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Top NALC: ‘Contracting Out’ Moratorium Extended To September 30 NALC President William H. Young announced June 13 that he has obtained agreement from the Postal Service to extend the moratorium on delivery subcontracting called for by the Article 32 Committee Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the National Agreement through September 30, 2008, the end of the USPS Fiscal Year. The moratorium applies to city carrier offices not covered by the National Agreement’s life-of-the-contract ban on CDS routes in offices that employ only city carriers. The NALC and the Postal Service, meanwhile, continue to update the list of city carrier offices covered by the MOU on Subcontracting. That MOU prohibits any outsourcing of delivery in covered offices for the life of the contract. Young said another list of affected CDS routes that will be converted to regular delivery in June will soon be released. The extension of the moratorium on subcontracting in offices where letter carriers work side by side with rural carriers and CDS contractors will permit the Article 32 Committee to complete its work, as outlined in the MOU contained in the 2006-2011 contract. Young applauded the continued cooperation of Postmaster General John E. Potter and Vice President for Labor Relations Doug Tulino on the issue of the moratorium. DHL TO EXPAND USPS
DELIVERIES Labor Organization Annual Financial Reports; Proposed Rule The Department of Labor proposed a new rule today that would revise Form LM-2, Schedules 11 and 12 to include the value of benefits paid to and on behalf of labor organization officers and employees. This will provide a more accurate picture of total compensation received by labor organization officers and employees. In addition, the proposed changes will require the reporting on Schedules 11 and 12 of travel reimbursements indirectly paid on behalf of labor organization officers and employees. Comments must be received on or before June 26, 2008. You may submit comments, identified by RIN 1215-AB62, by the following methods: Internet – Federal eRulemaking Portal. Electronic comments may be submitted through www.regulations.gov. To locate the proposed rule, use key words such as "Labor-Management Standards" or "Labor Organization Annual Financial Reports" to search for documents accepting comments. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Please be advised that comments received will be posted without change to www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. Mail: Mailed comments should be sent to: Kay H. Oshel Because of security precautions the Department continues to experience delays in U.S. mail delivery. You should take this into consideration when preparing to meet the deadline for submitting comments. For links to the Federal Register Notice, please visit: http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/olms/form_lm2-3.html
USPS
REPORTS SECOND QUARTER LOSS — ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN CITED Despite cost-cutting measures, the Postal Service ended the second
quarter with a net loss of $707 million, driven by a continued decline in
mail volume resulting from the current national economic climate.
Meanwhile, the on-time delivery of First-Class Mail continued at record
levels in the second quarter. NALC Golden Gate Branch 214 call for abusive Supervisor to be removed from supervising carriers AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL Millions
Squandered On Government Cards
Resolutions in support of labor action against the war The resolution attached below was adopted with no opposition by the
N.Y. Metro Area local of the American Postal Workers Union at its 19 March
membership meeting. PEN Editor: See below for San Francisco NALC Branch 214 - please post comments here. San Francisco Letter Carriers on May Day and the war RESOLVED: That Branch 214 of the National Association of Letter
Carriers, representing 2, 700 letter carriers in the San Francisco Bay
Area, request that carriers in all carrier stations observe 2 minutes of
silence at 8:15 AM on May Day May 1st, 2008 in honor of International
Workers Day and in solidarity with the ILWU longshore workers¹ action in
stopping work in all West Coast ports for 8 hours on May Day, to express
our opposition to the war in Iraq. National grievance filed on 2008 rural mail count National Rural Letter Carriers Association March 20, 2008 Mr. William Daigneault Dear Mr. Daigneault: Pursuant to Article 15, Section 4(D), of the parties' National Agreement, the Association submits this National Level grievance on the following dispute. During the February 23 — March 7, 2008, National Mail Count, the Postal Service failed to ensure an even flow of mail on rural routes as required by Article 30, Section 1.A, Article 19 and Section 534 of Handbook P0-603, to the detriment and disadvantage of all bargaining unit employees. Rural routes experienced an unprecedented and substantial drop in the normal volume of rural route mail during the 2008 NMC for several reasons, including but not limited to, the Postal Service's failure to provide rural routes with dated and other mailings during the 12 working days of the count. The Association expressly reserves the right to modify and/or amend this grievance as additional facts are discovered through additional investigation and responses to information requests. The Association's remedial request includes, but is not limited to, a substitution of the 2008 NMC volume-related columns with the volumes recorded in the same columns for the last mail count for each rural route or, at the regular rural carrier's sole discretion, the complete and total nullification of any counts or results of any portion of the 2008 NMC. In addition, an appropriate remedy must be fashioned for any rural route that was counted for the first time during the 2008 NMC. All bargaining unit employees shall likewise be made whole in any and all respects, including the provision of interest at the Federal Judgment Rate on any monetary payments. The Association expressly reserves the right to modify and/or amend its remedial request and to seek additional remedies if warranted by disclosure of additional facts not presently known. Please contact my office to determine the earliest possible date to discuss this very important issue. Sincerely, Donnie Pitts, President FedEx Home Delivery is defending its illegal contractor model in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In a brief filed March 17, FedEx Home Delivery is requesting a review of a National Labor Relations Board determination that drivers at two Massachusetts terminals are employees and