at the Minneapolis U.S. Postal Service plant have decreased dramatically, the American Postal Workers Union reports. Preliminary statistics show that muscle skeletal disorders have been reduced 28 percent and reportable injuries are down 21 percent. Lifting/handling injuries are down 48 percent. "  |

 

March 20, 2006 - Out of sorts at Post Office plan

"Members of the New York Metro Area Postal Union and the Bronx Coalition to Save Our Post Offices have scheduled a rally for today outside the Bronx General Post Office, where they expect to hand over a petition containing thousands of signatures to Rep. Jose Serrano (D-South Bronx) in their efforts to halt the closings. The rally is in response to what organizers called an advisory by the U.S. Postal Service calling for the consolidation of mail processing from the Bronx into Manhattan, similar to moves already made across the country. The union says that as many as 2,000 workers could be affected, but Postal Service spokeswoman Pat McGovern said that was a "gross exaggeration," calling the number "closer to 500."   |

- Olympia: USPS Consolidation Plans to Benefit Big Mailers - Info Picket on 3/22

 

March 20, 2006 - Postal Service uses Intelligrated for Conveyor Systems
Intelligrated Inc.'s reputation for devising superior conveyor systems surely helped when the U.S. Postal Service wanted to upgrade conveyors and mail sorting at hundreds of post offices. In Ohio, post offices in Cincinnati, Dayton and Cleveland will be upgraded with the equipment. In all, 210 post offices in 48 states are being upgraded

 

March 20, 2006

Parcel Consolidators Rush to Fill Void Left By APX Bankruptcy Filing

Hawaii: Some post offices on Kauai closed due to dam break
New 'Crops of the Americas' Stamps
'Mailing Online' Goes Global
Canada Post: 'Try Operation Honesty'

 

March 19, 2006 - Ooops — Candidate contrite about flouting postal law - A buck may not be worth much these days, but 23 cents is still enough to tilt a playing field -- at least in politics. That’s a lesson George Sergi, candidate for the Parks and Recreation Commission, learned the hard way this week when his campaign fliers -- missing the required postage -- turned up in residential mailboxes. Someone complained, the postmaster gave Sergi a primer in postal law, and word of Sergi’s slip quickly got around town. Actually, Sergi’s oversight -- hand-delivering materials without postage -- is fairly common, says Bob Boiselle, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service. It is also illegal

 

March 19, 2006

Five arrested in postal scam involving bogus checks, stamps
Postal Service may allow stamps with advertising

Plans for post office must wait - funds diverted to Gulf Coast
Elderly are warned on mail scam
Bypass mail: end of an era?

 

March 18, 2006 - USPS Contracting Out Custodial Services?

USPS is seeking vendors  to manage janitorial services in 48 states “with the possibility of future needs in landscape, snow removal and misc. building services .” Several Postal Reporter readers expressed concern that USPS may be considering contracting out custodial services. |

 

March 18, 2006

After a Loss, Prayers, Cards and . . . Junk Mail?

Crescent Lake residents plead for their post office
Traveling mail dog leaves his stamp on postal history

 

March 18, 2006 - Postal Unions, Postmaster and Supervisor Groups Send Letter to Senator Collins -  "In a letter to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chairman Susan Collins , National Association of Letter Carriers president William Young and American Postal Workers Union president William Burrus asked the senator and her conference colleagues to: (1) repeal the CSRS escrow fund, (2) return the Postal Service's military retirement obligation back to the Treasury, (3) adopt the looser House language that permits the Postal Service to exceed the inflation-based rate cap, and (4) adopt the Senate language that would permit the USPS to "bank" unused rate setting authority.  |

 

March 17, 2006 - NAPUS: Postal Officials Halt Test Allowing Postmaster to Manage, Work Two Post Offices - "Postal officials also responded to an experimental process in the Southwest Area which tested a program to allow a Postmaster to work in and manage two post offices at the same time. The Area has halted the test and NAPUS has informed USPS Headquarters that we object to such a practice, mainly because it’s detrimental to customer service."  |

 

March 17, 2006 - Postal Service Honors 93 Mansfield Carriers
A total of 93 carriers received recognition for driving efforts in a ceremony Thursday morning at the Mansfield Post office. Mansfield Postmaster Randy Ballard presented the local letter carriers with awards for their safe driving efforts in conjunction with the National Safety Council's Safe Driving Award Program

