Postal News - January 2011

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Postal News

January 2011

1/31/11

Eastvale troubled with missing, undelivered mail -

The new postmaster general speaks out -

Postal Service's new sorter won't need breaks -

Chase Does Its Part to Keep Postal Service in Business -

1/30/11

Rural post offices under threat -

1/29/11

No post office for nearly 400 customers -

Mailman steals store coupons and sells them on eBay -

Rahall wants review of W.Va. postal closures -

'60 Minutes' visits Mansfield post office -

Union: Postal Service drops subcontracting proposal -

Rural residents fear loss of local post offices -

Postal Service seeks community input on plan to close Westside branch -

Mission Statement for House Oversight Committee -

Postal Policymaking: On the Front Burner -

1/28/11

Video: Turkey Attacks Mail Truck -

House Postal Subcommittee and Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Slots Filled (PDF) -

APWU: With Slow Progress, Contract Talks Continue -

USPS makes play for regional parcel traffic -

Auditors raise concerns over USPS bookkeeping -

USPS eases bulk mail rules, though businesses may not bite -

Postal worker penalized for service in Gulf -

6% of US population subscribing to Netflix -

National League of Postmasters: President's Message -

NALC: The Elephant in the Room -

1/27/11

Cleveland: Former postal worker gets prison time in worker's compensation fraud -

APWU: USPS Notifies Union of Bidding 'Outage' -

America's dying postal service: By the numbers -

In an Internet age, postal service reform is long overdue -

1/26/11

PMG Visits National NAPUS Office, Expresses Regret About Maytag Repairman Comment -

Postal union seeks members' help promoting changes -

Postal workers wait on closures -

Green Teams Help Postal Service Save Millions -

How to Save the Postal Service -

1/25/11

Rural town fears US Postal Service cuts -

Postal union ready for 'new direction' -

Postal Service Shrinking its Urban Footprint -

WSJ discussion: How many times did you go to a US post office in the past year? -

Study says cut jobs at Gus Yatron Postal Facility -

Ruling on Shuttered Post Offices Expected Soon -

Oroville postal worker bitten by pit bull -

1/24/11

Audit Report - City Delivery Efficiency Review - Northern Virginia District (PDF) -

Postal Service beefs up financial monitoring -

Hardin residents fed up with post office closure -

Adapting the Postal Service to prosper in the digital age -

USPS to hold Tuesday hearing on Bristol plant -

McCain calls Postal Service 'a model of inefficiency' -

1/23/11

Postal Service must realign its network to remain viable -

Snow-covered mail boxes make carrier's 51-mile trek even tougher -

Earth Class Mail attempts reboot in Beaverton -

Why it costs 44 cents to mail a letter -

Kansas City, Kansas post office closes for good -

1/22/11

NAPS: The Business Case for Continuing Six-Day Delivery (PDF) -

Stockton: Postal workers question closure -

Cuba halts all mail deliveries to US -

Postal Review Sought for Bowling Green -

1/21/11

Sen. Carper Reacts to USPS Job Cuts -

APWU: National Officers to Meet in February -

NAPUS: Freshman Florida Congressman to Chair House Postal Panel (PDF) -

Donahoe: delivery day must be cut -

Netflix spends 20 times more on postage than bandwidth -

Postal employees raise voices for Petaluma mail center -

Customers saying goodbye to Hallam postal branch -

Postal Service 'Discovers' A Way to Grow Direct Mail -

Early Out Rumor at FederalSoup.com -

Mailman Faulted for 'Extreme Laziness,' Admits to Burning Mail -

Sen. Collins Amicus Brief (Exigency Case) (PDF) - USPS Brief (PDF) -

1/20/11

Lazy mailman played hookie, then burned or dumped letters -

Middleville residents want post office back -

Midtown Block Under Siege by Postal Trucks, Residents Say -

Police investigate gun pulled on USPS worker -

1/19/11

PRC Brief Case (Exigent Rate Adjustment) (PDF) - NPMHU Brief Case (PDF) - AMA Brief Case (PDF) -

