Court:NALC Retirement Trust Fund Was Improperly Amended
Halline Overby, an annuitant in a retirement trust fund operated by National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), and his wife Paulette Overby brought suit in district court seeking a declaration that a purported amendment to the trust plan which would have rendered Paulette Overby ineligible to receive benefits under the plan as a surviving spouse was not properly adopted and is therefore inoperative. The district court found that the trustees of the plan had not submitted the amendment to the fund’s actuaries for an evaluation and estimate of its cost, as required by the governing provisions of the plan, and therefore held that the amendment was not properly adopted. NALC appeals, arguing that the district court erred both in its findings of fact and in its conclusions of law. Upon review, for the reasons more fully set forth below, we hold that the district court committed no reversible error in either its factual determinations or in its conclusions of law. We therefore affirm the judgment of the district court.
U. S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
February 26, 2010
Halline Overby v. Natl Assn of Letter Carriers
USPS Statement for Response to Media Inquiries Only Regarding the National Reassessment Process
The non-tax supported U.S. Postal Service views the safety and well being of its employees as its top priority. In situations where employees have been injured on the job, we make every attempt to provide necessary work that meets their physical limitations until they are able to return to their regular work assignment.
These jobs are referred to as limited duty or rehabilitative duty assignments and often involve sorting mail by hand.
Two issues have virtually eliminated these positions — advancements in mail sorting technology and the dramatic decline in mail volume as a result of the downturn in the economy. Mail volume peaked nationwide in 2006 with 212 billion pieces as contrasted with 175 billion pieces in 2009.
The National Reassessment Process (NRP), launched nationwide by the Postal Service in October of 2006, reviews assignments of injured ON THE JOB workers to ensure they are performing duties that fit the operational needs of the U.S. Postal Service. If necessary work is unavailable, employees are advised of their right to file for compensation with the Office of Workers Compensation Programs (OWCP) under the U.S. Department of Labor.
Employees who obtain injury compensation benefits from the OWCP may participate in the OWCP Vocational Rehabilitation program for placement in a new job with other federal agencies or private sector employment.
If NRP affected employees obtain a new non-postal job paying less than what they made at the Postal Service, they receive the difference through the Department of Labor which forwards the cost to the Postal Service.
The decision to pay employee compensation or to participate in the Vocational Rehabilitation program rests with the OWCP.
The U.S. Postal Service has worked closely with the OWCP and the U.S. Department of Labor in administering the NRP.
The NRP matter remains in continuing litigation. To ensure the integrity of that legal process, and in keeping with its employee personnel rules and privacy statutes, the U.S. Postal Service cannot comment on any specific NRP situation or NRP-affected employee.
source: U.S. Postal Service via KCNC TV Denver
APWU Wins Important Maintenance Subcontracting Grievance
APWU News
The union won a major victory against subcontracting Feb. 10, when Arbitrator Shyam Das directed the USPS to assign Maintenance Craft employees to maintain computers at approximately 8,000 of the nation’s largest associate offices. The arbitrator also instructed management and the union to discuss the possibility of assigning additional computer maintenance work at AOs to the Maintenance Craft. Read more
Insurance companies maintain steady direct mail through end of 2009
Mintel Comperemedia hosts webinar on future of insurance marketing communication
Chicago (February 25, 2010)—Direct mail is still a formidable force in the insurance industry. Mintel Comperemedia, a service that provides direct marketing competitive intelligence, reports that insurance companies upheld direct mail volumes throughout 2009, despite budget cuts and the growing strength of social media.
Mintel Comperemedia saw modest changes in insurance direct mail during 2009: life insurance offers rose 9% from 2008, health insurance offers increased 4%, and property and casualty direct mail declined 5%. In contrast, credit card direct mail fell by approximately one-third.
Daniel Hayes, VP of insurance services at Mintel Comperemedia, comments:
“Insurance companies continue to rely on direct mail to communicate with clients and prospective clients. In the face of social media, direct mail is still one of the best ways to put an insurance offer in front of an unfamiliar client. It can even drive people towards a company’s social media website. Direct mail’s strength lies in its ability to present ample information and to cement a company’s brand message with other media forms.”
