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May 31, 2006

FYI: USPS Vendor Request for OPF Conversion Services

Jaffer Responds to  “George W. Bush’s War Stamp Tax" article

Suspects sought in robbery of postal carrier

New London Post Office caught in red tape
Plan to reorganize mail delivery in Vermont is shelved
Signed, Sealed and Undelivered
Gas prices continue to cause pain for public services

May 31, 2006  - Teamsters Hope to Lure FedEx Drivers
"Bob Williams, who led the unionization drive, says the model does not work for the drivers. Like many, he was lured to FedEx by advertisements that said "Be Your Own Boss" and talked of earning $55,000 to $70,000 a year. After he began, Mr. Williams said, he felt like anything but his own boss. "They have complete control over my day," Mr. Williams said. "I have to wear their uniform, buy their truck and use their logo. I have to buy insurance from them. I have to do the route they tell me to do and make the stops they tell me." Mr. Williams was also disappointed by the pay, the lack of health benefits and assignments to unfamiliar routes. He said he grossed a maximum of $62,000 a year but netted only $30,000, despite 60-hour weeks." |

May 30, 2006 - Postal truck creates havoc in West Haven (CT) neighborhood - "The gentleman that lived in the house told him (the driver) not to try to back the vehicle up. As we found out he was inebriated. He proceeded to back the vehicle up, going 40-50 miles per hour backing it up," says Noel Lewis. The destruction and now the fear continued. "My wife is standing here across the street. He came out, she had to run, she literally had to run, seconds before this guy could hit her," says Lewis. The mail truck went back across Ownly Street and ran into a chain-link fence. "We didn't want him to go back into his truck and do anything. We forced him to the ground and then the police officers showed up," says Lewis."  |

 Video: Postal Worker Crashes Mail Truck

 May 30, 2006 - Stamp out charity discounts for political mail, critics say

Some Republicans are using nonprofit postal permits to send election fliers - The California Club for Growth Newsletter doesn't look much different from all the other political fliers filling voters' mailboxes as the days tick down to the primary election. But unlike almost all other political mailings, this one is being sent at the special 40 percent discount that the U.S. Postal Service gives to charities, potentially saving the candidates hundreds of thousands of dollars in postage. Democrats say it's unfair and illegal. The Alliance for a Better California, a Democratic organization, is suing the Postal Service in federal court over a mailing that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's political operation sent out at a discount during the special election. |

- Mail loophole has some California politicians fuming

May 30, 2006 - Postal Workers' Outcry Over Plan Goes Unheard

"The postal union and area business leaders are opposing a plan that would send all of the Rio Grande Valley’s mail through Corpus Christi. Local union officials and business leaders worry the consolidation would cost some local postal workers their jobs, delay local mail delivery, replace local postmarks with the Corpus Christi postmark and delay postmarking altogether. Postal officials have said the fears are unfounded." |

May 30, 2006 - Washington Mutual, USPS Seek to Extend Suspension on NSA

"The parties want to review two recent PRC filings regarding other NSAs and revise their own. In particular, they want to make revisions to historical volumes that were filed in the case. The postal service had filed for an NSA with Washington Mutual Bank on March 29 based on encouraging the company to increase its use of First Class Mail. The USPS is seeking a three-year deal covering First Class Mail for the bank's credit card services."  |

May 27, 2006 -

May 26, 2006 - NIOSH Reports on DBCS at Denver Postal Facility -The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)  has just completed a three year investigation at the General Mail Facility in Denver of ERRP and other “solutions” to the ergonomic design of the Delivery Bar Code Sorters (DBCS). NIOSH found in part  that the DBCS machines presently in use by the USPS (four tiers, 201 stackers) present the same or greater risk of injury to workers as the three-tiered DBCS machines evaluated by NIOSH in 1991-92.  more |

May 26, 2006 - Postal Employee Official Personnel Folder Goes Electronic -

NAPUS: This week the Postal Service provided a briefing to union and management association representatives on the conversion of employee Official Personnel Folders (OPF’s) from hardcopy to electronic format. The eOPF program will enhance record recovery in the event of disaster and will comport with the Human Resources Shared Services strategy. Conversion to electronic files is also consistent with planned Office of Personnel Management (OPM) modifications to retirement and separation processing systems.  |

