Update: Reader: USPS Outsourcing Mail Delivery Work
Update: The USPS made a change to Postal Operations Manual 532, Highway Contract Service, in 2003. Supply Management deleted the limitation “in sparsely populated areas.” This gave them the green light to expand everywhere.
Don Cheney
Auburn, WA
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POSTAL BULLETIN 22110 (9-4-03)
Highway Contract Service
Effective September 4, 2003, the Postal Operations Manual (POM) is revised slightly to clarify language regarding Highway Contract Service. We will incorporate these revisions into the printed version of POM 10 and also into the online version of the POM.
532 Types of Service
532.1 General
Revise the last sentence of the paragraph by deleting the last four words, “in sparsely populated areas,” to read as follows:
“Box delivery routes are similar to rural delivery service and provide home or business delivery of mail.”
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From PostalReporter.com reader: Re: Postal Service’s plan to outsource delivery work through expanded use of Contract Delivery Services
“Starting in January 2007, there has been a surge in new delivery areas being contracted out. The NALC and NRLCA should think about joining together to fight this threat.”
http://spokane.craigslist.org/gov/272531471.html
http://montana.craigslist.org/gov/272547424.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/gov/278623722.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/gov/278768652.html
http://springfield.craigslist.org/gov/278761916.html
http://www2.fbo.gov/spg/USPS/TP/CMTP/200-48-07/SynopsisP.html
http://www2.fbo.gov/spg/USPS/TP/CMTP/200-38-07/SynopsisP.html
http://www2.fbo.gov/spg/USPS/TP/CMTP/200-33-07/SynopsisP.html
http://www2.fbo.gov/spg/USPS/TP/CMTP/200-26-07/SynopsisP.html
http://www2.fbo.gov/spg/USPS/TP/CMTP/200-23-07/SynopsisP.html
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Contract Delivery Service
The service provided by Contract Delivery Service is equal to that provided by city carriers and rural carriers. Contract suppliers not only deliver all classes and types of mail to their customers’ mailboxes six days per week, but they can also sell stamps and accept Special Services Mail such as Certified Mail, Registered Mail, and Insured Mail, and sell Postal Money Orders. Customers can also take advantage of Carrier Pickup on Contract Delivery Service routes.
Contract Delivery Service - Contracting Opportunities
Contract Delivery Service is a contractual agreement between the U.S. Postal Service and an individual or company for the delivery and collection of mail. The typical service required at the local Post Office will involve sorting mail for the route, driving to the route, delivering mail to specified addresses, picking up collection mail, and returning to the Post Office. Each contract includes a delivery schedule, a complete route description, and a description of basic responsibilities. The contract route will operate six days per week, Monday through Saturday, and does not include holidays. The carrier is required to use their own vehicle for mail delivery service. The average route will require approximately four to eight hours per day to complete, depending on the size of the route.
If you or your company are interested in receiving solicitations for Contract Delivery Service, please complete PS Form 5436, Mailing List Application - Mail Transportation Services and mail it to the contracting officer in your area. This information is available in the back of Publication 33, Mail Transportation Contract Guide at http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub33/welcome.htm.
Source: http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/contract-delivery.htm
Related link: Top House and Senate Leaders Back NALC on Contracting Out
February 24th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
I wonder why it took this long! The PO is an overbloated system that needs to be fine tuned. Too much red tape and regulations!
February 24th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
john foreign needs to look in the mirror and ask
do I remember breaking up AT*T? Rates went through the roof and service sucked.. He is right
about one thing…overbloated for sure.. but it is at the management level… overpaid too.. and
now they get raiises and bonuses obove 5%-12%….
the workers get 1.2% maybe… Fine tune, no! A
major management overhaul, yes!!!
February 24th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
For many, many, years, the NALC has stood by silently while the work of their union brothers and sisters, namely Motor Vehicle Service Drivers, and the clerk craft members working for the USPS, has been contracted out to private companies. Now, the contracting is really starting to hit “close to home, and the carriers are finding it is a bitter pill indeed. Good luck…….
February 24th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
the nalc did not stand by. they fought for the rights of the members of their union. the apwu is responsible for their own members. as are the motor vehicle service drivers. article 32 should have been adressed many years ago. yes shame on the nalc for not protecting their own. shame on the other unions for giving their jobs away.
February 24th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Unions do not give their jobs away.
Management does. And management gets away with despite the efforts of the Unions.
I would elaborate more but I’m running late for my daily trip to Wally World to buy some cheap Red Communist Child Slave Labor made goods. You know, support the New World Order and all that.
I will load down my Japanese made vehicle with Chinese made goods and switch my phone and Internet service to a company who uses workers in India to provide tech support.
And like a stupid idiot, I will wonder where all the good American jobs have gone and why the crime rate is so bad here. Like duh!
And I won’t be happy until the US Mail is delivered by illegal aliens who are paid $2.00 an hour and all they can steal while the price of postage quadruples to pay the private contractor mail delivery company’s CEO’s multi-million dollar salary, fringe bennys, platinum retirement plan and golden parachute.
Yes, the Postal Service is loooong over due to be raided by some hostile takeover private corporation. You think its bad now? Haha, just wait and see!
February 24th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
people who paid union dues all of their lives are getting screwed. if the union can’t stop this, what are they good for?
it’s ridiculous that these contract carriers have to supply their own vehicle. it’s like delivering pizzas. you wear out your car and the company gets richer.
