Victory: FERS Sick-Leave Credit Becomes Law

APWU News President Obama signed legislation Oct. 28 that will allow postal and federal workers who retire under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to receive credit for sick leave when they retire. The new benefit was included among a number of pay and retirement provisions in a compromise version of the 2010 Defense Authorization […]

USPS ‘Incentive’ Program Results In 19,000 APWU-Craft Retirements

Approximately 19,000 USPS employees in APWU-represented crafts will retire or separate from the Postal Service before Dec. 1 and receive a $15,000 incentive under an agreement negotiated by the union. A Memorandum of Understanding creating the incentive program was signed on Aug. 24. “This agreement achieved a long-standing objective of the APWU,” said union President […]

USPS Renames Mystery Shopper Program

As the Postal Service embarks on the new fiscal year, USPS has decided to refocus its Mystery Shopper program to improve desired employee behavior and influence customer loyalty and brand recognition. “To better align with the program’s objectives and feedback from the field, the Mystery Shopper Program will become the Retail Customer Experience”, said Dean […]

USPS Partners With Hallmark to Provide Greeting Cards At Post Offices

The Postal Service has partnered with Hallmark to provide greeting cards. Reportedly the “Greeting Card test pilot” will be performed in 1,500 Post Offices. The test phase is expected to run at least one (1) year which started October 1, 2009. USPS intends full implementation to approximately 15,000 Post Offices. USPS has implemented the Greeting Card […]

Mailers Council Calls for Legislative Reform to Avoid Postal Service Insolvency

The Mailers Council, the nation’s largest coalition of mailers and mailing associations, has published a new white paper that warns of United States Postal Service insolvency without significant new legislative reform. The paper suggests other non-legislative steps to avoid collapse of the nation’s postal system. The white paper is available on the Mailers Council’s website. […]

APWU: Casual Exception, Penalty OT Exclusion Periods Set

FY 2010 Casual Exception Period Set Article 7.1.B.5 of the 2006 National Agreement provides exceptions to the six percent and 11 percent casual caps during accounting periods 3 and 4. For Fiscal Year 2010, the casual exception period will be from Nov. 21, 2009 through Jan. 15, 2010. 2009 Penalty Overtime Exclusion Period Set The […]

Postmasters Say USPS Management Styles Are Like Some Banana Republic Dictators

Excerpts from National League Postmasters President Charley Mapa: I  just returned from the LEAGUE’S Western Area II meeting held in Kansas City Missouri. In the thick of times when the constant message of the Postal Service is doom and woe, here was a group of LEAGUE Postmasters gathered to do the things that the LEAGUE […]

Postal Service Goes Mobile

New features for mobile devices It’s a Post Office on your phone. Customer convenience and product access are the focus of expanding the most poplar online services onto web-enabled mobile devices. Some of the most popular functions currently available on usps.com are now available on cell phones and other mobile devices. The new feature include […]