 

March 17, 2006 

Postal case nets man house arrest

 

March 16, 2006 - Mail delivery practices unchanged after Supreme Court ruling
"The U.S. Postal Service will not change its mail delivery practices following the February Supreme Court decision that allows a woman to sue the agency after she said she was injured when she tripped and fell over mail left on her porch. After the ruling, the Postal Service reviewed its regulations regarding when mail and packages can be left outside and decided against changing them. Supervisors will remind letter carriers of the policies during “stand-up talks” — or instructions — at the beginning of each shift."
Dolan, Barbara v. U.S. Postal Service, et al
|

 

March 16, 2006 - Deafness invalidates confession of Postal Worker in murder case
A deaf woman's recorded statement to police in which she admits stabbing to death her boyfriend was thrown out of court because Roseville police failed to make certain she understood her Miranda warning rights. Her defense attorney, Robert Buschmohle, called the ruling a victory not only for his client but for deaf people in general. McBride and her boyfriend worked the same shift at a branch of the U.S. Postal Service.
 |

 

March 16, 2006 - Mailman Helps Save 10-year-old Girl's Life using CPR - What could have been a tragic event on the school playground turned into a lifesaving rescue. The quick thinking and skill of a postal worker  is making him a hero at Creighton Elementary School in Philly .   |

 

March 16, 2006 - Customer: Postal Service may need to address pressure Sales Tactics -"On Aug. 17, 2005, in my letter to The Gazette ("U.S. Postal Service - Inc?") I pointed out how the Germantown post office repeatedly barrages postal patrons with pressure sales tactics. That facility still hasn't learned that it needs to be a service, instead. When I went there on March 9 to mail a package by media mail, the clerk started the barrage again, with the following scenario..."   |

- Management Issues Mandatory Mystery Shopper Scripts

 

March 16, 2006 - City Letter Carrier Operations Detroit District (PDF)

In part the audit revealed that "supervisors and managers did not always properly track and document letter carriers unauthorized overtime and take corrective action to manage overtime issues" . Delivery operations constitute 46 percent of the workhours in the FY 2006 field operating budget; (chart for mail processing and other all operations) these workhours are mainly attributable to office and street workhours. Salary and benefits for rural and city carriers totaled approximately $22 billion.   |

 

March 16, 2006

Postal Bulletin: Reductions in Grade, RIF Competitive Areas, TSP, more..

New Postal Machines Prompt BPM Rule

Calabasas goes postal over mail delays

Postal worker pleads guilty to mail theft, workers' comp fraud
ASP Graduates earn position of associate supervisor
Building to be renamed for slain postal worker
'Change of Address' System Causing ID Theft?
'Mailing Online' Goes Global

More Mail Delivery Delays In El Paso
USPS knew for year that lease was over
Union Rips Canada Post on Secrecy

Canada: Postal Workers Deliver Ultimatum over Transparency

Postal worker pleads guilty to stealing mail

Designer Mailboxes Add Curb Appeal

Postal parakeets that livened up Watchung Memorial Post Office banned
Wenham Post Office is 5-star

Georgetown Post Office is 5-star

Write Grandma a What?

 

March 15, 2006

Now That's First Class: Postal Workers rescue mail from river  |
NPMHU, USPS Sign New MOU for Mail Handlers Impacted by Hurricane Katrina

Car rams into Cranberry post office
FDR put his stamp on Poughkeepsie's post office
Blogger gives dark secrets the first-class treatment
 

March 14, 2006 - USPS Seeking to Reduce Service as Part of Consolidation Plan

 - by Clint Burleson Olympia, WA APWU President. "In order to get around the likelihood that a service reduction would violate the Postal Reorganization Act, the Postal Service is arguing that requirements in the Postal Reorganization Act for prompt service must be balanced with instructions to be economical.   However, if the Olympia consolidation plan is any indication, the public will lose service and have higher costs. Despite the upcoming Postal Rate Commission hearing and the Postal Service’s stated desire to “request an advisory opinion before implementing the service changes,” the Postal Service still plans on beginning the transfer of the Olympia outgoing mail to Tacoma on April 3rd, 2006 and to have at least ten consolidations across the country completed by June of 2006.  |

 

March 14, 2006 -  From Ask President Burrus
Question: "What caused the three major postal unions to break away from each other during contract negotiations?"  |

