Postal Service Hi-Tech Human Resources Transformation a Success

Postal Service employees everywhere now have access to a new cutting-edge human resources (HR) system to meet the demands of the information age. Rollout of the technology phase of the PostalPEOPLE initiative, the largest implementation of its kind in the federal government or private sector, was completed in October.

Postal Service Hi-Tech Human Resources Transformation a Success

Pennsylvania Postal Employee Accused of Hiding, Delaying 18000 Pieces Of Mail

"Federal prosecutors say a 28-year-old Fayette County mail carrier hid or delayed thousands of pieces of mail entrusted to him.

A grand jury on Tuesday indicted Jeffrey Booker of New Salem on a charge of delay of mail by a postal employee.

Prosecutors accuse Booker of hiding, detaining or delaying nearly 18,400 pieces of standard mail, 37 pieces of first-class or certified first-class mail and five parcels."

source: AP via WHP-TV

APWU Requests Day Off for Postal Workers on Dec. 24

From APWU President William Burrus: "Despite the exclusion of postal employees from President Bush’s order, I have officially asked [PDF] the postmaster general, in the spirit of the season, to grant postal employees a day off on Dec. 24, 2007. As I reminded the PMG, postal employees are no less deserving of recognition for their outstanding service than other federal workers."

Former Texas Postal Employees Charged With Stealing Mail

US Attorney's Office via North Texas E-News
DALLAS — A federal grand jury in Dallas has charged James R. Hamilton, a former lead sales and service associate with the U.S. Postal Service, with stealing mail matter, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas.

The one-count indictment, returned on December 4, 2007, charges Hamilton, 55, of Garland, Texas, with one count of theft of mail matter by officer or employee. According to the indictment, Hamilton stole a $200 Wal-Mart gift card from an insured mail package in February 2007. An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty, If convicted however, Hamilton faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and mandatory restitution.

In a similar, but unrelated case, Salvador Gonzalez, a former letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, pled guilty on December 4, 2007, to a one-count Information charging theft of mail matter by an officer or employee. On October 4, 2006, Gonzalez, 35, of Dallas, was stopped for speeding while on his way to work. At that time, he had approximately 2,000 pieces of delayed, undelivered mail, several hundred pieces of riled mail, and some of the contents of the rifled mail, in his possession. The rifled mail included numerous greeting cards, 50 blank checks, 23 checks payable to various people, a social security card, and 53 credit cards, none of which belonged to Gonzalez. Gonzalez admitted that he used some of the credit cards from the rifled mail and removed at least $500 in cash from the greeting cards. Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade on February 27, 2008. He faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and mandatory restitution to the victims.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General. The cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy J. Mitchell.

USPS Los Angeles District Gets Approval From OPM to Offer Early Retirement

The Los Angeles District has received approval from OPM to offer Early Out opportunities to “CLERKS ONLY” beginning early 2008. This is a result of planned excessing of over 250 clerks from the Los Angeles District. The following is text of the letter sent out by Yolanda Elders, President, Los Angeles APWU Local #64 to eligible members advising them of this opportunity


Click here for full story

Postal Service Ends M Bag Subsidy

The United States Postal Service says that, since being ordered by Congress to break even, it can no longer afford to subsidize the nonprofits' shipping costs through M Bags. M Bags are large duffel bags that nonprofit organizations use to bulk-ship textbooks overseas to impoverished regions around the world.


Postal Service Ends M Bag Subsidy - National Public Radio

Kodak and Indros Group bring Personalized URLs to Direct Mail

“Darwin VDP software customers can now gain access to our Personalized URL technology in a streamlined manner, allowing for an integrated campaign workflow. Additional, our robust reporting interface will provide users of Darwin VI ..."

Press Release

Postal Rural Carriers Arbitration Award Released

click here for more info
"A three-member arbitration panel led by neutral chairman Herbert Fishgold issued its award today, establishing the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement between the Postal Service and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA). The award establishes a four-year contract (from Nov. 20, 2006 to Nov. 20, 2010), affecting approximately 68,000 career employees and 55,000 non-career employees who deliver mail to residences and businesses on rural delivery routes."

