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Postal Headlines
May 2004 |
Computer
Users to Get Single Sign-On System
Automation Savings Negated by Out-of-Control Tech Spending
Want to know where money from automation savings have gone the
past couple of years? Largely, they've gone to finance a vast
computer network and the people to run it:
Computerworld reports that the USPS HAS 155,000
COMPUTER USERS AND MORE THAN 7,000 APPLICATIONS (SOFTWARE PROGRAMS,
ETC.) AND WEB SITES! About the system being replaced,
Computerworld notes: An average end user had five to 10 different
log-on IDs and passwords, and they wrote them down on little
pieces of paper and stuck them under their mouse pads (or) under
keyboards. They hid them everywhere because they couldn't remember
them. In addition, "thousands and thousands" of calls to the help
desk by end users who had forgotten their passwords were costing
the USPS millions of dollars per year in operating costs.
- Passlogix.com
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 USPS
Getting Mileage From World War 2 Memorial Stamp
Photo (click
to enlarge): Postmaster General John Potter
(left) is joined by USPS Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors
John Walsh to dedicate the National World War II Memorial stamp
just prior to the Memorial's dedication on Saturday. The Postal
Service is featuring the stamp on several items at
The Postal Store. The stamp
also appears on a special World War II Memorial stamp paint
scheme on Brewco Motorsports driver Johnny Sauter's NASCAR Busch
Series Car: Photo 1 |
2
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 Fremont
Window Clerks Cut Customer's Waiting Time
"Instead of just letting the line run out the door, Postmaster
Jerry Woodard
performed staffing analyses to see what times of the day were
the busiest and would require more employees at the front desk.
By analyzing computer data, Woodard
found out the exact times there were more customers who needed
more help."
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 Senate panel to mark up postal legislation on
June 2nd
The Senate
Governmental Affairs Committee will mark up postal overhaul
legislation next Wednesday. The APWU, as well as other postal
employees, vow to fight anti-worker provisions contained in the
Senate version. (The House version does not contain the
provisions.)
- Texas Postal Workers Protest Senate Proposals
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APWU Will Fight COP, Worker's Comp,
and Worksharing Provisions
- Concerned Postal Workers Plan Rally
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Postmaster General Delivers Televised Speech
Among the highlights: Potter said the
Postal Service will raise the goal of delivery point sequencing
to 85 percent by the end of the year, 90 percent next year, and
ultimately to 100 percent. "We are also exploring the
pros and cons of a new four-state barcode that would enable us
to enrich the information on mail as it moves through our system
- information that you and we can use to increase the value of
mail and efficiency. We need your input," he said.
- Text of speech
- Postmaster General Warns of Rate Increase
- Potter Calls on Mailers to Stay Involved in
Postal Transformation
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 GA Rural
Carrier Honors Fallen Soldiers With Web Site
Tim Rivera, 23, a rural carrier in Powder Springs, Ga., who does
Web design as a hobby, created
www.fallenheroesmemorial.com a year ago as an online
memorial for those slain in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has been
mentioned in U.S. News & World Report and many other news
outlets for his efforts.
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In
Boston, a 'postal' message on the need to fight crime
Mail carriers are wary of staying on their
routes as shootings in the Bromley-Heath housing project and
other areas become more common.
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USPS Will
Seek Voluntary Early Retirement Authority for EAS 11-18
Postmasters
"According to Postal Service officials, the rationale for
requesting early out opportunities for EAS-11-18 Postmasters is
based on locating landing spots which may be created by the
continuing downsizing of Function 1 mail processing positions.
These jobs also include other clerks, affected administrative
personnel, and non-supervisory positions."
- Postal Headquarters announces VERA for
Postmasters
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CBS News: Postal Service To Ride With NASCAR
"This
sponsorship will be for the remaining races in the 2004 NASCAR
Busch series," Joyce Carrier, director of Public Affairs, told
CBSNews.com. "We are going to see how it goes. Right now, we
have a one year contract and this is our first time in NASCAR,
so we are going to track and see how it does for us," she said.
That means that for the remainder of 2004, the U.S. Postal
Service will be sponsoring both bicycle and auto racing. "Guess
we like wheels, don't we?" said Carrier.