 

March 14, 2006 - Postal Service's future depends on ability to adapt
 It's more than understandable why postal deliveries in New Orleans are a months-long endeavor. It's certainly difficult to get mail to folks when not only the routes but the addresses have been wiped out - literally. But why do such problems persist in our high-and-dry region? Complaints have been coming in to local postal offices and to congressional representatives from patrons who report lost mail, no delivery or week-long waits. The most common complaint has been that mail is delivered after dark, sometimes as late as 10 p.m. No one seems able or willing to state a cause. A little honesty needs to come first before local postmasters begin reassessing routes. What are they reassessing? Are routes too large for one carrier? That would seem to be the case with delivery coming after sundown. Is it lack of personnel?
  |

 

March 14, 2006

A Cure for Sick Leave?  |

USPS Board of Governors to Meet March 22-23 in Washington DC
Judge tosses gun suit in letter carrier's shooting
Gasoline thefts at post office puzzling
Lawmakers stress openness in postal decision
Postal Convoy Says Goodbye
GAO: Agency public information centers should stress accuracy
Residents want no postal changes
Katrina Continues to Test Mail Deliveries | photos

 

March 13, 2006 - Mail Use Grows Despite Rate Increase

"Two months after a postal rate increase that averaged 5.4 percent across the board, direct mail quantities have not declined and, in some cases, they're even on the rise, according to several mailing services companies. The U.S. Postal Service, however, says Standard mail volume is growing but is weaker than officials expected. From Oct. 1 to Jan. 31, the USPS planned for a Standard mail increase of 4.7 percent, but the actual increase was 1.5 percent. However, mailers are turning their attention to the next rate case, which likely will be filed this spring. USPS board chairman James C. Miller has said to anticipate a mid-single-digit increase in 2007. Others fear it may be higher. For example, all of the postal union and management association contracts expire in 2006, which could influence rates in 2007 and beyond."|

 

March 13, 2006 - White House Taps 2 for Postal Board
"The mailing community expressed relief as the White House moved to restock the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors with two nominations this month. Mickey D. Barnett, a managing partner at Barnett Law Firm, Albuquerque, NM, was nominated for a term expiring Dec. 8, 2013. Katherine C. Tobin of Hartsdale, NY, was nominated for a term expiring Dec. 8, 2012, replacing David Fineman, who retired in December 2004. She has more than 15 years of market research experience working for Hewlett-Packard Co.; Catalyst, a nonprofit research and advisory organization dedicated to women's advancement in business; and as a consultant to IBM Corp."

 

March 13, 2006 - New Test Expected to Allow Commercial Images on Customized Postage

"Stamps.com today announced that the U.S. Postal Service has notified the public of a new market test for customized postage that is expected to begin later this month or next month, and is expected to continue for a period of two years. In addition, beginning with this new market test, the U.S. Postal Service is expected to lift the restriction on business advertising on customized postage, which has been in place since the second market test began in May 2005. Stamps.com plans to participate in the new market test with its PhotoStamps(R) product, and will begin marketing PhotoStamps for business use as soon as the business advertising restriction is lifted." See Federal Register Notice

 

March 13, 2006

Stockton postal worker returns home from Iraq

Postal History among questions in 10th grade assessment test

White House Taps Two for Postal Board - More info on Katherine Tobin
USPS.com  Selects Firm For Design Overhaul
PRC: Make Parcel Return Service Permanent

 

March 12, 2006 - Postal workers haunted by memories of terrible night
"Ray Inda knew someone would get around to asking him what happened that tragic night in Goleta, so he carefully wrote down what he remembered and put the note in his wallet. For the first time, several postal workers who were working that night and witnessed the attack talked about the emotional trauma, their struggles to return normalcy to their lives and their recollections of the horror they saw and heard on the night of Jan. 30."
|

 

March 12, 2006 - Mail delivery outcry - Bulk-rate items arrive too late

"Delays in El Paso's standard-class mail delivery service that are affecting some merchants have drawn scrutiny from the office of U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes and prompted the U.S. Postal Service to hire temporary workers. Though Postal Service officials say a nationwide spike in service has yielded a backlog of only bulk-rate mail in El Paso, several employees of the city's main post office said the delays are due to a startling shortage of staff and are also affecting some second-class mail service. The Postal Service in El Paso "has made a self-declaration of the delays. They have to do that to hire temporary workers," Brock said. "We've been told that they will keep the (temporary workers) on staff until things are clear."  |

 

March 12, 2006 - Press Release : Upcoming Women's Labor Union And Activists Summer School - "The Evergreen State College Labor Center is hosting its 16 annual Summer School for Union Women and Community Activists from June 28 - July 2, 2006 in Olympia, Washington. This year the school’s theme is Women Bringing It Back Together: Building Alliances between Union and Community Activists to Realize Our Goals Locally and Globally. The Summer School is a unique leadership program that helps women light their passion and find their voice in the labor movement."

