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Postal News
- February 2007
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TOP POSTAL STORIES OF THE MONTH
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February 28, 2007-
Former NJ Postal Manager Indicted for Misuse of Government Property
and Employees
(US
Dept. of Justice Press Release) -
"A former
Sussex County Post Office Operations manager
who later oversaw 75 post offices in northern New Jersey was indicted
yesterday for his role in a number of brazen schemes, including directing
hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary repair work on postal
vehicles to a Newton garage. John F. Balliro, 51, of Hamburg and other
unnamed co-conspirators -- including another postmaster -- are accused
of improperly steering $600,000 in repair work on postal vehicles to
the Newton garage, having unnecessary construction work performed at
various postal facilities, having a postal employee do work at his ex-wife's
home in Pennsylvania, and misusing employee work time and leave, said
U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie."
New Jersey Postmaster
Indicted in $600,000 Sack of Scams
-Archive:
Garage Owner Admits Bilking USPS Out of $184,356,
Giving Favors to Postal Supervisors
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February 24, 2007-
Reader: USPS Outsourcing
Mail Delivery Work
“Starting
in January 2007, there has been a surge in new delivery areas being
contracted out. The NALC and NRLCA should think about joining together
to fight this threat.”
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February 20, 2007-
Top House and Senate Leaders Back NALC
on ‘Contracting Out’
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NALC President William H. Young and
union legislative leaders from all 50 states swept through offices of
House and Senate members this week to bring them up to date on issues
critical to letter carriers in the 110th Congress, especially the Postal
Service’s plans to outsource delivery work through expanded use of Contract
Delivery Services. The NALC state chairs were in the nation’s capital
for the entire week for annual training sessions and a full schedule
of lobbying their respective senators and representatives.
NALC News Bulletin
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Former PMG Bill Henderson
Demoted From Netflix COO Slot
According to Valleywag:
Former Postmaster General William "Bill" Henderson has been demoted
from the "COO slot at Netflix, taking on the likely specious title of
“strategic advisor” till his options vest or something." Henderson has
been in the job for one year.
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February 18, 2007-
Unofficial Transcript of NALC Rap Session
NALC Branch 38
posted
an ‘unofficial’ transcript of the Rap Session held by NALC on January
28, 2007. Some of the highlights: The threat of contracting out Not
a new threat., Sombrotto called rural carriers in house contracting
out. Most new delivery points designated as rural even if they are city
delivery because of the lower cost. Rural carrier union has made concessions
over the years to make rural delivery cheaper. Deliveries increased
over 50%. 80% to 69% new city deliveries fell. ..five year contract.
included colas and general wage increases higher than those negotiated
by the other unions. $1900 - $2200 per year more than what other unions
got...propose major restructuring of city carriers by 2011.
The future
of the Postal Service according to every expert is as a delivery service.
In fifteen years there will be no APWU.
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Recent
EEOC Decisions Involving Postal Employees
Some recent decisions
of the EEOC involving postal employees not published elsewhere. The
number that were won can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
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February 15, 2007-
USPS Sings The Congress-Ran-Off-And-Took-My-Escrow Blues (PDF)
"Some
things in life are certain. Death. Taxes. The return of the swallows
each spring to Capistrano. And, when the Postal Service is testing the
political waters for another rate case, some plumb pitiful singing from
USPS headquarters.
On February 9, the folks at L'Enfant Plaza
issued a press release claiming that the Postal Service lost $2.7 billion
from October through December 2006 (the first quarter of Fiscal 2007),
and is on track to lose $5.2 billion by the end of the fiscal year.
Time to tune up for another rate case? Not if you listen carefully to
the notes in the
Postal Service's financial report."
