PostalReporter News Blog

Agency Finds ‘Willful, Serious’ Hazards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has charged the USPS with a series of citations in multiple cities for “willful and serious” safety violations. As of mid-June, OSHA had issued citations to the Postal Service at 12 facilities, and ordered it to pay fines of more than $2 million.

The violations, all related to electrical hazards, were discovered after OSHA inspectors visited the sites as a result of complaints filed by APWU locals. The Postal Service “ignored long-established safety standards and knowingly put its workers in harm’s way,” OSHA said.

The Postal Service exposed workers to the serious and potentially fatal hazards of shock, electrocution and severe burns, OSHA said.

The citations substantiate charges leveled by the APWU regarding the Postal Service’s failure to adhere to OSHA standards for electrical safety. “These sizable fines reflect the severity and ongoing nature of these hazards,” said Dr. David Michaels, OSHA assistant secretary, in a press release.

Inspectors found serious safety violations at the facilities: Untrained or unqualified workers were performing tests on live electrical equipment, and personal protective equipment, work practices, and warning signs were inadequate, OSHA said. Employees were working on live electrical machinery without being provided non-conductive head protection, voltage-rated gloves, flame resistant clothing, or face shields to prevent injury from “electric arcs,” the agency said.

In addition, OSHA cited the Postal Service for failing to instruct workers on the proper procedures for locking out machines’ power sources to prevent unexpected startup during maintenance, and other related hazards.

More citations are expected in the coming months. Safety citations were issued at the Portland, OR Processing and Distribution Center; Baton Rouge Processing and Distribution Center; Pittsburgh, PA mail processing facility; Philadelphia Processing and Distribution Center; the Philadelphia Bulk Mail Center; Bedford Park, IL; Des Moines, IA; Las Vegas, NV; Bell, CA; Anaheim, CA; Denver, CO; and Providence, RI.

Assistance from Locals
OSHA inspections have been conducted at numerous postal facilities as the result of locally filed complaints. The locals acted in response to a request from the Industrial Relations Department to report the Postal Service’s failure to comply with OSHA’s electrical regulations.

APWU has made many attempts to discuss and correct known electrical risks and hazards: In 2007 and 2008, OSHA conducted inspections of postal facilities and found violations of various electrical safety standards. The Postal Service agreed that the hazards existed and entered into informal settlements, but has so far failed to correct the problems.

To combat the USPS intransigence, the national union developed guidelines and urged locals across the country to file OSHA complaints.

We encourage locals to continue to report hazardous working conditions to OSHA.

Injured employees who undergo the National Reassessment Process (NRP) and are told by the Postal Service either that there is only partial day work available or that there is no work available, should consider filing for unemployment compensation. This temporary financial assistance can serve as an important monetary bridge during the time that an employee is waiting for his or her OWCP compensation to be processed.

This program is formally known as the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employee’s Program, and is administered by the states under separate agreements with the U.S. Secretary of Labor. A Postal Service employee’s entitlement to this benefit is determined by each state’s employment security laws and varies according to the individual state rules and to the employee’s wage and separation history.

An injured employee whose work hours have been reduced or eliminated by the NRP should ask the Postal Service to provide them with a SF 8, Notice to Former Employee About Unemployment Insurance. Don’t be misled by the phrase “former employee.” The SF 8 is also used for current employees who have had their work hours reduced or eliminated. The complete instructions can be found in Chapter 550, “Unemployment Compensation” in the Employee and Labor Relations Manual.

Health and Resource Management personnel at Postal Service headquarters have assured us that the SF 8 will be made available to injured employees who receive “Partial Day Work” or “Complete Day No Work” letters. However, the employee must ask for the form. It will not be provided automatically.

Injured employees who are provided work only on an intermittent basis are issued an SF 8 only for the first time in each calendar year when they are placed in a non-pay status. However, an SF 8 is issued each time to any employee who is, or will be, placed in a non-pay status for seven or more consecutive calendar days.

To facilitate the processing of a claim for unemployment compensation, an employee should take with them the SF 8; the most recent SF 50, Notification of Personnel Action; Social Security card; W-2 form; and a recent paycheck stub showing earnings and leave balance. Additional information can be found at the Web site of the Department of Labor.

OWCP will pay injured employees wage loss compensation even if they are receiving unemployment compensation. OWCP does not consider this situation to be a prohibited dual payment. However, virtually every state’s unemployment compensation regulations do consider this to be a dual payment, and would expect to be reimbursed for the unemployment compensation that was paid during the same period of time that a person received OWCP wage loss compensation.

Additional information
From the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM)
553.12 SF 8, Notice to Former Employee About Unemployment Insurance
SF 8 explains an employee’s eligibility for unemployment compensation and describes the steps to be taken in filing a claim. Personnel offices complete SF 8 by entering at top of form the employee’s name, Social Security number, and pay location. In item 3 personnel offices enter #732 on the extreme right side and then enter the address of the Eagan ASC:

PAYROLL PROCESSING/UNEMPLOYMENT
USPS EAGAN ASC
2825 LONE OAK PKWY
EAGAN MN 55121–9635

SF 8 is issued promptly to the employee by the separating personnel office so that he or she does not lose unemployment compensation benefits to which he or she may be entitled. An individual whose work or tours of duty are on an intermittent basis is issued an SF 8 only the first time in each calendar year that he or she is placed in a nonpay status. However, a completed SF 8 is issued to an employee each time the employee:

1. Separates from the Postal Service for any reason.
2. Transfers to another federal agency.
3. Is (or will be) placed in a nonpay status for 7 or more consecutive calendar days.

