PostalReporter.com Blog

APWU News

The APWU has been notified that a proposed consolidation of mail-processing operations in Waco, TX, will not occur. A study to determine whether operations should be shifted both north (about 90 miles to Fort Worth) and south (100 miles to Austin) has been terminated. Approximately 250 jobs were at stake.

“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 Waco, TX P&DF,” the Postal Service wrote to the APWU on July 24 [PDF].

“Therefore, no significant changes will be made at this time.”

The Waco Local waged a vigorous campaign to stop the consolidation. Union members engaged in picketing, conducted interviews with the media, and garnered support from elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards.

The Area Mail Processing study was begun Jan. 6, 2006. Two other Texas consolidation studies — McAllen to Corpus Christi and Bryan to Houston — that began the same day were cancelled 13 months later, and an AMP study of a shift of some operations from Beaumont to Houston was cancelled on May 16.

An AMP presumably is still ongoing at the Dallas P&DC, which under the proposal being studied would lose some mail processing operations to the North Dallas P&DC.

Thirty-five feasibility surveys have been terminated or placed on hold since April 2006.

U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security will hold a hearing titled “Views from Postal Workforce on Implementing Postal Reform” today at 3:00 p.m.

The hearing will be the second this year at which the subcommittee has taken testimony on the implementation of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (P.L. 109-435), which was signed into law in December.

Postal Union and Association Leaders scheduled to testify:

William Burrus, president of the American Postal Workers Union; John Hegarty, president of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union; Donnie Pitts, president of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association; William Young, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers; Charles Mapa, president of the National League of Postmasters; Dale Goff, president of the National Association of Postmasters of the United States; and Ted Keating, president of the National Association of Postal Supervisors.

USPS Press Release:

WASHINGTON, DC — A new Postal Service rule goes into effect next week for packages and envelopes that weigh more than 13 ounces, if they’re being mailed with only stamps as postage at a location other than a Post Office retail service counter.

Starting Monday, July 30, customers can use one of several convenient online postage applications — available 24/7 — or an Automated Postal Center, if they wish to mail items that weigh more than 13 ounces in Postal Service collection boxes or Post Office lobby mail slots; or if they wish to leave the items for pickup by their letter carriers. Online postage applications include the Postal Service’s Click-N-Ship service on usps.com and PC Postage from an authorized USPS vendor.

If a customer is unable to use one of the above methods to prepare and affix postage, items weighing more than 13 ounces must be presented for mailing to an employee at a Post Office retail service counter. Business customers who use postage meters may continue to use meter postage for packages of any weight and mailing method.

Customers will notice new decals on USPS collection boxes, and Post Office lobby and Automated Postal Center mail drop slots. The new red, white and blue decals inform customers that deposit of stamped mail over 13 ounces is prohibited, and any such mail will be returned.

Previously, the prohibition applied to mail over 16 ounces. The change is part of ongoing security measures established by the Postal Service, in cooperation with other government agencies to keep the public, customers, employees and the U.S. Mail safe.

“Dorothy Larson, Morris’ postmaster, stands next to an antique mail cart believed to be used between 1870 and 1930 to deliver mail back and forth to the train station in Morris. The cart was donated to the Grundy County Historical Society by the Morris Post Office.” MICHAEL R. SCHMIDT/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Antique mail cart donated to Morris museum (Herald News-Chicago)

If Congress wants to limit USPS subcontracting, lawmakers should enact legislation compelling the Postal Service to bargain over the issue, APWU President William Burrus told a House subcommittee on July 19, rather than intervening in specific contracting-out disputes. 

In informal remarks to the subcommittee, NALC President Bill Young endorsed Burrus’ message. “Last time we testified before this committee, it seemed we were in total disagreement,” he said. “Today we are in total agreement.” It was the intervention of Congress that helped the NALC secure a tentative contract, he said. Requiring the Postal Service to engage in collective bargaining on subcontracting “is a good approach,” Young concluded.

At a hearing in April there was debate over whether subcontracting was a matter of public policy or collective bargaining, he noted. “It turns out, everyone was right.”
[full story]

Related links: 

Outsourcing Hearing Generates Sparks – But No Fire
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) questioned Vice Chairman Alan Kessler about the Board of Governors’ deliberations in evaluating outsourcing postal functions. In response, in addition to fiscal considerations, the Vice-Chair implied that the contracting-out discussions could have been colored by the composition of the Board of Governors – 5 Republican members and 4 Democratic members. (eNAPUS Legislative & Political Bulletin)

Union seeks mandatory bargaining over mail delivery contracting (Govexec.com)

“Thousands of would-be warlocks, sorcerers and ordinary, non-magical Muggles lined up outside bookstores from Sydney to Seattle on Friday, eager to get their hands on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,'’ the seventh and final volume in the boy wizard’s saga.” see full story

In other postal news..

