OTTAWA – The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) released a research paper today showing that the postal strike and lock-out in June 2011 did not have a negative impact on the economy, contrary to what the federal government and others claimed at the time.

‘Last June, the Harper government argued it had to legislate CUPW members back-to-work to protect the economy,’ said CUPW National President Denis Lemelin. ‘But our paper reveals that the impact of the postal disruption on the economy was negligible, as measured by bankruptcy and employment data.’

Not only that, the labour disruption only cost Canada Post about $58 million, not ‘hundreds of millions’ as claimed by Canada Post President Deepak Chopra,’ said Lemelin.

The paper also shows that while some businesses were negatively affected, there is no evidence the rotating strikes threatened their viability. It shows charities, non-profit organizations, seniors groups, and rural and remote organizations experienced some temporary negative impacts.

‘The paper demonstrates that postal back-to-work legislation, which was passed one year ago today, was not enacted for economic reasons, ‘ said Lemelin. ‘It was enacted because our government has it out for workers.’

CUPW’s research paper is called The economic impact of the Canadian postal strike and lockout: Permanent economic damage or temporary inconvenience? Its findings were presented earlier this month at the Rutgers University Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics in Brighton, United Kingdom.

via CUPW – 2012-06-26 – Impact of 2011 postal strike and lockout much exaggerated.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Mingo County woman pleaded guilty in federal court to misappropriating postal funds. Kristen K. Maynard, 29, of Delbarton, Mingo County, W.Va., admitted that over a six-month period in 2011, she took more than $25,000 in cash from the United States Post Office in Alkol, Lincoln County, W.Va. Maynard was an officer in charge at the Alkol Post Office at the time she committed the federal felony.

Maynard admitted that during the embezzlement scheme, she took cash that the office received from the sales of stamps and postal money orders and used it to pay personal bills and gambling debts. Maynard further admitted that she manipulated the books and records in the office to cover up her thefts.

Maynard faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when she is sentenced on October 1, 2012 by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Larry Ellis is in charge of the prosecution.

via USDOJ: US Attorney’s Office – Southern District of West Virginia.

Postmasters and mail handlers have until Monday, July 2, 2012, at 8:30 p.m. EDT to take advantage of their special incentive offers.

The effective date of separation for Postmasters accepting their offer is July 31, 2012. Two alternate separation dates — Aug. 31 and Sept. 30 — also are available to the Postal Service to help prevent operational disruptions. Postmasters will be informed if they are assigned an alternate separation date.

Mail handlers who accept their offer will separate from the Postal Service Aug. 31, 2012.

Details of how to accept the offers, as well as FAQs and retirement videos, are available at the Workforce Connection website on LiteBlue.

via USPS News Link Story – Special incentive offer deadline.

From the New Haven US Attorney’s office:

Korey Streater, 25, of New Haven, pleaded guilty Thursday before United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to one count of robbery of the mail, money, or other property of the United States.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on Jan. 22, 2011, Streater brandished a fake handgun and robbed the United States Postal Service Contract Station “E-Z Mail & More,” at 920 Foxon Road in East Haven, of some $1,413 and several U.S. Mail items.

On January 25, 2011, law enforcement officers executed a state search warrant at the Streater’s residence and recovered some of the stolen mail items as well as the weapon he brandished during the robbery.

Judge Bryant has scheduled sentencing for Oct. 3. Streater faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

Postal supervisors and managers will see their take home pay shrink under the terms of the postal service’s 2011-2015 pay package. Managers will receive no pay increase in the first two years, and the USPS says it will review “economic conditions” before deciding on an increase in the third year. At the same time, employees will have to pay a bigger share of their health insurance premiums. Newly hired managers will also earn less annual and sick leave than current employees.

The pay and benefit cuts do not apply to PCES executives or Officers. Read the rest of this entry »

The Postal Service’s 2012 Mobile Commerce and Personalization Promotion starts July 1 and runs through Aug. 31.

Business mailers will receive an upfront 2-percent postage discount on Standard Mail and First-Class Mail letters, flats, and cards (presort and automation only) that include a two-dimensional (2-D) barcode or print/mobile technology which can be read or scanned by a mobile device.

