February 2008
Monthly Archive
Photo: Pushing the Mail Truck Stuck in the Snow
Photo: One Of The Oldest Post Offices In The Country
According to the description accompanying this Flickr photo:”The Mooresville Post Office has been operating from the same building since 1840, the oldest continually operating post office building in the state of Alabama and one of the oldest in the country.”
USPS To APWU: Payroll Glitch Will Delay Upgrades
APWU News
Pay increases associated with the Feb. 16 upgrades will be reflected in March 7 paychecks, but the USPS has informed the APWU that the new level adjustments have not been implemented because the Postal Service has failed to complete the necessary computer programming.
Employees will receive the value of the upgrade, but postal records will continue to indicate that employees are assigned to their former level. For example, an employee who was due to be upgraded from Level 5 to Level 6 on Feb. 16 will receive the value of the upgrade in his or her pay, but the employee’s Form 50 and pay stub will indicate the employee is assigned to Level 5.
The Postal Service expects the programming to be completed by Pay Period 10-2008, when Forms 50 and pay statements will reflect the correct grade assignments. Pay Period 10 begins on April 26; the pay date is May 16.
“There is absolutely no excuse for the Postal Service’s failure to complete this project on time,” said APWU President William Burrus. “The 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement was signed on March 29, 2007. It is unacceptable that the programming required to implement the terms of the agreement is incomplete more than 11 months later.
“I have expressed my dissatisfaction directly to the postmaster general. Apparently, his intervention was insufficient to correct the problem in the short time that remained.”
A letter prepared by the USPS has been mailed to APWU-represented employees, explaining that the pay increases reflect a one-level upgrade, but, due to computer programming difficulties, numerical level adjustments will be made in Pay Period 10-2008.
On payday, March 7:
A notation indicating “Upgrade” will appear on the earnings statement for Pay Period 5 (Feb. 16-29, 2008);
The pay of employees who were upgraded from Grade 1 and Grade 9 (approximately 250 employees) will reflect an upgrade based on the old pay scale. When the programming is complete, the salary to which these employees were upgraded on Feb. 16 will be eliminated, and they will be slotted in the correct, higher grade;
Employees who were upgraded from Grades 3 and 7 will move into pay grades with shorter waiting periods. Because employees carry their waiting time, an adjustment will have to be made in the due-date for the next step increase for these employees. Some employees in these groups may be eligible for an immediate move to the next step. These step increases will not take place on Feb. 16, but will be accomplished by Pay Period 10, along with any necessary retroactive pay adjustments.
Corrected Forms 50 will be executed for all employees once reprogramming of the payroll system has been completed. In the unlikely event that any employees have been overpaid, the Postal Service has agreed, at the union’s request, to waive collection of the overpayment.
Despite the appearance of the erroneous grades on pay documents and Forms 50, postings inviting bids and applications, as well as award notices, will use the correct pay grades.
“We will work with the Postal Service to ensure that no APWU member is adversely affected by the programming delay,” Burrus said, “and that the upgrades we negotiated will be accurately reflected in all postal records as soon as possible.
Stamps Increasing by One Cent to 42¢ on May 12
Forever Stamp Will Still Get Your Letter Delivered
WASHINGTON, DC — The price for a one-ounce First-Class stamp will increase from 41 to 42 cents on May 12.
Prices for other mailing services, such as Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services (including single-piece Parcel Post), and Special Services will also change (see chart below). The average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
“The Postal Service developed the Forever Stamp for consumers to ease the transition during price changes,” said Postmaster General John Potter. “We encourage Americans to buy Forever Stamps now for 41 cents, because like the name suggests, they are good forever.” The price goes up to 42 cents on May 12.
The Postal Service has sold 5 billion Forever Stamps since the launch last April and plans to have an additional 5 billion in stock to meet the expected demand before the May price change.
Consistent with a new law*, prices for mailing services will be adjusted annually each May. The Postal Service plans to provide 90 days’ notice before the price changes each year.
New prices for shipping services, including Express Mail and Priority Mail, will be announced in March. Prices for all postal products and services are available at usps.com/prices.
*The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act
postal employees& FMLAFeb 06 2008 07:51 pm
Postal Employees Entitlement to Servicemember FMLA
From USPS:
There have been changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that every employee should know about. An update now entitles eligible employees to take leave for a covered family member’s service in the armed forces. This policy supplements current FMLA policy and provides notice of employee rights to such leave.
Servicemember FMLA provides eligible employees leave to care for a covered family member — spouse, parent, son, daughter or next of kin — who has incurred an injury or illness in the line of duty while on active duty in the armed forces. That’s provided that the injury or illness render the family member medically unfit to perform the duties of the member’s office, grade, rank or rating.
Eligible employees also are entitled to leave because of a qualifying situation caused by a family member’s active duty or call to active duty in the armed forces in support of a contingency operation plan.
Union Presidents, USPS Officials Discuss Postal Service’s Future
Video to be Shown in [Postal] Facilities Beginning Next Week
APWU News
The Postal Service will broadcast a video in every postal facility beginning the week of Feb. 11, featuring a discussion with the presidents of the four craft unions. The conversation, moderated by Anthony J. Vegliante, USPS executive vice president and chief human resources officer, included APWU President William Burrus, National Association of Letter Carriers President Bill Young, National Rural Letter Carriers Association President Donnie Pitts, and National Postal Mail Handlers Union President John Haggerty. Discussion focused on the future of the Postal Service, the role of employees, and the importance of providing high-quality service.
