PostalReporter.com Blog

According to an APWU article:

APWU initiated a national dispute in 2006 over the Postal Service’s revisions to the AS-805 handbook governing Information Security. The revised handbook restricted employees from bringing personal information resources (e.g. laptops, notebooks, PDAs, handheld computers and USB port devices such as flash memory sticks) into postal facilities. The union expressed concerned that the new restrictions may adversely impact the union’s ability to perform its duties.

Recently, the Postal Service settled the dispute with Unions by inserting new language in the AS-805 Handbook:

These policies do not change the rights or responsibilities of either management or the unions pursuant to Articles 17 and 31 of the various collective bargaining agreements or the National Labor Relations Act, as amended. These revisions do not bar the unions from using their own portable devices and media for processing information that is relevant for collective bargaining and/or grievance processing, including information provided by management pursuant to Articles 17 and 31 of the collective bargaining agreement or the National Labor Relations Act. There is no change to policy concerning restricted access to the Postal Service Intranet.ents or the National Labor Relations Act, as amended. These revisions do not bar the unions from using their own portable devices and media for processing information that is relevant for collective bargaining and/or grievance processing, including information provided by management pursuant to Articles 17 and 31 of the collective bargaining agreement or the National Labor Relations Act. There is no change to policy concerning restricted access to the Postal Service Intranet.

Mail Delivery Truck

The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service will meet in Washington, DC, at Postal Service Headquarters, 475 L’Enfant Plaza, SW, on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. The Board’s closed session, is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. The Board is expected to discuss the following items:

Tuesday, March 4 at 11 a.m. (Closed)

    1. Strategic Issues.
    2. Product Pricing.
    3. Financial Update.
    4. Personnel Matters and Compensation Issues.
    5. Governors’ Executive Session–Discussion of prior agenda items and Board Governance.

President George W. Bush announced today his intention to nominate Nanci E. Langley, of Virginia, to be “Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission for the remainder of a six-year term expiring 11/22/12. Ms. Langley currently serves as Director of the Office of Public Affairs & Government Relations at the Postal Regulatory Commission. Prior to this, she served as Deputy Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Earlier in her career, she served as Senior Legislative Assistant in the Office of Senator Daniel Akaka. Ms. Langley received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California.”

Editorial By Postal Worker Dan Sullivan

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is proposing revised regulations governing the Family and Medical Leave Act which would give employers formidable new weapons to use against the very workers the law was designed to protect.

The new rules, if adopted, will require employees and doctors to provide more information to obtain FMLA leave and increase costs for employees while broadening the rights of employers to gather personal medical information and deny employees coverage under the law.

The Department of Labor conservatively estimates the proposed changes will save employers at least $45 million a year and cost employees and health insurers $11.3 million yearly, mainly in costs to obtain medical information from health care providers.

One of numerous proposed changes harmful to workers involves substitution of paid leave for unpaid FMLA leave. (more…)

USPS Press Release

Postmaster General Jack Potter announced two new officer selections today. Ross Philo was named Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) and George Wright was named Vice President, Information Technology Operations.

“The long-term success of the Postal Service as we work to grow our business in an extremely competitive marketplace is inextricably linked to the strategic application of state-of-the-art information systems at every level and across every function of the organization, “ said Potter. “Ross and George offer the experience, leadership and shared vision that will help us to achieve these critical goals.”

Philo joins the Postal Service after more than 30 years experience with large, complex, multinational corporations such as Cisco Systems and Schlumberger, where he was responsible for the development, implementation and management of extremely complex information systems. “Ross is an internationally recognized and respected information systems expert,” said Potter. “His work in systems integration and alignment among business units contributed to their leading market positions.”

Most recently, Philo served as Senior Vice President and CIO of Halliburton and subsequently as Chief Executive Officer of Visean, a global, oil-field services start-up company. He is a graduate of London’s Imperial College of Science and Technology where he earned First-Class honors. Philo will report directly to PMG Potter. “As a member of the Executive Committee, Philo will play a significant role in the development of growth, service and administrative initiatives by assuring that their planning and development are fully linked from inception with the appropriate technology strategy,” said Potter.

Wright is a 25-year USPS employee who has served as manager of Enterprise Architecture and Standards as well as Finance and Administration Systems. He has a Master’s degree in business administration from Maryland University. Wright has served as Acting Vice President, Chief Technology Officer since October 2007 and will report to Philo in his new assignment. “George has gained a valuable familiarity with the information systems and technology that support our operational, financial and administrative functions,” said Potter. “He is responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of our vast information-technology infrastructure.

“Please join me in offering your full support to Ross and George as we welcome them to their new assignments.”

MSPB: “removal of an [postal] employee with 45 years of unblemished federal service exceeds the bounds of reasonableness.”

