Postal Reporter - Postal News

Kenneth Jones vs. US Postal Service, illustrates why postal employees should think twice before appealing their discipline to the Merit Systems Protection Board.

New Book: Beware of Cat: And Other Encounters of a Letter Carrier

Postal Worker Fired After Second Violation of USPS Zero Tolerance Policy

Bush Plan Would Cut Tax-Free Employer-Provided Health Insurance

MSPB Overturns Postal Worker’s Removal for $45,000 Stamp Stock Shortage

Postage Rate Hike in 2008?

Postal Service: ‘Intelligent Mail’ Fully Operational By 2009

Video: Signed, Sealed and Delivered- Labor Struggle in the Post Office

NPMHU Sues USPS, APWU To Overturn RI-399 Arbitration Award

USPS: New Postal Law-The Financial Impact

Can Bush Open Mail Without Warrant?

Former Postal Worker Charged in FEHB Scheme to Defraud USPS and NALC

Un-Merry Christmas
Postal Service Terminates Disabled Iraq War Veteran for Unacceptable Attendance

Letter to the Editor - Mismanagement at Royal Oak Carrier Unit

FedEx and DOT at Stalemate in Dispute Over Disclosure of Postal Contract Data -

USPS, APWU Reach $5.3 Million Agreement in Anthrax Travel Grievance

Postal Worker Fired for Refusing to Work on DBCS Machine

Postal Nurse Charged With Defrauding USPS

Five-Year Postal Employees Stats At a Glance

Big Win For APWU in MS-47 Maintenance Case - "Custodial Jobs Protected"

Emery Agrees to Pay $10 Million for Submitting Fraudulent Billings to USPS -

USPS to Sell Segway Scooters to General Public

Former Postmaster jailed for stealing over $50k

Postal Worker Sues USPS – Denied Permission to Work Off-the-Clock?

USPS OIG Paper: Postal Officers Travel Expense Guidelines

USPS Mail Processing Facility Faces $44,250 in Fines for Safety Violations

USPS and GE Sign New Six-Year $100M Contract for Semi-Trailers

Man Pleads Guilty in Kickback Scheme to Pay Postal OWCP Specialist

APWU Initiates Dispute Over Changes to USPS Computer Security Rules

Postal Worker Injured in Iraq Wins Job Back Under USERRA

USPS to Conduct Search for Sex Offenders on Postal Payroll

Postal Supervisor Fired for Rewarding Employees With Non-Worked Overtime Pay

Reader Raises Concern Over USPS Revised Emergency Salary Authorization Policy

USPS OIG Audit Report: Pasadena P & DC Consolidation

MSPB Upholds Removal of Postal Worker Videotaped Abusing FMLA

USPS to remove stamp machines by 2010

Postal Service Plans for More Than $1 Billion in Cost Reductions

Carrier Fired for Gambling Signed Last Chance Agreement

Mystery Shopper Evaluations Should Not Be Used to Discipline Window Clerks -

National Dispute Initiated Over USPS’ Improper Use of Casuals

APWU: Olympia, Tacoma and Everett Mail May Move to Seattle

Postal Service Lists 139 Facilities As Potential Candidates for Consolidation

Postal Worker Fired for Violating USPS Zero Tolerance Policy

Court Backs USPS in Stamp Trademark Lawsuit

Letter - Postal Workers Injured on Duty Should Know Their Rights

USPS Migrating Personnel Info to PostalPEOPLE System

Driving Postal Vehicle Without Seatbelt May Get You Fired

USPS Dragnet Continues to Sweep Up Injured Workers

Supreme Court Revives Postal Worker's Discrimination Suit

Number of Active Postal Employees by Age, Years of Service (PDF)

Trenton APWU Excessing Update, Custodian Exam for Clerks

Federal Court Overturns Letter Carrier Removal for Breach of Last Chance Agreement

Postal Window Clerks Protect Your Jobs

USPS releases April 2006 Financial and Operating Statements

North Carolina Postmaster Reassigned After Assault Complaint

Postal Mail Handlers in Talks to Stay With AFL-CIO

NIOSH Reports on DBCS at Denver Postal Facility

USPS Proposing to Contract Out Postal Vehicle Service

Federal Court Affirms USPS FMLA Return-To-Work Policy

Whoa…An Interesting Supreme Court Case Involving USPS

August 31, 2007-

Mass: Former postmaster pleads guilty to embezzlement

Mailer pros need to step up for the industry

Calif: Benicia post office robbed
Post Office's Purple Hearts

Mail delivery source of confusion

Neighborhood honors retiring letter carrier
Fake Money Order Scheme cost Banks and USPS more than $200,000

