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TOP NEWS STORIES |
Stopping Saturday Mail Delivery Could Mean Layoffs for USPS
"I can't say or guarantee that there wouldn't be
layoffs," said Jordan Small, USPS acting vice president,
during a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform
Federal Workforce, Postal Service and District of Columbia
Subcommittee. Small added that he hoped personnel cuts could
be made through attrition and the service's temporary
workforce, which handles many of USPS' Saturday deliveries." -
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APWU: Union Calls for Campaign to Defeat Anti-Postal Worker
Senate Bill
"The amendment would require arbitrators ruling on postal
contracts to take into account the "financial health of the
Postal Service." "Given the severity of Postal Service's
financial crisis, if this bill passes, we can anticipate that
in the next round of negotiations, many of the things our
members take for granted - such as cost-of-living increases,
raises, and protection against layoffs - will be at risk."
Under current law, arbitrators must consider the
"comparability" of postal wages to employees in the private
sector who perform similar work." -
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Senate Adopts Amendments for Postal Bill
"The following amendments were adopted to S. 1507 Postal
Service Retiree Health Benefits Funding Reform Act of 2009 on
July 29, 2009 at the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Government Affairs bill mark-up business meeting. 1) Would
require any binding arbitration in the negotiation of postal
contracts to take the financial health of the Postal Service
into account. 2) Would prohibit the Postal Service from
issuing bonuses in any year that it reports a yearend net
loss..." - Senate Panel Blocks Postal
Bonuses - NALC: Mark-up of S.1507 adds
'poison pill' amendment - APWU: Amendment to Senate
Bill Hurts Workers -
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Post office cited by GAO as a troubled agency
"There are serious and significant structural financial
challenges currently facing the Postal Service," the GAO said.
"New technology is profoundly affecting services in both the
private and public sectors, including traditional mail
delivery. Compounded by the current recession, the volume of
mail being sent is dropping substantially," Gene L. Dodaro,
acting comptroller general, said in a statement." -
GAO Highlights (PDF) -
Postal Service Joins 'High Risk' List -
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APWU: Quick Action Expected on Senate Bill to Ease USPS
Financial Crisis
"The Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Funding Reform Act
of 2009 (S. 1507), which was introduced by Sen. Tom Carper
(D-DE) on July 23, would restructure the USPS obligation to
pay retiree healthcare benefits, and would generate savings of
billions of dollars over the next several years. The USPS is
projecting a loss of $7.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2009, despite
predictions that it will cut costs by $6.1 billion this year." -
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NALC Executive Council Receives Fiscal Update on USPS
Operations (PDF)
"Postal Service mail volume has declined by some 13
percent this year through May as the recession has deepened.
Despite the elimination of 36,000 career jobs over the past
year, the USPS could lose $7 billion this year due to the
economic meltdown and the onerous cost of pre-funding retiree
health benefits, which this year will cost $5.4 billion." -
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So Long, Snail Shells: Mail Volume Expected to Decline
"The situation is so dire that the Postal Service, which
is projecting a $6 billion shortfall by the end of September
despite a recent postage rate increase, will go to Congress
this month to seek emergency relief, looking to cut home mail
delivery from six days a week to five. Already, the Postal
Service has cut hours at hundreds of post offices across the
country, including 56 of the Washington area's 386 outlets. It
has consolidated routes, dropping 158 delivery routes locally,
offered workers early retirement and imposed hiring and salary
freezes. Still, said Postmaster General John E. Potter, the
service is in "acute financial crisis." -
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Postal Service Emergency Aid Proposed in Senate
"Legislation to provide emergency financial relief to the
Postal Service was introduced in the Senate on Thursday and is
expected to be cleared by a Senate panel within days. The
legislation, S. 1507, "the Postal Service Retiree Health
Benefits Funding Reform Act of 2009," was introduced by Sen.
