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TOP NEWS STORIES |
In Rain, in Snow, but Not on Saturdays?
"Postmaster General John Potter, who has tried to contain
costs by cutting 40,000 career employees among other measures,
is seeking permission from Congress to reduce mail delivery
from six days a week to five. Does this change make sense or
are there other ways ways to keep the Postal Service from
hemorrhaging money?" -
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Pittsburgh: Postal workers awarded $75 million for lost
overtime pay
"Already facing billions of dollars in losses, the United
States Postal Service was ordered earlier this year to pay $75
million in lost overtime to nearly 1,500 Pittsburgh-area union
employees. The arbitration award was paid out in the form of
checks two months ago, but at the time, neither side would
discuss it. The money is to cover the overtime pay full- and
part-time employees lost between 1994 and 2004 when the
Pittsburgh Processing and Distribution Center hired casual
clerks instead. The largest amount paid to any single person,
according to the postal service, was $85,568." -
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Postal Service Announces Short-term Supervisor Selection and
Placement Process
"For quite some time now, the Management Associations have
challenged Postal Headquarters on the significant number of
supervisor vacancies and we are, therefore, gratified that
something is finally being done about it. Please note that
this process opens on December 29. Also significant is that it
is open to all EAS and career bargaining unit employees."
- Short Term Supervisor Selection and
Placement Process (PDF) -
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NALC: 'No Way to Sugarcoat' $3.8 Billion Loss (PDF)
"Independent auditor Ernst & Young cautioned that "there
is significant uncertainty" whether the Postal Service will
have enough cash on hand to make all of its payments in the
year ahead, including the $5.5 billion retiree health benefits
payment due on the last day of FY 2010. That is the next
installment due to pre-fund future retiree health insurance
costs. The 2009 payment was reduced by $4 billion, thanks to
passage of legislation vigorously endorsed by the NALC." -
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Can the Postal Service be Saved?
"Rep. Davis said he was open to cutting Saturday service -
perhaps on a rolling basis, so that certain communities would
lack Saturday delivery once or twice a month - as well as
loosening the health benefit requirements. He also backed a
government bailout for the embattled agency if that's what it
takes to keep it afloat. "We've bailed out a lot of things,
and I think the Postal Service is probably as important in one
sense as some of the other places where we have put public
money," he said." -
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USPS Reports Net Loss of $3.8 Billion
"The U.S. Postal Service today filed its 2009 fiscal year-end
financial results, showing a net loss of $3.8 billion for the
year - despite cost-cutting efforts resulting in $6 billion in
cost savings and a $4 billion reduction in required payments
for retiree health benefits. Cost savings reflect a reduction
of 40,000 career USPS employees as well as reductions in
overtime hours, transportation and other costs." -
Accounting Change Boosts USPS Bottom Line -
USPS to Formally Propose to Congress to End
Sat. Delivery -
USPS 10-K Report (PDF) (Page 41: USPS Executive Officer
Compensation) -
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Potter insists on five-day delivery as part of Postal Service
reform
"John Potter, postmaster general and CEO of the US Postal
Service, used the open session of the November 13 USPS Board
of Governors meeting to press again for structural reform of
the agency, insisting that real reform must reduce the number
of delivery days from six to five per week." -
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PRC Investigates Suspended Post Offices (PDF)
"The Commission is concerned that post office customers
throughout the nation do not have access to local post offices
and their services due to suspensions. It is evident that
several post offices have been suspended for a number of
years, and the Postal Service apparently has taken no
effective action to reopen or close such offices." -
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How Would You Make Over the U.S. Postal Service?
"Everyone agrees that the U.S. Postal Service could do better.
With bankruptcy looming, there's a consensus that big changes
need to happen, most involving cutting staff and scaling back
services. But what if we could unleash the creative ingenuity
of entrepreneurs to improve the post office? We asked Inc. 500
CEOs how they would approach the problem. Here are some of
their responses." -
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USPS Testimony to House Subcommittee
"The second prong encompasses the two most critical
changes necessary to close the gap: a change to a five-day
delivery schedule and a restructuring of the retiree health
benefits prefunding schedule. These changes would enable the
Postal Service to reestablish a firm foundation for strong and
profitable growth. Without these two changes, we do not
anticipate the possibility of closing the earnings gap even
with aggressive revenue generation initiatives." -
At hearing on future of Postal Service, no
dearth of despondency -
All Testimony -
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USPS Announces 2010 Shipping Prices
"In addition to an overall price increase of 3.3 percent,
on average, for Priority Mail, there will be new prices for
Express Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail
International, Priority Mail International, Parcel Select and
Parcel Return Service, also effective Jan. 4. Prices for
First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Parcel Post and other mailing
services products will not change in 2010, with the cost of a
First-Class Mail stamp remaining at 44 cents." -
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Family: Post office job pressures led to threats
"This is a case of a good man driven to obsession by the
treatment he received at work. He is really just a cool guy
who is very creative," Henry David said. "This difficulty and
pain at work has been going on for at least two years. He
disintegrated, and the obsession took control. The post office
system and management style, he just couldn't shake it off." -
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