PostalReporter.com Blog

“In light of the well publicized Veterans Affairs Department data breach last month, another federal agency with its hands on a lot of personal information — the Thrift Savings Plan — is concentrating on information security.

The TSP houses Social Security numbers, names, addresses and more than $180 billion in retirement savings for about 3.6 million current and former federal employees. Mark Hagerty, the plan’s chief information officer, told the TSP Board Tuesday he is comfortable with the security measures in place but is looking to expand them.

Participants will switch to using account numbers, rather than Social Security numbers, to access their TSP accounts online. That change will come in the next few months, Hagerty said.”

more from Govexec.com

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed regulation to change the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program regulations that govern continued coverage for employees who are called or ordered to serve in the uniformed services. These regulations provide extended FEHB coverage for up to 24 months to Federal employees called or ordered to active duty and who meet certain requirements, including serving in support of a contingency operation. Those employees who are called or ordered to active duty in support of a contingency operation are also eligible for premium payments by their employing agency. The purpose of these regulations is to authorize Federal agencies to continue health benefits coverage for up to 24 months for those employees called or ordered to active duty, with certain employees qualifying for agency premium contributions.

The expanded authority for agency premium payments authorized by Public Law 108-375 is a valuable benefit that helps reservists and their families shoulder the cost of health care during a time when they need it most. Public Law 108-454, the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2004, was enacted December 10, 2004. It amended 38 U.S.C. 4317(a)(1)(A) to extend from 18 to 24 months the length of an employee’s health insurance coverage when the employee is absent because of service in the uniformed services. For FEHB purposes, this law applies to employees who are called to active duty but do not meet all the requirements of Public Law 108-375. Generally, these employees have orders that do not show that they are called to active duty in support of a contingency operation. As before, they do not meet the requirements of FEHB law for agency premium payment during active duty. These regulations propose to place into rulemaking the requirements of  Public Law 108-375 and Public Law 108-454. Federal Register Notice

Related link: USPS to Pay Employee Portion of Health Premiums for Workers Called to Active Duty

The Underground Postal Center is located in downtown Oklahoma City’s Underground tunnel system beneath the BancFirst building at Main and Broadway.Oklahoma City Postmaster George Frame said the new facility is part of the Metro’s revitalization of the old concourse tunnel which snakes its way beneath the city. “The site ironically is just one floor beneath Oklahoma City’s first post office which was set up as a tent during the land run of 1889,” Frame said.

more from KTOK

Below is a photo of the Georgetown, Colorado Post Office. Georgetown is a small and historic town nestled in a canyon. According to the 2000 U.S. Census population – 1,088.

Click here for larger view

sources: ColoradoGuy.com  and Flickr

“Southwest Florida is short about 200 substitute mails carriers and it’s putting a strain on the US Postal Service. Saturday they held the first job fair of it’s kind in Naples.” It’s lots of hard work. People think it’s a lot easier than it is,” said Mail Carrier Teresa Kelly. Some call it the ultimate temp job. You just hop in your car and take on the days mail route when a carrier calls in sick. Lately it’s been tough for the postal service to find people to fill those shoes.” We’re competing with a lot of other industries for the labor force out there. So we’re going to do our best to recruit right now,” said Bill Bishoff of the US Postal Service.” Full Story from WBBH-TV

Previous Story from WBBH-TV: 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 (Florida) .” 

United States Attorney Sheldon J. Sperling announced today the results of the June 2006 Federal Grand Jury. The following named individuals have been charged with a federal crime or crimes by the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury

TERRY DIANE STEWART, age 49, of Idabel, Oklahoma. Misappropriation of Postal Funds. Charges arose from an investigation by the United States Postal Service. The defendant allegedly converted approximately $4,890.67 in U. S. Postal Service funds to her own personal use, in and during the execution of her official employment duties as Postmaster at the Hayworth Post Office, Hayworth, Oklahoma.