Audit Review - City Delivery Efficiency Review - New York District (PDF) -

USPS Launches Competitive PO Box Service -

Careers Headed for the Trash Pile -

Senator Collins Files Amicus Brief Regarding Postal Service's Requested Rate Increase -

Post Office Restructuring Means the Loss of Thousands of Jobs -

Downsizing, Relocations, Benefit Reductions Up Next? -

Freshman leader of key House panel says he'll focus on federal payroll cuts -

Is That a Flat-Rate Envelope in His Pocket, Or is the Postmaster General Just Glad to See You? -

New head of Canada Post is former CEO of Pitney Bowes Canada and Latin America -

Explosive new claims made by SI against Armstrong and US Postal Service team - Defrauded US Government/USPS? -

1/18/11

Netflix: No more renting DVDs from streaming devices -

Postmaster general defends the 'Forever Stamp' -

New Uniform Items in the USPS Pipeline -

Opposition builds over plan to move Salinas mail-processing center -

Two GOP freshmen to handle federal/postal worker issues -

1/17/11

Coshocton letter carrier retires after 31 years -

Sauchelli v. US Postal Service -

Open postal truck scatters mail for 70 miles -

Middleville residents want post office back -

Is 'Coopetition' a Good Thing for the Postal Service? -

1/16/11

Post office mural raises questions of racial sensitivity -

Post office robber fondles employees -

Dangerous Deliveries: Snow, ice, cold plague postal workers -

Postal Service wants to leave 77-year-old downtown Sacramento site -

Mansfield: Picketers oppose plan to close post office -

1/15/11

Alert Mattoon postal carrier brings help to man suffering diabetic seizure -

Asheville postal workers convicted of false claims -

Studies estimate USPS received over $100M in value for Lance Armstrong sponsorship -

Bypass OPM, postal groups urge Obama -

1/14/11

One man wages a humble war against an army of unwanted mail -

Letter carrier saves man, 96, from Lexington blaze -

OSHA: DBCS Machines Pose Risk to Workers' Health -

USPS Spent $31.9 Million to Underwrite Lance Armstrong's Pro Cycling Team -

The Elephant Has Ears: Some Good News For Mailers Along With the Rate Hikes -

The Plight of the Portsmouth Postal Carrier -

Sacramento: Thieves hit Postal Service collection box -

Maumee leaders find thousands of utility bills not delivered -

Picketing over job cuts at Petaluma postal center -

Unions push back against deficit commission -

Good News for Junk-Mail Senders (And customers can opt out by notifying carrier) -

1/13/11

Debunking the Forever Stamp Meme -

Atlanta: More mail going out today; Sun., holiday service possible -

That didn't take long - former PMG goes to work for US Chamber of Commerce -

Outgoing mail: Veteran carrier set to retire -

Tense time for workers, as career paths fade away -

APWU Official in Texas Found Guilty of Embezzlement -

Reward Offered for Post Office Burglary -

1/12/11

Newt Gingrich doesn't like the 'Forever Stamp' -

Senator Collins Shines Light on Federal Workers Comp Waste -

Mailboxes overflowing at Napa Post Office -

Regulators on USPS reforms: "It's not going to be easy" -

La Crosse postal worker has message for residents after injury -

Top USPS Suppliers for Fiscal Year 2010 (PDF) -

1/11/11

UPS, FedEx, postal service suspend service again -

Fort Smith: Postal union president argues against mail consolidation -

New Year - New Postal Products -

USPS Fails to Keep Proper Record of Injury and Illness, OSHA Finds -

USPS worker admits guilt in jogger's death -

Postal Inspector Investigates Dozens of PO Box Break-Ins -

Neither sleet nor rain nor snow kept couple from 45 years of postal rounds -

PRC Quarterly Public Inquiry Log (PDF) -

In the Matter of the Penobscot Post Office (PDF) -

1/10/11

APWU: Despite Mounting Frustration, Contract Talks Continue -

USPS Proposes Changes Which Would Expand Its Ability to Subcontract Rural Routes to Contract Delivery Service -