 

March 12, 2006

Teen On Motorbike Killed In Crash With Postal Truck
Hold tight Monroe, postal help is on the way

Stamp of approval

Postal workers find haven in tiny town

 

March 11, 2006 - Ex-Bush Adviser on Postal Reform Legislation Arrested in 'Theft Scheme' -

"Claude A. Allen, former White House head of domestic policy council was arrested Thursday by police in Montgomery County, Md., for allegedly claiming refunds for more than $5,000 worth of merchandise he did not buy, according to county and federal authorities. He had been under investigation since at least January for alleged thefts on 25 occasions at Target and Hecht's stores." Allen resigned on February 8th, 2006 . In 1984 Allen was a press aide to former Sen. Jesse Helms |

 

March 11, 2006

Mail artist use postal system as medium while avoiding envelope

Postal Carriers receive Award for helping Blind and Physically Handicapped

Postal carrier delivers life back to elderly man
Mason City Residents Remember Postal Worker
Grenade Found At Kennedy Airport by Postal Worker

Mason City Residents Remember Postal Worker
e-NAPUS: Absence of Conferees Does Not Deter Talks (PDF)

Bomb blows up mailbox

 

March 10, 2006 - APWU National Executive Board Acts to Fight Consolidation
Dues Assessment Approved to Help Pay for Ad Campaigns -
Vowing to do “everything in our power to thwart the Postal Service’s network realignment plan,” the union’s National Executive Board has voted to approve a $5 dues assessment. Spread out over two pay periods, the assessment will help pay for an advertising campaign designed to make the public more aware of the expected negative changes. “The plan was created without any input from the American people whose mail service will deteriorate,” said APWU President William Burrus.
 |

 

March 10, 2006 -  Lawmakers Target Postal Service on Tobacco Shipments
Bill would ban shipping tobacco through U.S. mail- The U.S. Postal Service is not doing enough to halt the illegal shipment of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco across the country, Sen. Charles Schumer charged Friday. Schumer, joined by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, said he will introduce legislation next week in the Senate that will impose fines of at least $1,000 per offense and possible jail time for anyone convicted of mailing cigarettes through the Postal Service. Gerry McKiernan, a spokesman for the Postal Service, said that in areas of the country that are known shipping points for tobacco, window clerks have been directed to ask customers if their package contains cigarettes and whether the appropriate taxes have been paid
 |

 

March 10, 2006 - Top USPS Contractors for FY 2005 (PDF)
FedEx Is Again USPS’s Largest Supplier
- "Wickwire Gavin, P.C. Postal Industry Practice Group announced the Top Ten U.S. Postal Service Contractors for Fiscal Year 2005. Ironically, FedEx – one of the Postal Service’s main competitors – takes the top supplier spot for the third year in a row. FedEx transports Express, Priority, and First Class Mail, earning postal revenues of $1.36 billion – triple the amount of the next largest supplier. David Hendel, the firm’s Postal Industry Practice Group leader noted that the agency’s focus on reducing purchasing expenditures seems to have increased the revenues." Top Ten USPS Suppliers in FY 2005 (PDF)  |

 

March 10, 2006 - Postal Service Deals With Mail Backups - Post Office Employees Petition Lawmakers - Another employee familiar with the system at the U.S. Postal Service in El Paso, TX. says the problem with backed-up mail is very real and says unless lawmakers get involved, the public will see only more problems with their mail. - I-Team looks into alleged delays in El Paso mail delivery  |

 

March 10, 2006  - Input on Postal Service Sought - Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) has asked for an inquiry by the Committee on Government Reform into the U.S. Postal System's service delivery. Dreier is requesting the investigation based on several complaints from his constituents and small business owners in his district, including La Cañada Flintridge, according to a letter written to the committee's chairman, Rep. Thomas Davis III (R-Virginia).