(Up to 10 years imprisonment and or up to $250,000.00 fines)

DEBORAH ANN ROSEBURR, age 49, of Boley, Oklahoma. Money Orders and Misappropriation of Postal Funds. The defendant allegedly issued money orders in the approximate amount of $4,378.35 without having received or paying the full amount of money payable thereof, and she converted approximately $154.48 in U.S. Postal Service funds to her own personal use while serving in the official employment duties as Postmaster Leave Replacement at the Boley Post Office, Boley, Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the United States Postal Service.

(Up to 15 years imprisonment and or up to $250,000.00 fines )

source: http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=5040156

Here’s a story on an Idabel, OK postal employee from 2004 :Postal Window Clerk’s USPS Criminal Indictment Nightmare

Anthrax Travel Issue

The USPS has appealed the Anthrax Travel Arbitration to the US Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.  The US attorney filed the Notice of Appeal on June 5, 2006.  APWU’s Attorneys will continue to peruse this issue on our behalf.  I believe this is another attempt to delay payment of the withheld wages.  You can read the appeal and other correspondence on the web site.

Custodian Positions

The USPS will be conducting a Custodian Exam for APWU Clerks who are interested in reassignment to the maintenance craft. The custodian exam (in-service announcement) is open until June 23, 2006.  Please get an application in the plant mangers office or from your supervisor.  Also please email me or call the union office so I can monitor this processes. 

Excessing Letters to the Needs of the Installation

The US Postal Service has not issued the excessing letter notifying the clerks they would be reassigned outside the clerk craft.  The delay is the result of long term negotiations over creating additional duty assignments in the clerk craft thus minimize the need for excessing.  The local union has worked tirelessly to reduce the number of impacted employees or totally eliminate the excessing outside the craft.  Management is claiming that some additional jobs may be on the next posting.  I believe we are close to stopping the excessing outside the craft.

Abolishment / Excessing Letters to FSM Clerks

I can’t explain why the abolishment letters were delayed.  We are still faced with excessing to the needs of the section.  We are still discussing the need for additional keyers in the FSM section.  Nothing has been agreed to on this matter 

Station and Branches

The USPS has notified me that on July 1, 2006, the eleven (11) Zone scheme mail and carriers will be moved from Downtown Station to the Trenton Annex.  On July 10, 2006, the eighteen (18) zone scheme mail and carriers will be moved from West Trenton station to Downtown Station.  At the present moment the USPS is claiming that no clerks will be impacted at the station and branches. The Postal Service is considering changing drop days and hours in the Trenton Annex.  I have no details at the present time.  Just a heads up.

COPA

I am requesting that every member please give to COPA.  The union will be soliciting COPA donations.  I ask every member to please pledge 5.00 dollars or more.  Stewards and officers will have pledge cards for you to sign.

As Postal Workers we still face many hurdles and with the upcoming general election we need to have money in the war chest to support friends of the APWU and labor.

Last year we were number 3 in giving to COPA, this year we should try hard to be number 1. 

Please give to COPA -Your future does depend on it. Please check out the web page at http://www.trentonmetroarealocal.com/

Thank you,

Bill Lewis
President, TMAL #1020

 At issue: what is considered a “public place” under postal regulations

The following is an abbreviated version of the case:

On August 25, 2003, the Postal Service issued a proposed removal to Letter Carrier Gary Gose. On September 12, 2003, the deciding official found that removal was warranted. “The official concluded that Gose had “fail[ed] to use [a] satchel in the delivery of the mail” and had therefore failed to “observe our safety rules and policies.” The deciding official also stated that Gose had recently been “present for the service-safety talks concerning this subject” and had “acknowledged that [he] was aware of the requirement to use the satchel.” As evidence of Gose’s apparent propensity for not following instructions, the deciding official cited several suspensions for “Failure to Perform Your Duties in a Conscientious and Effective Manner / Failure to Follow Instructions” and one suspension for “Failure to Perform Your Duties in a Conscientious and Effective Manner / Unauthorized Extension of Lunch.”

As a final resolution of these matters, Gose entered into a Last Chance Agreement (LCA) on October 31, 2003. A key provision of the LCA was that Gose would “comply with all the applicable policies, rules and regulations with regard to his employment as a condition of this last chance agreement. Failure to comply . . . will constitute a basis that will result in Mr. Gose’s removal . . . .”