The following are excerpts from the MSPB decision:

The agency removed the appellant from his position of City Letter Carrier effective March 23, 2007, for unacceptable conduct. In its notice of proposed removal, the agency stated that it had received a letter dated December 11, 2006, from Velma Garza, the property manager for the Princess Apartments (the Princess), which advised the agency that the appellant had behaved inappropriately towards her when he delivered mail to the tenants at the Princess, i.e., the appellant had hugged her and kissed her on her left cheek. Ms. Garza had asserted that the appellant’s conduct was unprofessional and she denied encouraging his behavior. Based on Ms. Garza’s letter and the agency’s subsequent investigation, the agency charged the appellant with engaging in “inappropriate conduct by touching a postal customer in an inappropriate manner and making inappropriate comments – some of which contained sexual innuendos.”

On appeal to the Board the administrative judge (AJ) found, based on Ms. Garza’s demeanor and the plausibility of her statements, that Ms. Garza lacked credibility when she testified that on October 16, 2006, the appellant hugged and kissed her on the cheek and made remarks to her, both of which were unwelcome. The AJ found further that, even though Ms. Garza claimed that a tenant witnessed the appellant’s inappropriate comments to her, the record is devoid of any corroborating evidence and, thus, there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the appellant’s alleged comments to Ms. Garza were sexual in nature.Rather, the AJ found that another individual stated in a written statement that he never saw the appellant behave inappropriately and he did not recall Ms. Garza ever telling him that the appellant had kissed her cheek.

The AJ found that, in contrast to Ms. Garza, the appellant testified in a straightforward manner that he did not kiss Ms. Garza and that she had initiated hugs with him on some occasions. The AJ found the appellant credible when he testified that he was friendly with his customers and that he frequently gave them hugs and handshakes, and that the agency failed to prove that he kissed Ms. Garza or made inappropriate remarks to her as alleged in the proposal notice.  The AJ sustained the charge of unacceptable conduct, however, because the appellant admitted hugging Ms. Garza, as well as other customers, finding that hugging any customer is inappropriate behavior for a mail carrier.  Thus, the AJ sustained the charge, absent the finding of a kiss or sexual comments.

MSPB ordered the Postal Service to “cancel the removal action and substitute a 60-day suspension and to restore the letter carrier” with backpay effective March 23, 2007.

see Tyron, JR vs USPS

Shortly after agreeing to expand leave for military families, the Bush administration proposed new regulations that would weaken employees’ medical privacy protections and make it more difficult for workers to use leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Regulations proposed by the Department of Labor on Feb. 11, 2008, have caused concern among unions.

• Current regulations prohibit employers from making direct contact with an employee’s physician. The proposed rules would create exceptions to this prohibition.
• Eligible employees would be required to re-certify lifelong or chronic conditions at least twice a year, regardless of the length of the certification issued by a healthcare provider. (Employees would have to bear the costs of the additional trips to the doctor.) Under current regulations, such certifications last up to a year.
• Current regulation prohibit the disclosure of a “diagnosis or prognosis” on any form. The proposed rule would allow employers to request but not require disclosure.
• While the proposed regulations would allow eligible employees to seek damages against employers who fail to provide them proper notice of their rights under the FMLA, the burden of proof in such cases would be quite high and employees would have to show actual damages suffered.
• Current regulations stipulate that a health problem can qualify as a serious condition when an absence is followed by two visits with a healthcare provider. The proposed regulations would restrict FMLA eligibility by requiring that follow-up treatment take place within 30 days of the start of a medical absence.
• Current law requires employers to provide notice to employees within two business days. The proposed rule expands the period to five business days.

The APWU and other unions are currently reviewing the proposed regulations and plan to file objections within the 60-day public comment period before the new regulations can take effect. The Labor Department has until the end of 2008 to publish its final regulations.

Press Release from The United States Attorney,Middle District of Alabama

MONTGOMERY, ALA. – A former Dothan, Alabama United States postal union secretary-treasurer, Bridgett Cardall Hooks, age 35, has pleaded guilty to embezzlement of the union’s funds, Leura G. Canary, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, announced today.

In a hearing before United States Magistrate Judge Wallace Capel, Hooks admitted that she stole nearly $11,000 of the American Postal Workers Union Local 332’s funds while she served as the union’s secretary-treasurer. Hooks admitted that she accomplished this (1) by writing herself unauthorized and improper checks drawn on the labor organization’s checking account, and (2) by conducting unauthorized and improper purchases and withdrawals with her union debit card.

Hooks will be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Fuller on May 16, 2008. At sentencing, Hooks could receive up to five years incarceration for her offense.

From FedBizOpps: 

This Request for Proposal outlines the functional and performance requirements for TCP/IP-based video surveillance systems to be installed in a number of United States Postal Service facilities nation-wide.  These systems will be managed by the Joint Criminal Investigative System Program Group (CISP) comprised of representatives of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Service (OIG).  This system includes hardware and software to allow the capture of video images from both analog cameras (through IP encoders) and IP cameras of varying resolutions.  Also included are provisions to store the images on open architecture PC-based servers local to each facility, monitor images locally, and integration to allow remote access, monitoring, and downloading of secure, authenticated video images.  There are also provisions to integrate the video surveillance (CCTV) systems to other electronic security systems in use at these facilities.