California: Napa postal worker pleads not guilty to theft

California: Napa postal worker pleads not guilty to theft

USPS Reports $456 Million Net Loss For November

The US Postal Service yesterday filed with PRC its second month preliminary financial report of the 2011 fiscal year (unaudited) . USPS reported a net loss of $456 million for the month of November. This same period last year saw a $255 million net loss.

OSHA Proposes $80,000 In Fines Against USPS in Duluth, GA For Repeat And Serious Safety Violations

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing $80,000 in penalties against the U.S. Postal Service for safety violations found during an inspection at its facility on Boggs Road in Duluth. The Postal Service is being cited with five repeat violations carrying proposed penalties of $75,000.

OSHA proposes $238,000 in fines against USPS for electrical hazards at Shrewsbury, MA. mail processing facility

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the U.S. Postal Service for willful and serious violations of safety standards following an inspection at the Central Massachusetts Processing and Distribution Center in Shrewsbury, Mass.

All first-class stamps to be 'forever' from now on

USA Today - All first-class stamps to be 'forever' from now on.

USPS Seeking Suppliers For Next Generation Retail Software System

The Postal Service has issued a solicitation for the Next Generation Retail System Software (Next Gen RSS). This software will be utilized across all of the retail Point of Sale platforms

OIG Audit: Postal Service not always justifying mailing discounts

The U.S. Postal Service has frequently failed to justify millions of dollars worth of "workshare discounts" given to mailers for efficiency reasons and other grounds, a newly released audit by the USPS inspector general has found

Alabama Postal Employee Indicted For Stealing Mail

A federal grand jury today indicted a Madison man for stealing mail while he worked for the U.S. Postal Service, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and Postal Inspection Service Inspector/Domicile Coordinator Frank Dye

Minnesota Postal Employee indicted for stealing cash, gift cards from mail

A recent federal indictment alleges that a former employee of the United States Postal Service (“USPS”) stole cash and gift cards from the mail over a ten-month period.

Postal Worker Loses Lawsuit Claiming USPS Violated Privacy Act And Fraud On the Court

Darrell Coburn sued the United States Postal Service claiming that the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, was violated when records from the file on his administrative complaint of discrimination were disclosed internally to several management employees..

NAPUS: Suspension of Postmaster Convention Leave to Continue

NAPUS President Bob Rapoza has received a response from Postal Service Vice President of Labor Relations, Doug Tulino, concerning our discussions on Postmasters’ convention leave for 2011

2011 Prices For USPS Shipping Services Begin Jan. 2

New flat-rate products debut Jan. 2 along with new prices for Priority Mail, Express Mail and other Shipping Services changes. The overall price change for all Shipping Services products, which are adjusted each January, is 3.6 percent.

Ending Denominated Stamps

Courier, Express, and Postal Observer: Ending Denominated StampsUSA Today reported on December 28, 2010 that all First Class stamps in 2011 will be forever stamps. Currently, forever stamps are only available in a limited number of generic designs. The switch puts commemorative stamps on a equal competitive plain as more generic stamps sold in booklets and sheets.

The shift reflects a final blow to the traditionalists and penny counters at the Postal Service that held onto denominated stamp concept far beyond the point that it made business sense for either First Class mail or for the Postal Service's commemorative program. For those with some memory of the regulatory process, the forever stamp was pushed for many years by the Postal Regulatory Commission's Consumer advocate and approved in 2007 after long opposition from the Postal Service.

Post Office delays leave seasonal residents News-less

Post Office delays leave seasonal residents News-lessJim and Sharon Aderman, like thousands of others, live in Lincoln County seasonally, splitting the year evenly between Damariscotta and Topeka, Kan. They began subscribing to The Lincoln County News 14 years ago.

In Oct. 2010, for the first time Sharon Aderman can remember, the Adermans didn't receive their newspaper. As of Dec. 28, they've received one October, two November and one December edition, some arriving out of sequence - for example, the Nov. 4 edition preceded the Oct. 28 edition by about a week.