This is the first time meter mailers are eligible to participate in an upfront postage discount promotion. In order to qualify, mailers must affix a postage amount as specified by the Postal Service during this promotion. Click here for the various incentive postage amounts for metered mail.

Qualifying mailpieces that bear postage with the promotional amounts should not be mistaken for, or returned as, “shortpaid.”

For more information, visit the Mobile Commerce and Personalization Promotion site.

via USPS News Link Story – Ready, set, go!.

Washington, DC – The Postal Regulatory Commission (Commission) today denied a Motion from the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) requesting an Emergency Order preventing the Postal Service from implementing changes in service standards until after the Commission has issued a final ruling on an APWU Complaint filed on June 12, 2012.

The underlying APWU Complaint is still before the Commission, and the Postal Service response to the Complaint is due by July 2, 2012.

In its Motion, APWU asked that the Commission issue its ruling on or before June 30, 2012. The Commission weighed the merits of APWU’s arguments and is issuing its decision on the Motion promptly, before that date.

The Commission Order states that “APWU has failed to demonstrate that it has a substantial likelihood of prevailing on the merits, that it will suffer irreparable harm, or that the balance of the equities in this matter weighs in its favor.” The Commission Order concludes that “the potential harm to the Postal Service from a preliminary injunction outweighs the potential harm to mailers from not issuing a preliminary injunction.”

For more on the decision, check out “The Hail Mary is an incomplete: The PRC denies the APWU motion to stop the change in service standards” at Save the Post Office.

Order_No_1387

(June 27, 2012) Collective bargaining between the NPMHU and the Postal Service over the terms of the 2011 National Agreement has reached a new stage in the implementation of dispute resolution procedures adopted by the parties – that is, the parties have initiated the process for starting interest arbitration under Section 1207(c) of the Postal Reorganization Act (PRA), as amended in 2006.

The upcoming arbitration will be conducted under the supervision of a three-member panel, with a neutral arbitrator serving as chair of the panel. The parties are currently discussing selection of the neutral arbitrator; if no agreement is reached, the parties will ask the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) to produce a list of potential arbitrators, and the parties will strike names from that list until one remains.

The arbitration phase of the dispute resolution process follows an attempt at mediation which proved unsuccessful. In March 2012, FMCS Director George Cohen announced the appointment of Herbert Fishgold as the mediator for the NPMHU/USPS dispute. Previously, Mr. Fishgold has served as a third-party neutral for more than 30 years, during which time he has mediated and arbitrated bargaining disputes in a wide range of industries at the national, state, and local levels.

Mediator Fishgold held several meetings with the parties and their representatives. Because he already was familiar with many of the basic facts and issues presented by the Postal Service, the mailing industry, and postal employees generally – based on, among other things, his service as an interest arbitrator in the 2006 dispute between the National Rural Letter Carriers Association and the Postal Service – Fishgold was able to jump into the mediation process quickly, without expending a lot of time and effort to familiarize himself with the unique industry that is the Postal Service. That also allowed the mediator and the parties to have frank discussions about their differences, and about possible ideas for narrowing or eliminating those differences.

While both parties held out hope for success during the mediation process, the success of that effort was more likely than not to depend on whether Congress acted timely to support the long-term financial well-being of the Postal Service as an ongoing institution and government agency. The current prospects for legislative action remain unclear, and that inaction certainly presented an obstacle to resolving the current bargaining dispute during mediation. The mediation effort continued for more than sixty days, and ultimately concluded when the parties determined that the process was unlikely to result in a negotiated settlement.

Several other factors also have come into play as the NPMHU dispute resolution process unfolds. First and foremost, the American Postal Workers Union and the Postal Service reached a comprehensive agreement in March 2011, and that agreement has been held out by some as a pattern or a baseline for future negotiations. Second, the National Association of Letter Carriers is also currently involved in interest arbitration, and has recently announced the selection of Arbitrator Shyam Das as the neutral arbitrator on that panel. Third, and perhaps of most importance, the Postal Service and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association have finalized their interest arbitration hearings, which began in December 2011, and are awaiting the decision from their panel, which is headed by Arbitrator Jack Clarke. The status of the bargaining agreements for our three sister postal unions clearly could have an effect on what is already an exceedingly complicated process regarding the NPMHU-USPS contract dispute.

