November 30,  2011

On Falling Mail Volumes, A Tale of Two Stories

Advertising on USPS vehicles could raise $360m a year

USPS Prepares To Shut Down Cincinnati's Mail Hub

Two Kentucky Mail Carriers Admit Stealing Prescriptions Mailed To Veterans

November 29,  2011

OIG Report On USPS Health and Safety Program

OIG found in some locations that safety was not always a priority to management -...the total number of proposed violations increased from 112 in fiscal year (FY) 2008 to 528 in FY 2010. According to OSHA, 52 percent of the Postal Service’s proposed violations in FYs 2008-2010 were for serious violations.  If violations occur, OSHA may cite or fine the Postal Service or, in extreme cases, refer the agency for criminal prosecution. |

Edmond Walker vs USPS EEO Class Survey

Update: "the EEOC Administrative Judge ordered the Postal Service, through it investigative office, to send a Questionnaire referred to as “Initial Inquiry Regarding Damages” to identified class members in the Walker class action.  While Class Counsel represents the class, Class Counsel is not involved in this process of disseminating or collecting this information." Edmond C. Walker, the class agent in the Walker class action, filed a complaint on August 19, 2002. Walker alleged that, since April 2000, the Postal Service discriminated against individuals with disabilities. . (11/29) |

MSPB to Hear Oral Arguments in NRP Appeals On December 13th

Latham et al. raise the following legal issues:  (1) May a denial of restoration be “arbitrary and capricious” within the meaning of 5 C.F.R. § 353.304(c) solely for being in violation of the U.S. Postal Service’s own internal rules; and (2) what is the extent of the agency’s restoration obligation under its own internal rules, i.e., under what circumstances do the agency’s rules require it to offer a given task to a given partially recovered employee as modified work?  |

Why Congress can't save the Postal Service right now

CNN - There's one thing that turns some Tea Party Republicans into government-job lovers like their Democratic rivals: Their neighborhood post office.In fact, the U.S. Postal Service's reach into every state and congressional district is a big reason why Americans shouldn't expect Congress to make the drastic changes that the postmaster general says are needed for the service to survive -- especially before the 2012 election.  |

Union leader urges community support for 207 U.S. Postal Service mail processing jobs

November 28,  2011

USPS Begins FY 2012 With Net Loss of $139 Million

USPS reported a net operating loss of $139 million for the month of October 2011. This same period last year saw a $283 million net profit. USPS reported a drop of volume in all classes of mail except shipping which rose 34.6% during the month of October. USPS Financial History Summary 2007-2011  |

Post office closures seen as boost to other Christmas package shippers

The downsizing of the U.S. Postal Service could be a boon to competing shippers. The USPS announced earlier this month a temporary moratorium on closing retail outlets and post offices from Nov. 19 through Jan. 2. The postal service, which delivers 40 percent of the world's mail, wants to focus on the busy holiday season and minimize logistical issues, according to a statement. In some cases, the damage is already done. |

Post Office Facilities Group Fighting USPS Real Estate Program Delegating Lease Renewals To Contractor

Central Va. mail center had nation's highest volume of delayed mail

US Postal Service By The Numbers (Infographic)

Emergency Medical Anthrax Kits for Selected Employees (PDF)

OIG: Can the Postal Service Afford Alaska Bypass?

Post office closures seen as boost to other Christmas package shippers

Colorado couple's lawsuit over post office gun ban allowed to proceed

USPS Addresses Jefferson Concerns

Should Postal Service Offer Email, Online Storage?

Arkansas post office reviews to continue during moratorium

November 27,  2011

38 postal execs earn more than Cabinet members

Thirty-eight Postal Service executives and officers earned more than a Cabinet secretary’s salary of $199,700 in 2010 Since executive salaries were frozen in 2010, the jump in the number of executives earning more than Cabinet secretaries was the result of performance-based bonuses. Last week, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe defended the bonuses, saying they were awarded under the agency's pay-for-performance system after several years of no salary changes. |

On USPS Privatization, George Will Strikes Out

Dead Tree Edition - George Will is a Pulitzer Prize-winning political commentator who has penned some of the most beautiful prose ever written about baseball. But yesterday, in opining about the U.S. Postal Service, he whiffed when it came to basic fact checking. George Will Is Confused by Numbers at the Post Office  |

Has Facebook killed the holiday card?

Mail facility belongs in New Orleans

Hidden spy system still exists in old post office

TIME Photos: The Storied History of the United States Postal Service

Week in Review: The discontinuing continues

Dear Santa, Please Send the Post Office a Miracle

Richmond P&DC: Audit shines light on slowness of area's postal service

November 26,  2011

Petaluma: Postal workers, customers blast closure plan

More than two dozen Chico postal boxes hit by vandals

Postal big rig flips in Palo Alto

November 25,  2011

Update: USPS San Francisco District Posts over 130 NTFT Bids On Thanksgiving Day - information provided by APWU stewards - "Look at the stations and branches. Some NTFTs work five hours, six days a week. Some have variable schedules because they are Flexible NTFTs. While a traditional FTR cannot be forced to bid a job that is less than 40 hours, they could end up in a residual Flexible or Regular NTFT duty assignment of 40 to 44 hours."  USPS San Francisco District Postal Management "reconfigures traditional full-time bid assignments to NTFT bid assignments in response to the loss of workload/financials of the Postal Service.' Automation (tours 1&3), box section, station/branch clerks to bear the sacrifices with new workload of 30 to 36 hours.  |

Occupy Post Office

michaelmoore.com - The Post Office has cut more than 130,000 jobs, closed some small post offices in communities that need them the most, and now they're talking about more cuts and pushing more business to private companies like FedEx and UPS.  These moves not only threaten the jobs of postal workers, they also impact the lives of people living in rural communities who depend on postal service for delivery of medicines and goods.  Believe it or not, everyone doesn't have computers and email.  The U.S. Postal Service is also the largest single employer of vets and African Americans.   |

