Carter Calls for Post Office Closings Review

(Washington, DC) – Congressman John Carter is asking the U.S. Post Office for a review of the considerations used in determining which post offices to close in the agency’s cost-cutting decisions this month.

“We fully recognize that bringing federal spending under control requires difficult decisions and sacrifice,” says Carter. “But we also need to know that the tough decisions were made for the right reasons, and that any closings are based on what is least damaging for the postal customer, rather than the bureaucracy and unions.”

Carter has received numerous complaints over the closing of the South Temple Post Office, which residents say is one of the favorite and most efficient locations in the area. Post Office customers have informed Carter that they agree post office locations could be closed to lower costs, but other locations would be better choices based on the superior customer service offered by the South Temple location.

The former Texas state judge is calling for the U.S. Postal Service to provide information on the criteria used to determine which locations should be closed, and what processes are available to challenge those decisions.

Alabama Championship collectible commemorative envelopes
Alabama District – USPS

In celebration of the University of Alabama’s 14th National Football Championship, the USPS Alabama District will have available in select offices in Alabama on January 27 the limited edition Alabama Championship collectible commemorative envelopes for $10 each and double matted art (suitable for framing) for $25 each.

ROLL TIDE!

The commemorative envelopes will include a stamp and game-day cancellation. A list of participating post offices will be forthcoming.

Additionally, collectors can order this very special memorabilia by using the order form listed here. Get yours today because supplies are limited. Please allow three weeks for the delivery of your items.

At yesterday’s meeting of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors, Thurgood Marshall, Jr., was elected chairman and Mickey D. Barnett was elected vice chairman. Marshall, the Board’s current vice chairman, will succeed Chairman Louis J. Giuliano, who has served as chairman since January 2010 and will continue to serve as a governor. Marshall and Barnett will assume their new leadership roles during the Board’s next meeting in December.

Marshall is an attorney in Washington, DC and former member of the White House senior staff in the Clinton Administration. He was appointed a governor by President George W. Bush on Dec. 15, 2006. He currently serves as chairman of the Government Relations and Regulatory Committee and as a member of the Audit and Finance Committee.

Barnett is an attorney and former New Mexico state senator. He was appointed a governor by President George W. Bush on Aug. 17, 2006 and currently serves as a member of the Audit and Finance Committee and the Compensation and Management Resources Committee. Governor Barnett lives in Albuquerque, NM.

Bios of all the Governors are available at:

http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/leadership/board-governors-bios.htm#p=1

Battle Over USPS Future Enters Critical Period
Union Launches Petition Drive to Protect Post Offices, Mail Processing Centers, Service Standards

The battle over the future of the Postal Service — and our jobs — has reached a critical stage: Key senators are meeting behind closed doors in an effort to produce a compromise bill to address the USPS financial crisis. It is likely that any proposals they develop will be submitted to the congressional “super-committee” to be incorporated into the committee’s plan to reduce the nation’s deficit. 

“It is absolutely essential that we make our voices heard now — before any deal is cut that could adversely affect the future of the USPS and our members,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey.

The union has launched a petition drive with an important message: Slashing the postal network and service to customers will hurt, not help, the USPS.

Unfortunately, the Postal Service is proposing drastic reductions in both. On July 28 the USPS announced plans to close 3,700 post offices — with thousands more closures expected in the next several years — and on Sept. 14 the agency announced plans to eliminate 252 of approximately 460 mail processing facilities.

A week later, the USPS admitted something management has been denying for years: The proposed cutbacks in the postal network will lead to severe reductions in service to the American people. The Postal Service announced [PDF] in the Federal Register on Sept. 21 plans to change service standards — to eliminate overnight service for first-class mail and periodicals and to change two-day mail delivery to three days.

A Perfect Fit

The Postal Service’s slash-and-burn strategy fits perfectly with the provisions of H.R. 2309, the Postal “Destruction” Bill. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL), would destroy the Postal Service as we know it.

The Issa-Ross bill would require the USPS to make $3 billion worth of cuts in post offices and mail processing facilities within two years. In addition, it would prohibit postal unions and management from negotiating restrictions on layoffs, and would empower an appointed “solvency authority” to unilaterally cut wages and benefits.

The bill was approved by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Oct. 13 — and could come up for a vote in the full House at any time.

H.R. 1351, a bill postal unions enthusiastically support and which has more than 220 co-sponsors, hasn’t even been considered.

“We must show Congress that the American people stand with us,” said Executive Vice President Greg Bell. “If every APWU member can get 10 friends, neighbors or family members to sign a petition, we would have over 2 million signatures,” he said.

Petitions and flyers will be mailed to local and state presidents.

Completed petitions should be returned by Nov. 14 to:

Save America’s Postal Service
American Postal Workers Union
1300 L Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

United States Postal Service to Sell 2011 White House Ornament

WASHINGTON — The Postal Service has teamed with one of the nation’s leading companies producing decorative and commercial products to sell the 2011 White House Holiday Ornament at approximately 7,000 Post Offices across the country.