not "contractors" as contended by FedEx. The drivers at the two facilities overwhelmingly voted in October 2006 to join Teamsters Local 25. The NLRB ordered FedEx to bargain with Local 25, but FedEx refused to do so and filed the request for review in the Court of Appeals instead. The D.C. Circuit is the highest court yet to hear a case on FedEx's illegal contractor model. FedEx's filing restates the many losing arguments that the company has tried in previous trials and hearings before the NLRB, civil courts and state and federal agencies. FedEx's brief focuses on the false claims of "entrepreneurship" offered by the company and ignores the many control factors that directs the drivers as employees in practice. "The National Labor Relations Board has repeatedly and rightly determined that FedEx Ground and Home Delivery drivers are employees, yet FedEx is trotting out the same failed arguments and false promises before the Court of Appeals," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "Instead of sitting down, negotiating a contract with these drivers that literally deliver profits to FedEx everyday and getting back to business, FedEx is repeating its mistakes," said Local 25 President Sean O'Brien. "These drivers and Local 25 are ready to talk and get a contract, but FedEx insists on delaying the process and raising the stakes with an appeal that will only result in another legal setback to its scam contractor model." After FedEx Corporation held its quarterly conference call to report its earnings, Reuters and other reporters are pointing out how legal challenges to the "contractor" model are weighing FDX down. Revenue at FedEx's ground delivery unit FedEx Ground rose to $1.72 billion from $1.52 billion, but margins were hurt by intercompany charges and "costs to enhance and defend" its independent contractor model. FedEx faces lawsuits in more than 30 states that claim the contractors should be classified as employees. The Internal Revenue Service has also tentatively concluded that the 15,000 contractors at FedEx Ground should be reclassified as employees and that the company owes more than $319 million in taxes and penalties for 2002. "I am concerned that we have this situation where the management is spending so much time, effort and money on this issue," said the AHA Diversified Equity Fund's Meyers. "For me, that is the only wart in FedEx's results." Recent USPS MSPB Cases Appellant: Dean J. Balouris The agency petitioned for review of an initial decision that mitigated the appellant’s removal to a 60-day suspension. The removal action, based on a charge of “Unacceptable Conduct/Assault,” related to an incident between the appellant and another letter carrier, Sullivan. The agency charged that, after heated words between the two were exchanged, the appellant punched Sullivan in the side of the face. The AJ, however, believed the appellant’s testimony that he reflexively pushed Sullivan away after Sullivan had spit on him and, in doing so, accidentally hit Sullivan in the face. The AJ also found that Sullivan instigated the altercation by referring to the appellant as an “a**hole” in a telephone conversation with a third party within the appellant’s hearing. In light of these findings, and that (1) Sullivan suffered only minor injuries, (2) Sullivan was only issued a letter of warning, and (3) the appellant had 15 years of satisfactory service with no previous disciplinary record, the AJ found that the removal penalty exceeded the bounds of reasonableness and mitigated the penalty to a 60-day suspension. Holding: A majority of the Board, Member Sapin dissenting, granted the agency’s PFR and reinstated the removal penalty. Although the majority found no error in the AJ’s finding that the appellant did not intentionally strike Sullivan, it concluded that the deciding official had weighed the relevant Douglas factors and that the removal penalty was within the bounds of reasonableness. Relying on the same factors as did the AJ, Member Sapin concluded that the removal penalty exceeded the bounds of reasonableness, and would have affirmed the mitigation to a 60-day suspension. And also this case... Appellant: Cheryl W. Nevins The appellant petitioned for review of an initial decision that dismissed her restoration appeal for lack of jurisdiction. The appellant experienced a work-related injury to her eyes in 1991. In 1997, the agency offered the appellant a limited-duty assignment, which she refused to accept, and resigned from her federal employment. There was extensive litigation between the appellant and the Department of Labor, including the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) and Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), starting in 1998, and concluding on February 26, 2006, when the ECAB found that the appellant did not have any permanent residual affect from the employment injury, and affirmed OWCP’s action terminating compensation in 2004. Holdings: The Board granted the appellant’s PFR, reversed the initial decision, and remanded the appeal to the regional office for adjudication on the merits: 1. Where an employee fully recovers from a compensable injury after more than a year, MSPB jurisdiction requires nonfrivolous allegations that: (1) the appellant was separated because of a compensable injury; (2) she has fully recovered more than a year after the date she became eligible for OWCP benefits; (3) she requested restoration within 30 days after the cessation of OWCP compensation; and (4) she believes that the agency violated her reemployment priority rights. 2. The first and fourth elements are satisfied, as there is no dispute that the appellant’s OWCP compensation benefits were terminated in 2004, and that the agency has not subsequently entered the appellant on its reemployment priority list. 3. OWCP eventually determined that it did not make a valid work suitability determination with regard to the limited-duty position offered to the appellant in 1997, and she has alleged that her resignation arose in the context of rejecting the same limited-duty position. The appellant thereby made a nonfrivolous allegation that this separation resulted from, or was substantially related to, her compensable injury, satisfying the first element of the jurisdictional standard. 