The New York Times Editorial: How many things can you get wrong in 300 words? Save The Post Office -  "The New York Times welcomes in the holiday season with a 300-word editorial entitled “ Overhauling the Post Office for the 21st Century .” The piece gets so many things wrong that it would be laughable if it weren’t so maddening. It’s really the Times’ editorial staff that ought to overhauled."  |

Video: Residents in Lissie, Texas May Start Occupy group to save Post Office

KUT -  Lissie, Texas, is a cluster of ranch-style homes lined with tractors, one church, and a post office. Just 200 people live there. Joyce Hodde is one. She says the post office is much more than just a place to buy stamps. “This is kind of a community center for us,” Hodde said. “We get our mail, talk to our friends and go home.” It’s also where residents pay bills and pick up retirement checks. |

Editorial: Overhauling the Post Office for the 21st Century

Real holiday cards deliver the most staying power

The Terrorist at the Post Office

November 24,  2011

USPS Says Recession Cost $2.34B

 multichannelmerchant.com - In defense of a bid for an exigent rate increase next year, the U.S. Postal Service claims the recession impacted its finances to the tune of $2.34 billion during fiscal years 2008-09, according to a Nov. 21 filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission. Given the fact that Congress hasn’t agreed to any financial rescue plan for the U.S. Postal Service, the USPS is moving ahead with its exigent rate case proposal.  |

Can Letter Carriers deliver mail in the dark?

Arbitrator’s have ruled that darkness in and of itself is not unsafe. Darkness can contribute to an unsafe situation. With FSS everyone is delivering in the dark and too many hours. Everyone needs to case in the dog warning cards. It becomes more difficult to tell where the barking dog is when it is dark. If you choose to bring back the mail let your manager know. At some point it is unsafe to be out late, it may be unsafe to be on someone’s porch at 8 or 9 pm. Remember with the exception of the month of December, Letter Carriers cannot be required to work in excess of 12 hours per day. Regardless of the month, Letter Carriers cannot be required to work in excess of 60 hours per week. You are the only one that can keep yourself safe.  |  

The Best Postal System Money Can Buy 

Save the post Office - A USPS study done in 1980, for example, showed that eliminating Saturday delivery would cause the mail to pile up, and "the augmented workload on Monday would cause some of the mail available for delivery on that day to spill over until later in the week."  Other studies found that the hardest hit would be rural areas and postal employees, who would lose thousands of jobs.  So here we are, over 30 years later, and the Postal Service is still talking about eliminating Saturday delivery.  And the Postal Service is still producing surveys that show customers won't mind, even though studies say what a bad idea it is.  |  

Operation Santa: Making children’s dreams come true

Smartphone Apps Send Holiday Greetings

Scranton: Hundreds Protest Possible Postal Center Closure

As mailing deadlines approach, USPS expects mail bag to grow heavier

North Texas Postal Facilities Could be Consolidated

Perspectives: The combative hearing on USPS proposal to close local mail center

November 23,  2011

OSHA orders Tennessee Postal Contractor to reinstate whistleblower who complained about defective vehicles

USPS Warns Missing Mail Bins Could Mean Big Fines Or Jail Time

Congress must act quickly to stem Postal Service losses, PMG says

USPS thinks they'll save $900,000 shifting Staten Island mail processing operations to Brooklyn

E-mail, Retirement, Health Benefits Hurt USPS Bottom Line

Hundreds Protest Possible Postal Center Closure

Volkswagen eT: Electric Postal Vehicle for 2020?

Don't expect Congress to deliver for the U.S. Postal Service

Police: Joliet postal worker stole credit cards from mail

November 22,  2011

OPM Announce Changes in Life Insurance Premiums

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is announcing changes in premiums for certain Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) categories. These include changes to premiums for Option B (most age bands), Option C (all age bands), and Post-Retirement Basic Insurance (for annuitants only). |

USPS Hires Banking Advisory Firm to Help With Restructuring Business Model - The Postal Service has hired Evercore Partners to review and advise the Postal Service on the ongoing restructuring of its business model. Evercore Partners has assisted other large, complex organizations experiencing financial challenges, including auto and other transportation companies.  |

USPS Announces Shipping Prices for 2012

The overall price change for all Shipping Services is 4.6 percent, with Priority Mail prices increasing an average 3.1 percent and Express Mail prices increasing an average 3.3 percent. The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) will review the prices before they become effective Jan. 22, 2012,  |

Postal workers cry foul about cuts in hours
Gainesville Times - Off-duty U.S. postal workers were out to deliver a different kind of message on Monday outside the Flowery Branch Post Office. Picketing with brightly colored signs, a handful of postal employees charged that their supervisors were violating union contracts by cutting back their hours and hiring “unskilled” employees in their place.   |

Postal Service compares itself to refrigerators
Postal facility faces bleak digital realities

UPS Rate Increase Could Help Priority Mail
No check in the mail for U.S. Postal Service debt woes

Gary: Crowd wants postal jobs to stay put

November 21,  2011

APWU: The Threat of Privatization – From Within

by APWU Vice President Greg Bell - Postal workers are under constant attack by the forces of privatization. Unfortunately, this group includes the Postmaster General, members of the Board of Governors, some members of Congress and others. I would be remiss if I did not mention the Postmaster General for the recognition that he has earned — as an advocate of privatization of postal services. Sen. Sanders’ Bill Addresses USPS Crisis  |

NALC President’s New Approach To Health Benefits Will Save USPS $20 Billion Over 10 Years - we are negotiating a new approach to health benefits that could save the Postal Service up to $20 billion over the next ten years. These savings would derive from the adoption of best practices on disease management and wellness care, improved purchasing power for drugs and other medical services, and the sensible integration of our members’ health insurance plans with Medicare benefits, among other sources.   |