ChemArt of Lincoln, RI, has been the sole manufacturer of the annual White House Christmas ornament since the program inception in 1981, and was given exclusive retail distribution rights by the White House Historical Association. ChemArt and the association are proud to present the 36th ornament in the association’s series, which recalls the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt, his wife Edith and the couple’s young family when they called the White House home from 1901 until 1909.

“We anticipate that the ornament will be very popular — especially among collectors,” said Steven Mills, manager, USPS Retail Products. “Our vast retail presence will enable the product to reach a broader audience than ever before.”

The 2011 White House Holiday Christmas Ornament is now available at select Post Offices until Christmas Day for $24.99.

Also, under a licensing agreement, ChemArt will manufacture and sell holiday ornaments in 2012 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Postal Service’s Letters to Santa program. In 2013, under the agreement, ChemArt will introduce licensed Holiday ornaments based on more than 50 years of Postal Service holiday stamp images.

“All of the ornaments will be made in the USA and will be sold in Post Offices and commercial retail channels,” said Gary Thuro, manager, USPS Licensing. “We are pleased to bring quality products to our customers and generate revenue for the Postal Service.”

Customers can view an image of the collectible envelope on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps.

Summary
By the end of fiscal year 2011, with a projected net loss of about $10 billion, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) was expected to become insolvent. To mitigate this, Congress temporarily deferred USPS’s required $5.5 billion retiree health benefit payment. Over the previous 4 years, USPS experienced a cumulative net loss of just over $20 billion. USPS expects its revenue to decline further as First-Class Mail is projected to decline nearly 7 percent annually through 2020. Consequently, decisions need to be made to determine how USPS should be restructured to put it on a path to financial viability. GAO was asked to summarize (1) long-term trends related to the demand for and use of mail, and (2) options for restructuring USPS’s business model to adjust to changing mail trends. This summary is based on GAO’s past work, including GAO-11-278 (High-Risk Series: An Update) and GAO-10-455 (USPS: Strategies and Options to Facilitate Progress toward Financial Viability), both of which found that USPS urgently needs to restructure its networks and workforce to achieve and sustain financial viability. In addition, GAO also used data and related studies from USPS. GAO performed this work from September 2011 to October 2011 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. GAO provided a draft of this report to USPS for comment and incorporated technical comments provided by USPS as appropriate.

Long-term trends–highlighted in the data below–strongly suggest that the use of mail will continue to diminish as online communication and e-commerce expand. By 2020, USPS projects mail volume will decline to levels not seen since the 1980s: Total mail volume is projected to decrease by 25 percent, First-Class Mail is expected to decrease by 50 percent, and Standard Mail volume is projected to remain flat. While dire, USPS’s projections could prove optimistic if communication continues to move to digital technologies as quickly as in the recent past. For the first time, in 2010, fewer than 50 percent of all bills were paid by mail. Almost 60 percent of mail received by households in 2010 was advertising, while bills and financial statements comprised 22 percent. These trends underscore the need for USPS’s business model to undergo fundamental changes to reduce personnel and network-related costs. Restructuring USPS’s business model to adapt to decreased mail use could follow one of three primary models: a government-subsidized federal agency, the current structure with additional flexibility, or a private-sector business.

READ FULL REPORT (PDF)

“Reform of the Postal Service is vital to protecting universal service mandate. I agree Congress has a responsibility to work with USPS on this reform. But forcing workers and Postal Service union employees to break their labor agreements and to cut 6-day service is wrong.

“When you look at what is happening the Cleveland area, it is really concerning. First we saw the neighborhood post boxes disappear, and that was a staple for many communities. Instead of driving to the Post Office, anyone could just walk to the box and drop in the mail. Then we saw entire branches disappear and that presented some real hardship for people. And then you start to see private, competitive mail facilities being put right on the same properties as the Postal Service.

“It seems as though there has been a concerted effort inside the Postal Service towards a privatization model. I will fight that effort and any effort to weaken the Postal Service.

“There is something else going on that I find deeply disturbing and that is to make the employees second class citizens. The big battle happening all across the country and in Ohio is over what kind of rights workers have if they happen to work for the public. The issue in Ohio is over Senate Bill 5 and Issue 2, which I am urging be defeated.

“Why are we doing this to the people who serve the public? Why are we making those who work for the postal service second class citizens? We are moving towards a privatized model and we are treating the workers already like they have already been privatized.

“I am committed to ensuring the viability of the USPS and to the unique, irreplaceable services it provides to Americans. The Postal Service employs the greatest number of veterans outside of the Department of Defense. It provides a living wage and decent benefits for the middle-class. For communities that do not have access to the internet or to public transportation, fighting the closing of a local post office branch often means fighting for their right to interact with the outside world. That is why I am committed to ensuring that our local post offices will still be there when the economy recovers. There are ways to generate revenue without cutting jobs, privatizing essential services and closing vital post office branches in communities that rely on them.”

