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Postal News - October 2004

Postal Employees Work Throughout Weekend to Prepare Election Mailings for Monday delivery-In some locations -- including Florida's Broward and Palm Beach Counties -- election officials mailed some 8,000 absentee ballots as late as Saturday evening   |

Postal Service Put to the Test Over Last-Minute Ballots-Postal Workers Will Work Throughout Weekend to Deliver Ballots -Prompted by a late mailing of absentee ballots from the Palm Beach County Elections Office, the Postal Service will set up a curbside operation to collect ballots and deliver them in time for Tuesday's election

- 2,500 ballots go out at last minute in Broward-

- Statement of Azeezaly S. Jaffer 10/30/04

- Statement by USPS Azeezaly Jaffer 10/28/04 

- Florida Election Officials Blame USPS over Missing Ballots

- Internal e-mail reveals Postal Service may have mishandled ballots

- Florida county to resend 76,000 absentee ballots

- Broward Official Points Finger at USPS

- Bush/Cheney Campaign Charges Against Letter Carriers |

- Letter To Postmaster General John Potter On Ballot Mail Integrity

- Who Will They Smear Next - Commentary by APWU Member Dan Sullivan

- See Florida Electronic Ballot

USPS Net Income of $2.8 Billion Over Budget -With one month left to report for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, USPS announced net income of $2.8 billion, or $656.6 million over budget, for Oct. 1, 2003, to Aug. 31, 2004. USPS fiscal and operating statements showed that revenue totaled $63.1 billion, 0.2 percent less than planned. Expenses of $60.3 billion were 1.3 percent under the planned budget, but up 2.1 percent versus the year-ago period |

- USPS Financial & Operating Statements -August, FY 2004

Postal Managers May Face Tougher Performance-Pay Standards in 2005 -"The U.S. Postal Service and leaders of postal management organizations are considering tougher standards for pay-for-performance raises in fiscal 2005.  Vincent Palladino, president of the National Association of Postal Supervisors, said Oct. 22 that some national goals — which take the performance of the entire Postal Service into account when considering managers’ raises — could be more stringent.|

Commentary: Has the USPS Lived Up to Its Mandate? Whether the U.S. Postal Service has lived up to its mandate depends on whether you are talking about the mandate recommended by the Kappel Commission in 1968 or the mandate imposed upon the USPS by Congress. |

Kansas Postal Workers featured in book that blasts USPS - The book, "Going Postal II," is the second authored by Al Ainsworth to relate stories from USPS employees in their bouts with management and what he calls lack of workplace dignity. Lawrence KS letter carrier Sam Segraves said the chapter titled "Smile ... you're on candid camera" is about him and fellow letter carrier Frank Regnier. According to the book and Segraves' account, the incident highlighted a district postal route examiner  following Regnier to see if he was doing his job efficiently. The chapter on "Good supervisor ‘pushed out the door.,'" chronicles a retired Lawrence supervisor also critical of the post office environment because of "number crunching" and the ignoring of the human element while trying to make the postal service more efficient.|

DMA Chief to Members: Postal Reform Looks Dead...For Now-With neither of the committee-approved postal reform bills scheduled for consideration by the full House or Senate as of Oct. 7, DM president/CEO John Greco declared that postal reform this year “appears very unlikely” as the 108th Congress winds down. But Greco notes that "the legislative process for postal reform can pick up where it left off early in the 109th Congress since both bills were passed through their respective committees. "Our industry," his message said, "is now closer than it has ever been to passing [postal reform] legislation."|

- E-NAPUS Legislative Newsletter: Postal Reform Wait Until Next Year

- NALC Young: Bush Derails Postal Reform |

First Veteran Rights Case Filed Against USPS Will Set Employment Precedent -The first case brought to the Merit Systems Protection Board involving a federal agency accused of violating the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) will set an important precedent for federal agencies and managers, according to Office of Special Counsel chief Scott Bloch. The case, which is being brought by the special counsel against USPS was initiated in June and is set for an MSPB hearing in early January. In the Postal Service case, the reservist alleged that his military duties were the motivating factor in his dismissal from a 16-week associate supervisory training program. |