Postmaster General urges Congress to reevaluate current postal reform bills

Providing his first public commentary on postal reform packages, Donahoe argued for providing the Postal Service with a more flexible business model that would enable the Postal Service to quickly implement cost cutting measures. “Unfortunately, both bills have elements that delay tough decisions and impose greater constraints on our business model. Taken as they are, they do not come close to enabling cost reductions of $20 billion by 2015 – which they must do for the Postal Service to return to profitability.” Video: PMG addresses National Press Club |  VIDEO: Protest Before PMG Speech|

USPS and NALC, Mail Handlers Agree To Extend Contract Negotiations To Dec. 7th - Although the contracts with the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO (NALC) and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, AFL-CIO (NPMHU) expired at midnight Sunday, Nov. 20, the Postal Service and the two unions agreed to extend the negotiations deadline until midnight, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011. NALC contract talks extended | Mail Handlers Continue Discussions Beyond Deadline  |

Postmaster Victim of Customer Stalking Wins MSPB Appeal

Postal hero saves elderly woman

November 20,  2011

NYC suspect arrested in plot to attack postal facilities and armed forces from Iraq -“Yesterday afternoon, New York City police officers arrested a 27-year-old Al Qaeda sympathizer who was plotting to bomb police patrol cars and also postal facilities, as well as target members of our Armed Forces returning from abroad." New York police arrest man in suspected bomb plot   |

How Many People Use the Post Office? Does the Postal Service Even Know?

Save The Post Office - in other words, the number of visits to the post office each year is probably something like five billion, give or take a billion or two.  So it looks like the Postal Facts page, with its number 1.07 billion visits in 2010, has grossly underestimated the frequency people use the post office.  And it is just ludicrous to think that the Postal Service has such a firm grasp of the numbers that it knows visits declined by 5% in 2010.  There's no evidence that visits to the post office are even declining at all.  Where did the Postal Service’s “Postal Facts” come up with its numbers purporting to show a drop in visits, a "fact" now being repeated by the GAO to Congress, the Washington Post, and numerous other news agencies?  |

NAPUS: A Tale of Two Postal Bills

Even with the procedural disparities, both bills share a common and major deficiency; neither bill provides the USPS with a fair and equitable calculation of its pension liability – a $55 billion omission. Rather, H.R. 2309 and S. 1789 continue to impose a punitive pension liability on the USPS that seeks to offset the federal government’s failure to account for its own pension liability. This failure is bipartisan and the blame is shared with the White House. |

Collectors hope Internet will fuel revival in stamp market

Former Asheville postal worker sentenced to probation on OWCP fraud charges

November 19,  2011

Survey: Consumers Oppose Post Office Closings

A national consumer survey conducted by the American Consumer Institute (ACI) finds that the vast majority of consumers do not support the United States Post Office’s planned closing of 4,000 post offices. According to the survey of 1,500 consumers, 82% of consumers say that it would be inconvenient if their local post office closed, with only 17% saying that it would not be inconvenient.  |

Could Forever Stamps Become Worthless? What Bankruptcy Might Mean for USPS - Dead Tree Edition - "With news reports of the U.S. Postal Service talking to restructuring advisors and being close to bankruptcy, it’s time to ask what might seem like a silly question: Are Forever Stamps really forever? In the past two weeks, Reuters described USPS as “on the brink of bankruptcy”, the Associated Press explored what happens “in the event of a shutdown”, and the San Francisco Chronicle says postal executives are meeting with corporate “restructuring” (AKA bankruptcy) advisors."  |

Postal carriers collect 500,000 signatures to save 6-day delivery

WJBC-TV - Letter carriers delivered 500,000 signatures to Washington as a show of support to Congress for keeping six-day delivery. Tim Brucker, Bloomington-Normal president for the NALC, said the move to five-day delivery would dramatically reduce the postal service’s workforce. He said it’s a myth that people don’t use the postal service anymore. He says much of the mail delivered now is at a bulk rate, where the postal services’ profit margin is much smaller.  |

NY Congressman Condemns USPS Plan To Correct Financial Woes by Closing Post offices - Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) issued the following statement condemning the U.S. Postal Service for singling out post offices for closure, and considering slashing hundreds of thousands of jobs, while failing to identify root causes for their massive debt. NY: Community and Unions to Protest Closing of Harlem’s Lincolnton Post Office  |

USPS, NALC Contract Negotiations Near Deadline

The 2006-2011 National Agreement between the NALC and the USPS expires at midnight Sunday, Nov. 20. USPS, Mail Handlers enter final week of contract negotiations  |

Closing post offices latest hardship for Minnesota small towns

Financially ailing Postal Service gets a reprieve

Fairbanks postal contractor charged in mail investigation

Mail discount is critical for nonprofits

November 18,  2011

Tensions boil at Redondo Beach post office, leading to hostile work environment and mail dumping allegations  - Problems within the United States Postal Service have led to local postal carriers being forced to deliver mail late into the night and supervisors allegedly ordering the dumping of bulk mail at the Redondo Beach (Calif.) Main Post Office.  |

Customers warned about email scammers using USPS name

USPS sends wrong meeting notices to 21,000 addresses

November 17,  2011

USPS says it’s too early to determine cost savings from Retail Alternatives to Post Offices - USPS has stated that it will realize cost savings as it closes redundant and underutilized post offices in response to decreased demand and customers shifting to retail alternatives. USPS announced in September 2011, that it will review as many as 15,000 post offices for possible closure, which it stated could produce annual savings of $1.5 billion as part of an effort to eliminate $20 billion in annual costs by 2015. USPS officials told us they had not prepared documented strategy for retail. According to an official responsible for USPS retail programs, such a plan has not been completed because the needs of postal customers continue to evolve. Sen. Bennet: USPS ‘Time-Out’ Provides More Time to Evaluate Effects of Potential Post Office Closures  |