 

March 10, 2006

Raw Story: More on Abramoff clients MPA, Pitney Bowes (scroll down for story)

NAPUS: Work Service Credits Are Getting a Close Look

Letter: Passport problem reveals quality of postal workers

Postal workers will pause to honor one of their own

Fog, ice blamed for fatal accident that killed Postal Worker

Mailman Who Called Police Says He Was "...Just Doing His Job."

Clarksburg City Postmaster Under Investigation
New Jersey man admits to armed robbery, theft of post offices

Sticky substance in mailboxes prompts postal investigation

150th  Anniversary of  Mail Carrier  on Skis 'Snowshoe' Thompson Celebrated

 

March 09, 2006 - USPS Orders Removal Of Memorial To 4 N.J. Shooting Victims -"The U.S. Postal Service has ordered a post office near where four people were killed in a postal substation to remove a memorial to the victims, saying the space was needed to help sell more items. Alan Meyers, a window clerk who has run the post office in the Watchung Plaza since it opened 10 years ago, for years has tended the plants dropped off by customers in memory of the shooting victims. But the plants are now gone as part of a nationwide "retail standardization" by the Postal Service." |

 

March 09, 2006 - Montpelier post office sports five stars -

Having heard of five-star hotels and five-star resorts, get ready for a five-star post office. The Montpelier Post Office recently earned a five-star rating as part of the Postal Service’s new 5 Star Customer Service Program. Ratings are based on surveys by the Gallup Organization. The Gallup Organization surveys USPS customers, asking them to rate the local post offices on efficiency, accuracy of delivery, consistency of delivery and wait time-in-line. The post office will have a new sign for its door and all employees receive lapel pins in recognition of the rating. |

 

March 09, 2006 - Study to Possibly Reroute Mail From The Bronx To Manhattan Draws Union's Ire - Bronx mail is about to be rerouted to Manhattan as part of a U.S. Postal Service study, but union members say the plans are flawed. Union leaders fear the study could mean plant closures, and ultimately the loss and relocation of jobs. "We know that the postal service's intention is to make the service worse by saving money," said New York Metro APWU President Clarice Torrence. A spokeswoman from the USPS says consolidation is not a foregone conclusion, and that the union is reacting too soon. |

 - Rockford, Ill -  Letter: Mail move doesn’t add up

 

March 09, 2006 - Panel Rejects Proposal to Reinstate USPS Paralegal to State Bar

A Northern California lawyer who resigned from the State Bar 13 years ago rather than face misconduct charges allegedly stemming from alcohol and gambling addiction should not be reinstated at the present time, the State Bar Court Review Department has concluded. He now works for the Postal Service’s legal department as a paralegal.   |

 

March 09, 2006

Ben Franklin Award Presented to Florida Postmaster

They call him the singing postman -  It's a nickname Postmaster has earned

15 major federal employee groups oppose adding Real Estate Fund to TSP

Theft of $362.54 proves costly for ex-postmaster

Mailbox Madness

Postcom compiles state list of do not mail legislation
Pileup of problems speeds postmaster's departure

Targetbase: CMOs Say Mail is Top Channel

 

March 08, 2006 - Post office fails to hire more workers
"Postal Service officials have said they plan to increase the number of employees in Santa Fe's post offices after receiving hundreds of complaints about late and missing mail in January. But records show the officials would likely be replacing positions eliminated in 2003. The number of employees in Santa Fe's post offices decreased by 10 percent in 2003, according to a letter from Jane Eyre, manager of the Postal Service’s records office in Washington, D.C. The Postal Service has eliminated about 80,000 jobs nationwide since 2001 as a result of increases in productivity and better technology."  |

 

March 08, 2006 - Congressman Opposes Postal Facility Move
"Ninth District U.S. Rep. Mike Sodrel has weighed in on the fight to keep 474-area ZIP code mail processing in Bloomington instead of being shifted to Indianapolis. Sodrel released copies of letters he wrote to U.S. Postal Service Indianapolis district manager Charles Howe and acting district manager Kelvin Mack in Chicago. Sodrel wrote that shifting the operation to Indianapolis would add at least an hour and 45 minutes of transit time to mail processing. He argued that would be less efficient and would add to transportation and fuel costs." |

APWU: Public Supports Workers’ Efforts to Preserve Service, Postmarks, Jobs

 