May 26, 2006

May 25, 2006  - Due to postal service changes, newspaper deliveries may be delayed - "If it seems like it's been taking longer for you to receive your newspaper in the mail lately, you're not alone. The U.S. Postal Service implemented a 24-piece periodical sack rule that went into effect May 11. While Daily Sentinel subscribers residing in the towns of Le Mars, Remsen, Oyens, Brunsville, and Merrill receive their newspaper from carriers, others receive it through the mail. If you receive your paper through the mail and live in a vicinity which has fewer than 24 subscribers, your newspaper delivery may be delayed.|

May 25, 2006 - Underwater image used to create U.S. postage stamp - An underwater photo that Randal Sanders took near the Florida Keys more than 20 years ago has surfaced with a splash. It’s been used to create one of the 40 postage stamps in a commemorative series being released Saturday by the U.S. Postal Service.

May 25, 2006-  Postal Worker Charged with Making Drug Deliveries

The postal worker just seemed to be doing her job as she carried innocent-looking white packages around the North Philadelphia neighborhood, in her uniform. But yesterday, narcotics cops announced the arrest of her and her husband after learning that the deliveries weren't as innocent as they seemed. |

May 24, 2006 - Stamps to Become a Marketing Vehicle

"The U.S. Postal Service is allowing companies to create their own branded stamps for first-class mail. Instead of flags, you can expect to see a company logo; instead of photos of famous Americans, you might see pictures of your local real estate agent. It is a test, part of an effort to reverse the decline in first-class mailings. As USPS spokeswoman Joanne Veto said, "We want to make mail more interesting to consumers." Zazzle Offers Stamps for Businesses |

- HP becomes first to print postage featuring corporate logos and images

May 24, 2006

Letter carrier Ron Kaiser to retire after 41 years in Postal Service

It's canines vs. carriers
Las Flores mix-up with Postal Service

Postal Worker pleads guilty to theft

May 23, 2006 - Postal Service Cops Going Hollywood
"Most of us are familiar with the post office thanks to our mail carriers. But the post office also has a law enforcement branch that protects consumers from fraud and scams. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service spent $4.3 million to produce a series of DVDs that showcase none other than the postal inspectors themselves. As CBS 5 Investigates' Anna Werner reports, just like the makings of a Hollywood movie, the DVDs have directors, actors, sets, even catering."|

May 23, 2006 - Business owners left without mail for two weeks

Frank Higginbotham of Impact Glass, as well as other business owners, said he has not seen their mail carrier in a couple of weeks. As it turns out, their carrier is on sick leave and the U.S. Postal Service is short about 100 substitute mail carriers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral.  |

May 23, 2006 - - Postal Investigation
Who's delivering your mail? That's what the US Postal service wants to know as it launches a national investigation, trying to find out how many sex offenders are on the payroll. The probe comes after three sex offenders were discovered working for the US Postal service in Dallas. Officials say they had no idea sex offenders were working for them. That's because they may have committed their crimes after they were hired. The postal service plans to develop a fair policy for employees who are registered sex offenders, one the public can accept. For now, they've reassigned those three offenders in Dallas so they do not have contact with the public.|

Georgia City Carrier removed from USPS on charge of improper conduct

May 23, 2006  - Maine Attorney General seeks stricter tobacco delivery law - Attorney General Steven Rowe has urged U.S. Sen. Susan Collins to reform the postal laws to prohibit the delivery of tobacco products to minors, Dow said Monday. "After enactments of the state statutes, and voluntary agreements by carriers and credit card companies, it is ironic indeed that the USPS serves as the last remaining channel for the delivery of cigarettes to minors," he said in a letter to Collins. "Due to the other carriers' refusal to serve as conduits for delivery, the delivery of cigarettes to minors by the USPS will undoubtedly continue to increase." Collins has said that she would look into the matter and consider introducing legislation to address the problem.
 