Open Letter to Senator Thomas Carper On Postal Reform Bill

BurrusJournal.org - The United States citizens enjoy the best postal services in the world at the cheapest rates.  They have achieved this sterling record through a dedicated work force and productivity gains that are the envy of the private sector.  Continuous intervention by Congress is unnecessary and as evidenced by the 2006 PAEA is counterproductive.  The most positive action by Congress at this date would be to repeal or modify the payment for future health care and get out of the way.  Further modifications are intended to satisfy political objectives and have nothing to do with mail services. What Killed the Postal Service? PAEA Looks Suspiciously Guilty  - Courier Express and Postal Observer   |

USPS job review program has brought slew of complaints

Federal Times - Launched in 2006 (NRP) partly as a way to cut expenses by eliminating "make-work" jobs, the reassessments may instead cost the Postal Service hundreds of millions of dollars in claims and legal bills. The agency says it completed reassessments of employees in the affected jobs early this year.  |

TIME: How the U.S. Postal Service Fell Apart

What does it take to save a post office? Looking at appeals on closings

Florida: Another postal worker attacked, robbed

USPS employees nervous about possible Savannah center closing

Would barring ban on layoffs save Postal Service?

USPS Statement on Holiday Suspension for Retail and Delivery Unit Optimization

Letter carrier gets probation for cell photo caper

November 16,  2011

Cash-strapped USPS still owes retired PMG Potter more than $800,000

Washington Times -  "In a year when the U.S. Postal Service lost more than $5 billion, former Postmaster General John E. Potter still received more than a quarter-million dollars thanks to a hefty deferred-compensation package, a “lifetime achievement award” and a severance deal, records show. What’s more, the cash-strapped Postal Service still owes more than $800,000 to Mr. Potter - the result of years of incentive awards that were deferred to avoid running afoul of federal compensation caps. PMG Patrick Donahoe, received no bonus for 2011, but did receive $30,000 in incentive payments based on awards that were deferred until this year. According to the report, Mr. Donahoe can earn an extra $103,815 in 2012 depending on his and the Postal Service’s performance. Other top postal executives can earn amounts ranging from $86,250 to $89,525 if they meet performance goals." Video: Senator Tester Says Postal Execs Should Not Receive Outlandish Salaries and Benefits for their work |

Should Postal Employees Delay Retirement?

In a recent post, former APWU President William Burrus suggested that members consider delaying retirement.   His advice assumes that the Postal Service will offer retirement incentives to retire next year.   His advice raises a number of questions. What is the likelihood that legislation will pass this year that will provide the Postal Service funds to provide retirement incentives or allow the Postal Service to add service time for calculating CSRS or FERS pensions? While retirement incentives exist in both the bills in line for consideration on the House and Senate, there is no indication that either chamber will act on postal reform legislation before the end of the year.   |

OPM: Problem of late pension payments getting worse

Federal Times - The Office of Personnel Management's backlog of pending retirement cases has grown 58 percent since Director John Berry first pledged to solve the problem more than a year ago. Unless something changes, that backlog will keep growing, and fast. ... the backlog will more than double by summer 2014. But when Ross asked Berry for a business plan spelling out exactly how OPM will fix the retirement problem and by when, Berry said he did not have one yet. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., said the situation is "an embarrassment" and "unsustainable," and is afraid that OPM will be swamped with retirement claims as many cash-strapped agencies offer employees buyouts and early retirements. He said OPM should consider rehiring retirees to help deal with the workload. OPM to hire more staff to process pensions  |

APWU: Are Those Posted Duty Assignments Desirable?

NAPUS To Request Fact Finding on USPS 2011-2015 Pay Package Offer

Senators Lieberman, Collins, Carper, and Brown React to USPS Losses

Tell Your Legislator: Vote No on H.R. 2309

Thurgood Marshall, Jr. Elected Chairman of USPS Board of Governors

USPS Weighs Hiring Restructuring Advisers

RI man charged with assaulting letter carrier

November 15,  2011

USPS FY 2011 Executive Officer Compensation.

..lump sum incentives may be appropriate even in years in which the Postal Service sustains financial losses. This is especially true where the Postal Service maintained service levels while significantly reducing costs.  Postal Service Predicts Record Loss for 2012  |

USPS: PreFunding Retiree Health Benefits Raises Overall Labor Costs - Compensation and benefits costs represent approximately 65% to 71% of total operating costs. However, when workers’ compensation and retiree health benefits, including the legally mandated prefunding of the retiree health benefits, are added, total personnel costs increase to approximately 77% to 80%.   |

DOJ Advises USPS To Resume FERS Payments Despite Overfunding Of $11.4 Billion - The Postal Service had overfunded its FERS obligations by $6.9 billion at September 30, 2009, and sought to apply that overfunded balance to amounts currently due for employer contributions. OPM’s latest calculation shows that the surplus has grown to $10.9 billion as of September 30, 2010, the latest actual data available, and it is projected to grow to $11.4 billion by September 30,2011, assuming all employer contributions are made.   |

USPS Ends Fiscal Year 2011 with $5.1 Billion Loss

The U.S. Postal Service ended its 2011 fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2010 – Sept. 30, 2011) with a net loss of $5.1 billion. The year-end loss would have been approximately $10.6 billion had it not been for passage of legislation that postponed a congressionally mandated payment of $5.5 billion to pre-fund retiree health benefits.  NALC statement on USPS financial losses  |

Negotiating Early Retirement Incentives

Courier Express and Postal Observer-  If the Postal Service as expected is given funding to offer early retirement incentives for postal employees, the respective unions and management associations will want to ensure that ensure that the process is as fair and generous as possible.  There are some obvious concerns that the leadership should consider.  |