For as long as two months, the Adermans didn't get a newspaper at all, Sharon Aderman, who writes the News' "Ponder and Stir" column, said. The Adermans have corresponded with office personnel at The Lincoln County News and contacted their postmasters in Damariscotta and Topeka - so far, to no avail.

USPS Driver dies after flatbed trailer hits truck

Driver dies after flatbed trailer hits truck - The Pueblo Chieftain: LocalThe driver of a U.S. Postal Service semitrailer died in a four-vehicle accident Wednesday night north of Pueblo on Interstate 25.

The accident happened when the northbound mail truck was struck by a loaded, flatbed trailer that detached from a southbound truck, Capt. Brian Lyons of the Colorado State Patrol said.

For this holiday season, I wish you the simple peace of the Penland Post Office

For this holiday season, I wish you the simple peace of the Penland Post Office » Anderson Independent Mail

Huntington Station named busiest ZIP code

Huntington Station named busiest ZIP codeOn the busiest mail delivery day of the season, the most bustling ZIP code in the country was 11746 - Huntington Station.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, Wednesday was the culmination of a season in which letter carriers delivered more than 4.3 million pieces of mail to residents in 11746 between Nov. 1 and Dec. 10, topping New York City's highest-volume ZIP codes.

Holiday Message From the Postmaster General Pat Donahoe

Holiday Message From the Postmaster General Pat Donahoe : PostalReporter News BlogLooking ahead, PMG Pat Donahoe says he believes 2011 will become a landmark year that moves the Postal Service in a new direction — one that will help USPS get back to profitability.

Post Offices Open Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve

Post Offices Open Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve : PostalReporter News BlogAll Post Offices nationwide will be open Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 24, and New Year’s Eve, Friday, Dec. 31, but most will have shortened retail lobby hours and close at noon. Mail delivery for Dec. 24 and Dec. 31 is not affected by the change.

Zumbox Raises $9.7 Million More For Paperless Postal System

Zumbox Raises $9.7 Million More For Paperless Postal SystemZumbox, a privately held company that offers a digital mailbox and filing system based on your street address, has raised a little over $9.7 million in venture capital, according to this SEC filing.In August 2009, Zumbox announced that it had raised $8 million from a number high-profile investors, including Michael Eisner, the former CEO of Walt Disney and Rick Braddock, the former CEO of Priceline.com. This round brings the company’s total amount of funding raised to $17.7 million.

APWU: Contract Negotiations to Continue During Holiday Week

APWU: Contract Negotiations to Continue During Holiday Week : PostalReporter News BlogContract negotiations with the Postal Service are ongoing and will continue during the week between Christmas and New Years, APWU President Cliff Guffey said on Dec. 21.

House Committee Under New Management, and Impact of Tax Bill on Postmasters

House Committee Under New Management, and Impact of Tax Bill on Postmasters : PostalReporter News BlogFrom the eNAPUS Legislative and Political Bulletin

On January 5, Rep, Darrell Issa will take the helm of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; however, it has yet to determined who will chair the Subcommittee that has jurisdiction over the Postal Service and federal employee benefits

USPS Delivery Unit Program Implementation Scheduled for Jan. 3, 2011

USPS Delivery Unit Program Implementation Scheduled for Jan. 3, 2011 : PostalReporter News BlogToday, NAPUS President Bob Rapoza received a written response from Postal Service Vice President of Labor Relations, Doug Tulino to questions and recommendations that were presented by the management associations in the November 30, 2010 consultative-process meeting concerning the Delivery Unit Optimization (DUO) program

Postal Carrier Runs On The Job

Postal Carrier Runs On The Job - WETM 18 OnlineTowanda, P.A. - One Towanda postal carrier likes to make sure neighbors get their mail as quickly as possible.

Mark Savage clocks into work at the Towanda Post Office on Main Street at 7:30 in the morning where he gets his mail and packages sorted and loaded into his truck. By 10:30, he is off making his rounds. However, Savage is not your average postal carrier. When he delivers mail, he runs.