(Alliance
of Non-Profit Mailers via Postcom.org
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Postal Worker Fired After Second Violation of USPS Zero Tolerance Policy
Ray
W. Bagbee began working with the USPS as a Laborer, Custodial, in 1985.
He was assigned to three postal stations until an incident in where
he allegedly threatened an employee at one of those stations. After
that incident, Bagbee was reassigned to another postal facility. During
a meeting with his supervisor and postal manager at his new duty assignment,
Bagbee made threats against the postal officials' family members. The
court ruled that USPS met its burden of proving that Bagbee violated
the zero tolerance policy (note: this case was inadvertently left off
the front page a week ago)|
February 12, 2007-
NALC
Publishes National Reassessment Process Guide
"NALC has
published a guide to help injured workers and their representatives
challenge the Postal Service's withdrawal or failure to provide Limited
Duty.
The Guide to NRP (National
Reassessment Process) is available online with the
Compensation Department."
The Postal Service is contractually and legally obligated to make every
effort to assign limited duty work to employees who have not fully recovered
from an on-the-job injury. The Service, with the development of a new
program called National Reassessment Process (NRP), is ignoring that
obligation. With NRP, the Service is reducing the effort it makes in
offering limited duty work from the effort."
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Postal Employees Should Think Twice Before
Appealing Case to MSPB
Kenneth Jones vs. US
Postal Service,
illustrates why postal employees should think twice before appealing
their discipline to the Merit Systems Protection Board. They have
a better chance of success in the grievance procedure. When Jones lost
his appeal before the MSPB, he appealed to the Federal Circuit Court
of Appeals and lost again. ”
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February 10, 2007-
USPS Drops Consolidation (AMP) Study at Four More Postal Facilities
The U.S.
Postal Service recently announced that it has ended Area Mail
Processing (AMP) studies for the following Postal facilities: Glenwood
Springs, Colorado CSMPC to Grand Junction (CO) CSMPC; Sheridan,
Wyoming CSMPC to Billings (MT) P&DC; Wheatland, Wyoming CSMPC
to Cheyenne (WY) P&DC; and McAllen, Texas Post Office to Corpus
Christi (TX) P&DF. "Postal Service spokesman Al DeSarro said it’s his
understanding that preliminary study so far has eliminated about 10
of the 40 centers from further consideration."
Bryan studies mail changes
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February 06, 2007-
APWU Challenges New USPS
Driver Safety Instructor Position
The U.S. Postal Service
yesterday announced requirements for driving safety instructor, ad-hoc
driving safety instructor and ad-hoc road test examiner (a new ad-hoc
position, within the new Safe Driver program) positions. But APWU is
challenging the new position stating that "The Postal Service last year
revised the driving instructor examiner (DIE) position, changing it
to Driver Safety Instructor. The new position, DSI, is nothing more
than a modified DIE.
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February 05, 2007-
Rural Carriers Reject Contract!
The
(NRLCA) National Board will be contacting
USPS Headquarters immediately in order to share the results of the ratification
vote. Thereafter, the parties will discuss next steps, and the National
Board will keep the membership apprised of important developments as
they happen.
Here
is the
proposed contract
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IN FAVOR OF RATIFICATION: 15,927
OPPOSED TO RATIFICATION: 16,932
VOID: 86
TOTAL BALLOTS: 32,945
MSPB: Postal Service Required to File Disability Retirement for Eligible
Employees
The Postal Service proposed the removal
of Anthony Galwey based on charges of failure to be regular in attendance
and failure to provide medical documentation or other acceptable evidence
--
The Postal Service proposed the removal
of Anthony Galwey based on charges of failure to be regular in attendance
and failure to provide medical documentation or other acceptable evidence
-- MSPB remanded the appeal to the AJ with instructions to see
that the agency file a disability retirement for the appellant if the
requirements were met Reader: ”With the demise of
district human resources associates, there is no one left with the expertise
or willingness to file a management-initiated disability retirement.
Disabled employees are now kicked out the door."
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February 04, 2007-
APWU:
First COLA Under 2006 Contract Expected to Be ZERO
In December, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) rose to 587.3 - the first
rise since August, but still well below the July Index (593.2) upon
which the final COLA of the 2000 Agreement was calculated. APWU's economists
project that it is highly unlikely that the January Index will rise
6.4 points to 593.6 - the point at which additional COLA would be paid.