May 20, 2006 - Kentucky Postal Employee Arrested on Child Pornography Charges - "A postal service worker [OIG via court documents: window clerk] in Jamestown was arrested after officials discovered he was using company computers to view child pornography. Morris E. Hall, 58, was arrested at the post office on Thursday on a charge of receiving child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Federal authorities began investigating Hall in October 2005 after receiving information that a Postal network user was typing in certain keywords while doing an internet search. Authorities said the network user's computer number matched the one assigned to Hall." |

May 20, 2006 - Postal vehicle break-downs blamed on gas blend -- Half of the Nantucket post office’s delivery trucks were out of service last week due to problems with their fuel pumps that may have been caused by a new shipment of gasoline blended with ethanol, two postal workers said. Island mechanics also reported working on about 30 cars with similar problems in the same time period. |

May 19, 2006 - Mailman opened letters
Electronic device in mail was the tip-off - A mail carrier has been sentenced to a year probation, six months of electronic monitoring and mental health treatment for opening mail belonging to residents of Concord Heights. Darrell Butcher, 47, of Hudson, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of mail on Monday in federal court. Judge Joseph DiClerico waived Butcher's fine because he was unable to pay it, according to court records.

May 19, 2006 - Return to sender, address unseen - An important Veterans Administration meeting on disaster preparedness for more than 600 legally blind local veterans turned into a disaster itself this week.
Nobody showed. Not one vet. Turns out they didn't even know about it. The fliers that were supposed to be mailed to them were instead returned to the Sepulveda VA's Visual Impairment Service Team by the Santa Clarita postal processing center because the return address on the mail was not recognized as being eligible for "free matter to the blind" mailing privileges.

May 19, 2006 - Fort Belvoir Post Office receives five-star rating - "Spirits are high at the Fort Belvoir Post Office and all of the employees are proudly wearing lapel pins because they recently received a five-star overall service rating from the Gallop Organization. "The Gallop Organization surveys USPS customers, asking them to rate local post offices on efficiency, accuracy of delivery, consistency of delivery and wait time in line," said Postmaster Jim Fleisher. In addition to lapel pins for each employee, the post office also received a sign for their door so that all of the customers entering the post office will know about the five-star rating, said Fleisher."

May 19, 2006  - Hunting identity thieves -- alone, one at a time

Matthew Boyden doesn't deliver the mail; he investigates it, with a .40-caliber pistol strapped to his waist and an MP-5 machine gun within easy reach. He is one of the nearly 2,000 U.S. postal inspectors who fight mail fraud, the use of the mail to commit crimes. In the past six years, Boyden has arrested more than 300 people, many of them identity thieves who steal personal information in order to loot bank accounts, launder stolen checks or milk credit cards for cash.|

May 19, 2006 - Critics say a move to Palatine will slow delivery - Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, up to 6 million letters are processed at the Palatine Post Office. The Rockford facility is much smaller. Local Union Leader Greg Voiles says Palatine`s size is the problem." Normally your larger plants such as Palatine aren`t as efficient as a smaller plant, as Rockford is," says Voiles. But Palatine Senior Plant Manager Ron Woodall says Rockford customers won`t notice a difference. But letters mailed to a Rockford addresses from a Rockford address will have to start at the Rockford Post Office, and then be shipped to Palatine for processing, finally going back to Rockford for delivery. "It could be a day delay or more," says Voiles. And Voiles says if operations do move to Palatine he estimates a loss of 50 to 100 Rockford jobs. Woodall disagrees. "No career employees at Rockford will loose their jobs," says Woodall. "We will divert them to other positions in the Postal Service." So far no decision has been made if Palatine will be the new home for Rockford Postal Workers. The next step for the study is a public forum. It will be June 5th at 6:30 p.m. at the Northern Illinois University Educational Center.

May 17, 2006 - USPS March Financial Results
"USPS revenues of $6.59 billion for March were 3% or $189 million over plan and $424 million or 6.9% more than March 2005. Expenses were virtually on plan, producing a net income of $295 million before the escrow allocation. Total mail volume in March was 1.5% more than last year, with volumes in all major categories except Express Mail and International Mail above their March 2005 levels. Year-to-date, net income before escrow allocation is $1.57 billion or $147 million over plan. Year-to-date, the net gain after escrow allocation is $74 million."  USPS Net Income Rises in March |

May 17, 2006  - USPS Unveils Prescription Drug Card for Workplace Injuries

The USPS has announced a voluntary prescription drug card program for employees who suffer workplace injuries or illnesses. According to the Postal Service, employees who choose to participate in the program will submit their drug card and prescriptions to the pharmacy of their choice, and the prescriptions will be filled at no cost to the employee. |