USPS Seeks Vendors for Beverage and Food Service Inside Retail Facility

USPS is seeking information and interest for a company to provide non-alcoholic beverage and/or limited food service in an experimental retail arrangement within a newly designed, customer-friendly full-service postal retail outlet. The Postal Service wishes to create an environment that provides customers, including many small businesses, convenient access to a variety of business-related retail services co-located within the postal retail outlet. The USPS contemplates offering free third party wireless fidelity internet connection service (Wi-Fi Certified) for use by consumers during the test term. Reader: "I wonder how this solicitation complies with the Randolph-Sheppard Act, which gives preference to blind venders in federal and USPS facilities? The USPS is required to go through the state agencies for the blind." PostalReporter.com

Postal workers ready to deliver

The Postal Service is expecting to deliver 20 million pounds of mail to military installations around the world this holiday season. The second week of December should be the busiest week for overseas delivery. Mail to Iraq alone during this period is expected to increase more than 400 percent over the average weekly volume

The Commercial-News, Danville, IL

New USPS Voice of the Employee Survey?

"The USPS wishes to pre-qualify suppliers who can develop, implement, manage, and analyze information for a national Employee Engagement survey.
more PostalReporter.com

USPS hosts Postal CareerSMART For Aspiring Professionals

From USPS News Link

More than 500 people attended last Wednesday’s Postal CareerSMART, a job fair highlighting professional employment opportunities at the Postal Service. The event was held in Washington, DC.

Job hopefuls met with USPS representatives at Postal CareerSMART

USPS hosts Postal CareerSMART For Aspiring Professionals

Court: Postal Police Manager’s Transfer Was Not A Demotion

PostalReporter.com
According to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in a nonprecedential decision:

Ronald Calvin was transferred from his position of Manager, Postal Police Division, EAS-21 to that of General Analyst, EAS-21. Both positions carry the same grade and basic rate of pay. The Postal Service cited loss of confidence in Mr. Calvin’s managerial abilities as the reason for the transfer. Calvin stated that the transfer was in retaliation for his having filed a discrimination claim against his supervisor, and points to his consistent high performance evaluations


Court: Postal Police Manager’s Transfer Was Not A Demotion

As holidays near, Postal Service pressed to deliver prompt service, too

Stuffed into a Metropolitan Ave. storefront, with just two clerks manning the windows, the Parkside postal station can hardly serve its steady flow of customers - let alone the annual rush that begins right after Thanksgiving. Long lines form around the city all too often, customers insist. Bob Trombley, the postal service spokesman for Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, said his department usually increases staffing during the holiday rush. "But in the long run, it's a very delicate balance between providing good service to our customers and remaining profitable," he said.

As holidays near, Postal Service pressed to deliver prompt service, too

Postal Service’s Oldest Employee Still Going Strong At 93

Mail handler Chester Reed is an inspiration in many ways. He began working at the San Bernardino, CA, P&DC in 1973, after retiring from the Air Force — and has never missed a day of work during 60 years of combined federal service. At 93, Reed is the oldest postal employee still working in the nation.

“Chester is a good role model,” Plant Manager Ken Lucas said. “He’s helpful, keeps busy, and you can count on him to do anything you ask.”

“I started as a mail handler and I’m a mail handler today,” Reed said. “I used to cancel letters but now I’m an equipment operator. I’m not ready to retire. I like the work I do.”

Reed is often questioned about his secret to longevity and his answer is always the same: “Onion sandwiches. I eat one every day.”

APWU-Backed Bill Introduced in Congress

Legislation Would Require Bargaining Over Subcontracting
The APWU won a significant victory on Nov. 15, when Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) introduced legislation that would require the Postal Service to bargain with postal unions before making a commitment to significant subcontracting. H.R. 4236 would require the USPS to submit to arbitration if management and the affected unions were unable to reach agreement. The APWU has been strenuously advocating such legislation for several months.

http://www.apwu.org/news/webart/2007/webart07107-lynch_legislation-071116.htm