May 18, 2004-

• Postal Service needs more automation, GAO says-

• GAO Report: USPS supply chain management implementation (PDF)

• IRS and the Postal Service, widely considered among  leaders in protecting privacy.

• Two blocks shut down after postal worker finds suspicious package

• UPS shipping data provide timely snapshots of the nation's economy

• Japan Post may pay billions in taxes if privatized

• USPS concerned about recent gun violence suspends mail delivery to Boston housing project

May 17, 2004-

NALC: Key House Committee Approves Reform Bill -

-APWU Decries ‘Cost-Driven’ Changes Proposed for Improving OWCP-Protesting the potential for adding insult to injury, APWU testimony before the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee cautioned that studies of the injury compensation system should focus more on workers than on costs. APWU News Service (BDS Delayed, COLA Update, Postal Reform Bills)

- Letter carriers promote 'Pooch Pals' program | watch video

- ADVO Applauds House Committee - Urges Improvements In Postal Reform Bill

- Hartford Renames Post Office for Lawmaker Barbara Bailey Kennelly

- USPS On Rolls and Paid Employees Stats March FY 2004

- USPS Financial & Operating Statements March 2004

- USPS Financials Postal Quarter II FY 2004

- USPS Report of Revenue, Pieces, and Weights of mail

- USPS Delivers 'Knowledge is Power' at the 2004 National Postal Forum

-Mailers Must Work With Global Posts on Regulations, Client Attitudes-Leading mail markets worldwide are at different stages of development, but all need to improve relations with and expect less-strict regulations from their national postal service. That was the seminal discovery from a poll by agency Draft Inc. in its 29 offices worldwide for client U.S. Postal Service. The findings are a rare snapshot of the state of direct mail globally.

Other Articles from DMNews

 - Mailing Industry CEO Council's Ad Campaign Pushes Postal Reform-The Mailing Industry CEO Council is a coalition of 18 CEOs of big mailers and associations including Time Inc., R.R. Donnelley, Pitney Bowes, Wunderman, the Direct Marketing Association and the AARP

- USPS Board OKs $10.8M for Trenton P&DC

- USPS Pushes 'Consideration' in Phase 2 of Direct Mail  Effort-

-USPS wants to deliver fairness to mutual funds-

-Manchester postal worker wins Fishing Boat & Gear-

-These guys deliver -Mark Ford and Mitch Rose took unconventional routes to their jobs as postmasters

- Are you taking in calories when you lick a postage stamp? TRUE
"According to the US Postal Service, a postage stamp has anywhere from 2-10 calories per stamp. The amount depends on the size of the stamp and whether you lick the adhesive well. For those stack of cards….use a sponge or self-adhesive stamps instead." -end

May 16, 2004

-Opinion:The post office needs changes, but... "Here's the big picture: The post office still does an amazing thing. It picks up mail at your house and delivers it anywhere in the country in a few days, usually one or two days. It does so at a remarkably low cost. The Postal Service has often tried to look and act like a private company, but that ultimately just doesn't work. It's a public entity with a job no private company could take on profitably: deliver mail to everyone in the country with reasonable speed and reasonable cost. It's the job of Congress to make sure the agency can keep doing that in a changing environment."

May 15, 2004-

Concerned Postal Workers website launched-

USPS officials suspends mail delivery to California neighborhood after shooting

FBI agents revisit sources in anthrax probe-

-Outsourcing: the exporting of America-Remember when the postal service set up three bulk mail processing plants in Mexico where workers were paid $1.20 an hour? Yes, U.S. mail processed outside the country

-Survey: Postal Service loses money on both urban and rural routes-A survey of economists specializing in postal services has found that they recommend that the government-supported United States Postal Service (USPS) be de-monopolized or privatized. The U.S. government first got involved with the postal services as a way to support the growth of democracy. The more modern defense is cross-subsidization, where the profits in one region can offset losses incurred on less populous routes -- ensuring universal service to rural areas.   (Report pdf)

-Hampton Apartment Residents Claim USPS Not Delivering Mail-

-'The last man standing'-78 yr. old Carrier honored for 58 years with USPS   Rudy Tempesta joined the Postal Service right after serving in World War II. He also served as president of the Chapel Hill, North Carolina  branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers union for 34 years. So far as he can determine, he is the oldest active mail carrier in the nation. At a ceremony in Charlotte last week, Tempesta was one of 24 carriers the Postal Service honored for having at least 50 years of service. Tempesta is also a single father of 3 teenagers.