- New Proposed USERRA Rules

APWU: Gallagher’s Appointment Bad News for Postal Workers - APWU President William Burrus said , “If postal reform is considered by Congress again in 2005 as we expect, Ms. Gallagher’s presence on the Board could be an important factor when new legislation is drafted,” he said. The President nominated Carolyn L. Gallagher, of Texas, for the remainder of a 9-year term expiring Dec. 8, 2005 and Louis J. Giuliano, of New York, for the remainder of a 9-year term expiring Dec. 8, 2009. Bush is expected to make recess appointments when Congress is not in session, allowing Gallagher and Giuliano to immediately begin serving on the board. |

Former Postal Manager Must Give DNA in Rape Suit-A former Dorchester post office manager must submit to DNA testing in an ex-employee's civil suit accusing him of rape at work, a federal magistrate ruled yesterday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert B. Collings rejected John R. Kelley's arguments that the testing violates his right to privacy. |

Previous article: Postal rape suspect fighting DNA order (5/24/04)

Return to sending-Direct marketing spending is on the rise for many in the industry, which is welcome news, but the real excitement is centered around good old-fashioned direct mail. Despite indications that direct mail has taken a hit the past few years, including mail volume declines year over year cited by the U.S. Postal Service, the medium is experiencing a resurgence with marketers. This turnaround had been predicted by some in the industry. Mike Tuohy, VP-business-to-business at list manager Direct Media, told BtoB earlier this year that he expected a slight increase in mail volume this year, with "a big jump in 2005."

USPS Promotes "Post Office on Wheels" Program - Through the program, rural carriers can provide their customers with some of the same services available at post offices. The carriers have supplies with them while they're on route that enables customers to purchase stamps, money orders and mail packages. The Post Office on Wheels program has been in existence since 1991 for the Dallas district, which includes Texarkana. |

-You've Got Political Mail: Facing the Campaign Flood-"One piece looks like an express envelope sent overnight, complete with a tracking number and the signature of the sender: Democrat John Kerry. Another has a voter-registration application folded inside a card featuring an image of Ronald Reagan, the popular Republican president who died this year after a long battle with Alzheimer's." |

- OPRES_Sept. 2004 (pdf)

NALC Young: Bush Derails Postal Reform-"President George W. Bush drove a spike through the heart of postal reform legislation this week, ordering Republican leaders in the House and Senate to stop floor action on the H.R. 4341 and S. 2468 so the bills will die when the 108th Congress adjourns for the year. In so doing, Bush virtually ensured that the Postal Service will be forced to seek a 6 cent postage increase." NALC President  Young said Bush has now clearly communicated that he is against postal reform." |

- Mailers Make Late Push for Postal Reform

Ex-USPS Purchasing Specialist Pleads Guilty to Taking $800,000 in Bribes-A retired postal worker pleaded guilty Thursday to taking payoffs in what prosecutors called a "brazen bribery scheme." Daniel J. Williams, Jr., admitted taking at least $771,363 in bribes over 12 years. Williams, 62,  worked as a purchasing specialist at USPS headquarters in Washington. Prosecutors said he accepted the money from companies that wanted printing contracts with USPS. In exchange for the cash, Williams gave the companies confidential bid information and preferential treatment. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. |

- More on story from the Washington Post

Rural Letter Carriers Ratify Contract Extension-As a result, the current collective bargaining agreement — set to expire on Nov. 20, 2004 — will be extended to Nov. 20, 2006. “The contract extension is fair to both parties,” said Labor Relations V.P. Tony Vegliante. “We are pleased that rural carriers have ratified the agreement.” The agreement provides for a 1.3% wage increase effective Nov. 27, 2004, and a 1.3% increase effective Nov. 26, 2005. Other terms include continuing the cost-of-living allowance, establishing a standard time allowance for reloading and unloading vehicles, increasing the reimbursement rate for rural carriers who furnish their own vehicles and creating a joint task force to discuss issues related to future developments in mail delivery. Other provisions of the contract remain in effect |