4. With regard to the third jurisdictional element—a timely request for restoration—the Board found that the appellant has raised a sufficient factual dispute as to require a hearing. A remand is therefore required. TEXARKANA COUPLE GUILTY OF USPS CREDIT CARD FRAUD (TEXARKANA, TX) United States Attorney John L. Ratcliffe announced today that a Texarkana, Texas couple have pleaded guilty to federal charges in the Eastern District of Texas. PAUL GREGORY, 43, and MILLIE GREGORY, 40, both of Texarkana, were indicted in October 2007 and charged with conspiracy to use unauthorized access devices and use of unauthorized access devices. They each pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge David Folsom. According to information presented in court, former postal contractor, Paul Gregory, and postal employee, Mille Gregory, admitted to illegally using two United States Postal Services Voyager gasoline credit cards to buy gasoline for themselves and to sell gasoline to others. Over a ten month period, the couple fraudulently charged $47,393.23 to the cards for gas purchases in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Paul and Millie Gregory each face up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00 and restitution of $47,393.23. A sentencing date has not been set. This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise Simpson. Read this USPS report here: 2007 USPS Annual Report A few facts from the USPS Annual Report for 2007
Read this USPS report here: 2007 USPS Annual Report 2007 Embezzlement of Union Funds APWU Branch 715 APWU Local 238 On August 17, 2007, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, William Kendrick, former Treasurer of APWU Local 238, was sentenced to six months of home detention, five years probation, and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $26,236.94. On May 23, 2007, Kendrick pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to embezzle union funds. On May 23, 2007, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, William Kendrick, former Treasurer of APWU Local 238, pled guilty to conspiring to embezzle union funds. Kendrick and Dwayne Giles, former Local 238 President, co-signed checks that allowed Kendrick to embezzle approximately $26,237 in union funds. On February 28, 2007, Kendrick was charged with one count of conspiring to embezzle union funds in the same amount. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Kansas City Resident Office. On February 28, 2007, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Dwayne Giles and William Kendrick, former President and Treasurer, respectively, for APWU Local 238, were charged in a one-count indictment with conspiring to embezzle union funds. The two are alleged to have co-signed checks that allowed Giles to embezzle approximately $15,589 and Kendricks to embezzle approximately $26,237 in union funds. APWU Local 7065 DEC. 24 EXECUTIVE
ORDER EXCLUDES USPS The Executive Order President Bush issued yesterday excusing executive branch employees from duty Monday, Dec. 24, does not include postal employees. The day is to be treated as a normal business day for USPS. Office of Personnel Management Director Linda Springer said the Executive Order “does not affect Postal Service workers, nor does it include Executive Branch employees whose agencies determine they cannot be excused for reasons of national security, defense or other essential public need.” Click here to read Springer’s statement.
USPS Seeking Beverage and Food Service Suppliers I wonder how this solicitation complies with the Randolph-Sheppard Act, which gives preference to blind venders in federal and USPS facilities? The USPS is required to go through the state agencies for the blind. Code of Federal Regulations, 34 CFR 395.1x: "Vending facility" means automatic vending machines, cafeterias, snack bars, cart service, shelters, counters, and such other appropriate auxiliary equipment which may be operated by blind licensees and which is necessary for the sale of newspapers, periodicals, confections, tobacco products, foods, beverages, and other articles or services dispensed automatically or manually and prepared on or off the premises in accordance with all applicable health laws, and including the vending or exchange of changes for any lottery authorized by State law and conducted by an agency of a State within such State." Arizona Department of Economic Security, Rehabilitation Services Division v. United States Postal Service (June 17, 2005) http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-20929.htm After reviewing all of the records and hearing testimony of witnesses, the panel concluded that the Act requires Federal agencies to give priority to blind vendors in the operation of vending facilities on Federal properties. To accomplish this, Federal agencies and SLAs enter into permit agreements authorizing the operation of vending facilities by licensed blind vendors. However, the panel noted that the Act does not authorize Federal agencies to collect commissions from a blind vendor or the SLA without the authorization of the Secretary of Education. Moreover, Federal agencies are not permitted to go outside the Department of Education's regulations and substitute a negotiated vending agreement in place of the permit system. Don Cheney
FSS Will Get Carriers To The Street Earlier -
That's a Myth
I saw the following mailer's quote today, on
LiteBlue, and want to respond. The
quote is:
It is a MYTH that machines like the Flats
Sequencing System will get carriers out to the
street earlier. It didn't happen with Delivery
Point Sequence letters and it won't happen with
FSS. It would only be true if you had enough
machines and facilities to process that much
mail in a very short time. That solution would
be very expensive and isn't going to happen. Find available PO Boxes
online! Starting Friday, Nov. 9, customers no longer have to visit or call around to different Post Offices to find an available PO Box. They can find them online at usps.com. The Postal Service’s new PO Boxes Available locator will make finding just the right PO Box “Quick. Easy. Convenient.” To check it out, customers can go to usps.com and click on Locate a Post Office in the upper right-hand corner. Under the drop-down menu for “What are you trying to locate?” they can choose the new option “PO Boxes Available” and search by either ZIP Code or address. Customers will then receive a list of the closest Post Offices along with PO Box information for each office. Information includes availability by box size and associated six-month box fees, as well as standard address, phone and fax numbers for each listed office. They can then click on More Info under each Post Office for more details, including PO Box lobby hours. The PO Box Available online locator uses information from WebBATS to make it easier than ever for customers to locate a PO Box, help fill vacancies and boost your office’s revenue. If your office isn’t on WebBATS, your PO Box availability information won’t be available. Remember, this new feature doesn’t go online until Friday, Nov. 9, 2007.
