December 19, 2007

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

December 12, 2007

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

December 11, 2007

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."

December 10, 2007

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.

December 09, 2007

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

December 07, 2007

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

December 05, 2007

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."