The video will be shown first in plants, and later in other postal facilities.
In other news:
USPS Seeks Vendor For Media Monitoring Services
According to the notice posted on FEDBIZOPPS:
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) office of Public Affairs and Communications requires the services of a supplier to provide media monitoring services for television, radio, print and the Internet for all news that is defined by the USPS as relevant to the agency. The supplier will provide the necessary resources to capture and display video clips, daily and weekly newspaper clips and full length broadcast programs that reference and/or highlight the USPS. Ability to monitor the online versions of newspapers and broadcast companies is essential. The supplier must have the capability to collect and send information from daily newspapers, radio programs and television stations daily to a designated group of users and provide access to a storage/archive center and create a daily topline media synopsis. The supplier must also have the capability to monitor all national, local and community media sources in all Designated Market Areas (DMAs). Media is defined as national and local television stations, news wires, national and local daily print publications, weekly news publications, community newspapers, monthly magazines, network and local radio, diaspora (ethnic) media, identified trade publications and identified Spanish-language outlets.
The Vendor is expected to ”Produce daily reports and provide to USPS Monday –Friday by 7 a.m. ET, (Mondays report will include Saturday and Sunday coverage) a brief outline of all print (daily newspapers, weekly community newspapers, news posted on news media Internet sites) news coverage with short summaries of each story and also include name, city and state of publication or media organization, and specify in which of the 362 MSAs this news media organization is located.”
USPS is looking to “Monitor identified industry trade magazines/publications and journals, beginning with the provided list. The initial list (this list may change in the future and any changes will be negotiated in accordance with the changes clause) of trade publications..”
Advertising Age
AdWeek
Cep-research.com
Catalog Success
Inside Direct Mail
DM News
Congress Daily
Direct Magazine
Direct Magazine online
Federal Times
Government Executive
Linn’s Stamp News
Mail Magazine
Multichannel Merchant
Parcels magazine
Traffic World
Transport Topics
Federal Computer Week
Government Computer News
Postcom.org
Wall Street Journal and USA Today are also listed on the initial media monitoring list
source: Federal Business OPPS
Contract Employee Admits Stealing Mail From Post Office
United States Attorney’s Office District of Connecticut Press Release
(January 30, 2008) Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RENEE GAUGH, 28, of Brooklyn, Connecticut, pleaded guilty today before Senior United States District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to one count of theft of mail.
According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, GAUGH was employed by a contractor who performed custodial services at the Gales Ferry Post Office. In pleading guilty, GAUGH admitted that, from December 2006 to February 2007, she stole mail by removing letters and greeting cards from a mail collection hamper in the main work room of the Post Office. Specifically, on February 1, 2007, GAUGH stole an envelope that contained a $50.00 Best Buy gift card.
Judge Covello has scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2008, at which time GAUGH faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James G. Genco.
APWU: Upgrades and New Pay Schedule Effective Feb. 16, 2008
From APWU
All APWU-represented employees covered by the 2006-2010 APWU-USPS collective bargaining agreement will be upgraded one pay level effective Feb. 16, 2008. The upgrades are being implemented via new pay schedules.
The new pay schedules reflect pay increases of approximately 2.6 percent from the old levels to the new ones. Generally, employees will move to the same step – for example, Grade 5 Step G employees will be promoted to Grade 6 Step G – and will carry their step waiting time with them. So, if a Grade 5 Step G employee was due an increase to Step H on March 15, 2008, the employee will still receive their step increase on March 15, 2008. Some upgrades – from Grade 3 to 4 and Grade 7 to 8 – will result in shorter . A special procedure – described below – applies to employees who were in Grade 9 as of Feb. 15, 2008.
Multi-Grade Promotions
The new schedule eliminates three old pay grades: Grades 1, 9, and 10 (as shown in this partial view of the new pay schedule).
Grade 1: As of Feb. 15, 2008, only a small number of employees were assigned to Grade 1. They will be promoted to the new Grade 3. The new schedule starts at Grade 3, which is the upgrade of the old Grade 2.
Grade 9: Approximately 250 employees who were in Grade 9 as of Feb. 15, 2008, will be promoted to the new Grade 10, which is the upgrade of the old Grade 11.
Grade 10: As of February 2008, there are no employees in Grade 10.
Employees in Grade 9 will not be promoted to the same step in Grade 10. Instead, they will be slotted by a two-step process. First, the Postal Service must identify the salary that would have been attained had Grade 9 been retained and upgraded to Grade 10 – an increase of approximately 2.6 percent. For example, a Grade 9, Step H employee would have attained a salary of $50,885 if he or she had been upgraded to Grade 10. Second, the Postal Service must identify the salary in the new Grade 10 that is closest to but not less than that amount. In this case, that would be new Grade 10 Step E, with a salary of $51,109. This is an increase of slightly more than 2.6 percent. Upon reaching the top step of Grade 10, the employee would realize the value of a multi-grade promotion.
Full-time Regulars (FTR) [pdf]