February 25th, 2007 at 6:14 am
I work in an office that has several contract routes. It’s a disaster. Even management can’t stand it. Over 90% of the complaints are on these routes. Customers need to contact their congressmen and senators.
February 25th, 2007 at 7:54 am
memo to retired: maybe in your day the unions didn’t give their jobs away. in my 27 years in the post office the clerk craft allows management to do their jobs sorting mail,passing out mail,working box section,etc without filing greivences as long as they come in on their non scheduled day. is this not equivilent to giving your job away?
February 26th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Yes the post office is trying to contract out at least city deliveries in order to reduce the union (nalc)craft. The Postal Office say its only new address but they are doing it in the middle of a city,(supposedly 4 hrs or more ) but this is not always true. This has always been city carrier(nalc) territory but the Post Office says there is nothing in our contract that prevents them from doing this. This is also the reason why we did not settle our contract because the Board of Governors did not want to agree not to contract out. I also feel that this is because we (nalc) was instrumental in getting Postal Reform passed which limits what the board can do. These routes are similar to hcr’s in that anyone can bid on the routes. There was an instance in Las Vegas in which one person bid on the route, then sold it to someone else who sold it to someone else who never showed up to deliver the mail. City Carriers had to do so on overtime. Many more nightmares beside this all in the name of supposedly saving money but no reduction in rates. The NALC is working on fixing this through our contract negotiations or through Congress if needed.
February 26th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Good post nvmarv!
February 27th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
so whats new. same old same old crap
March 1st, 2007 at 4:12 pm
You are right Dan. Customers need to contact their congressman… More importantly, we carriers, clerks, all crafts need to call and write congress!!!! Now!!!!!!!!
March 4th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Correct, contact local Congressional people first, then hit the local/national media…WE ALL must make some noise if something is to happen, not just the NALC {the ONLY postal-related group that has tried to do something so far}…this also goes for MGT that might want to have a job.
March 8th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Take a look at the local Union in Portland, OR. They are organizing an informational picket on March 15, for the community in the Beaverton, OR - one of the Post Offices they serve. This Union branch is very proactive. Letters, phone calls and in person visits to their Congressmen are common place. Postal Reform was successful and the President was unable to privatize the Postal Service, so his plan now is the Contract Out and use the Board of Governors to do this. They can & many believe the have intimidated and threatend to take the job of Postmaster General Jack Potter away, if he signs a contract with the city letter carriers union that clearly states “NO CONTACTING OUT”!! So instead of sitting at your computers, do something, anything. I’ll be at the informational picket, contacting my congressional representatives, making phone calls or whatever else is necessary to save the Postal Service. I trust my letter carrier. I want union wage jobs to help support my community and the people who live in it.
March 16th, 2007 at 11:48 am
I participatated last night at the Beaverton, Oregon Post Office picket, and it drew a huge crowd of supporters. We all must think about the future and remember to learn through past mistakes. (remember the air traffic controllers?) Think about how you’d like a released felon delivering your mail, including your voter’s ballot! Letter carriers take pride in what they do each day. They know their customers and care about them. It’s more than just a job.
Years ago the Beaverton Post Office hired two guys who didn’t speak English very well, but were hired nevertheless. They were fired soon after because of too many complaints. They both delivered a route one day giving each house some mail, whether it was theirs or not. They didn’t understand the job, just thought everyone should recieve something. I’ll never forget that incident because it was my route, on my day off!
When you call your credit card company with an inquiry about your account, how much do you think the person over in India who answers your call cares about your problem? (that is if you can even understand one another).
The Postal Service faces many problems, but this is the worst yet. It won’t just affect jobs; it WILL affect all of us.
May 10th, 2007 at 10:06 am
There is a reason why there are checks and balances.
When one person gets to appoint
8 out of 9
and when those 8 + 1 get to pick the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General
something is wrong with the system!
http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/bog.htm
James Miller Bush appointed April 2003 (recess)
Alan Kessler November 2000
Mickey Barnett Bush Appointed August 2006
James Bilbray Bush Appointed August 2006
Carolyn Lewis Gallagher Bush Appointed Nov 2004(recess)
Louis Giuliano Bush Appointed Nov 2004 (recess)
Thurgood Marshall Jr. Bush Appointed December 2006
Katherine Tobin Bush Appointed August 2006
Ellen Williams Bush Appointed August 2006
James Potter June 2001
Patrick Donahoe April 2005
Now I can totally understand why this group wants to change the part of our agreement that only allows for contracting out in sparsely populated areas so that it is possible everywhere.
Who will be delivering your mail????
June 25th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Lets start at the top and outsource John Potter’s job and then proceed to outsource the jobs of the hot shot executives who were paid lavish bonuses to relocate a few miles from their homes in the Washington D.C. area. Then let’s proceed with Postmasters, Plant Managers, Managing Director of Operations, and supervisors. Former Postmaster General Marvin Runyan was the only manager with vision. Any job in the post office where you didn’t actually touch the mail should be one of the first to go. Remember, not one postal manager, whom all have been at the trough for years, has yet to be lured away by the dreaded private sector. Start with the people who have nothing to do with the postal sevices primary mission of processing & distributing the mail. Then and only then, will the rank and file start to maybe, just maybe have some respect for management. Trust will only come when the world is no longer. Management should remember that without the rank and file their would be no one to mismanage.