Employee benefits open season begins Nov. 12,
2007 It’s Open Season. Beginning Nov. 12, you can update your health benefits, dental and vision coverage, sign up for flexible spending accounts, adjust your Thrift Savings Plan contributions and elect annual leave exchange. Or not. It’s up to you. Starting Monday, employees can make changes in their Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage, including the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). The deadline to make changes in FEDVIP is midnight, ET, Dec. 10. Open Season for FEHB ends at 5 p.m., CT, Dec. 11. Open Season for Flexible Spending Accounts also begins Nov. 12 and lasts until 5 p.m. CT, Dec. 29. Open Season for the Annual Leave Exchange begins Nov. 15 and ends at midnight Dec. 15. You can make changes to all these programs online or by telephone. On the Internet, go to https://liteblue.usps.gov and select PostalEASE under Employee Self Service, or access PostalEASE at http://blue.usps.gov. If you prefer, call the Employee Service line at 877-477-3273 and select Option 1.
RUMOR HAS IT . . . WRONG
NEW BEGINNINGS - Potter and executives focus on
2008 USPS
BOARD OF GOVERNORS SETS 2008 FINANCIAL PLAN The Postal Service Board of Governors today approved an aggressive 2008 financial plan for the Postal Service that includes $1 billion in cost savings and puts its expense growth lower than inflation. USPS operating, capital and financing plans for the new fiscal year, known as the Integrated Financial Plan (IFP), project expense growth below the assumed increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most commonly used benchmark for inflation. Those projections do not assume any price changes for postal products and services over the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The Board of Governors has not made a decision on future prices but applauded the Postal Regulatory Commission for being well ahead of schedule with its recommendations on the new rate regulations. The IFP projects revenue of $78.2 billion and expenses of $78.8 billion in fiscal 2008, for a net loss of $600 million. The financial plan is significantly affected by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (the Postal Act of 2006), as are finances in the current fiscal year. 2007 — One-time costs For fiscal 2007, the Postal Service projects revenues of $75 billion and expenses of $80.4 billion for a projected net loss of $5.4 billion. The net loss of $5.4 billion includes operating income of $1.5 billion and a $6.9 billion negative financial impact from the Postal Act of 2006 — which includes a $3 billion one-time escrow expense, which was required under the previous law, an additional $5.4 billion payment into the Retiree Health Benefit Fund for 2007, and $1.5 billion in savings from Civil Service Retirement System relief. “Absent the negative financial impacts from the Postal Act of 2006, the Postal Service projects operating income of $1.5 billion this year and $400 million next year,” Chief Financial Officer H. Glen Walker said. 2008 — Expense growth below inflation Total expenses for fiscal 2008 are planned at $78.8 billion, or 2 percent below projected fiscal 2007 expenses. Even after excluding the $3 billion in one-time escrow expenses from 2007, expense growth in fiscal 2008 is projected at 1.8 percent, below the assumed growth in the CPI. The 2008 plan predicts a record ninth consecutive year of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth, which measures the relationship between workload and resource usage. TFP is planned to grow by 1 percent in 2008. USPS CONCLUDES EAS PAY
CONSULTATION Pay consultations with the Postal Service and the National Association of Postal Supervisors, The National League of Postmasters and the National Association of Postmasters of the United States have concluded, resulting in a four-year compensation package that will remain in effect through fiscal year 2010. Labor Relations Vice President Doug Tulino said, “This four-year pay package extends our market-based, performance driven compensation philosophy using our award-winning Pay-for-Performance program as the foundation for building organizational success.” CONTRACTED DELIVERY ALIVE AND WELL UNDER NEW CONTRACT The NALC recently announced that a tentative agreement has been reached with USPS. The NALC site states "The proposed contract includes new limits on contracting out of city letter carrier work in more than 3,000 city delivery installations." It is my personal opinion that carriers nationwide should immediately demand that either the NALC or USPS, or both, provide them with a complete list of these delivery installations BEFORE ratification is considered. According to USPS we "Serve more than 9 million customers daily at nearly 37,000 Post Offices." Now, keeping the 37,000 post offices in mind - just how many cities service the proposed '3000 city delivery installations' that the NALC is referring to? All major cities have more than one delivery station (installation) - some have more than 10-15 delivery stations. So, in the real world, just how many cities will receive protection against contract delivery under this proposed NALC/USPS agreement? 300 cities? 500 cities? I say to you that it is my 'guess' that most of the smaller cities across the nation will NOT be on any protected list against contract delivery. I say to you that one of the reasons behind this is possibly the fact that the vast majority of NALC members work and reside in larger postal cities such as NYC, Atlanta, Chicago, etc. Smaller cities, where carriers deliver from only one or two stations, MAY not receive any protection against contract carriers being hired. What does this mean to you? Well, it means that for the immediate future you won't have to worry about it - for the long haul carriers could lose jobs, weaker voices (less carriers equals less power), and through DOIS based route adjustments carrier routes will be adjusted DOWN to aux routes which may be offered via contract carrier - hence, less USPS carrier routes for official USPS carriers. Attrition will take care of much of the fallout from contract carrier use, but the future of officially uniformed letter carriers will be vastly affected and along with this the service this nation under our postal system. It is very possible that I may be totally incorrect - if the national NALC can prove that what I say has no basis at all then please do so. That is my opinion and I am sticking to it. Rick Owens