May 17, 2006 - Fire at Oakland Postal  Mail Sorting Facility

 Bay-Valley District Offices Damaged- "Oakland firefighters have controlled a  fire that began this morning at the Post Office distribution center (1675 7th St) . The fire broke out on the administrative side of the post office building, where the front office is located and personnel files are stored, postal officials said. The building is a five-story concrete structure where all mail moving through the East Bay and portions of the North Bay at some time move through, according to U.S. Post Office spokesman Augustine Ruiz." No postal workers were injured or mail damaged. Oakland APWU President Fred Jacobs said no determination of the fire has been made as yet. Oakland post office fire under investigation | 3-alarm fire damages Bay-Valley District Office | KTVU Slideshow |

May 17, 2006 - RR Donnelley Opens New Consolidation Facility in Texas - "RR Donnelley is the largest shipper of mail into the United States Postal Service, delivering approximately fifty percent of all U.S. standard mail into the postal stream," said Dan Scapin, President RR Donnelley Logistics and Distribution. "Our expansive consolidation network, expertise, and scale allow us to offer to our customers proven services that help them to achieve postal savings and cycle time reductions. This new facility positions RR Donnelley better to serve direct response marketers, magazine publishers, catalogers, and other mailers in the Southwest." RR Donnelley's logistics network permits it effectively to deliver mail to every Bulk Mail Center and Sectional Mail Facility in the United States."

May 17, 2006

National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 21-27 | Postal service battles bites

USPS Expands Personalized Postage for Businesses

PhotoStamps | ZazzleStamps  | USPS Authorizes PictureItPostage

May 16, 2006 - NALC, USPS Extend Multiple Days of Inspection MOU (PDF) -(NALC Bulletin) President Young has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Postal Service (M-01571) which extends the terms of the previous MOU on 'multiple days of inspection'. During a six day route count and inspection, the MOU allows management up to three 'days of inspection', but limits them to only one day of completing PS Form 1838-C. Additionally, when two or three PS Forms 3999 are completed, the MOU dictates which PS Form 3999 will be used to transfer territory when adjusting routes. The terms of the new MOU are applicable through May 26, 2007 unless mutually extended by the parties. Also:  Young, PA activists prod Sen. Rick Santorum into supporting Postal Reform Bill Provision |

May 16, 2006  - First Mail-Delivery Van Converted to Hybrid

At a ceremony today at the Boston General Mail facility, the Postal Service launched the first conversion of a mail-delivery van into a hybrid-electric vehicle. The hybrid-electric mail-delivery van will be monitored in regular service-delivering mail to Boston-area homes and businesses -- to determine its potential for emissions reduction and fuel-economy improvements. It was converted by Azure Dynamics Incorporated, Boston, a developer of electric and hybrid-electric powertrain systems. Based on the company's other hybrid applications, and depending on the vehicle and its duty cycle, Azure officials expect fuel-economy improvements to be in the range of 30 to 50 percent. |

May 16, 2006  - Letter Carrier's $3.1M injury settlement doesn't take away pain - Steven Watson's eyes tear when he thinks about all he's missed out on. Four years ago the Westerleigh man was young, healthy, married to his longtime sweetheart and the father of a toddler. But that all changed when a car rammed into the back of Watson's mail truck. Watson, a letter carrier, was delivering mail in Dongan Hills. He had parked his truck and was sorting through mail trays, court papers said when a Ford Expedition rammed into the rear of Watson's truck . Watson suffered severe back injuries, including a ruptured back disc. He could not return to work, do everyday chores like take out the trash or rough-house with his son.

May 15, 2006  - Supreme Court Won't Revive Anthrax Lawsuits
"The Supreme Court has decided not to revive lawsuits by former employees of Washington mail center who were exposed to anthrax. The former employees had said that workers at the Brentwood postal center were deliberately kept on the job even though officials knew that workers had been exposed to anthrax in letters that were sent to Capitol Hill. Dena Briscoe of Clinton, Maryland, was the lead plaintiff in the class-action lawsuit brought against the U.S. Postal Service. Briscoe says the court's decision not to hear the case means "no one's being held accountable. " Note: A third Brentwood employee also filed a lawsuit over anthrax exposure. In McQureerir v. United States of America, et al., the judge dismissed this case on April 25, 2006 based on the same reasons as set forth in Briscoe and Richmond lawsuit. |

