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TOP NEWS STORIES |
Report: USPS should pay billions less into pension
"This
is a very good day indeed because rarely in life do you
discover an extra $50 billion lying around," Carper said in a
news release. While that sum represents less than 25 percent
of the postal service's projected long-term deficit, Carper
added, it will help Congress in trying to provide the agency
"with much-needed relief from the overly-aggressive retiree
health funding that was placed on it in 2006." -
PRC Report Finds $50 Billion Discrepancy
(PDF) - Report (PDF) -
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OIG Report on Bernstock Gives Glimpse Into Decision Making at USPS HQ (PDF)
Among
the revelations: USPS officials authorized Bernstock to use
some USPS assets for non-postal and personal uses; The ethics
and law departments were repeatedly consulted about possible
abuses of these privileges and the many "gray areas"
concerning Bernstocks's dealings and potential conflicts of
interests; Bernstock was seen
as "untouchable" and a savior of the Postal Service;
Allegations about a dinner at Table Fifty-Two,
a restaurant in Chicago, and tickets to the Oprah television
show. - IG: Former postal marketing exec
misused staff, contractors - Taking 'Stock' of Bernstock
- Bernstock update: Postal sole-source
contracting tightened -
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USPS sees $642M May
net loss
"The US Postal Service saw a net loss of $642 million in May,
bringing its fiscal-year-to-date total net loss to more than
$2.9 billion, according to preliminary financial data filed
with the Postal Regulatory Commission. The agency saw net
losses of $677 million for last May and more than $3.35
billion for its last fiscal year at the end of May." -
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Postal Service Has a History of Seeking Five-Day Delivery
to Cure Financial Woes
Updated: My Five-Day Experience, by Postal Pete
According to documents obtained by PostalMag.com, the USPS has
a history of attempts to discontinue Saturday mail service to
reduce postal costs. For example, a 1977 special study
commission recommended a discontinuance of Saturday mail
service that would have saved the Postal Service $412 million
annually. -
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Man who oversaw postal plant where 2 workers died of anthrax
may run D.C. region
"The former manager of a U.S. Postal Service plant that
employed two workers who died during the 2001 anthrax attacks
is under consideration to serve as vice president of agency
operations for the District, Maryland and Virginia, sources
familiar with the selection process said. But such a move
would upset workers who said he assured them of their safety
just days before the two workers died of anthrax exposure,
union leaders said. Timothy C. Haney (currently) oversees
postal operations in most of New York, New Jersey and New
England." -
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OIG Report: CSRS Overpayment by the Postal Service (PDF)
"The return of the overpayment or a combination of
actions to realize the benefit of the $75 billion overpayment
to the Postal Service would fully fund the pension and health
retiree plans. The
Postal Service's more than $7 billion annual payments for
retiree health care prefunding and retiree health care
premiums would no longer be needed, because the pension
and health retiree plans would be fully funded and interest
income from the fully funded retiree health benefit fund could
pay annual premiums." -
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Postal Service worker stabs boss with scissors at Kennedy
Airport
"An enraged postal worker snapped and stabbed his boss with a
pair of scissors at Kennedy Airport on Thursday, sources said.
David Barnett, a mail handler with the U.S. Postal Service,
flew into a rage after having words with Doris Lloyd in
Building 250 at the airport about 4 p.m. "He had some type of
disagreement with his supervisor and proceeded to stab her in
the neck and head area with a pair of scissors," said Steve
Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority." -
Planned to kill boss for months over
simmering frustration with her supervising style -
Mail Sorter Charged With Stabbing Supervisor
at JFK Mail Facility - 'I know what I did
was legally wrong, but I was morally right!' -
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Postmaster targeted by employee complaints
"Retired postal worker Pat Greenfield, area vice president at
large for the American Postal Workers Union local, said
employees have complained that Postmaster Launda Griffin is
creating a hostile work environment. "She is your classic
bully, using intimidating tactics to put fear in workers,
degrading them in front of coworkers, threatening their jobs
and creating a miserable workplace," one employee wrote in
statement to Greenfield. Griffin declined comment and referred
all questions to a Postal Service spokesman. A spokeswoman for
the Baltimore regional office defended Griffin as an
"excellent manager." -
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USPS Focus Remains on Reducing Workhours
"With the Postal Service facing another challenging year,
employees must continue to focus on reducing workhours and
operating expenses, according to DPMG and COO Pat Donahoe. And
to help USPS achieve its FY 2010 budget, one of the primary
goals is to cut 93 million workhours. Year to date, workhours
and expenses, respectively, are 1.2 percent and 1.6 percent
over plan, says Donahoe, who asks employees to follow the
processes and procedures in place to help reduce costs. Most
importantly, this means matching workhours to workload." -
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Oceanside postal worker killed in apparent dog attack
"A 33-year-old letter carrier died earlier this month
after a Rottweiler lunged at him along his route in Oceanside,
causing him to fall and suffer a fatal head injury, a postal
official said Friday. According to postal inspector Slivia
Torres, letter carrier Hao Yun "Eddie" Lin encountered the dog
while delivering mail May 25 in the 500 block of Stanley
Street. Lin was found lying in the street with a severe head
injury and was transported to Tri-City Medical Center." -
Postal Service investigating fatal Rottweiler
attack -
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Washington region Postal Service boss out of a job after
incident in Sterling
"The top U.S. Postal Service official for the Washington
region is out of a job after an incident last week in Sterling
involving a female postal worker. Jerry D. Lane had served as
vice president of operations for the Capital Metro Area since
2006. Lane, based in Gaithersburg, visited the Dulles
Processing and Distribution Center in Sterling on June 1 and
allegedly argued with the building's manager, Kathleen J.
Michaels. Michaels filed misdemeanor assault charges on June 3
and Lane was issued a summons to appear in Loudoun General
District Court on June 17, according to court records." -
Pay for Performance: Jerry D. Lane: $23,564 -
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Comments to PRC Favor 5-Day Delivery
"A majority of the people who contacted the Postal
Regulatory Commission in April and May about ending Saturday
mail delivery favor the proposed change, the commission
revealed today. The commissions' staff categorized 2,116
comments as "OK with change in service" and 1,691 as "opposed
to change in service." Nearly 10% of the respondents favored
delivery of four or fewer days." -
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Ex-postal worker goes on highway rampage, Polk sheriff says
"An Auburndale man went on a bizarre alcohol-induced shooting
rampage from his car early this morning on U.S. Highway 92,
firing randomly at three vehicles. One of the people shot was
a man who had just graduated from Auburndale High School; he
was struck in the posterior while riding as a passenger with
his family. A second victim, a woman at the wheel of the
second car, was shot in the face. Also, a male at the wheel of
the third vehicle was run off the road after the shooter
yelled a racial epithet at him. Parks, who was laid off from
the U.S. Postal Service recently, and who had a blood-alcohol
percent of .22, claimed he was merely trying to protect
himself as his alleged victims were shooting at him." -
Going postal -- the violence continues -
News Video -
Fla. Man Arrested After 5-Mile Shooting Spree -
'Wildman' -
Robin Q. Parks, Maintenance Mech, Orlando
P&DC -
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Direct mail volume up 16% in Q1
"Direct mail volume increased 16% year-over-year in the first
quarter of 2010 to 6.1 billion pieces in total, according to
data from direct marketing intelligence firm Mintel
Comperemedia. The insurance and credit card industries were
the strongest drivers of this growth. The volume of credit
card-related direct mail increased 36% year-over-year,
reaching 1.2 billion pieces in the first quarter. Insurance
mail grew 8% from the prior year, reaching 2.6 billion
pieces." -
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