Mail carriers learn how to identify potential meth labs -Pittsburg, Kansas Letter Carriers attend methamphetamine awareness seminar. The seminar focused on identifying and reporting suspicious material for carrier and community safety.

May 13, 2004-Legislation to Overhaul Postal Service Will Go to House Floor -The bill was steered through the committee by committee Chairman Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) and approved 40 to 0. Its chief author is Rep. John M. McHugh (R-N.Y.), who has worked to bridge differences among big mailers, unions and the post office. The Senate also is preparing to plunge into a postal reform debate. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Thomas Carper (D-Del.) put a draft bill into circulation this week to get feedback from the mailing industry and postal unions. Although the bills appear to have broad support in the mailing industry, they must survive debate in the Congress and likely opposition from the Bush administration. note: "Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis emphasized to mailing groups that he, along with Representatives Waxman, McHugh, and Danny Davis, are absolutely committed to passing a reform bill this year. Davis also announced that he had won the commitment of the House leadership to schedule floor time for a committee-approved bill in late June."

May 13, 2004-Man Holds Up North Carolina Post Office With Glue Gun-A Pitt County man is behind bars, charged with using a glue gun to rob a post office. Investigators said the man held up a postal clerk to get some grocery money. He got away with just $100. He is accused of robbery with a dangerous weapon. Because the alleged crime involved the U.S. mail, he also could face federal prosecution.

May 13, 2004-Worchester MA carrier nabbed on mail route during sex-for-hire sting -In the middle of his mail route, a carrier in full uniform stopped his truck to proposition a hooker who turned out to be a cop, Worcester police said.  The 30 yr. letter carrier has been has been placed on emergency off-duty status, which means he has been suspended without pay, according to Bob Cannon, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service. ``Obviously, it's very unfortunate,'' Cannon said. ``We expect all our employees to conduct themselves in the best manner possible.

May 13, 2004-Postmark: Iraq -Lloyd Labasan doesn't think twice about long lines and angry customers at the Hillsboro Post Office. It's not worth it, Labasan says. After the smiling window clerk retires July 1 from a 30-year career with USPS, he says he'll miss Hillsboro's wonderful people the most. In the mix of plans to build a winter home Labasan waits for his son, Benjamin, to return home from war.

May 13, 2004-South Dakota Postal Worker sentenced for theft & falsifying document-She was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2003 for misappropriation of postal funds and making a false or fictitious entry after an investigation conducted by USPS. The charges stem from an incident in August 2003, when Bell, then a postal employee, took money belonging to the Postal Service.

May 13, 2004-U.S. Postal Service workers earn "The Purple Heart" -U.S. Postal Service workers across America who have earned "The Purple Heart" medal for military combat wounds are now being recognized with a plaque tied in with the postal service's release of a Purple Heart stamp

May 13, 2004-

• USPS Scores 95%  Sixth Quarter in a Row

• Bush Administration Deals Setback to FedEx, UPS

UPS May Have to Offer Free Shipping Vouchers-

May 13, 2004-House Postal Bill Has CSRS Fixes; Senate Introduces Draft-The House Government Reform Committee sent a postal reform bill to Congress containing victories for mailers and USPS regarding Civil Service retirement funding, an issue neglected in the first draft of the bill. In an apparent bow to postal labor organizations, the draft also includes language that would prohibit USPS from creating "workshare discounts that exceed cost avoided" unless approved by a Postal Regulatory Commission that would replace the current Postal Rate Commission. (DMNews)