-MSPB Decision | Arbitration, Court Case from 2003

National Grievances Prepared Protesting DOIS and COR Use -NALC President William H. Young announced today that the union's Contract Administration Unit (CAU) is currently working on filing two national level Interpretive Step grievances protesting contractual violations in the Postal Service's use of the Delivery Operations Information System (DOIS), and Carrier Optimal Routing (COR), utilized to make route adjustments. |

Postal Reform: There's More Work to Do-The good news in the fight for postal reform is that there has been more legislative progress during the current session of Congress than there has been since John McHugh started the crusade in 1995. This important achievement is the result of a great deal of effort by many individuals and organizations. Now for the bad news: It is clear that passage of any bill by this Congress, much less a bill good for the mailing community, is by no means a sure thing. Congress does not move quickly until there is a clear and present crisis

Cleveland (Ohio) Taiwanese-American Postmaster makes 'American Dream' come true-And, its 53rd postmaster is Taiwanese immigrant, Spencer Hsu. Many of us probably take the Postal Service for granted.  When Cleveland got its first postmaster in 1805, U.S. mail was delivered nationwide on foot. Then came horseback, wagons, trains, canal boats and planes. If you think 37 cents is too much for a stamp, back in 1836, it cost 50 cents to send a letter cross country by stagecoach.

 Two Massachusetts Postmasters Reassigned due to Nepotism-The longtime postmaster of Great Barrington, Marcia Moreau, has been reassigned to the Lee post office after the U.S. Postal Service determined that her having an underling who is also her son-in-law violated its code of conduct. Postmaster Elaine Daniels of Cheshire also faces reassignment for a similar issue. In Daniels' case, her son was hired as a part-time rural carrier in the late 1980s, when she was a clerk in the Cheshire office. In 1997, when her predecessor retired, Daniels applied for the post. According to Deakin, Daniels revealed that her son was a part-time worker during the interview. "She made them aware of the situation," Deakin said. "They told her it would be no problem."

Postal Employees Invited to Join Class Action Suit on 'Clock Rings'
Postal employees have been invited to join a lawsuit against the Postal Service if their clock rings were arbitrarily deleted by management in order to avoid overtime pay. Private attorneys have filed a lawsuit against the USPS, and are seeking to establish the suit as a nationwide class action. Employees who complete the consent form could be eligible for payment for lost wages and “liquidated damages” if the suit is successful or an out-of-court settlement is reached. As of 10/20/04 513 postal workers have joined the class action lawsuit

Convergys Corporation Lands Another Automated Customer Care Services Contract -Convergys has a 10-year contract with the United States Postal Service, worth $750 million and covering all aspects of customer care, such as enquiries about special products, international mailing, supply orders, advertising, address management, e-mail and general information.

Outside View: Unions and Postal Reform-"What this country needs -- in addition to a good 5-cent cigar -- is privatization of the postal service. Not "reform" of the existing monopoly. Not tinkering around the edges. An end to it. This is self-evident. This is indisputable. And it's a worldwide movement |

Gunman robs Miami post office-An armed robber stole $40,000 in cash, money orders and checks from the post office at 16750 NE Fourth Pl. at about 5:50 p.m. Oct. 4. According to North Miami Beach police, three postal workers were in a back area when a man walked in waving a shotgun and ordering them to get on the floor. He demanded the money that one of the workers was counting. He then ran out and got in a car that drove away.

Former Postmaster Sues for Gender Discrimination: A former Anderson postmaster has sued the U.S. Postal Service, claiming she faced gender discrimination and retaliation for filing complaints. Adele Striss, Anderson postmaster from 1997 to 2001, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Oct. 1. Striss says she was passed over for promotions in favor of male workers with less tenure.

