October 31, 2006 -  Squirrel Goes Postal
An Oil City mail carrier was bitten several times by a squirrel while on her route Barb Dougherty, a woman with nearly 30 years of experience with the U.S. Postal Service, was taken to the hospital by ambulance and treated for cuts and scratches. "It was a freak thing. It was traumatic. I saw it there on the porch, put the mail in the box and turned to walk away and it jumped on me," she said. After trying to swat the animal off, it ran up her leg and then onto her back, Dougherty said. "I eventually got a hold of the tail and pulled it off me. No one was home at the house where I was delivering the mail, but the neighbor lady heard me screaming and came over," she said.  |   

October 31, 2006 - USPS and GE Sign New Six-Year $100M Contract for Semi-Trailers - The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Trailer Fleet Services, a division of GE Equipment Services, have agreed to a new, six-year contract for domestic, over-the-road semi-trailers, used to transport mail between postal distribution centers and local post offices. The agreement includes installation of GE’s VeriWise™ Asset Intelligence system, which tracks and monitors trailer location and condition while in transit, or when parked.  |   

October 31, 2006 - USPS Mail Processing Facility Faces $44,250 in Fines for Safety Violations - The U.S. Postal Service White River Junction (VT)  mail processing facility is facing fines for what are being called "willful and serious" workplace safety violations. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said that after a May visit to the facility by safety inspectors, officials were told of the need to protect workers from moving parts in a mail sorting machine, which could have caused cuts or broken bones. That violation was not corrected, OSHA said. Inspectors also found that employees and supervisors were handling and cleaning up spills of unknown materials without proper respiratory protection. The post office was issued two citations for the alleged violations, discovered after a complaint from an employee. The White River Junction has 15 business days to answer the citations.   |   

October 31, 2006 - USPS Listed As Advertiser Blacklisting Liberal Network "Air America" - An internal memo from ABC Radio Networks to its affiliates reveals scores of powerful sponsors have a standing order that their commercials never be placed on syndicated Air America programming that airs on ABC affiliates. The list, totaling 90 advertisers, includes some of largest and most well-known corporations advertising in the U.S. The U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Navy are also listed as advertisers who don't want their commercials to air on Air America.   |

October 30, 2006 - APWU Presses for Improved Conditions in Contract Talks
"Negotiations between the APWU and the USPS continue for a successor Collective Bargaining Agreement, to take effect Nov. 21, 2006. The union has submitted a variety of proposals that are intended to improve the conditions of postal employees, and the Postal Service has submitted proposals that would erode employee rights and benefits. Economic proposals, including wage increases, cost-of-living allowances (COLA), night differential pay, and uniform allowances, have not been presented to date. One of the central issues under discussion is how much the Postal Service will contribute toward health benefit premiums and how much employees will pay."  |   

October 30, 2006 - NAVTEQ and RouteSmart Deploy Carrier Route Optimization Solution for USPS - "RouteSmart's solution is designed to create more efficient USPS delivery routes and lines of travel, improve customer service and reduce daily operations costs. The RouteSmart algorithms embedded in COR and the highly accurate and detailed map data from NAVTEQ will allow the USPS to optimize its delivery resources and to make route adjustments when necessary." |   

October 30, 2006 - Editorial: Farther from us is better?
We suppose in this day and age of e-mail that the Postal Service has to consider every possible efficiency to compete. Plus, the Naples area knows firsthand the Fort Myers area's apprehension about losing its postmark. Still, we have a "show me" bias on this one. We have a hard time seeing how shipping more mail northward, only to be redistributed southward, where it came from, is even a small step toward faster and better mail service. There is a point at which regionalization reaches a point of diminishing returns, and some mail customers think we're already there. |   

October 30, 2006 - POLO, ANYONE?