 NAPUS Praises House Committee Approval of Bipartisan Postal Reform Bill

House Postal Reform Bill could net USPS $$$$Billions

APWU Praises House Postal Reform Bill-- ‘Very Concerned’ About Senate Draft

May 13, 2004-House Postal Bill would cut mail payments to airlines-The U.S. Postal Service would be allowed to cut annual payments of about $284 million to UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and other carriers for hauling international mail under a bill approved by a House committee. The Postal Service would be able to set rates through negotiation or bids rather than have them determined by the Transportation Department, as has been done since 1958. The House Government Reform Committee approved the legislation, which requires action by the full House and the Senate.

May 13, 2004-

National Dog-Bite Prevention Week May 16-22-According to the U.S. Postal Service, more than 4.7 million people - most of them children and the elderly - are bitten by dogs each year. Between 1999 and 2003, 44 people died after being bitten by a dog, 24 of them were children under the age of 12.

Queens postal worker busted in an Internet sex sting

Holed up at post office, robbers now face letter of the law

May 12, 2004-Plan to move Mansfield mail processing halted -- for now-Postal Service headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday notified Mansfield Postmaster Joe Cinadr it will review the proposed changes at the Mansfield facility, according to the USPS. It is not known when the study will begin or affect the June 12 date the switch was to be made. "There is the possibility that it may delay the implementation date of the Mansfield operational changes," Cinadr said.

- Rep Michael G. Oxley applauds USPS decision to halt Mansfield mail move

May 12, 2004-Arbitration Summary Use of Privately Owned Vehicle while Traveling

May 12, 2004-6 Postal Workers Get Bonuses for Prompt Response to Ricin Discovery at Greenville facility -Six Greenville, SC postal workers (craft & management) have received bonuses for "correct and prompt" response to the discovery of ricin at the airport mail center in October 2003, even though law enforcement wasn't notified for nearly 11 hours, federal officials have told The Greenville News. The bonuses were given out last year and all employees of the facility were treated to pizza. |

May 11, 2004

• Differences between FERS/CSRS Disability Retirement and OWCP

• Leaking Package Closes Post Office

• SmartMail Services Signs Merger Agreement with Deutsche Post

•  Former Houston Postal Clerk convicted of  $9000+ theft

• Fire burns hundreds of packages at FedEx hub
• Wickwire Gavin lists comments to proposed purchasing rule changes

- See Top 100 USPS Contracts & Suppliers
• Collection boxes going postal earlier
• Boyd residents fight for post office
• Bottles in mailboxes not bombs, police say
• Postal clients give stamp of approval--Extended hours  big hit with customers

• Postal Officials discuss options for New Post Office facility in Missouri

• Postal service opens contract postal unit in office supply & Christian book store

• 6 Greenville Postal Workers Reap Bonuses for Ricin Discovery  -Six Greenville, South Carolina postal workers (craft & management) have received bonuses for "correct and prompt" response to the discovery of ricin at the airport mail center in Oct. 2003-- even though law enforcement wasn't notified for nearly 11 hours.  The bonuses were given out last year and all employees of the facility were treated to pizza. |

May 09, 2004-Armed Robbery Suspects Nabbed in Pennsylvania USPS Mail Processing Center-Three suspected bank robbers are behind bars this morning after holding up a bank in Chester County PA. on Saturday. The three then ran to mail distribution center where one of the suspects once worked.. He asked postal workers if he and his friends could use a phone. A suspicious postal worker let them in, then called police.

-from Postal Reporter reader: "Southeastern Processing Center, located in Chester County, PA, was shut-down for almost five hours on Saturday while police from several area departments search the facility for bank robbery suspects.  All employees were evacuated from the building and waited while SWAT team and Canine Units were searching the building.  Seems one of the suspects was a casual employee at one time and gained access to the building after they robbed the local Commerce Bank.  We were told that four suspects, at least one of them armed, were apprehended.  It was a very interesting scenario."