Join Mintel Comperemedia’s Daniel Hayes for a free webinar, “Insurance Communication: Moving Into Tomorrow”
On February 25 at 2:00pm CST, Mintel Comperemedia will host a webinar to examine the changing ways insurance companies communicate. Digging deep into direct marketing trends and consumer attitudes about insurance, Daniel Hayes will discuss the current state of insurance communication, as well as how insurers can tap into social media, technology and customer relationships to grow their businesses. Register here.
Ashford University Enters Into National Alliance Agreement With Postal Service
CLINTON, IOWA (February 24, 2010) – Ashford University has entered into a national alliance agreement with the U.S. Postal Service.
Through the agreement, Ashford University, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs, is a recognized higher educational partner. The Postal Service’s 623,000 employees will receive significant cost savings through the waiver of application, technology and Prior Learning Assessment fees.
“Ashford University is proud to be one of a dozen of the Postal Service’s carefully selected education partners. We look forward to offering its employees the opportunity to enroll in Ashford’s excellent academic programs and take their education to the next level,” said Dr. Jane McAuliffe, president and CEO of Ashford University. “The Postal Service is the nation’s second largest employer, and we are excited to welcome its diverse and talented employees into our student body.”
“The Postal Service is pleased to be part of this innovative partnership with Ashford University” said Susan LaChance, vice president, Employee Development and Diversity for the USPS. “The Postal Service has a long tradition of developing employees and valuing education. This partnership will allow our employees to leverage their years of work experience along with formal education to earn a degree – this benefits both the employee and the Postal Service.”
For more information on this agreement, please visit success.ashford.edu/usps or call 888.214.9881.
Postal Service Offers Support to National Export Initiative
Global Shipping Helps Small/Medium-Sized Businesses Grow
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service is expanding its partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce to support the newly established National Export Initiative (NEI). Through its Global Business team, the Postal Service will build on its alliance partnership with the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) to encourage and support small- and medium-sized businesses interested in establishing or expanding exports of their products to markets worldwide.
“The global market for goods produced in the U.S. is open to businesses both large and small,” said John E. Potter, Postmaster General and chief executive officer for the U.S. Postal Service. “Our global shipping services open the gateway to the globe for American exports. We’re pleased to participate in the NEI to support economic growth here at home.”
At a speech before the National Press Club on Feb. 4, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced a series of new proposals for the NEI. “Today, less than 1 percent of America’s 30 million companies export — a percentage that is also significantly lower than all other developed countries,” said Locke. “And of U.S. companies that do export, 58 percent export to only one country.”
Working with the ITA, the Postal Service will expand its outreach to small- and medium-sized businesses interested in entering into new export markets through global shipping solutions.
The Postal Service is a leading provider of international delivery services, providing business mailers with the ability to expand their markets by shipping packages and sending letters, documents and advertising mail to 191 countries.
Indiana Postal Employee Sentenced For Theft of Netflix Movies
INDIANAPOLIS – Ricky L. Alsip, 53, of Evansville, Indiana, was sentenced to two yearsof probation by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young following his guilty plea to theft of mail by a postal employee. This case was the result of a investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office
of Inspection General.
Alsip admitted that he had been stealing items from the mail while working as a postal carrier for a period of approximately one year. Alsip estimated that he removed 450 Netflix movies from the mail for use by himself and members of his family during this time period. Alsip also admitted taking other mail items such a magazines and catalogues for his own use.According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted the case for the government, Judge Young also ordered Alsip to make restitution in the amount of $5,413.50 and ordered Alsip to perform 40 hours of community service.
source: US Attorney’s Office
PMG To Host Conference On USPS Future And To Announce New Business Model
Action Plan for the Future of the U.S. Postal Service
Postmaster General John E. Potter to give briefing
What: Postmaster General John E. (Jack) Potter is hosting a conference to address the future of the U.S. Postal Service and to announce new business model
Who: John E. Potter, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer
Louis J. Giuliano, Chairman, Board of Governors, U.S. Postal Service
Meldon J. Wolfgang, Partner/Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group
Thomas Dohrmann, Principal, McKinsey & Company
When: Tuesday, March 2
9 a.m. – 12 noon
Welcoming Remarks Chairman Giuliano
Introductory Remarks PMG Potter
Projecting U.S. Mail Volumes to 2020 Mr. Wolfgang
Options for a Changing Environment Mr. Dohrmann
Keynote Presentation PMG Potter
Panel Discussion with Potter, Giuliano, Thurgood Marshall, Jr., Vice Chairman, Board of Governors, Patrick R. Donahoe, Deputy Postmaster General and COO and Robert F. Bernstock, President, Mailing and Shipping Services
Where: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Conference Center
429 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington DC 20024-2111
Background: The Postal Service is facing serious and substantial challenges: declining mail volume, increased use of the Internet for bill payment and presentment, a lingering recession and legislative constraints on how and when we can close Post Offices or what types of products we can sell at retail.
