November 28, 2007

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

November 27, 2007

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

November 19, 2007

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According to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in a nonprecedential decision: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

November 18, 2007

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

November 16, 2007

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