March 08, 2006 - Music Service to Offer CD Swapping Through the Mail

A new music sharing service, set to launch in July, plans to capitalize on that fact by offering customers the ability to swap real CDs rather than files. Dubbed Lala Media , the company will encourage users to trade CDs they own for CDs they want at a cost of $1 plus a 49-cent shipping and handling fee. Lala facilitates the transaction and provides prepaid envelopes to CD traders. The company's use of the postal service mirrors the way Netflix sends its customers rental DVDs.  |

 

March 08, 2006

Illinois postal worker indicted for OWCP Fraud
PostCom: Argument for Contingency-Free Rate Case
City sends postal plea to Washington DC

Borough wants bypass mail changes slowed

 

March 07, 2006 - Mail Delays Uncovered
"An employee from El Paso's Postal Distribution Center talked exclusively to KFOX and said mail is piling up untouched at the main post office and some of it's been there for over a week. It's a problem also affecting all El Paso post offices. "They're missing statements, checks, they're several things that they are missing," says the employee from the Boeing Post Office. According to him the complaints of missing mail are on the rise and he says the problem stems from the city's main distribution center. Since he is still an employee there he would like to stay anonymous. "If you go into the plant right now, you'll see the wire containers full of mail just sitting there waiting to be process," he says."  |

 

March 07, 2006 - Over 20 Injured on Duty Workers Escorted Out of San Diego Postal Facility?? According to a PostalReporter reader 12 clerks and mail handlers were escorted out of the San Diego [Calif.] Postal Plant for refusing to sign limited duty job offers. Also, " Just a note from San Diego, Ca. I'm an injured carrier from 2002, which was sent to CFS right away in a limited duty status as a carrier. OK. So last week, I had a meeting with this pilot program that they are doing here with all injured workers that have reached P&S, MMI status. I was told they have NO WORK FOR ME and several other carriers too. We were referred over to OWCP/DOL and escorted out of the building and our badges taken away from us. At our main plant last week, 24 employees (clerks) were also escorted off the job. I can't believe they are doing this to us."   |

 

March 07, 2006 - Twenty-Five Toledo Postal Workers Overcome by Fumes- The Summit Street Post Office in Toledo, Ohio is closed Tuesday as emergency crews respond to 25 postal workers overcome by fumes. Fire fighters are on the scene and a hazardous materials unit is set up to process those who've been exposed to the so-far unidentified substance. Early reports say it may be a chemical leak or perhaps fumes from a diesel mixture. Because the facility is a US Post Office, the situation is being handled according to Homeland Security protocol.  |

 

March 07, 2006

Food Retailer HR Executive Joins USPS HR Team

Group asks for support against post office proposal

Postal carrier delivers help

On the trail of 'snail mail'
Singing the P.O. box blues
Domestic postal traffic carried by airlines sinks deeper

Australia Post office to deliver digitally

 

March 06, 2006 - Fight to save post office is also fight to save town
"Most people here are assuming the worst: that the U.S. Postal Service won't keep the Dougherty post office open just to serve the 22 P.O. boxes in the lobby and to sell stamps. It's a fear shared by small towns across the country. They worry that losing the post office will hasten their hometowns' demise, because people who need to buy stamps or mail a package while running errands could decide to shop elsewhere. In the past two years, 222 post offices have closed." |

Post Office Controversy in Maryland Community

 

March 06, 2006

USPS Tightens Rules for Bundles
USPS: Catalog Forwarding Draws Big Response

Postal boxes test limits of creativity, craftsmanship
Call For Mail Art - The First International April Fool's Day Mail Art Exhibition

AOL backs down after pay-for-email criticism

 

March 05, 2006 - Jennifer San Marco: Portrait of a killer

"Mass murderer Jennifer San Marco kept a diary of disputes with people, more than a hundred pages long, meticulously documenting slights and petty offenses against her that may have fueled her Goleta [postal] shooting spree, the News-Press has learned. Although the details of the journal have not been released, investigators who have reviewed it said it offers the clearest motive yet for the disturbed 44-year-old's decision to kill seven people before taking her own life on Jan. 30."  |

 