May 09, 2004-Postal workers on alert after 3 bombs found-Palatine, Illinois postal workers have been placed on alert after two bombs were found in mailboxes Friday. The first bomb was found when a mail carrier opened a box along a residential route and found its contents covered in residue, postal officials said. The carrier immediately alerted the police and postal inspectors. Authorities determined the bomb had exploded before the carrier opened the box. They then searched the area and found two more bombs.

May 09, 2004-Opinion:  Mansfield Mail move handled poorly-The public wasn't informed of  Postal Service plans to consolidate first-class mail processing. Although union officials said the final decision had been made and some jobs would be lost, postal officials attempted to play it down, saying it was simply under consideration. They said if the transfer was made, "career jobs" would not be lost. But before the week was out, a news release was issued, announcing what the union officials had originally reported -- it was a done deal. Forty-eight percent of the Mansfield post office workload was going to Akron in June and 16 jobs were being cut.

- Mansfield loses bid to save mail move -Officials said that 16 non-career positions -- consisting of those that are not permanently assigned jobs -- in Mansfield will be cut. Ten of those are "transitional" positions and six are "casual" or short-term appointments.

May 09, 2004- Mail problem holds up water bills-Pearl River Postmaster Bill Read reports that the bills were not mailed timely, due to a Postal Service systems failure.

May 09, 2004-Letter: Stamp of bad service -"Please, please, use your influence to cause the U.S. Postal Service to improve its so-called "service" at the Shannon Road Post Office. I've written the local manager, the postmaster general, our congressman and others -- all with absolutely no improvement. Today, there were only two clerks at the counter in mid-afternoon. A total of 22 people were in line, and it seemed each of them needed special attention. One person had 12 packages. Another had no idea of what he wanted to do, so consumed 17 minutes of one clerk's time reading regulations, etc. .If it wasn't so many extra miles for this senior citizen to travel, I'd always go to LaSalle Street post office."

May 09, 2004-Postal Worker/Reservist killed in Baghdad blast buried-Family and friends of a postal worker and Army Reservist Lawrence Roukey who was killed in a blast outside Baghdad last month gathered Friday for a funeral at the same church where he was baptized more than 30 years ago.

May 09, 2004-Making bulk mail sizzle -There's a place that touches 5.5 million pieces of mail a year but still does not qualify as a post office.

May 08, 2004-Jailed ex-City Commission chairman blames legal problems on post office-The former chairman of the city Planning and Zoning Commission, jailed recently for not responding to a codes citation, has blamed his legal problems on a late delivery by the U.S. Postal Service.

May 08, 2004-Retired Postal Worker is "The Poor Man's Philanthropist"-Thomas Cannon (referred to as "The Poor Man's Philanthropist) is a retired postal worker of modest means who awards gifts of $1,000 to deserving individuals. Over the past three decades, Cannon, 78, a retired postal worker, ( Cannon joined USPS in 1957, retiring in 1983 and worked as a clerk s in a Richmond, Virginia Post Office) has given $146,000, usually in $1,000 checks, to individuals he finds inspiring

May 08, 2004-Letter: Postal service is inadequate-The main post office located on Los Ebanos Boulevard is in need of replacement. The facility was built more than 30 years ago for a population half of what it is today. The postal workers who staff the facility are doing an admirable job with the lack of space and resources available to them

May 07, 2004-Hopeful, Wary Mailers Study Postal Reform Draft-Mailers are scrutinizing a 126-page postal reform draft bill that four members of the House of Representatives released this week to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service. Introduction of the bill and its markup are expected next week.

May 07, 2004-Missouri Postal Carrier charged with stealing mail - A postal carrier from Aldrich MO. was indicted by a federal grand jury on four charges of embezzling mail.