Based on that projection, the first COLA adjustment under the 2006 National
Agreement is expected to be zero.
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February 02, 2007-
APWU: Raises Take Effect March 3rd, Contract
Changes Take Effect Feb. 3rd
- New
pay rates established in the 2006-2010
Collective Bargaining Agreement will be implemented on March 3, 2007,
and will appear in paychecks dated March 23, APWU President William
Burrus has announced. Increases in wages and uniform allowances will
be paid retroactively. Checks for the back-pay period (from Nov. 25,
2006 ) will be disbursed at a later date. Local implementation will
begin of the consecutive days-off requirement for Clerk Craft employees
in offices of 200 man-years or more (except Customer Service)
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NALC’s Historic Contract
Agreement Proposal
From
NALC NEWS BULLETIN -“The proposal
delivers an all-regular workforce with weekends off as well as a significant
reduction in the level of forced overtime. For the Postal Service, the
proposal offers savings in the billions from reduced overtime and benefit
costs in the future. However, it was offered only on the condition that
the USPS give us new protections against contracting out and that it
share its financial savings in the form of higher general wage increases.”
— President Young.
Critical to any agreement would be a ban on USPS contracting out city
delivery territory, the one issue that Young said prevented the parties
from reaching agreement on a new contract.
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February 01, 2007-
Bill Re-Introduced to
Protect Vets Preference
The new chairman of the House veterans’
economic opportunity subcommittee wants to make certain that veterans
working for the federal government do not lose their veterans’ preference
as a result of downsizing. Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D., said a bill
she introduced Tuesday, HR 728, “would ensure the application of veterans’
preference protections to federal and postal employees who are the unfortunate
victims of downsizing actions that threaten to unfairly and involuntarily
reassign them to locations far from their homes.”
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GAO Drops USPS from 'High-Risk' List
The GAO put the Postal
Service on the high-risk list in 2001 because of a bleak financial outlook
that included cash-flow problems and heavy debt. But the post office
has increased employee productivity while reducing staff -- and saved
$5 billion since 2001, the GAO said. "It's a great day," Postmaster
General John E. Potter said. "Going forward, it is incumbent upon us
to continue to provide high levels of service" and "make sure every
dollar we spend is a dollar that we need to spend." Some of the Postal
Service’s challenges such as strategic human capital management remain
on the high-risk list. In the human capital area, USPS continues to
faces challenges related to managing workforce changes due to retirements
and network consolidations and implementing performance-based compensation
systems.
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Post Office Censors Josephine
Baker Post Cards
Josephine Baker is still causing a stir
more than 80 years after she took Paris by storm with her nearly naked
dance review. Her step-son got a taste of Post Office censorship after
he tried to mail post cards featuring a watercolor of the famous dancer.
Jean-Claude Baker, owner of the Manhattan restaurant Chez Josephine,
wanted to send the cards to his friends. But he says the Post Office
refused to accept them, deeming them sexually oriented.
Post Office Apologizes |see
postcard
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February 28, 2007-
New Jersey Postmaster
Indicted in Sack of Scams
"A
former Sussex County postmaster who later oversaw 75 post offices
in northern New Jersey was indicted yesterday for his role in a
number of brazen schemes, including directing hundreds of thou sands
of dollars in unnecessary repair work on postal vehicles to a Newton
garage. John F. Balliro, 51, of Hamburg and other unnamed co-conspirators
-- including another postmaster -- are accused of improperly steering
$600,000 in repair work on postal vehicles to the Newton garage,
having unnecessary construction work performed at various postal
facilities, having a postal employee do work at his ex-wife's home
in Pennsylvania, and misusing employee work time and leave, said
U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie. "
Archive:
Garage Owner Admits Bilking USPS Out of $184,356,
Giving Favors to Postal Supervisors
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USPS Awards $875 Million Contract for Flat Sequencing System
The
Postal Service has moved forward with another initiative to improve
its delivery capabilities by awarding Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
an $874,639,000 contract to build a sophisticated system that will
sort “flats” — large envelopes, magazines, newspapers, catalogs
and circulars — in the order in which they are delivered. Letter
carriers today spend a portion of their workday in the “office”
manually sorting flat mail, a labor-intensive process. The Flat
Sequencing System (FSS) — designed in collaboration with Postal
Service engineers -sorts mail in delivery sequence at a rate of
16,500 pieces an hour, helping letter carriers start delivering
mail earlier in the day.