With history as a guide, it likely will take several months to schedule, implement, and conduct the NPMHU arbitration process. To the extent possible, the National Office will keep all mail handlers informed of developments through the various modes of NPMHU communications, including monthly bulletins, Contract Updates, and website postings (at www.npmhu.org). Please continue to read these communications as they are distributed.

via Contract Update #13 – National Postal Mail Handlers Union.

From USPS News Link:

Effective June 26, mailers can use the highly visible, red Tag 57 on more types of political mail.

In addition to the previous use for any political campaign mailings by a registered political candidate, campaign committee or a committee of a political party, Tag 57 now also can be used for “political message mailings” from Political Action Committees (PACs), Super-PACs or other organizations engaging in issue advocacy or voter mobilization.

Mail from organizations such as labor unions, religious groups, retiree associations and others that endorse specific candidates or political issues is now considered “political message mailing” and therefore can be identified with Tag 57 for processing.

USPS is making this change to improve internal tracking of political message mail and to ensure that this mail volume receives visibility within the mail stream.

Additional resources on Tag 57 and Political and Election mail are available at Election 2012 on Blue.

Post Offices should ensure they have a sufficient supply of Tag 57 on hand. Tag 57 can be obtained from the Material Distribution Center (MDC) using normal ordering procedures and stock number PSN 7690-02-000-9965.

via USPS News Link Story – Adding visibility.

From the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers:

Washington, DC, June 27, 2012 – Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform and the leading sponsor of the postal reform bill, H.R. 2309, informed the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers yesterday that Section 403 of the bill will be deleted when the bill goes to the House floor for a vote later this summer. The Alliance had strongly opposed Section 403, which would have eliminated nonprofit postal rates over a 12-year period.

The Alliance greeted the news with relief. “We have averted a serious problem,” said Meta Brophy, Director Publishing Operations at Consumer Reports. “Congratulations to the Alliance members that took the time to educate their Representatives about the importance of this issue. And kudos to Chairman Issa and his colleagues, who recognized the importance of preserving the benefits offered by the nonprofit sector to a healthy civil society, especially now, when the government’s resources have become so overstretched.”

Nonprofit postal rates have existed for nearly a century. This has reflected a judgment by the American people that discounted postal rates, like tax exemption, were a cost-effective way of providing needed public services at a lower cost than government would incur. Nonprofit rates also reflect a belief that a flourishing nonprofit sector strengthens our civil society and encourages democracy by promoting a diversity of organizations that mediate between the government and the individual.

Elimination of Section 403 frees the Alliance and its members to support the House bill. “Now we can support H.R. 2309 publicly.”

The greatest virtue of H.R. 2309, she explained, is the willingness of its sponsors to tackle the Postal Service’s basic structural problem: the organization’s out-of-control costs. “The USPS has too many underused post offices; too many mail processing hubs; and too many employees for the shrinking volume of mail it handles. All of this is burdening the USPS with billions of dollars a year in excess costs.”

“The House bill authorizes the creation of a control board and other cost cutting measures to tackle these problems if the USPS and its stakeholders are unable or unwilling to do so. The USPS needs to operate on sustainable long-term financial footing, ensuring that nonprofit organizations – and everyone else – can continue to rely on the mail.”

“We are under no illusion that the cost cutting will be painless. The tough economic times of the past five years have forced nonprofits to lay off employees, reduce overhead costs, and cut mission-related spending to survive. The necessary restructuring of the USPS almost certainly will mean further belt-tightening by all of its stakeholders, including nonprofits. But there really is no alternative. Without these reforms, the USPS faces a future of red ink, runaway rate increases, declining mail volume, and taxpayer-funded bailouts.”

“The choice is straightforward: we want the USPS to achieve long-run financial sustainability. We do not want to let the public enterprise that Benjamin Franklin founded become another Greece.”