"Mark your calendar. On Nov. 18, the new retail polo shirt will become part of the official uniform for retail associates. Unless approved by local management, polo shirts must be tucked in and worn with authorized slacks, skirts or skorts. You won’t need a necktie with the new shirt, which can be layered under other authorized uniform clothing. Licensed uniform vendors are accepting orders now."  USPS News Link. note: According to online uniform vendors, Polo shirts will not be shipped until Nov. 18th.  |   

October 29, 2006 - Man Pleads Guilty in Kickback Scheme to Pay Postal OWCP Specialist- An Aliso Viejo (CA) man has pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges for conspiring to pay kickbacks to an USPS Injury Compensation Specialist in exchange for the illegal referral of postal workers to his physical therapy clinic  |   

October 29, 2006 -  Postmaster defends delivery in Holland  - (Massachusetts) Fiskdale-based postal carriers who are refusing to deliver mail to local addresses with poor road conditions are exceeding their authority.... Only the postmaster can make that decision.  |   

October 28, 2006 - NALC: Postal Carriers Emergency Medication Distribution Drill

In 2004, William H. Young, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, entered into an agreement with  the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Postal Service for utilization of volunteer letter carriers to deliver antibiotics to homes in the event of a catastrophic bioterrorist event. On Saturday, November 11, postal carriers in King County, Washington, including Seattle, will play a critical role in testing local plans to distribute medications directly to people’s homes in an emergency. USPS and NALC) will participate in a drill in which postal carriers will deliver a cardboard container (simulating a bottle of pills) and emergency information cards to approximately 38,000 households in northeast Seattle. The drill is part of the Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI), Participation by postal carriers is voluntary.  |   

October 28, 2006

Photos: Mailbox and Christmas Mail Trucks

Postal Service not reviewing Oxnard processing center

Can the post office order us to change our mail box clusters?

New Mexico: Post Office honored for commitment to safety

October 27, 2006 - NALC Presents Postal Service with Main Contract Proposals

NALC’s opening economic proposal calls for a seven-year agreement which would include a continuation of existing cost-of-living adjustments, with no changes; general wage increases of 3 percent in each year of the agreement; and a pay upgrade of one grade for all letter carriers. The union also proposed significant changes in the ways routes are evaluated and designed, and that the letter carrier craft be converted to a 100 percent all-regular work force. In addition, NALC offered creative suggestions for reducing the ever-increasing costs of health benefits without reducing the Postal Service’s share of the cost of premiums.   |   

October 27, 2006 - National Mail Handlers Union Respond to Burrus Raid Letters

The National Postal Mail Handlers Union has responded (via APWU Steward Frank Wilson, ChicagoPostalWorker.com) to APWU’s alleged “raid” activities. A few excerpts from the scathing letter (PDF): "Burrus can try to package his “non-hostile” outreach letter to Mail Handlers however he likes and call it whatever he wants, but the distribution of these letters must be viewed by your NPMHU National Leadership as the opening salvo in an attempt by the APWU to raid the membership of our great Union, pure and simple. If these activities continue, they will be met by an increasing level of resistance by the NPMHU and its members. "We didn’t come looking for a brawl, but we certainly will not walk away from this one. ….The APWU is hereby advised that it should stop sticking its nose where it does not belong.  |   

October 27, 2006 - Former NY Mailman pimp awaits delivery to jail

“A New York mailman [Matthew Thompkins] admitted yesterday that he ran a sprawling multimillion-dollar network that shuttled prostitutes as young as 13 from Atlantic City to Las Vegas and cities in between. An employee of the Postal Service since 1994, Thompkins agreed to resign as part of his plea. He was promoted to letter carrier about six years ago, though it was not clear when he stopped delivering the mail. Richardson, the prosecutor, said the postal service wanted to fire Thompkins years ago, but couldn’t serve him with termination papers because they couldn’t find him.”  |   

 October 27, 2006 - First Class Volume is slip-sliding away
"The USPS projects that First Class volume will decline 2.8 percent from a 2006 estimate of 97.546 billion pieces to 94.775 billion in 2007. That decline of 2.771 billion pieces would cost the USPS $1 billion in revenue. The USPS also projects a 1.9 percent rise in Standard Mail volume, from an estimated 102.763 billion in 2006 to 104.721 billion in 2007. That amounts to a revenue increase of $400 million. And, according to the projection, Standard would expand its volume edge over First Class to almost 10 billion pieces."

