PostalReporter.com Blog

Termination of AMPs Is Good News
For Northern Michigan, Southern Texas

APWU News - May 17, 2007

The APWU has been notified that studies of the consolidation of some mail-processing operations at the Gaylord (MI) Main Post Office and at Beaumont (TX) P&DF have been brought to a close and the proposed consolidations will not take place.

“After review, it has been determined that there are currently no significant opportunities to improve efficiency and/or service through consolidation of mail processing operations at the Gaylord, MI MPO,” the Postal Service wrote to the APWU on May 14. “Therefore, no significant changes will be made at this time.” The study to consider moving sortation 60 miles away to Traverse City, MI, was announced Dec. 19, 2005.

The proposal would have meant the relocation of as many as 80 APWU-represented employees. On May 3, Rep. Bart Stupak (D), who represents constituents in northern Michigan and its Upper Peninsula, introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on May 3 that would establish firm deadlines for Area Mail Processing surveys and would prohibit the USPS from removing equipment or reducing the workforce in affected facilities during AMP studies.

The bill, H.R. 2177, would require the Postal Service to complete AMP studies within 180 days. Extensions of 60 days would be permitted only if “persons likely to be affected” are notified prior to the expiration of the original deadline.

Like the study in Michigan, the study in Texas that was recently terminated was a long time under way. A “notice of the completion” letter regarding the movement of processing from Beaumont to Houston was received on May 16. That study was announced Nov. 16, 2005.

Thirty-one AMP feasibility surveys have been terminated or placed on hold in the last year.

Related link: House Bill Would Set Timetable for Consolidation Studies

Update from American Postal Workers’ Union President William Burrus

The increase in postage rates that took effect May 14 has been the subject of numerous news stories purporting to analyze the size of the increase and speculating about the future role of hard-copy communication.

In general, these reports seem to accept the fact that inflation drives all costs, but many go on to link the postage increase directly to the cost of labor. Virtually all of the articles have recited the claim that 80 percent of postal expenses can be attributed to labor costs. Based on this misleading statistic, comparisons have been made to private delivery companies, such as Federal Express and United Parcel Service.

The 80 percent figure is deceptive because it includes the salaries and benefits of the Postal Service’s entire management structure, including supervisors, managers, and executives, as well as casual and other non-career employees who are not represented by the postal unions.

The Postal Service has chosen to report labor costs as a single line-item, grouping craft employees who have collective bargaining rights with supervisors, managers, and contract employees. It is this artificial grouping that results in the 80-percent figure.

News sources then report postage costs as though the 80-percent labor cost is directly related to negotiated union contracts. Accurate reporting would reveal that the APWU bargaining unit expenses comprise only 26.2 percent of USPS expenses; city letter carriers comprise just 22.2 percent; and total expenses for employees covered by collective bargaining agreements equal roughly 60.5 percent. This is a far cry from the reported 80 percent.

The published comparisons with FedEx and UPS are also flawed. Both FedEx and UPS own and operate their own fleets of aircraft, while the Postal Service contracts for air transportation. Because of the air fleets, a large segment of FedEx and UPS costs are assigned to the category of equipment, rather than labor.

Increases in postage rates — and postal employees’ wages — have been consistent with increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the past 35 years. The American Postal Workers Union is proud that we have been successful in securing livable wages and benefits for the workers who operate the most reliable, efficient, and affordable postal service in the world.

A sculptured wood mural located in the Hereford, TX. 79045 post office. 

Title: “On the Range”
Artist: Enid Bell
Year: 1941

 A poster commented on the Flickr page:

According to the TX PO mural book this piece is lucky to still be in one piece and in the PO:

1967, during PO renovations, a contractor took the piece home and installed it above his fireplace. In the early 70’s after the US General Services Adm. took control of the building and art, they tracked the piece down however, they stored it in a warehouse in Ft Worth for “years”. Reportedly, the GSA refused the Hereford Postmaster’s request to return it to Hereford. In 1973, with intervention by US Senator Ralph W. Yarborough, the GSA returned the piece to the PO. Then, in 1985, a painting contractor knocked the piece off the wall and it split into sections. Fortunately, the worker was able to reassemble the piece with carpenters glue

 (Press Release) Letter carriers in more than 10,000 communities across America will join forces to help stamp out hunger. On Saturday, May 12, postal employees in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands will collect non-perishable food items and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters across the country. They will be participating in the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) food drive, the world’s largest annual single-day food drive.