Stamp Honoring Reagan to be Unveiled November 9th
"In announcing the unveiling, Postmaster General John E. Potter said, "The Postal Service is pleased to honor President Ronald W. Reagan with this commemorative postage stamp. He led our nation during a momentous time in world history and never lost the ability to reach Americans on a truly personal level." |

Official Winners of APWU National Officers Election

- Official Results (pdf) - Official Tally has been posted. |

Mail Carrier shot at while delivering mail-Jay W. Jarrell. Jarrell is accused of pulling up next to Shannon Willis' car on Millpond Road about 3:00 Tuesday. He pointed a shotgun at her. She ducked, and he took off. Willis said she heard a gunshot and when she looked in her rearview mirror, she saw him make a U-turn. He chased the postwoman, reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour until she lost him. Jarrell is in the Colquitt County jail. Investigators don't yet know the motive.

Bush/Cheney Campaign Charges Letter Carriers Not Delivering Election Mail -NALC Young responds to charge by saying ,  "I am outraged at the allegation - without any substantiation - by the Bush-Cheney campaign that letter carriers may be attempting to influence the presidential election by failing to deliver election material in Florida and other states. Letter carriers for over a century have played a vital role in maintaining the integrity of our nation's election process and have no interest in altering that tradition by attempting to sabotage the results of this election. "The Bush-Cheney campaign owes every letter carrier in America an apology."( 10/21)|

Deputy PMG Says Agency Working on PhotoStamps Decision-The U.S. Postal Service is evaluating whether it will let Stamps.com continue offering PhotoStamps, according to deputy postmaster general John Nolan, who attended the Direct Marketing Association's fall conference here.

 Remembering Fallen Heroes & Trenton P & DC Update-The Anthrax attacks on our nation and post office happened 3 years ago.   For many postal employees and citizens of this country, the attack and hardships afflicted on the Trenton and Brentwood Postal Workers and other Postal Employees, are forgotten.    When I travel to different postal events in the capacity of the president of this great local, I am horrified to hear that people are led to believe the nightmare has ended and we are all back home working.

Motorola Israel Wins U.S. Postal Scanning Deal-"The devices developed by Motorola allow electronic scanning of mail items and ongoing reports of their location in the delivery route. The development and manufacture of the systems is concentrated in Israel in Motorola's mobile data communications division. Motorola is considered unlikely to expand its Arad factory as a result of the contract but will probably outsource some systems and services to a subcontractor with a 100-person payroll."|

- USPS Sign $300M Agreement  for New Hand-Held Scanners- (7/27/04)

Police, Postal Workers and Worried Wife Watch Carrier Deliver Mail- The worried wife of a postal employee drives down one street. USPS officials canvas one block Shreveport police patrol the other. All to insure that the letter carrier is out of harm's way while delivering mail in the 1400 and 1500 blocks of the Caddo Heights street. |

Postal Workers to Picket Over Closure/Sale of Marina P & DC-

According to the APWU, Mail  Handler press release: "USPS is being very secretive about their plans for the Marina facility. USPS has failed to inform the residents and businesses of the affected communities." In meetings with the representative unions,  USPS has refused to provide copies of their proposal to close the Marina, their plans for the mail operations in the affected cities and their plans for placement of the affected employees, which number about 1,200. The informational picket will be held October 15th from 8am-8pm. |

USPS Tacoma P & DC Trashes Donation Program- In 1998, employees at USPS’s Tacoma P & DC came up with a plan that has saved roughly $3,000 a month in landfill fees and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. They salvage new books, merchandise and CDs from the dead mail heap and give them to nonprofit agencies. Last month, the program had nearly 170 agencies on its recipients’ roster. This month, it’s dead – killed by a new manager. |

- More on Post Office dumped donations

Postal Tidbit: According to USPS: "The Self-Service Vending Program, implemented in October 1964, is one of the Postal Service's major programs. Nationwide, the Postal Service maintains approximately 30,000 vending machines (27,000 self-service postal centers and 3,000 other types of vending equipment) that generated over $1.9 billion in revenue during fiscal years (FY) 2001-2003."