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Postal
Rape Suspect Fighting DNA Order
"John
R. Kelley, a
former Dorchester postal center manager accused in a sexual
harassment suit of raping one employee and forcibly kissing
another, is fighting a subpoena to produce a DNA sample. The
U.S. Postal Service settled out of court earlier this year with
one alleged victim who claimed Kelley raped her in the boiler
room of the Dorchester Center Postal Station on Sept. 7, 2000."
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 Reason
Magazine Stunt Shows Potential and Pitfalls of Targeted
Marketing
"Subscribers
to Reason were shocked to find VERY personalized magazines in
their mailboxes last week. On each cover the magazine printed an
aerial photograph of the subscriber's very own neighborhood.
Inside the issue, statistics in the feature article and
advertising were targeted to the subscriber's demographics and
location. In the editor's inside-the-cover message, Nick
Gillespie extols the "databasification" of America, that
"bleeding edge" technology which enables mail-order merchants
and others to find out more about us than we know ourselves."
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Plans Being Finalized for
Postal Workers to Deliver Antibiotics in Emergency
"The Bush administration is
finalizing an agreement with U.S. postal workers to help deliver
antibiotics or antidotes within 48 hours of a biological attack
to 21 major cities, including the District. George Gould of the
National Association of Letter Carriers said his union supports
the voluntary plan for letter carriers to deliver emergency
medical supplies. Postal workers will be trained in handling the
materials and in security, he said."
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Work Woes Probed
at NY Post Office
"This month, 30 of the nearly 65 letter carriers and clerks assigned
to the Lefferts station contacted Rep. Major Owens (D-Brooklyn)
and raised charges of discrimination and terrible work
conditions at the Empire Blvd. facility. The complaints included
charges of discrimination against women, "extreme military
regimentation," and "drives to meet unrealistic performance
goals."
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USPS Sees $2.5B Surplus for First Half of
Year
"The U.S.
Postal Service had net income of $2.56 billion -- $1 billion
over budget -- for the first half of its fiscal year, the agency
reported this week. Meanwhile, mail volume was up and expenses
are under plan."
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Collins, Carper Introduce Postal Bill
in Senate
"Collins' and Carper's draft would: preserve universal service;
simplify the rate-setting process; make rate increases less
frequent and more predictable; guarantee a higher degree of
transparency to ensure fair treatment of postal customers;
require that all future governors of the postal service be
selected based on their track record managing organizations or
corporations of substantial size; and give the USPS the
authority to transition individuals receiving workers'
compensation to a retirement annuity when the affected
individual reaches age 65."
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Collins, Carper Introduce Comprehensive Bill
- Forbes: Senate lawmakers introduce postal
reform bill
- Statement by Sen. Susan Collins
- Statement by Sen. Thomas Carper (Postcom)
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NALC, NRLCA, and NAPUS Endorse Efforts
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 Standard
Mail Volume Continues to Grow
The big story for the USPS this year, besides the postal reform
bill, is the significant mail volume increase in Standard Mail.
According to March 2004 numbers just released by the USPS, total
mail volume was 1.3 billion pieces above SPLY, with Standard
volume up 7.4%! The USPS notes that total workhours were above
plan, mainly in the letter and rural carrier categories due to
the increased volume. Overall, due to increased volumes and
continued USPS cost-cutting initiatives, profits are trending
upwards in a time period when they often seasonally trend down.
- March 2004 Financial and Operating Statements
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Postal Unions Raise Concerns About Senate Reform Bill
"A
discussion draft of the Senate measure, circulated last week,
suggests that the House and Senate bills will be largely
similar. But a few aspects of the Senate discussion draft have some
postal labor representatives up in arms. That draft includes a
provision that could reduce compensation for postal employees
injured on the job. Such a change would be "totally
unacceptable," said American Postal Workers Union President
William Burrus."
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House Committee Approves Postal Reform Bill
"The
Postal Service could be restructured for the first time in more
than 30 years, under legislation approved Wednesday by the House
Government Reform Committee.
In a 40-0 vote, the panel approved the bill (H.R. 4341), which
would grant the Postal Service more flexibility to change its
rates and manage its costs, while increasing the power of the
postal regulatory board."
