PostalReporter.com Blog

The following is a press release from United States Attorney, Western District of New York

ROCHESTER, N.Y.–A one-count Information has been filed in United States District Court charging DOMINICK FAZZARY, JR., age 41, of Watkins Glen, New York, with knowing disclosure of confidential information by a government employee, announced U.S. Attorney
Terrance P. Flynn of the Western District of New York. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment, a fine of $100,000, or both, and removal from employment.

FAZZARY was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman and entered a not guilty plea. He was released on his own recognizance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank H. Sherman, who will handle the trial of the case, stated that the Information charges the defendant, while employed in October 2003 as a distribution/window clerk at the Post Office in Watkins Glen, New York, with unlawfully disclosing confidential
information coming to him in the course of his employment, namely, the existence of a mail cover, a confidential investigative technique for law enforcement controlled by the United States Postal Service, to the subject of the mail cover.

The Information was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Jeffrey Doetterl.

The investigation was assisted by Patrick A. Rinow of the Office of Criminal Investigations for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty

USPS Flats Sequencing System  (FSS) Video

According to Hierofont Rural/Postal News:

In the past week, Postmaster General Jack Potter and members of Headquarters staff have had conference calls with each USPS district manager and district staffs with direct instructions to reduce supervisory positions within each district. Each district has been given a target number of supervisory positions that must be eliminated ranging from 26 to 47 positions per district. USPS is committed to reducing management positions (as reported in Hierofont News in December 2007) and this phase is expected to yield a total reduction of approximately 2400 supervisor positions.

 The news of the reductions comes after the conclusion of a national mail count for rural routes; wherein supervisor positions were a critically important part of the logistics of conducting the national mail count. Although the decisions to force the elimination of supervisor positions was made before the mail count, the actual directions were withheld until now. News of the reductions is still not common knowledge and will come as a surprise to many supervisors thus targeted.
The editor expects increased use of temporary supervisors to fill local office requirements as needed. In essence, the plan is similar to using casuals in place of full time employees or using contract employees in place of full time employees.

In an editorial entitled an “Open Letter to Postmaster and Managers” and in similar editorials from November through the present, this editor specifically warned that a reduction in managers was coming and that it will continue to come, just as USPS will reduce the number of postmaster positions.

What happened to clerks and city carriers with automation and what will accelerate with FSS flat automation and later parcel automation, that will continue to happen to rural carriers, most assuredly will happen to supervisors and postmasters. The ranks of supervisors and postmasters have trended down (each year more positions disappear) and that trend wi8ll only accelerate. Managers who have done USPS dirt up to now; can look forward to having dirt done to them. It is as sure as a rainbow following a torrential rain.

source:Hierofont News

Direct Marketer to promote National Association of Letter Carriers’ (NALC) annual food drive on nearly 46 million Valpak envelopes

LARGO, Fla., March 19 /PRNewswire/ — Valpak will partner with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) to collect food donations and deliver assistance to communities across the United States.

On May 10, 2008, NALC will hold its annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, a tradition since the early 1990’s. For the fifth consecutive year, Valpak, one of the nation’s leading direct mailers, will promote the event on its signature blue envelope delivered to almost 46 million households and on the company Web site, Valpak.com(R).

“Valpak is committed to making a positive impact in the communities we serve,” said Bill Disbrow, CEO of Valpak. “It is our goal to raise awareness of the NALC’s convenient food donation collection program and encourage communities to help feed the hungry across our country.”

Valpak will also mobilize its almost 200 franchise offices and many advertisers to participate and promote the cause locally. The drive will provide relief to millions of people — and should generate more than 70 million pounds of food donations to our nation’s food banks.

Consumers can help by leaving non-perishable food items by their mailboxes on Saturday, May 10, before their mail is delivered. Residents in New York City and Chicago can bring their donations to their local post offices between May 3 and May 10. Letter carriers, who provide on-time delivery of 500 million Valpak envelopes each year, will deliver all donations to local community food banks, pantries and shelters.