Letter Carriers Bring in Top Financial and Policy Experts to Advise upon Postal Reforms
Aim is to Continue High Quality Universal Postal Service and Middle-Class Jobs

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) today announced the retention of investment bank Lazard Group, LLC and former assistant to President Barack Obama for Manufacturing Policy, Ron Bloom, as financial advisors in connection with issues relating to the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Fredric V. Rolando, President of the NALC, announced the retention of its advisors to 1,500 regional and local NALC leaders gathered in a national conference to consider the current USPS financial crisis and the long-term strategic, structural and business challenges facing the USPS.

President Rolando issued the following statement:

“The nation’s letter carriers are committed to preserving six-day-a-week universal postal services to every address in every village, town and city of the nation. NALC and our financial advisors are prepared to work cooperatively with the USPS, the Congress, the White House and all other postal stakeholders and constituencies to resolve current cash flow and financial issues and develop a viable long-term, pro-growth business plan for the Postal Service.

Our efforts will be fact-based, non-political, non-ideological, and focused on the continued provision of universal service to the public and the preservation of hundreds of thousands of good middle-class jobs. We are confident that Lazard and Mr. Bloom-both of whom have extensive experience helping to revitalize numerous large and complex business enterprises around the world-can provide valuable assistance to all stakeholders who share our commitment to maintaining and growing this vital national resource.”

The Postal Service is the hub of a $1.2 trillion mailing industry that employs eight million American workers centered on its unique ‘last-mile delivery network.’ NALC is currently engaged in collective bargaining with the USPS. The current five-year collective bargaining agreement expires on November 20, 2011.

The APWU has united with a prominent veterans’ organization and other postal unions to urge members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to vote no on H.R. 2309 when the committee deliberates on Oct. 13. [Click here for live Webcast - committee deliberations begin at 10:30 a.m.]

The bill would force the Postal Service to lay off workers, including tens of thousands of veterans.

In a print ad appearing in publications [PDF] that are widely read by members of Congress, the APWU and VoteVets point out that “The USPS hires more veterans than any other civilian employer in the country.

“Some in Congress want to fire them,” the ad continues.

“Putting tens of thousands of America’s veterans out of work won’t fix the Postal Service,” the ad notes. “Congress talks a lot about patriotism, but there’s nothing patriotic about destroying the USPS, devastating mail service, and telling our veterans they’re not wanted.”

The Postal Service has announced it wants to reduce the workforce by 220,000, and is seeking authority to lay off as many as 120,000. H.R. 2309, which was introduced by Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and co-sponsored by Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL), would grant authority to a newly-established control board to carry out layoffs, despite any provisions in union contracts that limit such actions. The bill says that employees who are eligible for retirement must be laid off before employees who are ineligible, and dictates that retirement-eligible employees with the longest service must be separated first.

If 120,000 postal workers were laid off, approximately 26,000 veterans would be affected.

The Issa-Ross bill calls for $1 billion worth of cuts in post offices in the first year and $2 billion worth of cuts in mail processing facilities in the second year. If facilities are shuttered, veterans would be among the employees laid off, even if they are covered by the Veterans Preference Act.

“H.R. 2309 would destroy the Postal Service as we know it,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “In the process, it would devastate many dedicated workers, including thousands of military veterans.

“This mean-spirited bill fails to address the fundamental cause of the Postal Service’s financial difficulties,” said Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid. ”It does nothing to correct the requirement to pre-fund the healthcare benefits of future retirees, which forces the USPS to fund a 75-year liability in just 10 years, he said. No other government agency or private business is required to make these payments, which cost the Postal Service approximately $5.5 billion annually. The bill also fails to address billions of dollars in USPS overpayments to federal pension accounts, Reid noted.

“We call upon APWU members to step up their opposition to H.R. 2309 and their support for H.R. 1351,” Reid said.

H.R. 1351 would help provide the Postal Service financial stability by allowing the Postal Service to apply the pension overpayments to the pre-funding obligation. The bill, introduced by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), has 226 co-sponsors — including 29 Republicans — but Rep. Issa has refused to allow it to come up for a vote.

The ad will run in Politico, The Hill, CQ Today and the National Journal Daily on Oct. 12 and 13. Sponsoring the ad with the APWU and VoteVets are the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association.

On Sept. 27, members of the Postal Service’s four employee unions will join forces with members of our communities to send a message to the nation and Congress through informational rallies at the home office of each member of the House of Representatives, to thank those members who have signed on as co-sponsors of H.R. 1351 (PDF), and to encourage those who have not signed on as co-sponsors to do so. Click here to visit the official event website, which now includes a list of rally sites and much more.

Source: NALC