Seven Reasons the Jury Is Still Out on Flats Sequencing
Dead Tree Edition - Mailers had hoped FSS would reduce the Postal Service's costs of handling catalogs, magazines and other flat mail. But, more than ever, USPS claims it is losing money on the two main sources of mail sorted by FSS -- Periodicals and Standard flats.The football-field-sized machines have helped USPS reduce costs by reducing the manual handling of mail by letter carriers, clerks, and other postal workers. But for at least seven reasons, it may be many months or even years before postal officials will know whether the investment will pay off:   |

New York Metro Area Postal Union Supports Occupy Wall Street and Condemns Eviction of the 99% - The union, which is the largest local in the American Postal Workers Union, believes that it is imperative that everyone take a stand in support of Occupy Wall Street and the right of the 99% to exercise its constitutionally protected right to free speech and the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.   |

Video: Postal Employee Saves Co-Worker’s Life

Binding the Nation Together – as long as it’s profitable….

Roanoke post office hearing draws a crowd

November 14,  2011

1991 Post Office rampage still painful for postal workers

Royal Oak, Michigan — Clark French remembers co-workers scattering like deer from a "popping" noise inside the Royal Oak Post Office 20 years ago today. The morning of Nov. 14, 1991, something French and other postal employees had feared for weeks appeared: Thomas Paul McIlvane, a disgruntled, recently fired co-worker armed with a sawed-off .22-caliber rifle. "Someone started running and then all of us — like deer — ran to get out," said French, now 57. "Then I was shot. And I knew I had to keep running because he must be right behind me, and I didn't want to be an easy target." Within minutes, McIlvane had killed four of French's co-workers and shot himself to death;  Ceremony marks 20th anniversary of post office shooting   |

Postal Employees Should Delay Retirement Until Passage of Postal Reform Bill

Burrus Journal: All APWU represented employees who are retirement eligible should consider delaying their retirement until the Postal Reform efforts have been concluded. Each of the legislative initiatives (Issa – Carper – Obama) includes the return of the $7 billion overpayment with authorization to use it for retirement incentives.   |

Offering eMailboxes to Consumers: An Opportunity for the Postal Service?

Out of 23 posts in industrialized countries, the U.S. Postal Service is one of the few remaining posts not offering an eMailbox solution to its citizens. And while there are private sector technology industry standouts in the U.S. that have developed widely popular e-mail and secure storage services, their business models sacrifice consumer privacy in the interest of ad-based revenue generation.  |

Where the Postal Service Goes Wrong in Retail

Another post office closing: It's the same old story, don't you know?

Piles Of Mail Found In State Forest, USPS Investigates

Postal supervisor to plead guilty for accepting bribes

Video: Another Siouxland USPS Processing Plant on the chopping block

EquaShip bundles discounted Priority Mail with real insurance for parcels

Handle Postal service With Care

Kingman residents: Save our Post Office

USPS pension payments could finance early retirements

USPS wants to cut jobs at Indian Orchard sorting center

The Week in Review: Rallies, briefs, complaints, letters, and road trips

Abuse of power: Bypass mail bill could violate U.S. Constitution

November 13,  2011

Video: Ed Schultz Talks to USPS Letter Carrier Who Was Screamed at By Rep. Joe Walsh - Crooks and Liars:  “Ed Schultz talked to USPS letter carrier and Rep. Joe Walsh constituent Melissa Rakestraw about her encounter with Walsh at a recent meeting he had where he basically melted down and started screaming at Rakestraw and some of the others who were unfortunate enough to be attending that event.”   |

USPS notified 5,400 online store customers after their data were inadvertently revealed to others -Office of Inadequate Security - "On October 28, 2011 we became aware that some of our customer’s credit card information that was stored on usps.com may have been exposed.  |

Customer, Postal Workers Criticize Plan To Close Everett Mail Facility

Heraldnet- Everett, WA -For two hours, people vented, grilled and even heckled the suit-and-tie wearing Postal Service managers from Seattle who showed up. "I'm a customer," said Janice Herrera of Arlington. "Please explain why I'm paying for first-class mail but getting second- or third-class service? Explain to me why I'm paying more but getting less?" The managers looked at each other and said nothing for a moment -- which caused the whole room to erupt in applause punctuated with heckles."   |

November 12,  2011

PRC Chair Addresses Key Postal Issues In Q&A

Postal workers talk about impact of careers beyond delivering mail

Customers, workers criticize plan to close Everett mail facility

First trial in works in USPS corruption probe

Mayor says USPS Shutdown Plan Unfair for Duluth

Priority mail appears not to have priority

Postmaster accused of embezzlement

November 11,  2011

Bad News Comes in Threes: How Congress, Industry, and Management Have Made a Mess Out of Things -  Save The Post Office - If Mr. Issa and Mr. Ross were to stand up and proclaim that they believed that the American people would be better served by a privatized postal service, I would heartily disagree, but I would respect their willingness to express and pursue their ends openly.  If they would clearly state their belief that we’d be better off with a postal system with a workforce that was not unionized and that paid workers the minimum wage and offered minimal benefits, at least we could have a meaningful discussion about the value of their system and the one I might prefer.  But instead of making their ultimate goals clear, politicians like Issa and Ross are dissembling about the real causes of the Postal Service’s financial problems, and they are not being straightforward about the true aims of their proposed reforms.   |

"No other public or private business in America"

 except for the U.S. Postal Service must fund 100 percent of employee retirement and retirement health costs in advance. Playing Politics with the Post Office    |

Ex-postal worker: didn't know about theft charge

APWU member's complaint dropped in exchange for audiof Union finances

Virginia postmaster indicted for embezzlement

Thousands of veterans would lose jobs if Congress passes postal legislation
PRC Chair Addresses Key Postal Issues In Q&A