October 26, 2006 - Thousands of Postal Workers Protest Ill-Conceived USPS Plans - In a nationwide day of picketing Oct. 26, APWU locals across the country protested Postal Service policies that put the demands of corporate advertising mailers ahead of the needs of individual postal customers and small businesses. The picketing was part of the APWU’s campaign to expose the poorly conceived — and often well-hidden — network realignment plans and the serious negative impact they would have on mail service for consumers’ and small businesses  |   

October 24, 2006 - Postal Workers to Protest USPS Consolidation Plans at Post Offices Nationwide - On Thursday, October 26, 2006, Postal Workers will hold informational pickets at post offices nationwide. The purpose of the picket is “expose the Postal Service’s ill-advised consolidation plans.” A sampling of APWU Locals participating - APWU Locals Prepare for Nationwide Day of Picketing
A sampling of APWU Locals participating - Oakland, CA (PDF) | Fort Myers, FL. | Columbus, GA.  | Sioux City, IA  | Pasadena, CA (PDF) | Providence, RI | Olympia, WA | Rapid City, SD | Alexandria, LA | Weirton, WV | Bronx, NY | McAllen, TX | Helena, MT | Long Beach, CA | Waco, TX | Lincoln, NE- Also see  - APWU: OIG Report Criticizes Pasadena Consolidation  | USPS OIG Report   |   

October 26, 2006 - APWU Initiates Dispute Over Changes to USPS Computer Security Rules - The APWU initiated a national dispute over the Postal Service’s announcement of revisions to the AS-805 handbook governing Information Security. The revised handbook restricts employees from bringing personal information resources (e.g. laptops, notebooks, PDAs, handheld computers and USB port devices such as flash memory sticks) into postal facilities. The union is concerned that the new restrictions may adversely impact the union’s ability to perform its duties |   

October 26, 2006 - USPS Reacts to Former Postmaster Conviction

Former Clarksburg, WV Postmaster Terry Dean was found guilty of domestic battery. Dean is now facing up to a year in prison, and a $500 dollar fine for hitting his girlfriend. USPS confirmed that the former Postmaster is working again, but he's no longer in a management position. "Dean is a clerk in the mail processing facility in Morgantown. Harrison County prosecutors say four postal employees have filed assault complaints against Dean in the past five months. "We asked USPS spokesperson Victor Dubina if Dean's conviction will affect his job status. He replied, "We're going to wait to see what his sentence is and we'll look at it from there."  In March 2003, Clarksburg police charged Dean with battery on a police officer."  The case was later dismissed. |   

October 26, 2006 - Mail Handlers Union Reject Participating in APWU Picket

 - In a recent letter to its members, a Local Postal Mail Handlers President writes: "The Mail Handlers Union will NOT be participating in this Informational Picket. As many of you have received letter from our National President John Hegarty, a raid has been brought upon us by the A.P.W.U. At this time our relationship with A.P.W.U is strained at the least.”  |   

October 26, 2006 - USPS Ready for Holidays - and Standard Mail - "The U.S. Postal Service is prepared to handle an expected increase in volume this fall — most of it Standard Mail. The agency estimates that this year’s fall mailing season volume increase will be about 4 percent compared with the rest of the year, about the same percentage as last year. The agency considers Aug. 16 through the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 22) as its fall mailing season. The USPS has plans to handle all of this volume. For example, the agency has installed all 72 APPS, its automated package processing system equipment designed to improve the processing of flats and parcels. Last year, only 47 were deployed. The agency is also limiting its hiring of non-career employees."