Man's death ends family's streak of postal service -

Donahoe begins USPS restructuring with changes at the top -

OPM pension errors force thousands to pay up -

PHOTO: USPS Exhibit at CES Tradeshow | CES Exhibitor -

1/09/11

Minot: Postal politics -

Three Carthage mail carriers combine for 103 years of postal service -

Workers Upset With Post Office Following Incendiary Letter Incidents -

Shaken workers return to postal plant -

Central Virginia: Residents frustrated by mail delays -

1/08/11

Suspicious packages revive postal worker fears -

The Handwritten Letter, an Art All but Lost, Thrives in Prison -

Donahoe, No Potter Clone, Quickly Making His Mark -

Fiery package addressed to Homeland Security chief -

Point Loma: Midway USPS mail processing center's fate still uncertain -

1/07/11

Package ignites at D.C. post office -

After 37 Years, Wayne Orshak Steps Down as Postmaster -

Postal Service weighing new cutbacks in Oxnard -

Some Lafayette postal jobs will move to Kokomo -

Petri's letter to Postmaster General takes more than two weeks to arrive -

Raleigh: Cutting post office hours part of postal service's cost-savings plan -

Maryland closes government mailrooms statewide -

PRC to Hold January 11 Public Forum on Improving US Postal Laws (PDF) -

PRC: Notice of the USPS of Market Test of Experimental Product - Gift Cards (PDF) -

1/06/11

Best and Worst Jobs (Mail Carrier #174) -

USPS Shopping Cart Failure - What We Can Learn From It -

Carol Mons retires from post office -

Mitchell mail carrier wins Postal Service Hero Award -

Postal Problems: People in the East Village aren't ready to say goodbye to their local post office -

Undelivered mail found a second time -

January 2011 Audiobooks Review by Jonathan Lowe

1/05/11

Suspended Bangor Postmaster rejected for first-offender program -

Post office to test sales of gift cards in May -

APWU: OIG Fails to Justify 19 Types of 'Worksharing' Discounts for Big Mailers -

Wright retires from Postal Service -

Postal Service may whittle Petaluma mail center -

Probe finds Amazon used wrong postal rates -

USPS is Wasting Money on Unwanted Services, Publishing Executive Says -

1/04/11

Postal supervisor arrested for allegedly hitting fellow worker during argument -

Neither Rain Nor Snow Will Keep the USPS From Sucking -

USPS plans to move some services from Industry to Santa Ana -

Why Capital and Flexibility Matters -

Letter carrier says mail is a mess -

Did Issa Provide an Entry for Postal Reform? -

Top 10 Postal Stories of 2010 -

The post-Christmas post office push -

Some post office closures delayed -

1/03/11

Two arrested after postal vehicles 'tagged' in Easton -

USPS retail staff granted freedom of speech -

Buy These Stamps, and Forget About Rate Increases -

4.) Will Congress order changes at the US Postal Service? -

Closing of post office upsets residents of Capitol Heights -

Daily Outrage: Postal Service employees arrested for tampering with letters, packages -

Australia: Post offices battle email -

1/02/11

Upper Deerfield postal carrier wraps up 45-year career -

Postal Service copes with losses -

Tupelo mail consolidation approaches second deadline -

Another mail drop box is target of arson -

A Hidden World Inside New York's Great Post Office -

'Prediction for 2011 from Fox Business News' has 'no basis in reality' -

1/01/11

Albany post office closing gets reprieve (USPS postpones consolidations/closings nationwide during transition to new PMG?) -

Houston P&DC Mail Consolidation (PDF) -

3 postal carriers retire after combined 111 years of service -

United Healthcare Letter: Temporary freeze period on FSA claim payments due to system upgrade (PDF) -

Postal Retirement Q&A January 2011 -

TOP NEWS STORIES

Postal Service Eyes Closing Thousands of Post Offices
"Beginning in March, the agency will start the process of closing as many as 2,000 post offices, on top of the 491 it said it would close starting at the end of last year. In addition, it is reviewing another 16,000 - half of the nation's existing post offices - that are operating at a deficit, and lobbying Congress to allow it to change the law so it can close the most unprofitable among them." - Computerized system to help determine post office fates, Donahoe likens 5,000 postmaster positions to lonely Maytag repair man - APWU Denounces Post Office Closure Plans - USPS more than 'bricks and mortar' - as operator eyes thousands of branch closures - Archives: Australia: Mail Model for Rural America -