Biohazard Detection System Employees have made the local aware that management has instructed them to process raw stamped collection mail that was never processed though the biohazard detection system on an advanced facer-canceler system (AFCS), This practice, as harmless as it may seem, has put all employees of the postal service and all citizens of the United States in harms way. I have discussed this serious breach of security with the postal service at the safety and health meeting. On December 9, 2005 postal headquarters issued a policy instructing them not to by-pass the biohazard detection system (BDS). I have attached the document to this email. If you see this serious breach in security happening again, please advise me so I can address it immediately. We must never allow our safety to be comprised just to improve some manager's service scores. Family Medical Leave Act The Central NJ District has a new acting FMLA coordinator who has begun to rewrite the Family Medical Leave Act. We are seeing whole denials and abuse of our rights, which are afforded to us under FMLA. If any FMLA leave is denied, additional documentation is requested or personal information is requested by the FMLA coordinator please contact the local. Currently, we have several cases being appealed in the grievance arbitration process and we are also advancing one case through the Department of Labor. Bill Lewis - President, TMAL #1020 Travel Payment Phoney baloney: Postal Inspectors warn employees to avoid insurance
scammers QWL for Everyone NEWS RELEASE FROM U.S.
POSTAL SERVICE: Keys of Post Office Clerk Aboard R.M.S. Titanic to be Auctioned Given the demand of the job, sea post service was reserved for the best of the best, and a position in a transatlantic post office was highly sought after. Often, these clerks were selected from their posts on the railway postal service or from other positions in the foreign mail division. Life as a sea post clerk was a busy and rewarding one, but also a precarious one. The mail was considered precious cargo and the clerks were expected to protect it at all costs--even with their lives if necessary. Of Titanic's five postal clerks, two were British and three were American. None survived. During the sinking they were seen working feverishly to protect the mail from the rising water, probably giving little thought to their own safety. Oscar S. Woody was one of the American clerks. He had previously worked for the Railway Mail Service and, on April 1, 1912, was directed to join Titanic as a sea post clerk for her maiden voyage from Southampton. April 15, 1912, the day Titanic was lost, marked Woody's 44th birthday. Woody's body was recovered by the cable ship Mackay-Bennett and assigned body No. 167. Due to its condition, Woody was buried at sea. In Halifax, an inventory was made of Woody's personal effects. They included a quantity of postal facing slips. These slips were used for bundles of mail being delivered to the same location. Also recovered were keys and a chain. These effects, along with some others, were placed into a stenciled bag and returned to Woody's widow in America. Woody had been a member of the Freemasons and his effects were bequeathed by his estate to that society to raise money for philanthropic purposes. The keys and chain were exhibited by the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. The exhibition, entitled "Posted Aboard R.M.S. Titanic", it can now be visited online at www.postalmuseum.si.edu/titanic. Offered for auction on the 21st April are the keys and chain recovered from Oscar Woody's body. The chain is approximately 24" long starting with a belt buckle loop containing a small clasp inscribed "U.S." The chain ends with a ring holding three keys. The loop and ring are connected by 43 identical links. The largest of the keys was manufactured by the Eagle Lock Company of Terryville, Connecticut USA and was used to open a special mailbag padlock. One side of the key is stamped "U.S. MAIL 19". Stamped on the obverse is "SEA POST 101". It is believed that the No. 101 referred to ships of the White Star Line, with No. 100 belonging to ships of the Cunard Line. The small two-lever barrel key with a round head was likely intended for lever locks installed on furniture of the period, such as a desk drawer. In such a locker or drawer could be kept rubber name stamps such as the one Woody used for his facing slips, as well as cancellation stamps, etc. The small lever lock barrel key with the oval head matches stock barrel keys of the era used on items such as steamer trunks. This key was likely for Woody's personal luggage. The keys and chain exhibit a light coating of rust owing to their submersion in salt water and could probably be restored to brilliance if one were inclined to do so. In their current state all the markings are discernible. The only other Titanic postal clerk to be recovered was American John Starr March, but no keys were recovered from his body. The keys and chain offered in this lot are arguably among the most historically significant Titanic and philatelic artifacts ever to come to market, supported by extraordinary provenance. This may represent the only opportunity one will ever have to acquire the only known keys to Titanic's on-board post office; and the only keys recovered directly from the body of one of her postal clerks and are estimated at £30000-£50000. But the Oscar Woody Keys and Alfred Rowe archive only account for a very small percentage of the auction. Another stunning collection on offer relates to William Gwinn. Like his colleague Oscar