After four months of intense research and discussion, the Postal Service will announce an action plan to address these concerns, as well as a number of steps necessary to close a substantial gap by the year 2020.
The Postal Service has decided on a future path that calls for greater business model flexibility and changes to the way it does business.
Postal Service Sending Military Mail to Haiti
Efforts to Establish Temporary Civilian Mail Distribution Site Continue
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service is delivering letters and packages bound for members of the U.S. Armed Forces deployed to Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response. The initial wave of military mail is flowing into Toussaint Louverture International Airport at Port-au-Prince in coordination with the Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA) to support the overall USAID effort in Haiti.
“We’re pleased to support our military personnel serving in Haiti with the vital connection to home that comes through the mail,” said Pranab Shah, managing director and vice president, Global Business. “We’ll continue to work closely with MPSA to ensure our service members receive their mail during this challenging humanitarian mission.”
The Postal Service has assigned a total of 20 APO, FPO, and DPO ZIP Codes at the request of MPSA for the efficient distribution of mail destined for military units serving in Haiti. The Postal Service also continues to support civilian recovery efforts by donating water and medical supplies while staging vehicles, portable buildings and mail sorting equipment for deployment to Haiti.
Efforts to establish a temporary civilian mail distribution site in Port-au-Prince are continuing on an international scale through the coordinated efforts of a task force led by the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal (PUASP), Haiti Post and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). USPIS Chief Postal Inspector William R. Gilligan Jr. serves as chairman of UPU’s Postal Security Action Group, and U.S. Postal Inspectors recently completed an initial security assessment of mail operations and capabilities in Haiti, representing the first step in reestablishing limited mail distribution operations in Port-au-Prince in order for the civilian population to begin receiving letters and packages.
Post Offices are continuing to accept letter mail and packages addressed to the nation of Haiti. However, all mail addressed to Haiti will be temporarily held by the Postal Service until the postal administration of Haiti is able to accept mail.
Additional information regarding acceptance and movement of mail to Haiti will be provided as it becomes available. Updates are posted online at http://www.usps.com/international/serviceupdates.htm#H17 .
source: USPS
USPS, Modern Postcard To Help Businesses With Direct Mail Crash Course
CARLSBAD, CA — 02/22/10 — In today’s challenging economy, businesses are looking for an advantage to help them pull out of the recession and avoid losses, layoffs, or worse. Companies are focusing on a single task — increasing sales. To help businesses in Texas learn how to quickly implement powerhouse direct mail marketing campaigns proven to sell, Modern Postcard is providing an exclusive opportunity to learn the tools, tricks and techniques behind capturing better leads for new customers and driving increased revenues. The Direct Mail Crash Course, a national seminar series, will be presented for the first time in Texas in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) where attendees will receive new and proven strategies to increase business leads and revenues.
Direct mail is one of the most effective types of advertising a business can do today. According to the Mail Moment™ research gathered by the USPS, 98 percent of consumers bring in the mail the day it is delivered; and according to the Direct Marketing Association, direct marketing yields an average return on investment of over 1100 percent based on the lifetime value of a new customer. Attendees will learn how to make these numbers a reality in the own marketing.
With the new technologies available in direct marketing, today’s smart marketers are learning how to better integrate new media and social media marketing, including Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, with traditional mass media, print and direct mail campaigns to maximize the effectiveness of their advertising dollars. Lead generation and customer acquisition is one of the most coveted aspects of marketing, but it must be successfully targeted to the right customers. Direct marketing can bring a company excellent results — quality lead generation for increased sales and revenues.
These unique seminars will include a complete buffet breakfast and commence in Dallas with additional stops in Austin and Houston as follows:
– Dallas: Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel, 2222
Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207, from 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
– Austin: Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at the Courtyard Austin Downtown, 300
E. 4th Street, Austin, TX 78701, from 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
– Houston: Thursday, March 4, 2010 at the Houston Marriott at the Texas
Medical Center, 6580 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, from 7:30 a.m. -
12:00 p.m.