March 05, 2006 - Postal Carrier Shot While Delivering Mail
A Florida mail carrier was shot in the wrist Saturday afternoon while delivering mail in an apartment complex on a route she recently took over, police and a city official said. Police did not release identification of the victim, but City Commissioner Don Garrett identified her as Patty Mcleod of Lake Harbor, who has worked for the Belle Glade post office for about 15 years. Mcleod was delivering mail at the Glades Glen apartment complex around 1 p.m. when she heard a loud bang, then realized she was shot, police said. A maintenance man drove her in her mail truck to Glades General Hospital. Police did not know the motive behind the shooting and did not have any suspects Saturday night.
[scroll down for story ] New Jersey postal worker shot while on his route - A postal worker is recovering after two burglars shot him while he was delivering mail in East Orange [New Jersey] . Police say the postman interrupted a burglary on Saturday. Authorities say the postal worker and suspects got into a scuffle that ended with the worker being shot in the leg.|

 

March 05, 2006 - How Not to Reform Government [doc]

Murray Comarow via Postcom.org - "There exists a government agency that employs almost three-fourths of a million people. It is vital to the existence of thousands of private sector enterprises that employ some nine million workers. It represents over eight percent of the national economy. It touches virtually every home and business every day. It is the U.S. Postal Service, and it is in big trouble, largely due to external forces. Few Americans know that. The Congress and the White House know it and are about to make things worse, as they did in creating the Department of Homeland Security and “reforming” the Internal Revenue Service. Postal competitors such as the United Parcel Service are pleased with the bills.  Think about that. Congress can not responsibly ignore the alarming conclusions of the Board of Governors and The Seven (seven of the nine presidential commission members)  |

 

March 05, 2006 - Roswell locals join chorus of postal woes

Residents of Roswell, New Mexico  have added their voices of dissatisfaction to others about postal service across the state. Susan Davidson-Shell worked as the Roswell postmaster for 13 years before retiring three years ago. She said she’s reluctant to criticize service but, having worked for the Postal Service for so long, knows what to expect. Davidson-Shell said she mailed six packages on Dec. 20. Two packages sent to Albuquerque arrived nine days later. One package arrived in Show Low, Ariz., on Dec. 24. Another package arrived at the same Arizona address after New Year’s Day. “Even at the worst case scenario with the overflow of Christmas mail, it shouldn’t take nine days to deliver to Albuquerque,” she said. |

 

March 05, 2006

Letter carrier retires after 28 years

Postman went extra mile
Mail Guys keep post office lively

There's money in flying the mail

 

March 04, 2006

Letter: Cruel comments misdirected toward postal clerks

APWU: Agreement Reached on Displaced 'Katrina' Employees

e-NAPUS Newsletter: Postal Conference Still Waiting for House Conferees (PDF)

Santa Barbara mass killer had descent into madness
Detroit carrier says she kept mail

 

March 03, 2006 - Bush Nominates Two for USPS Board of Governors
"The President nominated the following individuals to be Governors on the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service: Mickey D. Barnett, of New Mexico, for the remainder of a nine-year term expiring December 8, 2013; Katherine C. Tobin, of New York, for the remainder of a nine-year term expiring December 8, 2012." Barnett, a lawyer for the Republican party in New Mexico, was involved in the 2000 presidential election recount.  In 2004, some Republicans criticized Barnett for serving as a paid lobbyist while holding a party position.
 |

(2005) Barnett lobbyist for payday lending industry | (2002) Barnett Firm intervened for National Right to Work Foundation in New Mexico tribal/union case

 

March 03, 2006

USPS Honors 79-Year-Old Postman
ABC Correspondent: 'Don't Let Junk Mail Weigh You Down'
Postman rang twice for paycheck

 

March 02, 2006 - Inside Los Angeles's' Mail Processing Center

Last Thursday, the Postal Service conducted a media tour of the plant. The L.A. center occupies 74 acres. With 1.1 million square feet under its roof, the facility is the largest of its kind, on one level, in the nation. It processes about 23 million pieces of mail daily. The Postal Service maintains that the Marina consolidation is unrelated to service problems that Palisades residents have been and still are experiencing. However, officials acknowledge internal kinks' both at the L.A. plant and here at the La Cruz station' that are affecting local mail delivery as they are being ironed out. |

 

March 02, 2006 - Computer woes briefly hobble Postal Service - Glitches in the computer network that links U.S. post offices caused delays and limited services across the United States for several hours on Thursday, a U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman said. The 37,000 U.S. post offices rely on centralized systems that process credit card payments and automate services such as weighing letters and packages. According to its Web site Ohio-based NCR Corp. has installed automation systems in 8,500 U.S. post offices and the company has announced that it is expanding the use of its software to 15,000 post offices this year. |