Woody, Gwinn was a seasoned veteran of the Trans Atlantic postal service. Part one of this stunning archive offers Titanic collectors the opportunity to acquire a letter written by Gwinn to his wife Florence prior to the sinking and also offered is one of only two photographs known of Gwinn in existence. This emotive collection gives the reader of any of these letters a snapshot into the long distance relationship between Gwinn and his wife. Further lots included are photographs from Stanley May showing Titanic at Southampton, a very rare First Class menu for a luncheon onboard Olympic on the 20th September 1911, the day of the collision with HMS Hawke, publicity material relating to Titanic maiden voyage, material from 3rd Officer Herbert Pitman, over 50 lots of rare and unusual postcards of Titanic, a silver Benson pocket watch given by the Countess of Rothes to Bedroom Steward Alfred Crawford shortly after the sinking and a series of photographs of the aftermath of the sinking including several of Halifax are expected to realize in excess of £1500 each. The principal lots in the auction will be on show at Titanic Made in Belfast from 7th – 14th April and in Devizes on April 20th and the morning of the sale. Alan Aldridge will also be holding a lecture called Titanic at auction in aid the Youth Action for Wiltshire “Kev’s Van Appeal” on the 20th April at 2pm. All proceeds of the lecture will go to the appeal and those visiting will also have the opportunity to view items relating to the Titanic in an exhibition that will run alongside the auction items. The appeal itself is about raising money to buy a new van to help Youth Action Wiltshire. The charity supports youth groups throughout the county and Kevin Whitehorn provides an invaluable service by taking play equipment out to the rural areas. Henry Aldridge are the leading auctioneers of Titanic and White Star Line memorabilia and are now accepting entries for their next auction of this genre on September 22nd. Please contact either Alan Aldridge Principal or Andrew Aldridge BA Hons MRICS for further details. US Postal Service To Debut R2-D2 Collection Boxes Thirty years ago, a film that captivated America began with the opening words “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” Everyone knows what that film was. STAR WARS! The Postal Service is embarking on a promotional partnership that could begin with something similar, “A short time from now, in a collection box not so far, far away…” By tomorrow morning, 400 collection boxes across the country will feature an R2D2 wrap. R2D2 is the little bubble-headed Star Wars android who speaks in whistles and chirps. And while none of us can say yet what the partnership is, we can tell you that an exciting announcement about it will be made March 28. In case your customers ask, the collection boxes are completely functional — they can drop letters and packages in them as they would a regular collection box. The R2D2 boxes will temporarily replace high-volume collection boxes in high-visibility locations. These new boxes will be on the streets for approximately three weeks. Customers also may ask you why we’re doing this. Let them know that it’s part of a promotion — but that’s all you can say for now! If they want to know more, tell them to go to the website printed on the wrap — www.uspsjedimaster.com - for further details. Customers are going to be intrigued by this promotion. You yourself are probably intrigued. More will be revealed March 28. Taxes on competitive products - New Postal Law Q. I have been reading about our break-even requirement being abolished and that we are now able to make a profit. I have a concern. As long as we were just covering expenses, we were able to keep costs lower than our competitors. Although our competitors could charge whatever they wanted, it seems to me that the Postal Service, being non-profit, actually forced our competitors to keep their prices lower too so they could compete with us. This was of great benefit to the American people, especially those in the lower socioeconomic segment of the population. If we now make a profit, are we going to fall into the greedy category too and delivery service prices among all companies will skyrocket? Who, really, is going to benefit from Postal Service profits? A. The law allows for profits and retained earnings in both the market-dominant and competitive product categories. For competitive products, these profits will help fund the cost of our universal service obligation for market-dominant products through the payment of an “internal” income tax. Since market-dominant prices will be tied to the rate of inflation, our challenge will be to find opportunities for both revenue growth and cost reductions. In any given year, the combination of revenue growth and cost reduction may not yield a profit. Retained earnings will better allow us to manage the ups and downs of this business cycle. Finally, retained earnings will allow the Postal Service to reinvest to improve operations. Investments in competitive products may provide the opportunity to achieve greater profits and in turn further offset the cost of market-dominant products. For market-dominant products, these investments will help keep costs under the rate of inflation. In all cases, achieving profits and retained earnings will be beneficial to the Postal Service, the mailing industry and the American people. Q. Since we would pay federal taxes on competitive products, would we also need to charge and collect state sales tax on these products? A. No, this is not a sales tax but an “income tax.” The computed tax would be for regulatory purposes only and once computed, the tax would be transferred from the Competitive Product Fund to the Postal Service Fund in January each year. Q. What is the income threshold for paying taxes and what percent of the income would be taxed? A. The tax is based on the IRS code of 1986 and would therefore use the IRS tables to determine the income threshold. Currently, the minimum threshold