USPS Going Ape Over Missing Pallets

Occupy Duluth' Marches against Postal Service Cut Plan

November 10,  2011

APWU- Full-time regular career Clerk Craft and Motor Vehicle Craft employees who work in an installation and functional area with Non-Traditional Full-Time assignments cannot be required to work overtime (except in an emergency), unless they are on the Overtime Desired List.  |

Congressman Says USPS will “temporarily suspend” all post office closings nationwide - The City Wire- On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, (Arkansas) announced on his Twitter feed that the U.S. Postal Service will “temporarily suspend” all post office closings nationwide from Nov. 19 – Jan. 2. While no formal announcement on the moratorium has been made by USPS officials, Ross’ office has received a letter disclosing the delay. Arkansas Congressman Introduces Bill To Prohibit USPS From Closing Rural Post Offices  |

Study: Postal relocation could drain $32M from local economy

DMA To Members: Fighting Postal Threats to Your Business

November 9,  2011

21st Century Postal Service Act Clears Senate Committee

-PR note: Senate passes 2nd bill in 5 years to "rescue" USPS - After the P.L.109-435 bill passed in 2006 USPS said, "Our financial results in 2007 were a net loss of $5,142 million [billion] compared to net income of $900 million in 2006. These results were significantly impacted by P.L.109-435. Press Release " Today, Joe Lieberman wrote: "Bipartisan legislation to rescue the USPS from certain financial failure next year cleared the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Thursday by a vote of 9-1. Today’s Committee action is great progress and a huge step forward giving the Postal Service the authority it needs to restructure, modernize, survive, and thrive. We are giving the Postal Service the tools to achieve solvency once again.”. APWU: Senate Panel Approves Postal Legislation That Will Severely Weaken USPS | NALC: 21st Century Postal Act Is Deeply Flawed  |

Senate committee approves funding shift for postal buyouts

Federal Times - A Senate panel overwhelmingly approved bipartisan legislation Wednesday that would allow the U.S. Postal Service to tap part of a pension fund surplus to pay for a massive employee buyout program. The Postal Service predicts that it would need about $1.7 billion of that total to encourage up to 100,000 employees to leave, either through early-out incentives or to credit them with extra service years needed to qualify for retirement.|

Mail Handlers: USPS Submits Harsh Proposals at Bargaining Table

Nonetheless, to this point the Postal Service has presented several work rule proposals that, whether considered individually or collectively, would effectively re-write large portions of the current National Agreement to the detriment of all mail handlers.  |

USPS Announces Pay Freeze for Management & Administrative Employees

USPS News Link - To help reduce costs, the Postal Service today announced it is freezing Postmaster, manager, administrative and supervisor pay for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. USPS also is changing its sick and annual leave earnings formulas for new hires in these positions.   |

USPS Issues Final Decision on Postmaster Pay Package for 2011-2015

NAPUS - The Pay Package includes a 6.5% increase in the minimum and maximum salary ranges of the EAS pay schedule from January 2013 through January 2016.  However, PFP Program ratings will be suspended and not be applied to salaries for FY 2011 and FY 2012.  A determination as to whether PFP ratings will be applied to salaried for 2013 through 2015 will be based on the economic condition of the Postal Service during those years.” Postal Supervisors Not Happy About USPS Pay Package . |

USPS Drive Initiative In High Gear To Study Closing 250 Mail Processing Plants The "DRIVE" team expects to submit its proposal to the PRC for review next month. If the PRC approves the proposal, the Network Optimization activities could begin early in calendar year 2012. . |

Deutsche Post New Labor Agreement – Could It Provide a Model for the USPS?

Hundreds attend meeting about moving New Orleans processing center  - New Orleans Times-Picayune

Lagging economy U.S. postal chief's biggest fear - Reuters

Comparing UPS, FedEx, and USPS: Which is Best Now? -Practical eCommerce

Congresswoman Says There Are No Current Plans To Close Any D.C. Post Offices

November 8,  2011

An Urgent Call To Attend USPS "Public Input Meetings"

by Clint Burelson - USPS will soon be holding "public input meetings" regarding their proposals to close and/or consolidate mail processing plants all across the country. The Postal Service admits that if they are allowed to proceed with consolidating mail processing operations, the first class mail that is currently delivered the next day will instead take two to three days. The Postal Service does not intend to reduce the cost of a first class stamp to match the reduction in service. The delay in service problems will be even greater for those in rural areas. This is a dramatic, inappropriate, and unnecessary reduction of service to the American people.  |

Former Senior Exec For USPS Sentenced To Two Years in Prison for Bribery

A former senior executive with the U.S. Postal Service, was sentenced today to two years of incarceration on a bribery charge stemming from his acceptance of $15,000 in cash from a businessman he promised to reward with government contracts. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to resign from the Postal Service.  |

Senator Tells PMG Alaska Post Office Closures based on outdated data

Senator Lisa Murkowski questioned USPS’s decision-making process behind the proposed closure of the Eielson Air Force Base, Fort Wainwright and Elmendorf Air Force Base post offices. In a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, she pointed out that not only is the USPS using 17-year old population data to make the determination, but also that both Fairbanks locations made money last year, calling the entire process’ accuracy into question.  |

Senator Sanders to offer bill to save Postal Service

“It is time for the Postal Service to move into the future, to offer Internet service, printing service, and all the other services appropriate for the modern age which are financially viable,” Sanders said. 