USPS facilities slated to receive FSS
machines during the Phase 1 deployment (PDF)
(via PostCom.org)
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Long
time, no see: Post offices hide their clocks
The clocks are disappearing
from the nation’s post offices. It's no conspiracy or science fiction-inspired
mystery, but a quietly executed program by the U.S. Postal Service
to take down all timepieces from retail areas of the country’s 37,000
post offices.
Well, they've
been removed," confirmed Stephen Seewoester, a Dallas spokesman
for the Postal Service, which is an independent agency of the federal
government's executive branch. "We want people to focus on postal
service and not the clock."
Seewoester said the wholesale clock clearing is part of a “retail
standardization program” launched last year that will give the public-service
areas a more uniform appearance “like Starbucks or a McDonald’s.
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Residents Vow to Fight
Plan to Close Post Office
CO: Lawmaker Plans to Kill Anti-Junk Mail Bill
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Postal Inspectors Lick Counterfeit
Stamp Ring
PRC Decision Receives Mixed Reaction
Postal officials seek man in bomb cases
LA: Ex-Casual Mail Carrier Pleads Guilty
Company to provide employment verification services to the USPS
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San Diego: Mail Carrier Robbed At Gunpoint
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Petition grows in support of injured carrier's
cause
Netflix Marks One
Billion DVDs Delivered
CA: Bakersfield Carriers celebrate Million Mile careers
'Forever' stamp’s real value is marketing
IA: Fort Dodge Post
Office may have to move
February 27, 2007-
The Lid Is In The Mail
Omaha's
downtown post office has been processing 1,000 packages a day that
contain lids from peanut butter jars. They're all headed to ConAgra
in the aftermath of a recall. The Food and Drug Administration has
linked certain Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter to salmonella.
The contaminated jars of peanut butter were all processed at a ConAgra
plant in Syracuse, Georgia The post office suggests using padded
envelopes. Envelopes without that padding can tear in mail processing
machines.
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Detroit: 2 Dogs Attack Postal Carrier
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Forever' stamp a dud?
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Postal Service investigates complaint of dumped mail
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Weather may be factor in fatal accident of postal contract driver
The bright side to postal rate increase
Potter: Move Update will be required for Standard Mail
Opposition surprised by rapid deal at Canada Post
UPS Drivers in Sidekick Cell Phone Scheme
Royal Mail calls for 20% hike in price of stamps
Montana do-not-mail bill tabled
February 26, 2007-
PRC
Recommends ’forever’ stamp, 2-cent hike in letter rate
A postal regulatory commission recommended a 2-cent increase in
the cost of mailing a letter Monday and urged the Post Office to
introduce a ”forever” stamp valid for first-class postage even when
rates rise. The recommendation to increase postage to 41 cents was
a penny less than the postal service had requested. The commission
recommended a 26-cent rate for post cards, also a penny less than
the Post Office had sought.
APWU: PRC Decision a Big Win For Postal Customers, APWU
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Magazine
Publishers Await Postal Rate Hike
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PRC Recommended Rates |
Text of the Opinion |
Recommended Rate Schedules |
Recommended Classification Schedules |
Technical Appendices |
Postal Regulatory Commission to Rule on Rates Today
The next hike in postage
rates could be ameliorated by the introduction of a "forever" stamp
that would cover first-class postage despite future increases. The
independent Postal Regulatory Commission scheduled a Monday morning
briefing to announce its ruling on the Postal Service's requests
to raise first-class rates 3 cents to 42 cents and to establish
the permanent stamp.
