A 37-year-old Washington state man was arrested Wednesday in a case involving the discovery of a pair of letters containing the deadly poison ricin. Authorities say one of the letters was sent to a federal judge. (May 23)
May 23 (Reuters) – Belgian postal operator bpost will list a minority stake, currently held by private equity group CVC Funds, on the Brussels stock exchange, the group said on Thursday.
The Belgian state will continue to hold a 50.01 percent stake in the former monopoly and will not sell shares in the offering, bpost said.
Read more: Belgian postal group bpost to list on Brussels exchange | Reuters.
Junk mail is useful.So says Canada Post in a direct pitch to Canadians to take down their “no flyers” signs, arguing that they are missing out on coupons, catalogues and community notices.
Addressed to Occupant, letters from Amanda Maltby, Canada Post’s chief privacy officer and general manager of compliance began arriving this week in some residents’ mailboxes across the country.
Read more: Canada Post makes direct pitch for junk mail | Toronto Star.
APWU Web News Article 065-2013, May 22 , 2013
The tornado that killed 24 people in Moore OK has claimed the life of Richard L. Jones, a Tour 3 Clerk who was a member of the Oklahoma City Area Local. Jones worked at the mail processing facility, where was well-liked by his co-workers.
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“The devastation suffered by the community is almost too much to bear,” said Human Relations Director Sue Carney. “At last count, at least 12 postal employees lost everything. The homes of nine APWU members were destroyed, and dozens more sustained significant damage.” Two hundred thirty-seven postal employees and at least 29 retirees reside in Moore, Carney said. The Moore Post Office was demolished.
“We grieve for the families who lost loved ones and offer our encouragement, support, and prayers to those who lost their homes and a lifetime of memories,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey.
How to Help
“I urge postal employees to give generously to the Postal Employees Relief Fund, which will help postal employees put their lives back together,” Guffey said. “It is the best way postal employees can help their co-workers who are suffering.”
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PERF’s coffers are depleted, Carney said, noting that more than 350 employees who suffered losses in Hurricane Sandy requested assistance not long ago. “There’s just not enough money to go around,” she said. “We need everyone to pitch in. The situation is dire.”
In addition to PERF, many other organizations have offered to help. Union members affected by the disaster may be eligible for $500 grants from Union Plus, and the North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributers has offered assistance. The Oklahoma AFL-CIO is creating a database of union members who need assistance.
In addition, three EAP (Employee Assistance Program) consultants have been dispatched to the affected area, where they will work with the Oklahoma District EAP consultant, as well as with leaders of the postal unions and postal management.
The EAP team will focus on the Oklahoma City Air Mail Facility, where many employees have been relocated, since the Moore Post Office is closed. The team will visit offices within a 25- to 30-mile radius of Moore.
Don’t expect to receive your mail anytime soon; Fort McMurray’s postal workers are on strike.
On Wednesday morning, Canada Post informed local employees through a letter that beginning in October, parcel delivery will be contracted out to private, third-party companies.
Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 736, which represents approximately fifty of the region’s postal workers, were outraged at the news and walked off the job.
Read more: Postal workers strike over contractors, low pay | Local | News | Fort McMurray Today.
KLTV.com-Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville, Texas | ETX News
EAST TEXAS (KLTV) – The closure of the East Texas Processing and Distribution Center is going to affect the length of time it takes you to send and receive mail.
Mail starting with the 756 zip code is now being processed in Shreveport and mail starting with the 757, 758, and 759 zip codes is now being processed in the North Texas center in Coppell.
USPS officials are asking postal customers in East Texas to be patient with them as they make the transition.
What bothers postal employees most about the Processing and Distribution Center’s closure is how it’s going to affect customers.
From USPS News Link:
The Postal Service fills many roles, including custodian of priceless Depression Era murals in Post Offices across the country.
A federal program that ran from 1934 to 1943 provided work for prominent local artists to create art for government buildings, according to USPS Facilities VP Tom Samra. “We take our role in preserving them very seriously,” he said.
As USPS takes action to reduce costs and generate revenue, one initiative is to sell properties no longer needed due to continued mail volume declines and changing consumer needs. When a property contains a mural, properly locating it is a high priority.
Such was the case in Fairfield, CT. USPS invested $25,000 to restore and move the mural “Times Change and We Change With Them” after the main Post Office was sold last year. The mural now resides in the town’s Independence Hall, on loan to the city under a 25-year agreement with options to extend.
Federal Preservation Officer Dallan Wordekemper, who has negotiated many similar agreements, says they benefit both parties. The Postal Service continues to own and serve as a steward of the artwork, while the community maintains its historic connection.
“It doesn’t make sense to have art from a Post Office in California, for instance, shipped to the Smithsonian, because you’re taking it out of the community it was designed for,” said Wordekemper.
The Postal Service has the largest collection of this genre and in the past had licensed selected mural artwork for reproductions.
There are now 403 million reasons why Royal Mail should not be privatised. Financial results for Royal Mail just announced show that operating profits in the latest 52 weeks jumped to £403m, from £105m in the previous year. The government has signalled it intends to press ahead with a deeply unpopular privatisation even though Royal Mail achieved this return to profitability while remaining in the public sector.
Forty-seven members of Congress have signed a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe urging him to stand by his commitment to keep more than 70 mail processing facilities open until next spring.
“We believe it would be imprudent of the United States Postal Service (USPS) to close or eliminate processing of mail, at any facility, ahead of schedule,” the May 20 letter [PDF] says.
The letter was written in response to management’s decision to close or consolidate 71 mail processing facilities this year that were scheduled for possible consolidation in 2014.
Maintaining operations at the mail processing centers would allow Congress to take action on postal reform legislation, the letter said. “It is critically important the Postal Service not preempt Congressional action by unilaterally moving forward with elimination of overnight delivery, allowing for major shutdowns across the country of mail processing facilities,” the letter said.
The letter was initiated by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and was signed by numerous legislators who represent districts where facilities are set to close ahead of the timeframe the USPS announced last year. Rep. DeLauro has spearheaded efforts to prevent the closure of the Southern Connecticut Mail Processing Facility, said Bob Johnson, president of the Greater Connecticut Area Local. Her office has worked closely with Northeast Region Coordinator John H. Dirzius and the local on these efforts, he said.
The letter echoes requests by the APWU urging the Postmaster General to honor the commitment made to communities, lawmakers and postal workers, and encouraging legislators to move quickly to prevent the USPS from implementing the consolidations ahead of schedule.
In a May 16 letter to affected local and state presidents, Executive Vice President Greg Bell noted, “The Postal Service continues to use the lack of action by Congress to justify moving forward with its mail processing consolidations plan. By accelerating plans to close mail processing centers, the Postal Service intends to make saving these facilities a moot point.”
President Cliff Guffey praised the letter. “We are pleased that these members of Congress have recognized the urgency of the situation,” he said. “Accelerating the consolidations will unnecessarily disrupt the lives of employees, harm communities, delay service, and drive away customers,” he said.
“If management is preparing to close your plant and your representative has not signed the letter, we encourage you to find out why,” he added.