Tom Carper (D-DE), chair of the Senate postal oversight
subcommittee. Senate sources signaled it could be marked up by
the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs at its next business session on Wednesday, July 29." -
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Donahoe: Mail Volume Continues to Decline
"Matching workhours to workload and adjusting carrier
routes to reduce the need for pivoting are among the topics
discussed by DPMG and COO Pat Donahoe in his latest Field
Updates video. With mail volumes continuing to decline,
Donahoe says now is the time for people to step up and make
the changes necessary to prepare for the future. This includes
making sure offices receiving mail processed by flats
sequencing system equipment are prepared to function
efficiently in this new environment, and to make and stabilize
route adjustments." -
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National League of Postmasters: Five-Day Delivery Planned for
FY 11
"Strategies for FY 2010 include Network Distribution Centers,
increased usage of Flat Sequencing, continued reduction in
delivery routes, the consolidation of stations and branches,
and further administrative reductions. The Postal Service
hopes to implement 5-day delivery by FY 2011. If all of these
strategies are implemented, the Postal Service projects a move
back into black ink in FY 2012." - FYI: USPS Fiscal Year
2011 Starts Oct. 1, 2010 - NALC/USPS Contract Expires Nov. 20, 2011 -
APWU/USPS Contract Expires Nov. 20, 2010 -
Mail Handlers Contract Expires Nov. 20, 2011
(PDF) -
Donahoe Telecom -
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US prepares for five-day delivery
"An internal study group, composed of managers from
across the Postal Service, has been working privately for
three months to figure out the complicated logistical changes
involved in switching to five-day mail delivery. Those include
creating new schedules for the transportation network that
moves mail across the country, for example, and major
reductions in work hours for carriers and other employees." -
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House panel votes relief for Postal Service
"The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
voted Friday to approve HR 22, which would save the U.S.
Postal Service $2.3 billion this year in health care costs.
The bill allows the Postal Service to pay health care premiums
for its current retirees using a trust fund designated for
future retirees. Without the bill, the Postal Service would
have to make a $2.3 billion payment in September for its
current retirees; postal officials say they cannot pay that
bill." - eNAPUS: House Committee OKs
Emergency Postal Relief Bill for House Vote (PDF) -
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APWU: P&DC Consolidations - Locals Fight Back
"APWU locals around the country have been busy fighting the
consolidation of Processing & Distribution Centers - even as
the Postal Service announced it was considering consolidating
more than 3,200 of the nation's larger stations and branches." -
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Lawmakers question plans of Postal Service to cut costs
"Lawmakers from both parties are resisting the Postal
Service's attempts to end Saturday deliveries and close
branches in order to make up its budget shortfall. The U.S.
Postal Service (USPS) is facing a cash shortfall of $1.5
billion this year. That’s because the recession and a shift
toward e-mail and other new technologies are cutting into USPS
revenue, which is expected to drop by $6 billion, an 8 percent
decrease from last year, according to USPS spokeswoman Yvonne
Yoerger." -
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Cleveland: 7 USPS Employees Arrested in Drug Investigation
"Seven current or former U.S. Postal Service employees
were indicted Tuesday on multiple drug trafficking and drug
possession charges. After a one-year investigation lead by the
USPS Office of Inspector General in Cleveland, special agents
said they recovered crack cocaine, PCP, prescription
painkillers, marijuana and a handgun. Those arrested included
USPS mail handlers, casual employees, and a motor vehicle
operator. One non-USPS employee was also arrested." -
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Few postal employees take latest early retirement offer
"Fewer than 2 percent of U.S. Postal Service employees who
were offered a chance at early retirement last month accepted
the offer - far less than postal management expected. Just
2,505 employees accepted the offer - about 1.7 percent. And it's well below what Postmaster General John Potter
expected: In a March interview, Potter said he expected
between 10,000 and 15,000 employees to accept the offer." -
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Rolando Elevated to NALC Presidency
"Fredric V. Rolando assumed the presidency of the
300,000-member National Association of Letter Carriers
(AFL-CIO) today, following the retirement of William H. Young
after more than 6 1/2 years as head of the postal union. The
new president began his postal career 31 years ago as a letter
carrier in South Miami, Florida. Holder of a degree in
criminology and psychology from Florida International
University, he became active in the union because of what he
said was the antagonistic way management treated letter
carriers." - Fredric V. Rolando -
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Mailman shot trying to stop bank robbery suspect
"A postal worker was shot in the face Thursday when he tried
to stop an armed man fleeing the scene of a South-eastside
bank robbery, police said. Police identified the wounded man
as Robert Norman, 54, a letter carrier with 29 years of
experience who is assigned to the Wanamaker Branch." -
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APWU: Consolidating Stations
"At a meeting at USPS Headquarters on June 23, the Postal
Service briefed APWU Clerk Craft officers about plans to
consolidate operations in large stations and branches. At the
briefing, postal officials said that among the stations under
review, 740 already had been identified as candidates for
consolidation and/or closing." -
Residents start petitions as Postal Service plans national
review on consolidating branches -
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