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.

GOP Rep. Issa to Push for Postal Service Changes

Rep. Darrell Issa, Republican of California, who is set to become chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee in the next Congress, said on Friday that he would push for major changes at the Postal Service, which has announced an $8.5 billion annual loss.

“This loss only underscores the urgent need for the Postal Service to trim its operating costs to match revenues,” Mr. Issa said in a statement. “Congress has an obligation to ensure that effective solutions are implemented and taxpayers don’t get stuck paying for a bailout.”

Mr. Issa has long warned that ongoing losses by the Postal Service could force taxpayers to “bail out” the agency, which by law is supposed to be self-funded.

He has cited the need to downsize the labor force and reduce costs to reflect declining demand and new market conditions

New York Times

Amid changes on Capitol Hill, Postal Service faces uncertain future

The Republican takeover of the House has left the future of the U.S. Postal Service up in the air as the agency faces continued concerns over cutting jobs and meeting obligations to its retiree health and pension funds.

"It's highly uncertain as to how much [the next] Congress will accomplish," said Bruce Moyer, legislative counsel at the National Association of Postal Supervisors. "At the same time, on postal issues, the urgency of financial problems and the need to restructure the health and pension responsibilities could provide a significant incentive to getting a big fix done."

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who is slated to step up to chair the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has signaled that postal reform will be among the issues on his agenda.

Government Executive

Federal pay and benefits could change with new Congress

Govexec.com - In recent months, there's been a lot of talk about proposed hiring and pay freezes and mandatory furloughs in the federal government. But those ideas could become reality if Republicans on Tuesday win the necessary 39 seats to gain control of the House.

House Republicans unveiled their Pledge to America in September, promising to reduce the size of government and freeze hiring for all nonsecurity-related federal positions. Lawmakers in both chambers also have pushed several measures that would affect federal jobs and benefits. For example, Republicans have introduced legislation that would furlough all federal civilian workers for up to two weeks in 2011 and make those with outstanding tax debts ineligible for continued government employment. Bills in both chambers would cap the federal workforce through attrition or by allowing agencies to hire only one employee for every two employees who leave.

In addition, GOP lawmakers have used the YouCut program to push federal workforce reductions. The initiative, designed to control government spending, allows the public to vote online, or via text message each week on legislative proposals. The winning idea goes to the House floor.

Burrus Shocked, Disappointed By Retirement of PMG Potter

The announcement of Postmaster General John Potter’s retirement comes with shock and disappointment. We have had disagreements on a variety of issues – most notably, the cozy relationship he fostered with major mailers, and the policy of granting them excessive postage discounts. But Potter has always considered the impact his decisions would have on postal employees. Having begun his career as a distribution clerk, he has never overlooked the contribution of workers.

Senator Collins Requested IG Audit That Finds Postal Service has More than $800 Million in Unnecessary Costs

Three investigations of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) by the Postal Inspector General (IG), requested by Senator Susan Collins, have uncovered stunning evidence of contract mismanagement, ethical lapses, financial waste, and excessive executive perks that cost the Postal Service more than $800 million a year in unnecessary costs. The IG examined three areas where the Postal Service could realize significant savings: employee benefits, contracting policies, and area and district field offices.

Postal Union Withdraws Endorsement of Congressman Darrell Issa

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GOP Rep. ISSA: Time for another government bailout - USPS

The predicament in which USPS finds itself is not uncommon. Because of the ever-increasing reach of the Internet and digital media, bookstores, record stores and DVD rental chains have all seen their customer base and profits decline dramatically. Unlike these other affected businesses, USPS cannot simply go out of business or declare bankruptcy. The need to downsize the labor force and reduce costs to reflect declining demand and new market conditions needs to be the first priority of both workers and management

Washington Times

Sen. Susan Collins Urges PRC to Reject USPS Rate Case Proposal

Letter from Senator Susan Collins to PRC
As the author of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of2006 (PAEA), which grants the Postal Service the limited authority to file an exigent rate case, I want to make the congressional intent regarding the provision completely unambiguous as the Postal Regulatory Commission considers the pending Postal Service request. Neither the language nor the legislative history of the PAEA authorizes the United States Postal Service to file an exigent rate case under the current circumstances.

Thirteen Charges Dismissed Against Postal Worker For OWCP Fraudt

Last year, PostalReporter reported that Three Ohio Postal Workers Charged With OWCP Fraud. Since the release of this news item at least one Postal Worker has been exonerated of all charges.

