PMG: USPS ‘Strongly Opposes The Mail Delivery and Protection Act’
Postcom.org reports:
In a letter to every member of the Senate, Postmaster General John Potter said that “the Postal Service strongly opposes S.1457, the “Mail Delivery and Protection Act.” This bill would override current collective bargaining agreements and effectively eliminate an important tool needed by the Postal Service to continually introduce greater efficiencies into its operation. If enacted, with an exception of a very limited use, no new contracts for mail delivery could be initiated. The ability of the Postal Service to effectively manage its vast delivery operations would be largely eliminated, and new opportunities for small businesses to carry contracts for transporting and delivering mail would be eliminated. Currently 99 percent of our contract delivery services are performed by small, minority- or women-owned businesses. This use of private-sector services is not new. The Postal Service has used contractors to transport and deliver mai! since 1785, when Congress first authorized the Post Office Department to contract with stagecoach companies.
Also in the letter dated June 13, 2007 to Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), Postmaster General John E. Potter said:
By augmenting the services we provide directly with the services provided by others, we have been able to better manage costs, improve efficiency, and provide even more convenient access for our customers. Viewed within the totality of our business, contract delivery service represents the smallest portion of our outsourced activities–and less than 2 percent of our total deliveries.
Like the United States House of Representatives, which contracts for all of the internal delivery and collection of its mail, the Postal Service takes a number of steps in assessing contractors and subcontractors who are selected to provide mail delivery service.
As the numbers above demonstrate, career carriers continue to serve as the backbone of the delivery network of the Postal Service. However, given the new law requirements, it is imperative that the Postal Service retain contracting for all services as an option. For these reasons, the Postal Service strongly opposes S. 1457, the “Mail Delivery and Protection Act.”
The bill was introduced on May 23 by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
June 15th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
that’s a big surprise lol
June 15th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
If contract delivery was part of the bargaining process I think by now the NALC would have filed a grievance. As for the back round checks on the contractors its a fact the original bidder sub-contracts with anyone to deliver the mail. Go to any postal employee news and read the horroe stories about contractors. Potter may have signed the letter but Miller wrote it. Potter is a puppet.
June 15th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
It sounds like Postmaster Potter lives in a fantasy world. Come back down to reality Johnny boy. The USPS has always had a outstanding mail delivery service. Why does he want to throw away the one last positive that the USPS has to offer? Maybe the Postmaster has another motive instead of making the USPS better. Maybe if he gets his way with the contracting out of mail delivery, he gets a big payday for doing this atr the expense of the hard working Letter Carriers.
June 15th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Contract all the sorting of mail,all the custodial work and building maintenance work but leave the delivery of mail to professionals
June 16th, 2007 at 4:46 am
More “great moments in contract mail” this time from Walter Reed:
http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/A/ARMY_BOTCHED_MAIL?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME
June 16th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Potter seems to have a mind, but Miller does a real good job of hiding the puppetstrings!
June 18th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Contract out ALL of the carrier routes as well, no POT and way more effecient.
June 18th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
The original Archie Bunker was a moron and so is his evil clone!
June 21st, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Go ahead contract out all the mail and soon illegals will be stealing, I mean delivering the mail. Kiss security good bye!
June 23rd, 2007 at 5:36 am
Stop Universal Service immediately.individuals will be inspired to become entrepenuers and deliover out of their own cars and vans. What a mess, but then we would be appreciated.
April 13th, 2008 at 11:01 am
I am a contract mail carrier for the USPS and I have read alot of your comments and I completely disagree. Alot of contractors are “professionals” at our job and take extreme pride in what we do. We have alot of accountability for mistakes also just as a employed mail carrier would. I do a very good job and have had maybe 2 complaints in the years I have been doing this and they were very minor complaints. I love my job and most of all the people on my route. I would be lost without my job.