USPS Joins the Blogosphere
Ad agency Campbell-Ewald
launched a new WordPress-powered site for the U.S. Postal Service
for its
Deliver Magazine.
According to
Adirondack Base Camp blog:
Now the big question: What is the future role of the United States
Postal Service in the new digital age?
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APWU: Union Launches Ambitious Organizing Campaign
The APWU
has unveiled an ambitious union organizing campaign directed at
women, scheduled to begin in March, Women’s History Month. Speaking
at a teleconference about the campaign, Northeast Region Coordinator
Liz Powell noted that although women make up 48 percent of the postal
workforce, more than half of the non-members are women. “We are
ready to go into the trenches to organize,” she said. “APWU sisters
will be on the front line in this effort, and we know that our APWU
brothers will have our back.”
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White Rock Post Office is back
February 25, 2007-
DOL Getting Tough
on Unions’ Recordkeeping
The Department of Labor’s Office of
Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) posted on its web site yesterday
an online presentation to help labor organizations comply with the
recordkeeping requirements of the Labor-Management Reporting and
Disclosure Act (LMRDA). The presentation covers the statutory requirements
for recordkeeping, what records need to be kept, and points out
potential recordkeeping problems with suggestions on how to avoid
them.
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Retired postal employee sentenced to 15 years
for sexual offenses
Sick of Junk Mail? We Can Help
Nebraska : DuBois to keep post office
UPS racks up parking tickets by the truckload
Upton Post Office among the best in the country
e-NAPUS: Sarbanes-Oxley
and Postmasters
-also:
Postmasters Working State Capitols for Universal Mail Service
February 24, 2007-
APWU: Book Assails Corporate Influence on Postal Service
A new book that
exposes how Postal Service operations are being molded to suit the
interests of corporate mailers and USPS competitors at the expense
of workers and consumers has become a “must-read” for union and
community activists. Preserving the People’s Post Office, by Christopher
W. Shaw, makes a compelling case for giving citizens and workers
a stronger voice in determining the future of the Postal Service.
Purchase Book from Amazon.com
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Maryland Residents
Complain Of Getting Mail Late, Tattered
Some neighbors in
one Harford County town are looking for answers after they said
their mail keeps arriving late and in mangled condition. White said
she and her neighbors have complained to the local post office,
and they've learned the problem may be happening in processing before
the mail gets to their homes.
Calabasas delivers
stern warning on mail service
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Love Triangle 'Bomb
Scare' Evacuates 6 Homes
Police said the feud was between two postal workers.
Fifteen
to 20 homes were evacuated in a Malden neighborhood Friday night
after what was thought to be a suspicious package was found near
one of the houses. As it turns out, the package was not suspicious
at all, but the homeowner was concerned since he is apparently involved
in a feud with another man as part of a love triangle.
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New Mexico: Police catch pair stealing
mail
Mailman Mike is a Carrier Who Cares
PostCom Coalition: Do-not-mail statutes unconstitutional
(PDF)
Tiny Town students learn about postal service
EU investigating financing of Royal Mail
Tacoma Washington's New Postmaster
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February 23, 2007-
Effort for Postal Worker Pays Off in Signatures
Christine
Sagnis hoped a petition designed to encourage ABC to provide modifications
to the Collings Lake home of Maureen Buscher DePrince and her husband,
Troy, would gain 1,000 signatures. As of Wednesday, 28,478
had signed either on a Web site (www.nalcbranch908.com),
Maureen's e-mail, or scores of business locations in Ventnor, Margate
and Longport. Maureen was a Ventnor letter carrier for 13 years.