Contract Carrier Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement

August 30, 2007-

Arbitrator Awards $50,000 for Postal Inspectors Misconduct

The following are excerpts from an arbitration award [via 21cpw.com] that documents abuse of a clerk by postal inspectors in Clifton, AZ. The Union grieved under Article 2 and 17 of the National Agreement and got $50,000.00 in damages. APWU was represented by Steve Zamanakos, National Business Agent, Denver Region. The arbitrator ruled that the Inspectors violated "Art. 2.1 & Postal Bulletin 21826: their conduct on May 27, 1999 created a hostile work environment for the Grievant. They also violated Art. 17.3, the MOU, a Step 4 Decision, & Inspection Service protocols by denying the Grievant representation. [Postal Inspector }Dent violated ELM provisions when he interjected himself into the [OWCP] CA-1 process. The Agency failed to adequately supervise the Inspectors, failed to cooperate with the Union during the grievance process and failed to investigate the Grievant’s sexual harassment claim in violation of Postal Bulletin 21826." |

USPS, Postmasters Reach Agreement on Pay Package

"A Postmaster’s pay will increase by the percentage earned through the Pay-for-Performance Program. The change to the minimums and maximums of all EAS grades will be 2% for FY08 and FY09, and 2.25% for FY10 and FY11. This is significant in light of the fact that the Postal Service is mandated to operate under the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The average increase to a Postmaster’s pay last year was about 5%. The raise to the minimum in EAS grades was the first in about 10 years. From 2008 through 2011, the Postal Service’s contribution to a Postmaster’s Federal Employee Health Benefit Program will be reduced by 1% per year. This is in line with the reductions experienced by craft employees through their contracts negotiated this year." Details of Pay Package |

Witness claims postal carrier shot dog

Authorities are trying to find out who shot Jack the Chihuahua. A witness told Greer police that a U.S. Postal mail carrier shot the dog outside the Greer residence on Tuesday, according to a police report of the incident. From the way that the neighbor described it, he basically pulled out an air rifle or a BB gun of some kind and just shot at the dog until my dog started yelping," said Tiffany Gorseth." |

Postal Bulletin 8/30/ 2007 Issue

USPS Bay-Valley District to Honor Postal Employees Awarded Purple Heart

Chiropractic Malpractice Postage Stamp Approved by USPS
Control your dogs first for front-door mail
Post office says 'ZIP!' and it's goodbye, Linda

Letter carrier bitten by dog

Postal Employee Gets 25 years for fatal DUI
Postal Window Clerk Charlie Stout, more than meets the eye
Post office renamed after influential former postmaster

August 29, 2007-

Mail carrier adds lifesaver to resume

Photo: Old Rural Postal Delivery Wagon

Stupak, officials discuss postal issues

Survey: Baby boomers the biggest 'junk mail' target

Postal lines get longer

August 28, 2007-

Notice: USPS Revised Rule for Conduct on Postal Property

The Postal Service is amending two provisions in title 39, Code of Federal Regulations, to correct an outdated citation to a superseded Executive Order. No employee while on property owned or leased by the Postal Service or the United States or while on duty, shall participate in any gambling activity, including the operation of a gambling device, in conducting or acting as an agent for a lottery or pool, in conducting a game for money or property, or in selling or purchasing a numbers slip or ticket. |

Carrier's Address is Big Source of Clinton's Campaign Cash

A letter carrier lives in a modest house that is listed as the address as one of the biggest sources of campaign donations to Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D-NY).The six members of the Paw family have donated a total of $200,000 to Democratic candidates since 2005 according to election records. The donations closely track donations made by a wealthy New York businessman in the apparel industry who once listed the Paw home as his address according to the Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal omitted key information in article |

Man threatened to shoot his Postal Worker wife inside PO

A Davidsville man was jailed after he allegedly threatened to open fire at the Boswell post office when his wife, an employee there, said she was divorcing him, authorities said. In a criminal complaint, Conemaugh Township police said James M. Stevanus, 39, of South Main Street, became angry when Michelle Stevanus told him she was filing for divorce. Stevanus threatened his wife and her co-workers Thursday, saying he would take a gun to the post office and “take you all out.” |

Postmaster Hears Delivery Complaints

Distressed residents falling under an ongoing request by Postmaster Tim Sullivan to install curbside mailboxes were able to discuss one-on-one their concerns at the Fredonia Village Board meeting Monday. Residents questioned the reasoning, authority, and manner in which the change was ordered. “I don’t stand to gain, or the post office doesn’t stand to gain very much, if anything, economically by implementing this,” Sullivan said. “I went as a safety issue. |