Postal Service quietly taps new ethics officer

Postal Service quietly taps new ethics officer - Washington TimesThe U.S. Postal Service has named a new top ethics officer in the aftermath of a series of embarrassing disclosures about a former key executive at the agency who was permitted to earn more than a quarter-million dollars in outside income and who was accused of steering contracts to former business associates.

Some Postal Managers Refusing To Accept USPS, APWU Freeze On Excessing Agreement

Some Postal Managers Refusing To Accept USPS, APWU Freeze On Excessing Agreement : PostalReporter News Blog: "APWU Union officials in locales where managers are balking at implementing the moratorium on excessing that was announced on Dec. 15 will be pleased to see a message from a headquarters-level manager notifying Area-level officials of the agreement. ”"

USPS: All 2011 Commemoratives Will Be Forever Stamps

U.S.Postal Service- Forever Stamp Program Expands To Give Customers Convenience and More Choices

Letter: Postal Workers Salaries Are Not Paid By Taxpayers

Letter: Postal Workers Salaries Are Not Paid By Taxpayers : PostalReporter News BlogMany people believe that letter carriers’ and Postal Service salaries come from federal tax dollars. But the Postal Service is self-supporting. No federal tax dollars support the operations, salaries or benefits of letter carriers

USPS VP Position Downgraded, New COO Gets $25,000 Relocation Pay

USPS VP Position Downgraded, New COO Gets $25,000 Relocation Pay : PostalReporter News BlogThe US Postal Service filed a Form 8-K with the Postal Regulatory Commission listing changes to Executives.

Many Post Offices Will Be Closing At Noon On Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve

Many Post Offices Will Be Closing At Noon On Christmas, New Year’s Eve : PostalReporter News BlogThe U.S. Postal Service has announced that all Post Offices are open on Friday, December 24, Christmas Eve and Friday December 31, New Year’s Eve but many will shorten retail lobby hours and close at noon. Regular mail delivery for December 24 and December 31 will be unaffected by the change.

USPS: FSS Celebrates Third Anniversary With Record Efficiency, Savings

USPS: FSS Celebrates Third Anniversary With Record Efficiency, Savings : PostalReporter News BlogThe Postal Service recently marked the third anniversary of its first fully-operational Flats Sequencing System (FSS) at the Dulles, VA, Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) — a milestone in the way the Postal Service sorts flats.

APWU,USPS Announce Freeze on Excessing While Contract Talks Continue

APWU,USPS Announce Freeze on Excessing While Contract Talks Continue : PostalReporter News BlogThe APWU and the Postal Service have agreed to a freeze on excessing while contract negotiations continue, union President Cliff Guffey has announced

NALC Asks Congress For Inclusion Of CSRS Employees To Payroll Tax Holiday

NALC Asks Congress For Inclusion Of CSRS Employees To Payroll Tax Holiday : PostalReporter News BlogNo ‘holiday’ for CSRS employees? NALC President Fredric V. Rolando has written members of the House of Representatives, urging that a proposed 2 percent “payroll tax holiday” be extended to letter carriers and other federal employees still covered under the Civil Service Retirement System.

NARFE seeks tax relief for CSRS employees

Federal Times reports: The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association is working with lawmakers to try to make sure Civil Service Retirement System employees don't miss out on a payroll tax holiday.Under the controversial tax cut plan the White House and congressional Republicans struck last week, the Making Work Pay tax credit would expire and be replaced by a 2 percent reduction in payroll taxes most workers pay into Social Security. But CSRS employees do not pay into, nor receive benefits from, Social Security, and would not benefit from such a reduction.

Open Letter to USPS Employees from Postmaster General Pat Donahoe

Open Letter to USPS Employees from Postmaster General Pat Donahoe : PostalReporter News Blog: "In an open letter to all employees on his first official day in office, PMG Pat Donahoe defines core business strategies that will guide the organization to become “a profitable, nimble Postal Service that competes for customers and has a well-defined and valued role in an increasingly digital world.”"