Senators Urge Senate Leadership to Consider Rural Communities in Postal Service Reforms | More Than 300 Attend Vermont Senator’s “Save the Postal Service” Meeting  |

Senator introduces amendment that would allow states to implement a 'do not mail' option (PDF) - Senator Tom Coburn via Postcom: "To provide greater choice to postal customers by establishing a democratic processes for states to enter into a compact with the Postal Service to initiate a program to allow citizens residing in that state to choose to opt out of receiving non-addressed mail." Senator Coburn Proposes to Allow Americans to Pay Not to Receive Mail - Courier Express and Postal Observer  |

USPS completes phase I deployment of new “ring scanners”

CBO Report: Cost of Breast Cancer Research Semipostal Stamp

New service stops junk mail before it's sent

Opposition to USPS Pursuing Exigent Rate Case

USPS revamps returns services to boost parcel volumes

Area post offices effected by closed downtown post office

Future of New Orleans postal service processing center subject of meeting

Postal worker allegedly threw mail in dumpster at church

Signs of support for the post office

Comparing UPS, FedEx, and USPS: Which is Best Now?

November 7,  2011

Postal Unions Honor Military Veterans, Oppose Destructive Bill in New TV Ad

The APWU has launched a new TV ad that salutes our nation’s “real life heroes” and points out that a bill pending in the House of Representatives would force the USPS to fire tens of thousands of military veterans. NALC Video Ad: Letter Carrier veterans—Their service never ended |

USPS Moving Forward With Exigent Pricing Relief Case

As a result of the Postal Regulatory Commission’s (PRC) Oct. 31 order denying a motion by the Postal Service to “stay” its request for exigent price relief until Dec. 15, 2011, the Postal Service today informed the Commission that it will continue to proceed with the case.   |

Congressional meddling force carriers to work through the night to Deliver Mail - Easy Reader News-  Letter carriers are working late into the night, sometimes until 10PM in Redondo Beach. A new sorting technology (FSS) combined with route adjustments, later starting times and carriers helping on other routes are being blamed for the late deliveries.   |

Senate Committee To Vote On 21st Century Postal Service Act

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will begin its mark up on Nov. 9 of 21st Century Postal Reform Act (S. 1789).   |

More Than 300 Attend Vermont Sen ator’s “Save the Postal Service” Meeting

Sen. Bernard Sanders held a town meeting Sunday inside a packed Montpelier High School cafeteria to discuss major cuts proposed by the U.S. Postal Service. He said the financial problems “can be corrected, the Postal Service can remain strong and jobs that are threatened can be saved.  |

PMG to reveal plans for fixing USPS’s finances at Nov. 21 luncheon

Video: Pennsylvania postal workers protest USPS reductions

Video: Unlocking the mystery of mail

November 6,  2011

OIG Recommends Outsourcing USPS Custodial and Motor Vehicle Jobs

The report responds to a request from Representative Darrell E. Issa. We recommended the Postal Service seek exemption from the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) of 1965 to allow flexibility to negotiate contract rates closer to market rates. We also recommended the Postal Service review the benefits of outsourcing cleaning/janitorial service positions and Postal Service vehicle driver positions and restructure those positions to achieve the most cost effective solution.  Management  stated the new APWU agreement provides for the establishment and use of non-career employees on a much wider scale than previously permitted and new employees will be paid at rates much lower than current career rates and, in some cases, lower than SCA rates  |

USPS Need Not Disclose Psych Tests to Union

Courthouse News - The U.S. Postal Service was justified in refusing to let its National Mail Handlers’ union access the confidential test scores of 22 employees without written consent, the 1st Circuit ruled. Though the National Labor Relations Board had found that the union’s collective bargaining interests outweighed employees’ privacy interests, the Boston-based federal appeals court disagreed. archived: NLRB: Postal Mail Handlers Union Entitled to Test Scores of New Hires |

Audit: Center that could process local mail plagued with delays

The Virginian-Pilot - The Richmond-area center that the U.S. Postal Service has proposed using for processing Hampton Roads mail has been plagued with delivery delays and is among the nation's least efficient postal hubs, according to a recent internal audit by the agency.   |

USPS Seeking Info On Direct Mail & Technology Integration

The USPS is requesting capability information, from those in the technology industry as well as the mailing industry, on any service offerings (both front end and back end) that allow consumers to interact and be engaged with their direct mail as a result of a technology component – a service that will help “blur” the lines of offline and online and further entrench direct mail as a valuable and impactful medium for all businesses both small and large. |

Will postal workers join the ranks of the unemployed?

Examiner.com - In Lynchburg, assuming that the planned consolidation takes effect, over 100 lives will be permanently changed.  In Roanoke, over 300 employees will be impacted.  Nationwide, the number of affected employees is staggering. Many of these workers have spent most of their adult lives working for the Postal Service and are proud to be identified as Postal employees.  They have raised their children in a middle-class environment as a direct result of employment with the US Postal Service.  |

The Valpak Brief

Save The Post Office - Valpak depends on the Postal Service to deliver those Blue Envelopes, but the company isn’t very interested in post offices and postal workers. Its primary concern is keeping postal rates down and profits up. Cox mails the Blue Envelope to 40 million households each month, 500 million a year. With that kind of volume, even the smallest increase in rates quickly adds up and cuts into profits. That’s why the big mail industry stakeholders like Valpak and the Direct Marketing Association favor cuts to the postal workforce, processing plants, and retail network.  |

The mailman and his monsters

Charlotte Observer - James Robert Smith is a mail carrier by day, and a novelist on his time off. He has now sold his fantasy thriller, "The Flock," to a major movie producer. Once filming starts -- if filming starts -- he won't have to deliver mail anymore.  |

Congress didn’t do US Postal Service any favors

Chemical spill shuts down Ohio post office

South Jersey's small, rural post offices often serve as town hubs

Prosecutor to parents: Mailing chickenpox illegal

November  5,  2011

New Website Lists USPS Properties for Sale

USPS awarded CB Richard Ellis a contract in July 2011 to serve as its exclusive provider of strategic corporate real estate solutions nationally. “CB Richard Ellis will provide transaction management services for USPS, including leasing and disposition.”  The website listing USPS properties for sale is operated by CB Richard Ellis Group.   |