Former USPS Chief Financial Officer: Eliminating Saturday Delivery Is Not Necessary

Eliminating Saturday Delivery Would Cost USPS in the long-run
http://www.postalreporternews.net/2010/08/02/former-usps-chief-financial-officer-eliminating-saturday-delivery-is-not-necessary/

Senator Says Panel Will Block Five-Day Delivery

Sen. Jon Tester says the lawmakers who oversee the budget of the post office will block a proposal to reduce mail deliveries to five days a week.

The Montana Democrat said eliminating Saturday deliveries would be a hardship on people living in rural areas without producing major savings for the Postal Service.

Report: Post office receipts may be contaminated with possibly harmful chemical

Late last year we wrote that the BPA (bisphenol-A), which has been found in many consumer products, was found to be present in common paper receipts. Now, laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) have found high levels of the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) on 40 percent of receipts sampled from major U.S. businesses and services.

Firms included McDonald’s, Chevron, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, WalMart, Safeway, the U.S. Postal Service, and the U.S. House of Representatives cafeteria

full story

PMG Names New Chief Postal Inspector

PMG Jack Potter has named Guy Cottrell the 38th chief inspector of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. He begins his new assignment Aug. 1.

PMG Names New Chief Postal Inspector

Lawmakers Join Forces to Propel Postal Service Issues to the Forefront

– On March 25, 2010, Reps. Lynch, Chaffetz, and Davis announced the reconvening of the Congressional Postal Caucus (CPC). Recently, the United States Postal Service unveiled a new business model to address unprecedented challenges largely due to the current economic environment and the rise in alternative means of communication. If nothing is done, the Postal Service expects to have an $8 billion shortfall by September 30, 2010 and suffer a net loss of $238 billion over the next 10 years

2010 National Postal Forum Set for April 11-14 in Nashville- Postal Reporter News

This April, more than 4,000 mailing industry professionals will attend the National Postal Forum (NPF), the industry’s premier event and tradeshow, in Nashville, Tenn. and gain cutting-edge strategies and techniques for helping their organizations thrive in today’s marketplace.

Postal Workers Protest DHL Move from Ohio

More than 50 Postal Workers (APWU), community activists and other members of the “Save the Jobs, Save the Community” coalition from Wilmington, Ohio—where DHL is threatening to shut down its air delivery hub and eliminate more than 8,000 jobs—protested at the German Embassy in Washington, D.C., yesterday.

The German-owned DHL took over the package carrier Airborne Express in 2003, in a deal made possible by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and his campaign manager, Rick Davis.

According to Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), DHL received some “$400 million in direct and indirect incentives” to maintain its Wilmington operation and jobs—and now is seeking a deal to transfer its air delivery to its competitor UPS. Lawmakers say that may violate anti-trust laws. Following the morning protest, a U.S. House committee examined the pending job loss and anti-trust implications.

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/09/17/postal-workers-protest-dhl-move-from-ohio

Postal Service Recommends VERA for Postmasters

This afternoon, July 23, League President Charley Mapa was contacted by Bill Jones, HQ Labor Relations. Mr. Jones stated that, in response to the letter that his office had received from League and Napus, today the Postal Service had sent to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) their own letter recommending a VERA (early out) for Postmasters. For this process to go forward, OPM must approve the request.

National League of Postmasters via PostalReporter.com

USPS joins HBO to promote John Adams miniseries

USPS and Home Box Office (HBO) are jointly promoting the upcoming cable network’s miniseries, John Adams, and National Card and Letter Writing Month.
USPS joins HBO to promote John Adams miniseries

The HBO production is based on the book John Adams, by Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough. The best-selling biography of the founding father centers on the letters Adams and his wife, Abigail, wrote each other during their courtship and 54-year marriage.

Beginning this week, USPS launches a multi-faceted 60-day campaign highlighting the HBO series’ focus on the Adams family letters and encouraging Americans to rediscover letter writing, especially in March during National Card and Letter Writing Month.

The USPS campaign includes a national cancellation featuring an Adams quote, “Let us dare to read, think, speak and write,” and a new website — www.usps.com/poweroftheletter. Postal receipts from point-of-service terminals and Automated Postal Centers will include the Adams quote and the website. Standees and window clings will appear in nearly 12,000 Post Offices around the country promoting the website and the miniseries.

“We’ve been delivering the power of the written word ─ including those letters written by Adams ─ for more than 230 years,” said Joanne Giordano, vice president, Public Affairs and Communications. “As a nation, we cherish the letters of great Americans because they help us understand our common history. This campaign will allow us to promote our brand, our products and the lost art of letter writing.”

HBO will premiere its seven-part miniseries with two episodes on Sunday evening, March 16. Episodes 3-7 will air the subsequent five Sundays, with the series ending on April 20.

source: USPS News Link