Postal machine chomps tax bills

According to Poughkeepsie City School District officials, an unknown number of this year's school tax bills were damaged or destroyed by sorting ma-chines at the Poughkeepsie Post Office. This is the second year in a row the post office's machinery has jammed up on the city district's tax bills, Wilson said. Tom Gaynor, spokesman for the New York Metro Area U.S. Postal Service, said the problem with the tax bill mailer is thickness. "The envelopes are very thin," he said. "The fact they are so thin may be a problem. |

Postal clerk wants to spill secret

Hurdles ahead for federal pay boost, tax cut
Rural carrier rescues elderly customer
Company introduces mail back sharps program

August 27, 2007-

Carried Away

Book will highlight unusual stories from Letter Carriers Across America. Letter Carrier Kate Drury and former mail carrier Lois McNutty are collecting offbeat stories , cartoons and photos of unusual mailboxes from letter carriers for a book. According to the website: "We need your stories. We are the only people who still visit each house in America every work day. We observe neighborhoods, talk with customers, and perform our job in all kinds of weather. We have a unique view of life in the United States and each of us has a story or two to share. Proceeds will go to PERF - Postal Employee Relief Fund - which benefits Postal Workers in times of natural disasters." |

California Cities Respond To Dog Attacks

At least two cities in Southern California - Torrance and Redondo Beach - are reviewing their laws governing vicious dogs following this week's brutal mauling of a Torrance letter carrier by a pit bull. Both cities will soon conduct hearings into violent incidents involving pit bulls; in Redondo Beach a "potentially dangerous dog hearing" that's open to the public is set for Monday at City Hall. Meanwhile, fellow employees of letter carrier Moon Choi, whose condition is improving although he remains hospitalized, held a blood drive Friday at the main Torrance post office." |

Retired Postal Worker Opens Contract Station in City Hall

(Texas) It is now possible to mail packages and letters in the George A. Purefoy Municipal Center. Ken Richards of Little Elm will be running the city hall Contract Postal Unit. He retired after working for the post office for 39 and one-half years and decided that he had to have a job again. |

NPR: Population in Flux Redefines New Orleans - On New Orleans' devastated east side, postal worker Michele McMillan is the area's informal census taker, ambassador and welcome wagon.

Flight 93 postmark available on Sept. 11
Woman wins disabled access at NYC Post Office
Bird droppings stop mail on Capitol Hill

August 26, 2007-

You've got mail!

Six million people know the experience: You order a DVD from the Netflix website and a day or two later it appears in a red paper envelope. You watch the movie, mail it back, and soon another disc arrives. This cycle happens in America 20 times every second and 1.6 million times every day, making Netflix, the movie-rental company, a veritable postal service within the postal service. |

Alabama Letter Carrier Celebrates 50 Years On The Job

At 74 years old, he's still going about his appointed downtown rounds. Recently, friends, family and colleagues gathered at the Midtown Post Office to congratulate Williams for all his service. He is credited with introducing the nationwide letter carriers' food drive to the Mobile area about 13 years ago, postal officials said. |

This mailman delivers it all: Letters or punches

Mural contest sends first-class package to old post office

August 25, 2007-

Fatal Attraction Costs Letter Carrier Her Job

Victoria Shaffer, a letter carrier was issued a notice of removal for threatening to kill her co-worker/former married lover. The co-worker called the Postal Inspection Service while on his route, reporting that Shaffer had threatened him. He stated: After a 1 ½ year relationship things got ugly today on my route. Vicky [Shaffer] parked behind my truck at 4th and Clark. When I got out of my truck and turned around, she grabbed my shirt, kissed me, and said, “why did you do it?”[2] I replied, “I don’t know.” She said, “I don’t understand.” I said, “I don’t either,” and turned around and walked away. She got in her car and left. A few minutes later she pulled up to the curb, rolled down the window and said, “Next time I’ll put a bullet in your head.” Shaffer filed a gender discrimination suit against the Postmaster General. According to federal court documents the case was recently dismissed. |

Postal workers stole mail from North Texas P & DC, officials say

Frisco postal customers who have complained about stolen gift certificates, opened greeting cards and missing checks could soon see the arrests of those responsible. U.S. Postal Service investigators say three postal workers stole mail at the North Texas processing and distribution center in Coppell. |

Neighborhood Protests Loss of Home Mail Delivery

The Windy Hill community is petitioning the U.S. Post Office to reconsider pulling home mail delivery to nearly 600 homes and businesses because of dog attacks. Earlier this month cluster boxes were installed at several locations making home mail boxes useless. |