Interview: Non-forever stamps will last

Former Dalbo postmaster charged with felony theft

Contract Mail Carrier Indicted for Embezzlement - Carolyn J. Covey, also known as Carolyn Sumpter, 38, of Shady Point, is accused of embezzlement of government funds. A contract route driver for the U.S. Postal Service, Covey is accused of embezzling or converting to her own use $13,173 belonging to the Postal Service, between March 2005 and January 2007.

Antique mail cart donated to Morris museum

Mail tells a tale of growth

Postal Worker Riding Across Country for Hope

From APWU:

We have been battling the creation of contract postal units for many years, and we recently reached an important pre-arbitration settlement. While the May 17 Memorandum of Understanding does not eliminate CPUs, it does spell out three restrictions.

The issue was whether the creation of a Contract Postal Unit (CPU) violates the National Agreement if a contract is let to a contractor who does not own the property or facility where the CPU is being established. This subject is addressed in Articles 1, 7, and 19 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Each local should be aware of the particulars of the agreement:

The Postal Service will comply with the requirements of Handbook AS- 707F (Section 1.5.1), which defines a CPU as “a contractor-owned and operated facility, under contract to the Postal Service and under the jurisdiction of an administrative Post Office.”

A contract postal unit may not be located on property that is owned or leased by the Postal Service.

As of May 17, 2007 , branded products and services of competitors such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL may not be sold at any newly-established CPU. Exceptions to this exclusivity requirement may be approved by Headquarters Retail Access Channels, but this is likely to occur only in isolated areas where the CPU is quite literally the only place in town at which a consumer can process package deliveries.

Locals should request copies of new and existing contracts for Contract Postal Units in their jurisdiction. They should also review CPU contracts on military bases and in national parks. Training on this issue will be offered at the APWU Multi-Craft Conference in Las Vegas in early November.

source: The American Postal Worker magazine,  July/August 2007

According to a notice via FedBizOPPS:

The USPS desires to sell General Purpose Stored Value Card at approximately 15,000 POS ONE locations nationwide. The sales of General Purpose Stored Value Cards at USPS retail sites will be operated as an alliance between the USPS and a commercial partner.

The USPS General Purpose Stored Value Card program will be comprised of two types of cards:

1.)Instant Issue Card- The instant issue General Purpose Stored Value Card will be sold for any dollar amount up the limit established by the USPS and its partner not to exceed $500.     The funds loaded on the cards will be immediately available to the purchaser.     The instant issue card will not be reloadable.

2.)Registered Card - After the initial purchase of an instant issue General Purpose Stored Value Card, customers will have the option of obtaining a personalized, e.g. registered, card by calling the partner’s toll-free number and providing their name, date of birth, social security number, street address and telephone number and government issued ID number (driver’s license, passport etc.).     When this option is selected, an embossed card will be sent to the customer by First-Class mail at the expense of the partner.     Upon phone activation of the embossed card, the original card will be de-activated and the partner will transfer the remaining funds on the de-activated card to the new card.     The registered card will be reloadable up to the maximum value established by the USPS and its partner not to exceed $5,000 at any time and the aggregate reloads will not exceed $20,000 during a calendar year.     Customers who obtain registered cards will receive monthly account statements by First Class Mail at the expense of the partner

USPS’ Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) Compliance Office has set the following limits on the registered General Purpose Stored Value Card:

a.)Registration information will include: Names, Address SSN, DOB, and Government issued photo ID (type and number)
b.)$5,000 Maximum value at any time
c.)$2,500 Maximum value load
d.)$20,000 Maximum reloading in one year period
e.)Reload $500 or more must present same ID as at registration
f.)$500 Maximum daily ATM withdrawal
g.)Card expired in one year
h.)For identify verification - the name on the bank account must be the same as appears on the card for the bank-to-bank load
i.)Partner must provide a guarantee of security (indemnity in the event of breach) to protect customer information
j.)If the law should change and require additional controls, the partner must comply.

source: Federal Business Opportunities

Just when postal carriers are concerned about contracting out, here comes a semi-automated robotic delivery vehicle (see photos below). According to the innovators website:

 SARA is a semi-automated postal deliver robotic vehicle. The concept is a proposal for a robotic vehicle for delivery of letters and flats in residential areas. Using state of the art navigation and positioning systems a robot could be developed to more efficently deliver common goods and handle easy transactions such as billing and charging for outgoing mail.

In this project we collaborated with Stanford professors to showcase one out of many conceivable uses for robotic applications. Hence that the system would not be fully autonomous but rather a working under human supervision. We concluded that many tasks of the postal delivery can and should be automated to gain savings in fuel and man hours.

 

source: http://www.ideawicket.com/innovation-detail.php?ivnId=710