“Since the drive began in 1993, postal customers have been extremely generous by donating more than three-quarters of a billion pounds of food,” said Postmaster General John E. Potter. “We’re looking forward to the most successful food drive ever this year. I ask every American to remember the less fortunate on Saturday, May 12.”

An estimated 35 million people are at risk of hunger in America, including 12 million children. In late spring, most food banks begin running out of donations received during the holiday period. This drive is one way people can join the U.S. Postal Service to help stamp out hunger right in their own community.

Long-time supporters of the drive include the U.S. Postal Service, Campbell Soup Company, America’s Second Harvest, Cox Target Media, local United Ways and the AFL-CIO Community Services Network. The drive is an outgrowth of the tradition of community service letter carriers have established over the years, whether by watching over the elderly through the Carrier Alert program, assisting the American Red Cross during times of disaster or rescuing victims of fires, crime and other mishaps.

How to Help

More than 120 million postcards were mailed to customers in towns and cities throughout America letting them know about the food drive. Customers who did not receive a postcard can contact their local post office to see if it is participating in this year’s drive.

Customers are asked to place bags of non-perishable food items such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers the mail on Saturday, May 12. The letter carrier will do the rest, taking the food to the post office where it is sorted and delivered to an area food bank or pantry.

Postal customers in New York City and Chicago are asked to take their food donations to their local post office starting on Monday, May 7 and continuing through Saturday, May 12.

Sign up to receive an e-mail reminding you to place non-perishable food items next to your mailbox at www.helpstampouthunger.com.
 

Kettle Island, Kentucky 40958

According to notes on the photo from Flickr: “This building used to be a garage.”

From USPS Newslink:

The tornado that devastated the community of Greensburg, KS, on May 4 also destroyed the town’s Post Office.

“The Greensburg Post Office is now four feet of rubble — it’s a total loss,” Post Office Operations Manager Shirley Crane said. “We were able to salvage a few pieces of mail. We couldn’t get to most of the box section because it was under a brick wall that collapsed. And we couldn’t locate the collection box or our two LLVs.”

The facility’s eight employees survived unharmed. But three lost everything except the clothes on their backs. They are staying with co-workers or with family members.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who reside in Greensburg,” said District Manager Mike Holloway. “The fact that three of our employees lost everything brings it even closer to home.”

Mail service to Greensburg’s 1,200 box, city and rural customers will be provided out of the Pratt, KS, Post Office. Customers on Greensburg’s only rural route received mail out of Pratt on Monday — just two days after the tornado.

by Jim Burke, APWU Eastern Region Coordinator

A problem that continues to be a plague on the Postal Service workplace is abusive supervisors.

There are certain supervisors who simply cannot manage to treat employees with dignity and respect. And there are other supervisors — including many good ones — who are victims of the system: They serve abusive higher-level managers, and are prevented from treating employees decently.

A number of programs have been created to address this matter, some effective, and some not. APWU President William Burrus instituted a system in which members identify abusive supervisors, and the regional coordinators do the follow-up. Most of the time, however, management turns the complaint over to an internal, management-only process. (more…)

Photo of post office in Indianola, Mississippi 38751

Flickr Photos

by Greg Bell APWU Industrial Relations Director

In the March/April 2006 issue of the American Postal Worker, I wrote about a 2003 court decision that overturned the federal government’s longstanding practice of charging employees “military leave” for non-workdays spent training in the armed forces. The Postal Service, however, had taken the position that the court decision does not apply to its workforce. We initiated a national-level dispute over the matter, which is now pending national-level arbitration.

Since that article appeared, there have been several new developments in the law, including a Merit Systems Protection Board ruling that indicates that postal employees are indeed eligible for back pay for non-workdays during a time when they are undergoing armed forces training.

USERRA

The Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), prohibits discrimination against employees of federal agencies, including the Postal Service, who are in the armed forces. Among other things, the law specifically prohibits the denial of any employer benefit on the basis of an employee’s military service.

Title 5, Section 6323, of the U.S. Code grants federal employees who are in the National Guard or the armed forces reserves up to “15 days” of paid military leave.

Although the federal code does not apply to postal employees, USPS regulations provide the same entitlement of paid military leave. (more…)

Mobile Post Office in Lookout, CA 96054 

Flickr Photos