Maryland Postmaster Gets 9 Months in Prison for Stealing Nearly $60,000 In Stamps

Maryland Postmaster Gets 9 Months in Prison for Stealing Nearly $60,000 In Stamps : PostalReporter News Blog: "U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Gilbert Ennis, age 56, of Lanham, Maryland, today to nine months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, the first six months of which is to be served in home detention with electronic monitoring, for stealing $59,958.21 in postal stamps from the Marbury Post Office in Charles County where he was the postmaster"

NALC: Washington Post Gets The Postal Crisis Wrong Again

NALC: Washington Post Gets The Postal Crisis Wrong Again : PostalReporter News Blog: "NALC Responds To Factually Incorrect Editorial In the Washington Post"

UPS to Require Photo IDs For Shipping Packages At All Retail Locations

UPS to Require Photo IDs For Shipping Packages At All Retail Locations : PostalReporter News Blog: "UPS is now requiring photo identification from customers shipping packages at retail locations around the world, a month after explosives made it on to one of the company’s planes."

APWU Contract Talks Continues

APWU Contract Talks Continues : PostalReporter News Blog: "Contract talks between the APWU and Postal Service have continued throughout the week and are ongoing, President Cliff Guffey has reported"

Postmaster General Announces Executive Leadership Team

Postmaster General Announces Executive Leadership Team : PostalReporter News Blog: "Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe today announced the top executives who will work directly with him in creating a more profitable, nimble U.S. Postal Service, able to compete aggressively in the marketplace and provide exemplary customer service."

USPS National Field Maintenance Restructure VER- December 31, 2010

USPS National Field Maintenance Restructure VER- December 31, 2010 : PostalReporter News Blog: "The Postal Service has approval from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to offer voluntary early retirement to eligible EAS Field Maintenance employees nationwide"

USPS: Forever Stamps are Now Available on Coils

USPS: Forever Stamps are Now Available on Coils : PostalReporter News Blog: "Business mailers across the nation will receive a special holiday gift from the U.S. Postal Service this season with the issuance of two, new, First-Class Mail Forever stamps on coils."

NAPUS President: Washington Post Editorial Misdiagnosed Cause Of USPS Challenges

NAPUS President: Washington Post Editorial Misdiagnosed Cause Of USPS Challenges : PostalReporter News Blog: "In a letter to the editor of the Washington Post, Robert Rapoza, President of the National Association of Postmasters (NAPUS) wrote"

IRS Reporting Requirements of Attorney Fees, Back Pay, or Wages

IRS Reporting Requirements of Attorney Fees, Back Pay, or Wages : PostalReporter News Blog: "The purpose of this notice is to ensure that employees are aware of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) income reporting requirements when attorney fees are awarded"

Colorado Post Office Robbed At Gunpoint By Stinky Bandit

Colorado Post Office Robbed At Gunpoint By Stinky Bandit : PostalReporter News Blog: "The Colorado Springs, Colorado Police Department issued the following information on December 10, 2010"

Lawmakers Urge Postal Service to Keep Texarkana Mail Facility Open

Lawmakers Urge Postal Service to Keep Texarkana Mail Facility Open : PostalReporter News Blog: "Legislators Argue Facility is Key to Southwest Arkansas’s Mail Service"

Questions Raised About New USPS Chief Information Officer?

Questions Raised About New USPS Chief Information Officer? : PostalReporter News Blog: "According to Nextgov.com some questions are arising over the selection of Former Southwest Area Vice President Ellis Burgoyne to Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice-President. The position was previously held by Ross Philo for 3 years."