Gose’s Alleged Violation of the LCA—Drinking “in a public place” While in Uniform.

“On March 29, 2004, Douglas Potter, Customer Service Manager at the Wright Brothers Branch Post Office, proposed to remove Gose for violating the terms of the LCA. Potter wrote that on February 27, 2004, the Post Office had received a customer concern letter regarding Gose’s drinking while in uniform at Veterans of Foreign Wars (”VFW”) Post 9927, Kettering, Ohio. There were thirty signatures on the letter. Apparently, the members of the VFW were offended by the sight of someone drinking in uniform. As one member opined, “Well, I’m retired military. . . . You just don’t drink in uniform in a public place.” The administrative judge (”AJ”) never expressly considered Gose’s argument that the VFW had written the letter to his employer in retaliation for Gose’s complaining about alleged accounting discrepancies in the VFW post’s books. The motives of the VFW, however, are not relevant to this appeal and will not be further considered.” (more…)

by Dan Sullivan

June 14 - The Postal Service has denied a report that its controversial Reassessment Program has been temporarily halted in the Pacific Area.

APWU Western Region Coordinator Omar Gonzalez told delegates attending the May 18 California State APWU Convention that USPS Vice President Al Iniquez and USPS Human Resources Manager Manuel Vetello had informed him the day before that the Reassessment Program was put on hold in the Pacific Area to allow the Postal Service time to assess the impact of EEO complaints, Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals and grievances filed over the controversial program.

Gonzalez’ remarks were reported and posted on a number of postal worker Internet sites last week.

But Kevin McGovern, the USPS Manager in charge of the program, has told APWU Human Relations Director Sue Carney that Iniquez and Vetello deny telling Gonzalez the program was put on hold.

A spokesman for McGovern has referred all questions about the Reassessment Program to the American Postal Workers Union.

Gonzalez was not available for comment today.

The purpose of the Reassessment Program is to cull injured workers from the payroll by dumping them on Workers’ Compensation and then retraining them for private sector jobs.

The project is being tested in the Western New York Region and the Pacific Area.

The Postal Service is still waiting on final approval from USPS Labor Relations Vice President Anthony Vegliante before going nationwide with the program, according to Carney.

“When it is approved, they do not expect a rapid expansion,” she says. “It is being estimated that two to three postal districts per year will be reassessed.”

At that rate it could take 10 to 15 years before the program reaches all 33 postal districts in the country.

Carney says the Postal Service has promised to notify the union when the nationwide Reassessment Program is approved and “when a schedule is formalized.”

Contact Dan Sullivan at dan_sullivan9026@hotmail.com

Related Link:

USPS Reassessment Program on hold in Pacific Area

(Press Release) The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is launching the trial use of a debit card for purchasing eligible health care products and services and eligible over-the-counter items as part of its efforts to create an even more user-friendly FSAFEDS program. The card will be issued to GEHA enrollees who participate in the FSAFEDS’ existing paperless reimbursement program. Currently, the paperless program has 7,600 GEHA participants.

“The use of a debit card is fast becoming one of the major modes of purchasing products,” said OPM Associate Director Robert F. Danbeck. “Now, with the FSAFEDS debit card, participants will be able to go into the local pharmacy and purchase eligible health care items that will be paid for as if they are using their favorite bank card.”

While the card offers substantial convenience, pilot participants must continue to save all receipts so that SHPS, Inc., the FSAFEDS administrator, may verify expenses that can’t be substantiated through paperless reimbursement. (For example, over-the-counter medicines.)

The letter from SHPS to individuals eligible to use the debit card instructs the users on what will and will not be covered, and lets them know to expect their Welcome Kit, explanatory brochure and the card by the end of June. SHPS also is contacting GEHA enrollees in FSAFEDS who have not yet signed up for paperless reimbursement, encouraging them to do so. If they choose to sign up for paperless reimbursement, they can also participate in the pilot.

The debit cards can be used through December 31, 2006, or until the available balance in a participant’s health care account is gone. OPM will evaluate the pilot in terms of ease of use, customer satisfaction, effect on the cash flow of the program and the need to manually “pay and chase” participants who use the card for non-eligible expenses.