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USPS prepares mailers for new postal law effects
Kensington's going 'Postal' over poor service
Alexandria mail
center to stay open, mayor says
USPS asks PRC to
approve fee schedule for 'premium' stamped stationery
Ramsey post office fights to keep home of 45
years
February 22, 2007-
 Postal
truck burns in Manor Township; some of its contents destroyed
(PA) A fire that engulfed a Lancaster mail
truck Wednesday managed to disrupt mail service for one community,
destroying hundreds of pieces of mail." It was an electrical fire
in one of our trucks," Lancaster Postmaster Lou DiPerna said Thursday.
"It was just one of those things that happens." DiPerna said a mail
carrier called for service after noticing smoke inside his truck
at about 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Wilshire Hills area, off Columbia
Avenue in Manor Township. The carrier was parked and waiting for
help along Kimberly Drive when he saw "flames coming out of the
dashboard.
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Ohio: Postal worker robbed
Postal workers are
known for braving the elements, but today one mailman came face
to face with an element he never expected, a gun. Postal worker
Chris Golightley told 13abc he has been delivering the mail in Toledo
for the last 13 years, and although he's seen a lot of things through
the years he's never had a day like today. Chris Golightley was
mid-way through his mail route when the suspect "had the gun right
between my eyes, he could have took me out at any time. He cocked
the chamber and was ready to go." Golightley said the man hit him
in the head with a gun and demanded his money, he got away with
his wallet, and that's not all.
Suspect held in
robbery of E. Toledo mail carrier
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Mail Delivery Woes
Appear Solved
(Arizona) Mail deliveries are coming
at a more reasonable hour compared to a few months ago when some
residents were receiving letters after dark." The community seems
to be significantly happier with their mail deliveries," Mayor Winkler
said. After hearing about resident dissatisfaction with late mail
deliveries in Paradise Valley, sometimes as late as 8 p.m., the
town mayor and police chief met with post office officials in November
to correct the problem. At the meeting postal representatives said
they would work to solve the problem within a few months. Julie
Utley, Scottsdale area post office spokeswoman said USPS hired 66
new postal workers, which she said would help alleviate the staffing
shortage once they completed training.
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Former Mail Handlers Union VP Pleads Guilty To Receiving Child Porn
in the Mail
Mark Anthony Mayfield, 51, man pleaded guilty in federal court
to receiving child pornography through the mail. Mayfield, who was
employed as a mail handler, is the former administrative vice president
for the Kansas City, Missouri branch of the Mail Handlers Union
and, at the time of the offense, acting Local Vice President.
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Jason Miles Promoted to Postmaster
Jason Miles,
who arrived at the Palisades post office more than a year ago to
address an accumulation of service concerns within the community,
became postmaster on December 23. At age 33, he's one of the youngest
employees to hold this managerial position in L.A. Having previously
worked in the Bel-Air/Brentwood area, which had concerns like those
in the Palisades, Miles quickly identified the root of problems
here: namely, that the mail carriers needed support and direction.
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Mail carrier reaches
1 million miles
ADVO Stockholders
Approve Amended Merger Agreement with Valassis
APWU: Union to Hold 'Round Robin' Contract Conferences
Potter: Move Update will be required
for Standard Mail
Mail carrier sentenced to a year in prison for mail theft
Milwaukee Mail Carrier Mugged
15th Annual Letter Carriers Food Drive Set for May 12
Money order mix-up was fault of post
office
DMC continues fight against postage tax
All-mail elections may have a place in California's future
Postal Employees Charged With Mail Theft
Ventnor Postal Worker: Building a New Life
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February 21, 2007-
Mailman saves Kensington
house – and dog – from fire
Postal Service Issues
International Polar Year 2007-2008 Stamps
Elderly Woman Won't
Tie Up Dog, Cut Off By USPS
May 6 Looks to Be
the Date for New USPS Rates
Mail presorting
facility opens in Duncan
Mail carrier recognized for saving man's life
DMers watching do-not-mail bills closely
Apologies made after post office clutter causes
a stir
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