In three powerful sessions, this interactive learning opportunity will show attendees how to use direct mail to boost sales and start generating revenue immediately.
According to the U.S. Postal Service’s Household Diary study released in August 2009, advertising mail spending was at $59.7 billion in 2008, accounting for 22 percent of all advertising spending and ranked only below television.
Presenting will be a group of top direct mail experts with over 50 years of combined experience in the direct marketing industry. Keith Goodman is a 20-year direct marketing veteran who has helped companies such as IBM, Hughes and Amway increase their direct mail profitability and achieve greater return on investment for their marketing dollars. Dan Anglin, a list development expert, has 10 years of data experience and has worked with Fortune 500 firms such as Microsoft, AOL and Time Warner. Arnie Cohen has assisted businesses in effectively executing mailings for 23 years and will focus on improving mail delivery and reducing postage costs. Cohen is active in various industry groups and heavily involved with new US Postal Service technological advances.
“Many marketers don’t realize how critical data is to the success of their direct mail campaigns,” said Dan Anglin, a seminar co-presenter, “and there are so many new data products available on the market that it is hard to understand when to use the different solutions. We walk the attendees through everything they need to know to tackle even complex projects such as modeling their existing database to identify prospects that most resemble their best existing customers.”
In addition to a breadth of information, there will be a special presentation from the USPS that will also provide attendees with insight into what the postal service can do to help local businesses with their mailing and shipping needs.
“Typically a recession drives small businesses to evaluate, re-design and refine their product offerings and marketing processes as they focus on cash flow, costs, customer retention and survival,” said Keith Goodman, vice president of corporate solutions for Modern Postcard. “Our goal is to help business marketers learn how to be innovative, send the right message to the right person, and create new opportunities for increasing their revenues despite the economic climate.”
Attendees will learn insightful direct mail information about understanding list opportunities, improving mail delivery and reducing postage costs, including:
– Why you should use direct mail — the numbers, benefits and expectations
– How to design a business marketing plan that will turn expectations into revenues
– How to write compelling copy targeting recipients and maximizing responses
– Using offers and a call-to-action to increase conversion rates and return on investment
– Testing and tracking direct mail successes for increasingly effective campaigns
– Identifying the right prospects
– How to enrich your customer base for better results
– How analytics can help target prospects most likely to do business with you
– Choosing from more than 40,000 available lists to get the best response rate
– Maximizing on-time mail delivery through effective address hygiene
– Identifying the “money wasters” in your mailing lists
– Taking advantage of postage discounts for mailings
– Using drop shipping to enhance delivery and cut costs
– Tracking your mail through the mail stream with Intelligent Mail Bar
Code™
Direct marketing and direct mail services can be a very powerful and cost-effective sales tool when done properly, whether you are a small business, medium-sized company, or a large corporation. The Direct Mail Crash Course is a half-day seminar that costs $59 to attend. As a special incentive, all attendees will receive $250 in free printing for their first direct mail campaign, easily recouping the cost of the seminar. Registrations are limited and can be made at: www.modernpostcard.com/seminar or by telephone at 800.959.8365 ext. 2135.
About Modern Postcard
Located in Carlsbad, California, Modern Postcard is a full-service direct marketing provider high quality printing, direct mail, email deployment, as well as emerging direct marketing applications and Web-based solutions to efficiently manage and execute campaigns.
With more than 25 years of experience, Modern Postcard manages all operations in-house from its 75,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility. The company provides additional services including creative services and design, variable data printing (VDP), pURL campaigns, digital imaging, and color editing, account management, mailing lists, and mailing services. Visit www.modernpostcard.com or call 800.959.8365 ext. 2500 for more information.
Future Locations:
San Jose, CA
March 23, 2010
Santa Clara Marriott
2700 Mission College Blvd
Santa Clara, CA 95054
March 24, 2010
San Francisco Marriott Marquis
55 Fourth St
San Francisco, CA 94103
March 25, 2010
Radisson Hotel
500 Leisure Ln
Sacramento, CA 95815
April 27-29 – Mid Atlantic – Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC (Northern VA)
May 25-27 – Southeast – Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans
June 22-24 – Midwest – Kansas City, St. Louis, Cleveland
August – Pacific Northwest
September – Midwest
October – Southwest
November – Southern California