“The involvement of Valpak as a corporate partner in the Letter Carrier’s Food Drive is a major factor in alerting postal customers of this opportunity to help those less fortunate in their communities,” according to William H. Young, NALC President. “As a result, millions of additional Americans will receive help in fighting hunger again this year.”

About Valpak(R)

Headquartered in Largo, Florida, Valpak is owned and operated by Cox Target Media, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America. Valpak delivers savings to nearly 46 million households each month throughout the United States and Canada. On an annual basis, Valpak distributes some 20 billion offers inserted in more than 500 million envelopes. In addition, Valpak.com(R), an online site for local savings, has about 20 million offer views each month. Cox Target Media is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Newspapers, owned by Cox Enterprises, Inc., one of the largest media conglomerates in the United States.

source: http://valpak.com

 USPS Press Release:

U.S. Postal Service Starts Service in 1,500 Post Offices
 
Free and green. Those are the goals of a pilot program launched today by the U.S. Postal Service that allows customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge.

 The “Mail Back” program helps consumers make more environmentally friendly choices, making it easier for customers to discard used or obsolete small electronics in an environmentally responsible way. Customers use free envelopes found in 1,500 Post Offices to mail back inkjet cartridges, PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, iPods and MP3 players – without having to pay for postage.

Postage is paid for by Clover Technologies Group, a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small electronics. If the electronic item or cartridges cannot be refurbished and resold, its component parts are reused to refurbish other items, or the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled. Clover Technologies Group has a “zero waste to landfill” policy: it does everything it can to avoid contributing any materials to the nation’s landfills.

It was this philosophy that won Clover the contract with the Postal Service, besting 19 other companies, said Anita Bizzotto, chief marketing officer and executive vice president for the Postal Service.

“As one of the nation’s leading corporate citizens, the Postal Service is committed to environmental stewardship,” Bizzotto said. “This program is one more way the Postal Service is empowering consumers to go green.”

The free, postage-paid Mail Back envelopes can be found on displays in Post Office lobbies. There is no limit to the number of envelopes customers may take.

The pilot is set for 10 areas across the country, including Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego, but could become a national program this fall if the pilot program proves successful.

The Postal Service recycles 1 million tons of paper, plastic and other materials annually. Last year, USPS generated more than $7.5 million in savings through recycling and waste prevention programs. The nation’s environmental watchdog, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Postal Service eight WasteWise Partner of the Year awards, the agency’s top honor.

The Mail Back program is another example of the Postal Service’s commitment to sustainability. USPS is the only shipping or mailing company in the nation to receive Cradle to CradleSM Certification from MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry) for human and environmental health. More than half a billion packages and envelopes provided by the Postal Service annually are nearly 100 percent recyclable and are produced with the least harmful materials. Based on the recycled content of these envelopes and packages, more than 15,000 metric tons of carbon equivalent emissions (climate change gases) now are prevented annually.

“We know our customers are interested in real solutions for proper disposal of personal electronics,” Bizzotto said. “Everyone from consumers to businesses to non-profit organizations use the mail, and the Postal Service works to manage resources wisely to minimize environmental impact.”

Prices to Change May 12
 
For the first time ever, the U.S. Postal Service is offering volume related or other price incentives for Express Mail, Priority Mail and other shipping services, effective May 12. These incentives are now possible as a result from a change in federal law*, enabling the Postal Service to better compete in the shipping market.

Postal Service shipping products are currently priced by a “one price fits all” approach – customers pay the same price per piece regardless of the number of packages sent or the method of payment. Beginning May 12, customers will be able to take advantage of commercial volume pricing, minimum volume rebates, online price breaks and other pricing incentives. For example: 

Express Mail, premium overnight delivery, is switching to an industry standard, zone-based pricing system, resulting in lower prices for closer destinations. Customers will enjoy a 3 percent price reduction by purchasing Express Mail online or through corporate accounts. Up to an additional 7 percent price reduction is available for those who meet quarterly volume minimums.
 