 

March 02, 2006  - NAPUS: District to stop expansion of PRO program in Kentucky

NAPUS National President Dale Goff met with USPS Vice President of the Eastern Area, Al Lazaroff last week to discuss some concerns involving the Post Office Resource and Optimization (PRO) program. After listening to Goff’s concerns, expansion of the formal PRO process in Kentucky has been stopped by the Eastern Area Vice President. PRO would utilize a team concept, comprised of a small group of “satellite”post offices, which will include a contact office, which will be called a “capital office." The idea is to have Postmasters work as teams and to share resources. |

 

March 02, 2006

Postmasters switch jobs

Mail carrier is attacked by pit bull

Providing IDs for P.O. Boxes  Provokes Some Postal Customers

Post Office robbery ends in arrest

Postal Bulletin Issue 3/2/06: New Sexual Harassment Policy and more..

Chicago: Memorial fund aids family of slain postal carrier

Postal carrier for 50 years to walk his route for last time Friday.

National Postal Forum Mailers Offers Workshops and Symposiums
Ouch! The Postal Rates Went Up!
Postal employee credited with saving elderly woman on route
Postal workers to claim part of record Powerball payout
Mail Delivers
TruckersB2B: From E-Mail to Snail Mail
Outlook 2006: Why You Should Care About Postal Reform
Postal Reform: Congress Knows Best
Pitney Bowes CEO Expects Resolution on Postal Reform

Postal Service Issues New Wedding Stamps

Post Office Problems Hurting Local Non Profit Groups

 

March 02, 2006 - Oakland: Injured Postal and Federal Workers Seminar - The Postal Service has by far more employees injured on duty than any other federal agency in the country. Thousands of employees are injured on the job each year. YOU COULD BE NEXT!

 

March 01, 2006 - Potential Postal Service reorganization could delay local delivery - In total, Postal Service area managers have selected at least 46 facilities across the country for "area mail processing" studies. Jim Coultress, a USPS District spokesman in San Antonio projected the ongoing feasibility study will be complete within two months and stressed that no decision has yet been made regarding the McAllen (TX) facility. He acknowledged there is a "very remote possibility" that some McAllen postal workers would have to relocate to another facility within a 50-mile radius if there is a consolidation. But while there could be changes in job assignments, "no one is going to lose their jobs," Coultress said. |

- Ads backing Greensburg postmark | Post office plans consolidation

- Postal Change Study in Chicago, Then to Washington, D.C

 

March 01, 2006 - NALC : Behind the numbers -  A look at USPS financial performance (PDF) -The Postal Service is touting its “remarkable results” in 2005 and rightfully so—by fiscal year-end, it had achieved a $1.4 billion profit, an impressive turnaround from initial projections of a $200 million loss. Volume was strong, productivity increased dramatically, and all the USPS’s outstanding debt has been repaid. Internally, the USPS appears to be in its best shape ever. Flip over the coin, however, and you see that postage rates have just been increased, with the usual grumbling from Postal Service critics about long lines, delayed mail and general incompetence.  |

- USPS release January 2006 Financial & Operating Statements (PDF)

 

March 01, 2006  - Veterans May Face Health Care Cuts in 2008 - At least tens of thousands of veterans with non-critical medical issues could suffer delayed or even denied care in coming years to enable President Bush to meet his promise of cutting the deficit in half _ if the White House is serious about its proposed budget. After an increase for next year, the Bush budget would turn current trends on their head. Even though the cost of providing medical care to veterans has been growing by leaps and bounds, White House budget documents assume a cutback in 2008 and further cuts thereafter.  |
RELATED   STORIES : Cheney tries to calm vets on health care | Devalued vets
- American Legion Fights Against Proposed Cuts to VA Services

 

March 01, 2006

Mailman Rescues Little Girl

D.C. postmaster delivers reliability
Over one trillion postal items could be tagged yearly with RFID
Postal workers earn award
Mail Handlers Union requests Input from Members on upcoming contract negotiations
UN Agency Says Drug Smugglers Using Mail
Elgin private mailbox postal customers find their mail is missing
Maryland woman designs postage-sized art
 

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