May 15, 2006  - Legislative provision would benefit Postal Service competitors -"Bill Olson, an attorney for the Association of Priority Mail Users, said there has been "an enormous amount of private lobbying" from UPS throughout the drafting of the overhaul bill. He said the single-piece package provision in the House measure "effectively accomplishes the agenda" of companies such as UPS. "Competitors want the Postal Service to be forced by reform to charge prices beyond what the market will bear" to drive customers away, Olson said. "This bill effectively does that."  |

May 14, 2006 - Letter Carriers Deliver Big In Annual Food Drive  "Thousands of postal workers across the nation, and hundreds in Brevard County, participated in the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. One Saturday a year, they ask postal customers to leave food at the mail box, which the carriers pick up and take to area food banks. Last year, postal carriers collected 71.3 million pounds nationwide. Locally, carriers collected about 195,000 pounds, said Mike Monopoli, head of the Melbourne branch of the postal carriers union."  

MT: Drive collects 135,000 pounds |

- FL: Miami-Dade and Broward counties tallied 455,686 pounds.

May 14, 2006 - Congress Seeks Stamp Solution - "[Dave] Roman, who retired from the Army in 1995 after 20 years, is among 392,000 military retirees who started second careers in the U.S. Postal Service and have become pawns in a dispute over the deficit. The White House is insisting the Postal Service pay military pensions, which the service must pass on through postage rates, for those current and former employees. The dispute is a striking example of buck-passing in Washington, and shows how the ballooning deficit can trickle down to the everyday lives of Americans."  |

May 14, 2006  - Downsizing America's future
Advances in automation at the U.S. Postal Service, primarily in the development of rapid mail sorting machines that require fewer workers, have also eliminated thousands of postal workers- jobs, which have historically had a very high percentage of African-American employees. |

May 13, 2006 - Shirt-Maker Cashing in on Goleta Tragedy?

Santa Barbara "postal workers are upset with two State Street clothing stores. The stores have been selling a t-shirt with the U.S. postal service logo, riddled by eight bullet holes. It appears to poke fun at the tragic night in January when six Goleta postal workers were murdered. The six postal employees and a neighbor were gunned down by Jennifer San Marco. San Marco committed suicide. That's a total of eight people who died. The same number of bullet holes appear on the shirt." |

- The same shirt  sold on Amazon.com

May 13, 2006 - USPS PIN Database Upgrade Sunday - PostalEASE, LiteBlue, other applications will be unavailable. The USPS Personal Identification Number (PIN) database is scheduled to be upgraded this Sunday, May 14, from 4 a.m. to noon, CT. The upgrade is in support of a larger mainframe operating system upgrade planned for the following weekend. During the upgrade, employees will not be able to use certain applications that depend on the USPS PIN database to allow access.

May 13, 2006 - Junk mail makes ID theft easy - When Lorie and Rich Walsh sold their Warminster house to Katina D. Joyce they filed a change-of-address form with the post office and moved on.But more than five years later, solicitations for credit cards kept coming for them at their old address, and according to police, Joyce took advantage of the situation. She used the junk mail credit offers to open an account in Lorie Walsh's name earlier this year, police said.Using Walsh's Social Security number and date of birth, she had access to the credit and the checks that came with it, according to court records. In the span of about one week in March, Joyce is accused of cashing checks totaling $4,550.

May 13, 2006   - Nation’s Letter Carriers Prepare For 50-State Food Drive

 Letter carriers across the country will collect non-perishable food donations Saturday (May 13) as they deliver mail along their postal routes in the nation’s largest one-day effort to combat hunger in America. Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), joined by thousands of rural letter carriers, hope to exceed last year’s record 71.3 million pounds of food delivered to community food banks, pantries and shelters. |

- Postal Workers' Wedding Starts NALC Food Drive

May 12, 2006  - Former APWU Secretary-Treasurer Bob Tunstall Dies

Former APWU Secretary-Treasurer Robert L. Tunstall died May 12 at his home in Oregon. Mr. Tunstall, who had diabetes, was 64. Bob Tunstall’s service with the APWU began in 1963 at the Portland (OR) Post Office, when he was “fresh out of the Marine Corps.” “My first postal assignment was as a distribution clerk,” he wrote after he announced his retirement. “I also worked as a stamp supply clerk, bulk mail clerk, postage due clerk, box section clerk, and pouch rack clerk.” In 1974,  In 1998 and again in 2001, he was elected secretary-treasurer.  |