is 15% for the first $50,000 of taxable income and the maximum corporate tax rate is 35% for taxable income over $18.33 million. Q. Will the tax be included in the price for the service or will it be a separate charge? A. The effect of the income tax expense will have to be taken into account when pricing our competitive products. Since this is not a sales tax, however, there would not be a separate charge to the customer. APWU Officers Subject of Criminal Enforcement Actions During 2006 several APWU officers were subject to criminal investigation by OLMS - The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). Some were: On December 29, 2006 in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Charyle Emel, former President of American Postal Workers Union Local # 2013, was charged with one count of falsifying union financial records by willfully making or causing to be made a false loan agreement between herself and Local 2013. The agreement purportedly allowed Emel to borrow approximately $7000 of her USPS salary from the local and required her to repay the loan by the end of her term in office. The charge follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office and the United States Postal Service Inspector General’s Office. On December 18, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, David E. Hlavacek, Secretary Treasurer for American Postal Workers’ Union Local 7065 and the Missouri State Postal Workers’ Union, was charged with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $6,383. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Kansas City Resident Investigator Office. On February 27, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, Robb Dutchuk, former Secretary-Treasurer for American Postal Workers Union Local 349, was sentenced to three years probation, which includes six months of home confinement with electronic monitoring and work release privileges. Dutchuk was also ordered to pay restitution of $18,812.18 to the local and a $125 assessment. The sentence follows an investigation by the Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office. On February 21, 2006, in the United States District Court of the District of Wyoming, Richard Carlson, former Secretary-Treasurer for American Postal Workers Union, Local 769, was sentenced to three months time served and three years probation. He was ordered to pay restitution of $3,899.14 in addition to the $6,500 he has already repaid, plus a $100 special assessment. On December 9, 2005, Carlson pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office. On February 17, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, John McGovern and Gary Weightman, former Secretary-Treasurer and President, respectively, for American Postal Workers Union, Local 190, were arrested and indicted on three counts each of conspiring to embezzle union funds totaling over $400,000. The indictment also charged that McGovern and Weightman obstructed investigations by the American Postal Workers International Union and the Department of Labor by destroying essential financial records. The arrests and indictments follow an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office and the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. You may read more enforcement actions against APWU officers in the
following years: 2005:
Go here NEW POSTAL LAW The Financial Impact New Mail History Tracking System deployed Delivery Point Sequencing (DPS) revolutionized the way the Postal Service processes letter mail by sorting it into a carrier’s line of travel. But even with the best of systems, errors occasionally occur. Sometimes it’s human error, where a mail processing clerk sweeps the mail incorrectly. Other times, it’s machine error — where the machine has calculated an incorrect ZIP Code. And still, less-than-optimal machine performance affects the quality of the sort. And because letter carriers don’t discover these errors until they’re out on the street, service is impacted. But thanks to the Mail History Tracking System (MHTS), a new web-based application, the Postal Service can tell if there are errors and, if so, exactly where in each tray the missorted, missequenced and missent letters are located. Within one hour after completing the DPS second pass — the final sortation for DPS mail — MHTS can produce a report that lets maintenance, processing operations and delivery units know the number of errors, if any, and where they are in each letter carrier’s tray. That saves carriers time and improves delivery service. MHTS also provides mail processing and maintenance departments with vital performance information that helps them identify opportunities to improve performance in their operations. The Mail History Tracking System is being deployed nationally this week. The letter Kathy Bland received from Postmaster General John E. Potter, dated Oct. 25: Dear Ms. Bland: I want you to know how much I personally appreciate the services you provide your customer, Ms. Nola Nichols. Ms. Nichols' complimentary letter truly reveals you make a difference in the way our customers view the Postal Service by providing the best service and value possible. Actions like yours have led to record customer satisfaction scores and will help us maintain our commitment to quality customer service. Thank you for representing the United States Postal Service as a true professional and for providing our customers with a positive, meaningful experience! Sincerely, Excerpt from the letter Potter sent to Yorktown postal-service customer Nola Nichols: Many of our employees go the extra mile to be helpful, but it is significant when a customer takes the time to single out a specific individual for commendation. It is obvious from your comments that Ms. Bland is a professional who truly feels her customers are very special and takes pride in serving them. Much of our public image depends on the manner in which we treat our customers, and it is gratifying to know that her efforts reflect so favorably on this organization.