USPS shrinks workforce, changes pension
"In many rural communities, Donahoe said the agency is looking at contracting postal duties out to a general store or gas station... If the goal of 7,500 jobs is not reached through voluntary retirements, Donahoe might look at financial incentives for retirement... Other potential ramifications for employees include pay freezes, reductions in current employee benefits and lower pay scales for new employees." -

New postmaster general officially takes over, promises job cuts
"On the same day the U.S. Postal Service's new top boss took over, he warned that at least 7,500 administrative personnel could soon be on their way out. Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe also said Friday that he plans to turn most of his attention away from the ongoing political debate about the Postal Service's future in hopes of wooing new customers to use the cash-strapped mail agency." - Postal Service to cut 7,500 postmaster, supervisor jobs - New postmaster general wants lines to move faster, says clerk (Mystery Shopper) questions 'wasted time and slowed lines' -

New Postal Service Pricing Announced
"Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe today signaled a new direction in continuing to improve customer relations within the mailing industry by consulting with industry representatives on the effective date for new prices and by relaxing some guidelines on implementing Intelligent Mail services." - USPS to Raise Catalog Rates by 1% - Postal Rates to Rise in April -

Postmaster General Restructures U.S. Postal Service
"A 16 percent reduction to the officer ranks, realigning revenue-generating business units and closing one Area office are among steps taken today by Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe to create a leaner, faster, smarter U.S. Postal Service. While cost savings will be realized, the main objective of the restructuring is to enhance and strengthen customer service and relationships." - Postal Service thins senior executive ranks - USPS will close Memphis office, affecting 120 employees -

New USPS Organization Chart Mentions RIF and VER (PDF)
"Today's actions and announcements are the beginning of a much larger process that will involve every level of the organization, including the closure of some districts. As we continue our restructuring, we anticipate that Reduction in Force (RIF) and Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) processes will be initiated by the end of this fiscal quarter." - Federal Times: Postal Service RIFs, early retirements coming soon -

Impasse appears possible in postal labor talks
"Labor contract talks between the U.S. Postal Service and its largest union are not at an impasse - but they may be heading there. Cliff Guffey, president of the American Postal Workers Union, said Monday on the union's website that postal executives "seem unwilling to make the commitment necessary to reach a negotiated settlement." Guffey "summoned" the APWU's Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee to Washington for a Tuesday update. No tentative agreement appears imminent, he said." - APWU: Union Frustrated by Lack of Progress in Contract Talks -

Union chief blasts new postal delivery scheme used in Brookline
"The president of the union representing Brookline's letter carriers criticized the cutting of Post Office routes as part of a new automated mail-sorting effort that has led to complaints about late mail delivery. Robert A. Lind, president of Branch 34 of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said the implementation of the new flat-sized mail sorting process - and a cut of a dozen mail routes in town - was a purely budget-based decision, and letter carriers are struggling to keep up." - Delays caused by elimination of 12 carrier routes - Lind Letter -

USPS makes a half billion dollar profit - until Congress takes its cut
"For the month of November the USPS reported an unaudited net profit of $109 million on sales of $5.7 billion. Added to the operating profit reported in October, that brought year to date net profit to $549 million. Because of the 2006 law however, the USPS already owes the Treasury $917 million in so-called "trust fund" payments. Those charges are partially offset by another Congressional brainstorm, the monthly revaluation of the USPS's workers comp liability. The bottom line however, is a net loss for November of almost a half billion dollars." -

Oldest postal retirees get most costly of payouts
"More than 100 U.S. Postal Service employees over 90 years old are collecting workers compensation - a fact one U.S. senator calls troubling, arguing that workers ought to be moved to retirement rolls from which payouts would be less expensive. "At the Postal Service, more than 1,000 employees currently receiving workers compensation benefits are 80 years or older," she (Sen. Collins) said. "Incredibly, 132 of these individuals are 90 years of age and older and there are three who are 98." -