Print and Post:
Major
Provisions of HR 4341
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HR 4341: A BILL To reform the postal laws of
the United States (PDF)
- Postal Service Reform Overdue
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Legislation to Overhaul Postal Service Will Go to House Floor
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Heritage Foundation: Passing the Buck on Postal Reform
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Federal Times: Postal reform bill could net
USPS billions
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League of Postmasters Praise Reform Bill
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APWU
praises House bill, but concerned about Senate action
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UPS Supports Postal Reform Legislation
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Pitney Bowes Commends House Reform Committee
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House panel approves legislation to reform
Postal Service
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Reform Committee Approves Landmark Postal
Reform Legislation
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House Postal Bill Has CSRS Fixes; Senate
Introduces Draft
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Plan would cut mail payments to airlines
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Senate Postal Bill Coming
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Potter Prepares to Make Agency More Competitive
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NPMHU Says Grassroots Lobbying Effort is
Working
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GAO Report Shows 29 USPS Employees
Associated With Unaccredited Schools
8
Employees Received Federal Tuition Assistance Totaling $24,970
"A General
Accounting Office (GAO) report shows that federal agencies have
used taxpayer dollars to purchase "diploma mill" degrees and
that some high-ranking federal officials have listed diploma
mill degrees on an official application or security clearance
record. Diploma mills offer "degrees" for a flat fee and promote
the award of academic credentials based on life experience and
do not require classroom instruction."
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GAO Report: USPS Listed on Page 6 (PDF)
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Postal Workers Accused of Compensation Fraud
"A federal grand jury in Greenbelt yesterday indicted five U.S.
Postal Service workers from Maryland on charges of fraudulently
receiving more than $200,000 in workers' compensation benefits."
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USPS OIG Press Release (PDF)
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Coalition of Mailers Launch Ad Campaign for Postal Reform Bill
"A loose coalition of 18 CEOs of
some of the Postal Service's largest users -- including the DMA,
Time, R.R. Donnelly, Pitney Bowes and the AARP -- this week
launched an inside-the-Beltway print advertising campaign to
encourage lawmakers to pass a postal change bill, Congress Daily
A.M. reports. The ads, which will cost the group about
$35,000-$40,000, focus on the 9 million jobs in industries that
rely on the Postal Service."
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 Sorry
Lance: USPS Has
Been Working on NASCAR Sponsorship Since Last Year
The USPS reports that it is now a Brewco Motorsports
presenting team sponsor.
On
September 25th, David Green will pilot the No. 37 USPS Chevrolet at
Dover International Speedway. (Let's hope that he doesn't have a
preventable accident.)
NASCAR Notebook: "Finding a new full-time Winston Cup tour
sponsor has become almost impossible. One top driver in the
market says that the price tag for a company wanting to do a
full Cup deal - including TV time and marketing, as well as
race-car sponsorship - is now $40 million. There is some
light. The U.S. Postal Service is expected to become an
associate sponsor next season, along with Subway, possibly in a
package." (11/16/2003)
- United Parcel Service Racing |
UPS
Truck vs. Car
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Postal Overhaul
Bill Mark Up Expected Next Week
Discussion Draft: Postal Accountability and
Enhancement Act
The House Government Reform Committee has posted a
discussion draft of the proposed Postal Accountability and
Enhancement Act.
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APWU Postal Reform Update
- Business Mailers Review: Blame APWU if Postal
Reform Dies
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Hopeful, Wary Mailers Study Postal Reform Draft
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Draft postal overhaul bill draws criticism from mailers
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Postal Bill Markup Postponed?
- Sam Ryan: Postal Service accountability
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USPS pleased with Congress attention on postal reform
- House
bill calls for new postal rate-setting board
- DMA Lauds Discussion Draft of Postal Bill
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DST, Hallmark: USPS needs first-class reform
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On eve of bill: Next Rate Hike Could Be a Whopper
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 Former Postmaster General Runyon Dies
"In a sometimes stormy tenure overseeing the nation's mail
system from 1992 to 1998, Runyon trimmed management jobs by
23,000 while adding letter carriers and other employees to
improve customer service. The staffing moves and a new stress on
computer automation kept the Postal Service's work force about
the same even as the volume of mail grew by 11 percent. With
more than 765,000 workers, it was the nation's largest civilian
employer at the time. "The customer is our focus. That's one of
the things about government agencies, they don't focus on the
customer," Runyon said at the time."
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