Nationwide Informational Picket to Oppose Consolidation and Reduction of
Mail Service Thursday, October 26, 2006 The Olympia Local of the American Postal Workers Union will hold an all day informational picket on Thursday, October 26, 2006 at the Olympia Post Office to protest the Postal Service’s plans to consolidate facilities and reduce mail service to the public. The Olympia action is part of a nationwide informational picket by the American Postal Workers Union. Postal workers in cities across the United States will be informing the public about consolidation plans that will reduce service to their communities. The Olympia outgoing mail has already been consolidated to Tacoma. It is worth noting that the Tacoma Plant cannot handle the extra Olympia mail. The Tacoma Plant is using overtime and often sending Tacoma mail to Seattle in order to handle the Olympia mail. In essence, Olympia mail is being worked in Tacoma and Tacoma mail is being worked in Seattle. The consolidation of the Olympia mail to Tacoma has increased costs and reduced mail service for the average citizen. However, all too often, the Postal Service no longer acts in the interest of the average citizen. Similar to other government agencies, the Postal Service increasingly acts in the interest of large corporations who have been successful in electing and influencing government officials with large amounts of money. The power of large corporations over the Postal Service is illustrated by the fact that James C. Miller III, a long time advocate for the privatization of the Postal Service, is now the current chair of the Board of Governors for the Postal Service. The governing head of the Postal Service is someone who does not believe the Postal Service should be a democratic institution. In the case of the Postal Service, the corporate influence has the added element of media power. Time Warner, the Newspaper Association of America, and other large corporate media interests are big customers of the Postal Service and have been actively supporting consolidation and other plans in their self-interest, which often comes at the expense of the general public. It is difficult for postal workers and other advocates for a democratic postal service to get their views articulated when most of the media is corporate owned and in support of a corporate oriented postal service. Therefore, postal workers will utilize picket signs on Thursday, October 26, as one method of informing the public that unwarranted consolidations will reduce mail service and increase costs for the average citizen in the country. For more information contact: Clint Burelson - clintburelson@comcast.net or 360-970-2965 Postal Service
Could Learn A Lot From GM Unions were created to serve an important purpose -- to protect workers? rights and safety. But in their zeal to negotiate as many benefits as possible, some may be hurting the very employees they represent. Workers in the automobile industry have learned this lesson the hard way. Employees of the U.S. Postal Service -- the third largest employer in the country -- should take note: Asking for too much can sometimes turn big benefits into big layoffs. Delphi, the nation's largest auto-parts supplier and employer of 34,000 hourly workers, is bankrupt. It might have something to do with the fact that Delphi's unionized workers make on average $64 per hour in wages and benefits -- more than twice what some of its competitors pay. The company is offering voluntary buyouts, while GM and Ford have announced layoffs of at least 30,000 workers each. Ford also announced this week that it is offering buyout and early retirement plans to all of its 75,000 hourly U.S. employees as a way to help shrink its workforce. The four unions whose workers serve the U.S. Postal Service have operated under similar principles -- get as much as they can for their workers. Postal employees generally earn between 20 to 30 percent more than their private-sector counterparts. Most are protected by no-layoff and no-relocation clauses. Today, the Postal Service has accumulated over $80 billion in unfunded liabilities -- mostly in the form of benefits for retirees. And the cost of health benefits continues to rise dramatically. It has shot up 36 percent -- or $2 billion per year -- since 2002. Rising healthcare expenditures were cited as a major reason for the recent layoffs at GM and Ford. Within months after increasing the first-class stamp price to 39 cents in January, the Postal Service has announced plans for another rate hike next year, and regular annual increases starting in 2009. USPS says the increase is mainly in response to rising gas prices. But its ballooning labor costs are creating a system-wide strain. If it doesn't reverse this cost-stress, its workers could face the same fate as those in Delphi, GM and Ford. If it acts now, USPS -- and its employees -- can avoid the massive cuts that have rocked auto plants from Detroit to Doraville, GA. There is plenty the agency could do to streamline costs. If its unions allowed it more efficiently distribute labor and negotiate lower pay and benefits for new hires, cuts could be spared for current employees. The Postal Service should also consider changing its pay structure to incorporate differences in cost-of-living -- a common private sector practice. USPS wages should reflect the fact that an employee in New York City, for example, has much higher living expenses than an employee in rural New Mexico. Postal unions must recognize that there is little choice. If they continue to block the agency from addressing its rising labor costs, postal workers will eventually be faced with the prospect of large-scale workforce reductions. The agency has been able to push off this problem for a few years. Through attrition, it managed to reduce its workforce slightly. And productivity gains through the use of new technology offset the drop in first-class traffic for a while. But these benefits appear to have been maximized. Meanwhile, the Postal Service continues to lose business to the Internet and courier services. In many ways, under the leadership of Postmaster General John Potter, USPS has acted like an exemplary government organization -- embracing the best practices from the corporate world. Even now, it is moving aggressively to consolidate distribution centers and make them more efficient. Postal management likes to describe their organization in corporate terms. But when it comes to trimming fat, USPS has a tendency to act like a government bureaucracy -- hiking rates on its letter-monopoly customers to avoid more painful cost-cutting measures. General Motors, Ford, and Delphi cannot solve their financial problems by simply raising prices. Clearly, such a strategy would drive consumers away at an even faster rate. Instead, they focus on becoming competitive again. That means lowering prices -- while improving quality -- to make their cars more attractive to buyers. Meanwhile, their unions, having recognized their folly a little too late, are busy negotiating buyout packages and trying to arrange soft landings for the employees caught in the crossfire. What will the Postal Service and its unions do? Face reality, lower labor costs, and hold the line on price increases? Or give in again, raise prices, lose market share, and go the way of the auto industry -- if not worse -- sooner than anyone expects? |