Study: Catalogs Influence Online Spending-Catalog recipients are nearly twice as likely to buy online as non-recipients and prospects are even more inclined to do so, according to a study commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service. The research shows that people who received paper catalogs spent 16% more, and were 15% more likely to make additional Web transactions than those who didn't receive them. The USPS hopes the numbers will convince marketers they can't forsake the mails. And by one measure, it has a point. The USPS doesn't break out catalog figures from total Standard Mail results in its financials, but in the three months prior to June 30, both the number of Standard Mail pieces and the revenue generated by the category rose.

- Retailers refine catalog tactics

USPS to Reward Postmasters for Connecting with Local Businesses -USPS is launching a new program that will reward Postmasters for connecting with their local businesses. The effort is an extension of Customer Connect and seeks to educate local businesses on USPS.com and how it can serve all business segments. The new program intends to use Postmasters and station managers to create awareness of USPS.com with businesses and business leaders.|

Mail delays frustrate letter carriers, customers -"Sunset Tuesday marked the end of another long day for those that deliver your mail. But this day ends, carriers say, with mail undelivered. One carrier, who wished to remain unidentified, said that out of her seven trays of mail, only three were delivered Tuesday. What happened to the remaining trays? They were taken back into the station. Carriers in Cypress say they were called back in at six o'clock. They returned to the station with tray after tray of mail that would have to wait another day for delivery. The callback is a result of different trouble here Monday night -- carriers finally returning from their routes after dark because, they say, short-staffed clerks were behind getting mail to them."

OPM Calculations Delay Full Retirement Payments-Although he retired from USPS seven months ago, John Griffin of Pittsford, N.Y., is still waiting for the official calculation of his retirement payments--and he is not alone.  Since his early out retirement, Griffin has been receiving an interim pension payment, which provides monthly income but is usually less than what he is due, to protect the government from making overpayments. |

Charities protest CFC rule for employee terrorism checks-One of the largest national nonprofit associations in the United States on Oct. 12 condemned the Combined Federal Campaign’s requirement for participating charities to check their employees against terrorist watch lists

Federal Officials Warn Nonprofit Coalitions to Make Changes or Risk Ejection From CFC

UPS Raises Shipping Rates

Family will receive its mail after visit by postmaster

Shelby mail carrier tells police man shot at her

USPS Builds a Better Parcel

Mailers: RPN Fee Should Be Part of Rate Case

Letter carrier hero honored for fast action
Avery Launches Personalized Fun Stamps | FunStamps.com
Ballots Stalled at Post Office
Postal Service honors mail carriers who went beyond their duty
ICANN will launch new domain .post
USPS selects Israeli firm for scanning and tracking systems
Magistrate recommends commitment for mailbox bomber
Stamps Reveal Many Stories

10/28/04

USPS Board Accepts PRC's Decision on Discover NSA

- USPS BOG Approves Discover Negotiated Service Agreement (PDF)

USPS Publishes Final Rule on First-Class Versus Standard

USPS Gets Nothing From Senate Tax Bill

Mailer Groups Mixed on New USPS Standard Mail Rules

Trading Places- What do a tree farmer and Postal Supervisor have in common?

Man Claims Letter Carrier Stole His Checks
Postal Service delivers bad news to town

Anthrax detection system installed in San Diego, Calif.

When solicitations overwhelm mom, man tackles scams, post office itself
Rock Slide Doesn't Stop Mail Delivery

Federal workers to get flu shots

10/27/04

Florida Highway Patrol investigating fatal accident involving mail truck, child
USPS publishes new Standard Mail eligibility standards

USPS Board of Governors sets agenda for meeting November 4 in Washington

Troy, Mi. P & DC to start screening letters for anthrax
New postmaster has been around the block

10/26/04

Postal Carriers Have Heavy Load Before Election

Post office in the pink

Delayed $65 million Portland, Maine mail plant project restarting

  Postal Unions Address NY Cutbacks

Democratic Party reimburses Post Office for insufficient ballot postage
Stubborn fire at Denver's old postal annex