Appeals Court Keeps Florida Letter Carrier’s Age Discrimination Suit Alive

Appeals Court Keeps Florida Letter Carrier’s Age Discrimination Suit Alive : PostalReporter News Blog: "Comerford filed a formal complaint alleging discrimination on the bases of age and in reprisal for prior protected activity"

Consolidation worries postal workers

Consolidation worries postal workers  - News - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports - A combined 85 U.S. Postal Service jobs will be lost in Huntington and Beckley next year, while Charleston's mail processing facility will pick up only about 30 of those positions as part of a consolidation plan, a union official said Wednesday

Alabama Postal Workers, Contractors Plead Guilty To Mail Theft : PostalReporter News Blog

Alabama Postal Workers, Contractors Plead Guilty To Mail Theft : PostalReporter News BlogThe following is a press release by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama:

PRC Seeks Input on Improving Postal Laws of the United States

PRC Seeks Input on Improving Postal Laws of the United States : PostalReporter News Blog The Commission has begun work on Section 701 of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) as required to issue its report to the President and Congress concerning the operation of amendments made by the PAEA and other recommendations for any legislation or other measures to improve the effectiveness or efficiency of the postal laws of the United States.

NALC President Calls On Deficit Commission To Correct Statements About Bailout To USPS

NALC President Calls On Debt Commission To Correct Statements About Bailout To USPS : PostalReporter News Blog: "Busting the ‘bailout’ myth (again): NALC President Fredric V. Rolando has written the head of the Commission of Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to correct some misstatements of fact relating to the Postal Service contained in recommendations for reducing the federal deficit."

Senator Susan Collins Introduces Postal Reform Bill :

Senator Susan Collins Introduces Postal Reform Bill : PostalReporter News Blog: "Washington, DC – Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today introduced legislation to help the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) regain its financial footing as it adapts to the era of increasingly digital communications. The “U.S. Postal Service Improvements Act of 2010” would help the USPS achieve financial stability and future cost savings without undermining customer service."

USPS OIG Calls for Reduced Prefunding Requirements

USPS OIG Calls for Reduced Prefunding Requirements : PostalReporter News Blog: "The USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) concluded in a recent report that the Postal Service prefunds its pension and retiree healthcare benefits at levels that are substantially higher than other government agencies, the military, and private-sector businesses. Reducing the required funding levels would result in projected USPS savings of more than $60 billion, the OIG found, and would allow the USPS to meet its obligation while conserving cash and improving its financial position."

It’s Not a Bailout: APWU Blasts Deficit Commission Proposals

It’s Not a Bailout: APWU Blasts Deficit Commission Proposals : PostalReporter News Blog: "APWU President Cliff Guffey is urging the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, also known as the Deficit Commission, to reject recommendations in its Dec. 1 report [PDF] regarding the Postal Service, which he said were based on inaccuracies"

Incoming Postmaster General Donahoe Tells Senate Customers Come First

Incoming Postmaster General Donahoe Tells Senate Customers Come First : PostalReporter News Blog: "The incoming postmaster general told a U.S. Senate subcommittee Thursday that one of his highest priorities would be to improve the customer experience, making the Postal Service “leaner, faster and smarter” in the years ahead."

Postmasters President Opposes Making It Easier To Close Small Rural Post Offices

Postmasters President Opposes Making It Easier To Close Small Rural Post Offices : PostalReporter News Blog: "Today Mark Strong, President of the National League of Postmasters submitted a Statement to a Senate Subcommittee concerning S.3831 that opposed provisions in the measure lowering Standards for Rural Postal Services and making it easier to close small rural post offices. “This bill lowers the standard for rural postal services. Anytime such a standard is lowered, and an institution is told that it no longer has to provide the maximum degree of service but only ‘effective’ service, the result is going to be reduced service,” said Strong."

NAPUS President Urges Congressional Panel to Fix Pension Overpayment and Preserve Universal Service

NAPUS President Urges Congressional Panel to Fix Pension Overpayment and Preserve Universal Service : PostalReporter News Blog: "Today, NAPUS President Bob Rapoza testified before the Senate Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Postal Service, urging the Congress to promptly correct pension formula that has required the Postal Service to pay at least $50 billion more than it should have towards employee retirement benefits, and to permit the agency to use the surplus to satisfy its retiree health pre-funding liability."

USPS Seeking Suppliers For Next Generation Handheld Scanners

USPS Seeking Suppliers For Next Generation Handheld Scanners : PostalReporter News Blog: "The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is seeking innovative solutions for its Next Generation of Handheld Data Acquisition device and software"