Priority Mail, expedited delivery at economical prices, will be available at an average 3.5 percent savings to customers who use electronic postage or meet other requirements.
 
Parcel Select, the Postal Service “last mile” advantage of delivery to every door, will feature pricing and volume incentives for large- and medium-sized shippers.
 
Parcel Return Service, an easy and convenient way for customers to return items to businesses, will move entirely to a weight-based pricing system, resulting in significant price reductions for lighter packages.
 
“These innovative published pricing incentives will make our products more attractive to all shippers, especially small businesses,” said Postmaster General John Potter. “We’re pricing our products to sell in today’s competitive shipping market. In the near future, the Postal Service plans to explore contract pricing for larger customers similar to others in the market.”

The new prices are available at usps.com/prices.

source: USPS

Post Office: Salvo, North Carolina

Photo

OPM issued the following press release: 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Linda M. Springer today submitted a proposal to both chambers of Congress to establish a short-term disability insurance program to protect federal employees who suffer an injury or illness which temporarily prevents them from performing their normal job duties.

“If we are to maintain an efficient and effective Federal workforce, it is imperative to ensure workers are protected in the unlikely event of a short-term disability,” Director Springer said. “Health care costs can be economically devastating to many employees, especially those who have not yet accumulated sufficient sick and annual leave.”

OPM would leverage the purchasing power of the 2.6 million Federal employees in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches, as well as the U.S. Postal Service, to obtain the best coverage at affordable premiums. Under the proposal, participation would be voluntary and insurance premiums would be fully paid by the policy holder.

Springer said an added benefit to this insurance product would be its ability to attract a quality work force. A sound short-term disability insurance benefit will fill the gap in an otherwise attractive and competitive Federal benefit program.

“Recent college graduates, or men and women only a few years removed from college campuses who are thinking about starting families will find this benefit to be an inducement to considering a career in the Federal civil service,” Springer said. “If they know they will not be penalized should something occur before they have had enough time to accumulate sufficient sick leave, they will be more likely to consider public service.”

Springer noted the program would benefit employees in a variety of short-term situations, including childbirth, adoption, unforeseen injury to the employee or a close family member, and emergency surgery.

Federal Court rules Postal Supervisor’s discipline for timekeeping error too harsh

Here are facts taken from the recent case:

In January of 2005, Judy Texeira was supervisor of five window clerks and several floor clerks, and she was also finance supervisor at the Modesto Main Post Office. She had been a supervisor for about seven years, a postal employee for about nineteen years, and had no prior record of misconduct.

On January 26, however, Texeira incorrectly posted 160 hours of annual leave for an employee she was supervising. The employee had not yet earned the leave, never earned it, and later returned the leave pay to the agency. When the agency learned about and investigated Texeira’s incorrect timekeeping entry, the manager of customer service at the Modesto Main Post Office served her with a notice of removal from federal service. The initial charge was a simple statement that she had incorrectly posted the unearned leave for an employee she was supervising. That notice of removal was revised on August 2, 2005 with a more detailed description of the conduct involved in her incorrect posting of annual leave, including a listing of several Postal Service rules and regulations that she allegedly had violated. The notice stated: Charge: Unacceptable Conduct: Falsification in Recording Time/Failure to Follow Proper Timekeeping Procedures.

When Texeira protested, the agency selected as its decisionmaker on the matter Richard Sarno, Human Resources Manager of the Sacramento District. Sarno conducted his own investigation and then on September 19, 2005 issued his Letter of Decision. He found the August 2 charges Afully supported by the evidence. In his decision on discipline, he wrote and highlighted that removal from federal service would be too severe He decided instead to reduce her in grade and pay to a part-time position at the much smaller postal facility in Ripon, California.

The court affirmed that part of the Board’s final decision that upheld the Postal Service’s charge that Ms. Texeira failed to follow proper timekeeping procedures, but vacated the Board’s final decision that upheld the Postal Service’s penalty of demotion to a part-time position on that charge. The case was remanded so an appropriate penalty can be imposed based only on the improper timekeeping charge.

Texeira vs USPS (PDF)