May 06, 2004

• Postal Service to salute World War II vets with stamp

• Finland Post to Outsource 50 Post Offices to private entrepreneurs

• Draft to Drum Up Postal Forum Attendance
•  USPS Offers Peek at Revamped Postal Forum

•  "Anthrax smoke detector" may serve as new bioterrorism defense

• Post office reminds customers of old-time service

• Letter: Enhanced' by delay

• USPS Awards First NCOALink™ Full Service Provider License
• Runyon brought a sensibility to TVA, Postal Service
• Heartfelt Greetings Delivered by Your Neighborhood Post Office

• Company Introduces "Anthrax Smoke Detector"-which is capable of detecting small amounts of anthrax in large buildings. Universal Detection Technology said the device would be tested in September for use in government facilities such as post offices. The UDT detector is competing with Northrop Grumman Corp.'s anthrax detection system which uses DNA sequencing to find the deadly spores and could operate for a hundredth of the cost of  |

- USPS Suspends Biohazard Detection System Testing & Deployment

GROUP WARNS OF LOSSES WITHOUT MAIL REFORM -"A decline in mail volume and a steady rise in delivery points and expenses will cause postal price increases and major job losses nationwide if the delivery service is not reformed, according to a group pushing for change. Maine would lose an estimated 3,500 to 7,000 jobs, depending on whether the drop in volume proves to be 10 percent or 20 percent, the Envelope Manufacturers Association argued in its study. According to the association report, some of the threatened organizations include the U.S. Postal Service, which is the seventh largest employer in Maine, with more than 4,400 workers, as well as paper manufacturers, printers and catalog companies. "This is about so much more than reforming the U.S. Postal Service. This is about the economy, this is about jobs, this is about the future," said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, whose committee has jurisdiction over the Postal Service." (source: Portland Press Herald)

May 06, 2004- Businesses Object to Provision in Postal-Reform Legislation -A long-awaited proposal to reorganize USPS hit a snag Tuesday when businesses objected to a provision backed by APWU. Lawmakers scrambled to rewrite sections of the bill in time to bring it to a vote next Wed., instead of this Thurs.

- Easy Come, Easy Go? Postal Bill Markup Postponed-a mark-up of the bill that had been tentatively slated for May 6, was postponed indefinitely, making chances of a reform bill passing this year slimmer than they already were.

- All Politics Is Local, Except for the USPS- It’s generally understood that Sen. Susan Collins, R-ME, plans to introduce a postal reform bill, even though that bill is unlikely to advance too far in this congressional session. Many in the direct mail industry favor her bill, though few if any have detailed knowledge of what is in it. That’s a heck of a way to run a business

- USPS Offers Peek at Revamped Postal Forum-This year's forum has been expanded into a four-day conference. It will include multi-presentation symposiums on marketing, package services, remittance mail and periodicals. There also will be a government day, small business day, periodicals day and a National Postal Customer Council leadership conference.

- Standard Mail Volume Is Reviving, Says Deputy PMG-In terms of Standard mail, Nolan said, "we have actually had a few places in the country that had a backlog of Standard mail all of a sudden. It was a quick reminder for us in a couple of isolated locations that we need to remind managers who have dealt well with lack of volume what to do when volume picks up."

- USPS Plans Web Initiatives for Business Mailers -The U.S. Postal Service starts two services later this year designed to make it easier for mailers to do business with the agency

 - USPS: 95% of Merlin-Tested Mail Passing Barcode Readability-The USPS is working with mailers to test Merlin and determine whether the standard for barcode readability should be adjusted based on the equipment. Mailers say Merlin still has reliability problems because machines often give different readings.

• HIGH HONORS. NALC President William Young and Postmaster General Jack Potter recently were honored with the World Hunger Year-Harry Chapin Award for conducting the NALC National Food Drive — the world’s largest one-day food drive. Since its inception in 1992, USPS employees have collected more than 500 million pounds of food.