Hallmark, DST, other KC companies rely heavily on U.S. Postal Service

Mail carrier leaps into action to put out fire

W. Va. post office explosion was popping light bulb

Communities work to send a message to the postal service

No Jail for Mail Carrier in Theft From Union

Delivering: USPS Focuses on Core Function

November  4,  2011

NAPUS President asks Senate to include a moratorium on post office closings in Postal Reform Bill - NAPUS urges the Committee to include in the legislation the imposition of a moratorium on post office closings and consolidations, until such time as the retail service standards specified in section 204 can be fully implemented.  |

USPS far from dead letter, its PMG says
Washington Times - We’re in the process right now where we’re hiring noncareer postal employees into clerical positions — I mean, thousands if not tens of thousands of applications out there,” U.S. Postmaster Patrick Donahoe said in an interview with editors and reporters at The Washington Times on Thursday “It’s still, in my opinion, for a blue-collar job, if you’re a letter carrier or a clerk, the best job in America.” Meanwhile, morale among the more than half-million current postal employees, who hear a daily drumbeat of discouraging news about declining mail, deficits and downsizing, is split.  |

US Postal Service - Things to do NOW

Guy Nohrenberg - There are 6 things that can be done from within the USPS that can save a projected $12.4 Billion Dollars the very first year WITHOUT need for politicians running about causing trouble by cutting service, service days, or denying services to rural or unprofitable areas. Thereafter projected savings are $11.2 Billion Dollars per year as compared to a 6 year annualized SPLY. To put it clearly, it weeds out the lazy and any drug or alcohol addicted from the USPS and the streets of our community. |

It ain't over til the fat lady sings...  - Gene Del Polito commentary for Postcom

Postal Reform Bill Bodes Well For Periodicals Industry - Publishing Executive

Always prepared: Mailman helps save his former scoutmaster -Saginaw News

November  3,  2011

Colby postmaster, postal supervisor suspended with pay

 the Salina Journal - the Office of Inspector General indicated that the suspension involved a violation of the External First Class Measurement System, which the postal service uses to monitor delivery times for first-class mail. That system involves mailings to pre-arranged “reporters” at homes, businesses and post office boxes. The “reporters” then report to the postal service when the test piece of mail was received.  |

Postal worker who struck Dershowitz sis-in-law with truck charged

Postal officials confirm Utica Distribution Center closing in 2012

Poor Penmanship Spells Job Security for Post Office's Scribble Specialists

Postal Worker Charged With Animal Cruelty

November  2,  2011

Senators: Cut 100,000 postal workers

- Politico -Carper said the Postmaster General anticipates using about $2 billion to provide retirement incentives — and if 100,000 employees accept a buyout, it would save the USPS $8 billion per year. Senate Bill: Indications of the Scale of Early Retirements Expected - Courier Express and Postal Observer- Getting 68,000 Postal Service employees to retire early is a challenge.  Clarifying retirement incentives |

Senators Introduce 21st Century Postal Service Act

A bipartisan group of senators  announce plans to reform and bring savings to the United States Postal Service. "With the right tools and quick action from Congress and the Administration, the Postal Service can reform, right-size and modernize" The bill would give the Postmaster General access to the money the United States Postal Service (the Postal Service or USPS) has overpaid into one of its pension funds (FERS) and use it to offer buyouts or retirement incentives to reduce the active postal workforce by 100,000 or more employees over the next several years. The bill would require that arbitrators deciding a contract dispute between the Postal Service and labor organizations take into consideration the following factors when rendering a binding decision 2) the requirement in law that USPS consider comparability of wages and benefits to those offered in the private sector | Statements: USPS  | Catalog Group | Video: Senator Collins   |

Oakland: USPS Changes to Positions Held by Postal Employees Over 40 May Be Age Discrimination - Oakland APWU - It appears that the October 26, 2011, reposting of the manual units’ traditional duty assignments as non-traditional full-time (NTFT) duty assignments is a ploy by management to frighten , intimidate, harass and coerce the senior employees who presently hold bid assignments in the manual units into bidding on the NTFT assignments to avoid being assigned.   |

NALC opposes end of Saturday and door-to-door mail delivery In Postal Reform Bill - While NALC fully supports comprehensive postal reform and is working on practical alternatives, the Senate bill could end Saturday delivery in two years and would phase out most door-to-door delivery by 2015. This would negatively affect tens of millions of Americans – particularly senior citizens, rural residents and small-business owners – who depend on the Postal Service’s commitment to high-quality service. . |

USPS revising plan for "Village Post Offices"

The Postal Service still plans to establish new Village Post Offices, but the lack of potential retail partners could allow some post offices to remain open. "In practice, they haven't been able to sign up that many Village Post Offices, and they are discovering that in these rural areas they've identified there aren't necessarily other businesses that would take on the rural post office," said Ruth Goldway, chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission." It's not going to be their great solution to the problem."  |

November 1,  2011

A bipartisan group of senators will announce plans to reform and bring savings to the United States Postal Service tomorrow, November 2 at 11:30am. Update from Postcom.org: Returning the FERS overpayment to USPS; although the bill will set no numbers around how much of it has to be used for buyouts, that will be one of the goals to help incent, through added service credits or up to the federal limit of $25K per worker, 100,000 workers to retire over the next three years; Postal Service Compromise in the Works?  |

Grassroots effort saves Melbourne post office - Miami Herald

Feds flee costliest health plans - Federal Times

Gulfport postal employees fighting to save jobs - WLOX-TV

Arkansas Update: Post Offices Off the Closing Lists  - Save The Post Office

Memo From Germany: Reinventing Post Offices in a Digital World - NY Times

Philistines at the Gate: The Venice Post Office on the Chopping Block - Save The Post Office

Congressman launches petition urging Postal Service to stop closures of Iowa post offices - Community Newspaper Group