May 12, 2006 - Former Postal Worker pleads guilty to bankruptcy fraud against supervisor - Gregory I. Armstrong, 43, of Severn pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud arising from false filings of involuntary bankruptcy petitions against his boss in retaliation for a poor performance letter. Armstrong was an employee at the Capitol Heights distribution center, sorting and delivering mail. The supervisor's mortgage company became aware of the bankruptcy petitions and took steps to foreclose on his home. After conducting hearings, the bankruptcy court dismissed the petition and referred the matter to the U.S. attorney for prosecution. Previous story: Man Charged With Fraud Deemed Not a Nation of 1 (12/22/05)   |

May 12, 2006 - Remember when the postmaster knew you? He still does, at the Balm mail depot. Guy, the fourth postmaster here in 100 years, doles out stamps, smiles and conversation

May 11, 2006 -  NJ postal worker charged in insider trading case - The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed securities fraud charges against a New Jersey letter carrier who illegally leaked secret grand jury information to members of one of the most pervasive insider trading rings ever prosecuted. The new charges allege that, while serving on a federal grand jury investigating Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., letter carrier Jason Smith leaked information about the proceedings to the ringleaders of the insider trading scheme who traded in Bristol-Myers securities based on the information. By leaking the information, Smith, age 29, a resident of Jersey City, N.J., and a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, violated grand jury secrecy rules and his oath as a grand juror.  |

May 11, 2006 - Postal Workers' Wedding Starts NALC Food Drive - On a breezy, sunny Sunday, it was business unusual at the parking lot of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Later that day Letter Carrier Margie Garcia and Clerk Geary Baria were pronounced husband and wife in front of an audience of more than 300 family members, friends and fellow postal workers. Garcia and Baria decided to tie the knot at the Food Bank to kick off the 14th annual National Letter Carriers Food Drive. "What a great way to start their lives together," said Chris Casey, Walnut Creek postmaster. In lieu of gifts, guests were asked to bring donations of nonperishable food.  World's Largest Food Drive Scheduled for May 13 |

May 11, 2006  - PRC set dates for Postal Rate and Fee Changes case - May 31, 2006: deadline for interventions, answers to motion for waiver and for protective conditions. 2. June 5, 2006: Deadline for
answer to motion for waiver of rules regarding certain library references, and answer to motion concerning Forever Stamp. 3. June 7, 2006: Deadline for statements identifying topics for prehearing
conference. 4. June 16, 2006: Prehearing conference.
 

May 11, 2006

Postal Bulletin 5/11/2006 Issue
PMG Potter Receives Tully Award
Computing's Heritage Goes Postal

May 03, 2006 - USPS Presentation on the Evolutionary Network Development (PDF) - On April 28, 2006, the United States Postal Service presented an informal, off-the-record description of the Evolutionary Network Development optimization and simulations models and some simulation model outputs related to the Bridgeport CT AMP decision reflected in USPS Library Reference N2006-1/5. This Library Reference consists of copies of the presentation slides that formed the basis for the Postal Service’s presentation.

May 03, 2006 - Postman change envelops neighborhood feelings - "Popular postal carrier Daniel "Danny" Cervantes has had his Ahwatukee route changed, much to the consertnation of a group of residents who are trying to overturn the decision. The Postal Service changed the route of a beloved postal carrier who has served a small group of streets for nearly 18 years. Residents say it will take another 18 years to build such a bond and they want Cervantes back. The U.S. Postal Service has told the residents through a spokeswoman that the change is final and not up for discussion.

May 03, 2006 - NALC President Young's Message: Dominating the Game (PDF) -"Teamwork in both the inside and outside roles of the union starts with organizing: An amazing 92 percent of city letter carriers voluntarily belong to NALC, making us the best organized open shop union in the land." |

May 03, 2006 - Consumer Alert: Ads That Look Like Bills - The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is conducting a review of Listing Corp., a company whose mailed marketing pitches look like domain-name invoices. When the mail carrier delivered what looked like a Web-domain-related bill for $60 from a company called Listing Corp. last year, the San Diego chapter of the American Society for Industrial Security immediately sent in the money. The document, sent via the U.S. Postal Service, was actually an advertisement for Listing Corp.'s services. For an annual fee of $60, the company said, it would submit the nonprofit's Web site to 20 unspecified major search engines and later e-mail a quarterly "search engine position and ranking report.