May 06, 2004-Sam Ryan: Postal Service Accountability- "Congress is expected shortly to attempt to save the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from an impending financial meltdown. Today, the Postal Service is in deep financial trouble. It is hemorrhaging money, with long-term projections bordering on catastrophic. The public has little idea of how bad the situation really is, largely due to the murkiness of USPS accounting. Unless postal executives and regulators have a clear picture of what is actually going on, the chances of effective reform are bleak and costs will continue to spin out of control."

-Post Office drops e-payments
-The perils of sidewalk democracy-

-Carrier has mail-hauling record in the bag-

-BD Sharps Offer Disposal of needles, syringes & lancets By Mail System - users simply fill the 1.4-quart puncture-resistant BD Home Sharps Container with their used needles, lancets and syringes  and give the pre-addressed, postage-paid box to their postal carrier or drop it off at any post office

May 04, 2004-NPMHU Activists Target Postal Reform-the Postal Service continues to work behind the scenes to encourage Members of Congress to adopt legislative proposals that would have an adverse effect on the postal workforce and on collective bargaining

May 04, 2004-Marvin T. Runyon; Postal Chief's Cuts Brought Profit --When he arrived at the Postal Service in 1992, he began an overhaul of the world's largest mail system, with its $50 billion operating budget and more than 700,000 employees. During the next six years, Mr. Runyon streamlined the agency's multilayered managerial ranks, reduced its overall payroll through voluntary employee retirements and pushed the quasi-government agency to pay closer attention to customer demands. The price of a first-class stamp rose just once -- from 29 cents to 32 cents --

-Proposed legislation threatens rural post offices -

-Postal Carrier is being credited with spotting apartment fire-

-Letter: Postal worker: 'We're all human'

-Young: 'Next 8 Months Crucial For Carriers, USPS and Labor' -N

No Packaging of Mail Is Best, Consumers Tell USPS-Most consumers surveyed about USPS'  Delivery Point Packaging initiative, which would simultaneously sort letters and flats into delivery order then bundle them into individual delivery packages, prefer no change to the way their mail is packaged, according to results released last month. The decision to proceed with one or both initiatives likely will be made this year. If approved, Flats Sequencing System (FSS) would deploy in 2006 and DPP would debut in 2007 or 2008

- In other DMNews: Airlines Use Wireless Tracking to Comply With USPS Contracts-At least two airlines are working with AT&T Wireless, Redmond, WA, to track mail as it moves through their systems as part of their contracts with the U.S. Postal Service.

- Spreading the News About Mail-There’s a new group whose mission is to fill the world with good news to offset the bad out there. The Mail & Jobs Coalition “believes that America is best served by a strong and growing mail system, a system [that] today creates jobs in every town, city, district and state nationwide.” And it spreads that message through its Web site, www.mailandjobs.com.

USPS Posts EEO Data on Website Pursuant to NO FEAR Act-NO FEAR is a law referred to as the Notification and Federal Employee Anti-discrimination and Rehabilitation Act of 2002 (NO FEAR) In short, the act is designed to: 1) require that federal agencies be accountable for violations of anti-discrimination and whistleblower protection laws and 2) require that each federal agency post quarterly on its public web site, certain statistical data relating to its EEO complaint filings. see more info on NO FEAR Act and USPS EEO Stats|

-Carriers reach out through food roundup, Pay-Day Pals-

-Wait a minute, Mr. Postman-Getting mail from home means more than just finding out what's going on - without the mail, troop morale suffers.

-Snail's pace of military mail might affect the fall election-The military can pinpoint a target the size of coffee cup from thousands of miles away. It can whisk a special forces team to a beachhead within hours. What it can't do, despite decades of trying, is deliver the mail on time to troops in a combat zone. A Defense Department task force in 2000 recommended outsourcing “much, if not all” of the military mail service to the U.S. Postal Service. The Postal Service replied that it could not handle the extra work and suggested civilian contractors as an option (Reg.)
 

- NALC Food Drive is Saturday May 8th
- Community loses ZIP with post office