Unrequested junk mail shouldn't cost you more
Teens to stand trial for postal worker's murder

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10/25/04

Checks to clear much faster as 'float' disappears

NALC Bulletin 10/25/04-COLA & more

Men Charged with Stealing Mail

Seasonal postal work a tradition for some
Elizabethtown postmaster touts new automation

Caring For Troops Founder, Postal Worker sees community donating miracles

America Mails It In-"A growing chorus is suggesting American voters don't necessarily need to go to the polls Nov. 2 but rather elect the leader of the free world from the comfort of their own homes."
- Ballot Postage Sending Concerns

10/24/04

Mail-sorting glitch gives some ballots a heave-ho

USPS mull over PhotoStamps

The States Want to Tax a Tax!
Postal Service shuts doors of downtown contract office
USPS prepares for holidays

10/23/04

Is time right for bulk-mail pictorial permits? If the photo-stamp experiment is not revived, Vermont stamp collector John A. Lutz thinks his idea for a form of personalized postage could be a likely replacement, especially for bulk mailers.

10/22/04

Sister of Beirut survivor pushes for stamp

Burrus Updates: Work of Thanks, COPA, Postal Reform

Agencies at odds in addressing mail rule-Canada Post blames border security

10/21/04

Mail Carrier honored for protecting girls from attack by pack of dogs

Railway mail clerk witnesses end of an era

OfficeMax Wins 2004 U.S. Postal Service Quality Supplier Award

Stamps.com Reports First Ever Profitable Quarter

Lockheed Martin to add jobs for USPS project

New Yorker will put stamp on Richmond, IN postmaster job
Machines Automate Area Post Offices
Japan to restrict postal worker's right to strike after privatization
Royal Mail: Postal Strikes to Start Again

Retirees Can Expect Bigger Checks and Higher Health Care Premiums-Most government retirees will get a 2.7 percent increase in their monthly checks next year, their largest cost-of-living adjustment since 2001. The COLA will go to retirees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System and those who receive military and Foreign Service annuities

-Rural Free Delivery ( RFD) turning spotty-RFD and house-to-house delivery of mail in towns has become one of the greatest services offered by the Postal Service. Over the years, this has been a distinct advantage for town residents. Unfortunately, delivery is no longer assured

Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Misappropriation of Funds-Darby L. Rock pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Bangor to a misdemeanor charge of misappropriation of postal funds. Rock is free on bail awaiting sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set. The defendant worked as a relief postmaster at the Windham Post Office from October 2003 to June 2004 when it was discovered that she had stolen more than $825 from postal orders.

FedEx Rebrands Parcel Direct as FedEx SmartPost -FedEx SmartPost operates a highly efficient, low-cost network built specifically to tender low-weight, less time-sensitive packages into the U.S. Postal Service system, typically at the local post-office level, for final delivery to residences.

Mother of Slain Letter Carrier fights killer's parole-Some Houstonians know the name Debora Sue Schatz only because of the post office named for her at Rogerdale and Westheimer. More than 20 years after Schatz was abducted and killed while delivering mail in a west Houston neighborhood, her killer is being reviewed for parole. In addition to letters written by family and friends, petitions signed by postal carriers also are being sent to the parole board.

36,000 minutes to home USPS phone card drive benefits soldiers in Iraq-Letter carrier Mike Ramoska, who served with the Third Marine Division in Vietnam, delivered 249 calling cards Wednesday to the Red Cross on Colonial Boulevard, which is on his route. The cards offer 36,900 minutes of calling time for the troops overseas.

Judge orders UPS not to discriminate against deaf drivers-UPS Inc. violates anti-discrimination laws by barring the deaf and hearing-impaired from driving parcel delivery trucks, a federal judge ruled Thursday. U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson said the Atlanta-based company's practices breach the Americans with Disabilities Act, and ordered revisions in UPS' policies within 30 days. The U.S. Postal Service and FedEx Corp. allow some deaf drivers to operate delivery vehicles under 10,000 pounds.

10/20/04

10/19/04

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