May 03, 2006 - Lost in the mail  - Rural Carrier Hoarded 3200 pieces of mail  -  The U.S. Postal Service has a rich history of making sure the mail gets delivered even in the harshest conditions, but now it's trying to figure out why one rural mail carrier hoarded thousands of pieces of mail from her delivery route since December. "We're talking about approximately 2,000 pieces of first-class mail and about 1,200 pieces of standard mail, which is bulk business mail," said postmaster Mark Lotocki. A postal service spokesman isn't sure if any charges will be brought against the postal worker, but officials say the mail carrier is no longer employed by the postal service. |

May 03, 2006 -  UPS Store, Mail Boxes Etc. franchisees to demonstrate - The UPS Store franchisees from across the United States will picket the United Parcel Service shareholder meeting in Wilmington, Delaware Thursday morning over issues related to multiple lawsuits filed against the world's largest consumer shipping and packaging network. More than 450 franchisees who own Mail Boxes Etc. stores and The UPS Stores have filed three lawsuits in California. In separate complaints, the franchisees accused UPS of intentional misrepresentation, concealment and breach of contract, intentionally failing to disclose performance and financial data in addition to multiple violations of franchisee laws among other allegations.

May 03, 2006

Minooka tries to address postal issue
Weighing the junk mail - Man collects 200 pounds in one year
CTO partners with USPS to promote US passports

New Orleans Re-Opens as Market for Periodicals: Catalogs Still Banned
 

May 02, 2006 -  Class-Action EEO Complaint Initiated for Disabled Veterans

According to Hill vs Potter  Clarence Hill filed a class complaint alleging that the Postal Service discriminated against him and all disabled veteran applicants by making improper pre-employment medical inquiries. From Postal Reporter reader: "Any disabled veteran who has received a call in notice from the USPS and has submitted their medical records at the interview or before. This is a direct violation of the ADA Any disabled veteran who has received a call in notice since 1992 should contact Clarence Hill to join in the class. Any veteran who knows a veteran who has applied with the USPS please pass the word along. "   |

May 02, 2006 -  Man robs West Virginia Post Office, escapes in Postmaster's vehicle. U.S. postal inspectors say the robbery happened at about 3:45 p.m. Monday. That's when police say a man walked into the post office with a gun and held the postmaster at gunpoint. Officers say he escaped the post office, after stealing the postmaster's personal vehicle.

May 02, 2006

RR Donnelley Adds Tracking Capabilities To Co-Mailing

May 01, 2006 - House has yet to name postal reform negotiators
"House members working to advance a Postal Service overhaul bill continue to put off naming conferees to negotiate a compromise that will meet the White House's approval. The House passed its bill in July, but a veto threat has stymied the bill as White House aides push lawmakers to eliminate provisions that were part of both the Senate and House bills. Senate conferees were appointed last February, just after that chamber passed the legislation." House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va. said the recent administration staffing changes have stalled the discussions between the Senate conferees, House members and White House staff.  |

May 01, 2006 - How Have High Gas Prices Changed Your Life?
Rob from Kentucky hopes the government can provide some relief soon:
“I am a rural letter carrier in Kentucky and my route is 122 miles long and I am now paying $33.00 a day just to carry my route. We receive 41cents per mile, but that doesn't even cover my gas and all of my car repairs. I carry my route 5 days a week so that means I am spending 660.00 dollars a month in gas alone. We need relief in a major way.” Jenny Hannuksela, an Illinois rural mail carrier said “When I first started here it was around $7 a day to run my route, which is 64 miles. Now I'm up to $20 per day. I get reimbursed, but at this point it barely pays for (the trip).”  |

May 01, 2006 - APWU San Diego: USPS National Reassessment Process Info Updated - From San Diego Local President Rick Cornelius: "The NRP web site is updated with the latest documents from San Diego www.apwu197.org.  The class action Article 37 case filed on the issue of 23 [letter carriers] LC's and 1 [mail handler] MH coming in as  FTR's bypassing over 100 PTF's will be posted in the near future.  |

May 01, 2006

Consultant Recycles USPS Postal Address Validation Website  |

Letter: USPS Should Add 'Deceased' Card Similar to NCOA Postcard

PRC: No Changes to Bank One NSA

Delivering Hope

Post office 'bomb' just a forgotten box

New Orleans: Through rain and debris, mail will be delivered
Postal carrier mails in last day
County postal carrier retires
A Weighty Issue