SF 8 is issued on the employee’s last workday. The date is to be noted in the remarks section of PS Form 50.

Charles Wilcher, a 204B (acting)supervisor from the letter carrier craft, claimed he was “working” on July 5, 2006 when he spent the day with his Postmaster [Margie Flores-Jones].  She was also accused of getting paid for July 5, 2006 even though it was alleged that she did not actually work that day.  She was initially demoted to the position of Supervisor of Customer Service, but was subsequently returned to her position as Vineland Postmaster.  Eight months after the incident he was issued a Notice of Removal.  After a grievance filed by his union, a three-day arbitration hearing and two formal complaints filed with the EEOC, his removal was upheld.  His complaint of unlawful discrimination based on his race and gender was dismissed.

CHARLES WILCHER, Plaintiff,
v.
JOHN E. POTTER, Postmaster General, and UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, Defendants.
 
Civil Action No. 08-2723
United States District Court, D. New Jersey.
June 18, 2010
 
BACKGROUND
 
In September 2000, plaintiff, Charles Wilcher, became a “craft” employee of the United States Postal Service. He first served as a letter carrier, but in July 2006, he became a 204B acting supervisor of the Vineland Delivery and Distribution Center. As a 204B supervisor, plaintiff retained his craft status, but he performed duties of a first-level supervisor.
 
On March 16, 2007, plaintiff was issued a Notice of Removal, which terminated his employment with the USPS. The Notice of Removal charged plaintiff with improper conduct for being paid for eight hours on July 5, 2006 even though he had not reported for duty that day. Through two formal complaints filed with the EEOC, a grievance filed by his union, and a three-day arbitration hearing, plaintiff challenged the basis for removal by maintaining that he did work on July 5, 2006. Plaintiff explained that he did not perform his supervisor duties that day on the floor, but rather spent the entire day filing with the Vineland Postmaster in her office, behind closed doors or otherwise in an area where other USPS employees could not see him.
 
An Office of Inspector General investigation ensued into plaintiff’s explanation, and the arbitrator and plaintiff’s supervisors all determined it to be without merit, thus leading to plaintiff’s discharge. Plaintiff, however, insists that he worked on that date, and claims that the USPS terminated his employment because is a black male. As a result, plaintiff filed this action against the USPS for unlawful discrimination based on his race and gender.

Wilcher vs Potter

HAYWARD — It was a match made in Hayward’s Post Office more than 30 years ago. Ron McMahan spied Peggy standing at the time clock, ready to begin work. “Would you go out sometime?” he asked. “I would if someone asked me. You can call me,” she replied. “That stopped him for a moment,” Peggy recalled, “because it was a long–distance call. I told him he could call collect.” Ron called. But not collect.

Fast–forward three decades. The couple, both letter carriers at Hayward Post Office (Ron has 43 years of service, Peggy 36), have decided to hang up their mail bags and deliver their appointed rounds for the last time when they report to work at 7:30 a.m., on Friday, July 2, 2010.

After dating for nine months, Ron popped the marriage question at Columbia State Park. “Let me think about it,” Peggy said.

Their first retirement plan is to head for the Caribbean on the Oasis of the Sea. After that, “Guess we’ll have to go fishing,” Peggy grumbled, good–naturedly. “She likes to fish, but only when they’re biting,” Ron explained.

Ron said he’s ‘worked’ for the post office in Hayward since he was nine. “My dad started as a postal worker in 1957 at the Cypress Annex. I’d hang out in the swing room and play, waiting for him to get off from work. Then, in 1967, I joined him working here.”

Between the two of them, the McMahans have over 80 years of service credit, including sick leave hours. They are both Million Mile drivers, a prestigious driver–safety record denoting zero motor vehicle accidents while driving over a million miles respectively during their postal careers. Together, they have driven the equivalent of driving coast–to–coast 668 times without ever leaving the city limits.

They are the only known married couple in the Postal Service to achieve a million miles of safe driving, and to retire on the same day.

They agree that their customers are like family. “We’ve watched as families have grown, as children have been born,” Ron said. “And we keep an eye out for whatever is going on in the neighborhood.” Peggy works in a residential area with many retirees. The McMahans have heard the same refrain from customers: “Please don’t retire! ”

“Our customers share their lives with us,” Peggy said. “We’re all one big family,” Ron added.

source: USPS

Washington, DC – The Postal Regulatory Commission today submitted to Congress, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the United States Postal Service, an independent actuarial report on the allocation of the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) benefits paid to former Post Office Department employees.

The Postal Service asked for an independent review of current allocations. The Commission report finds that an adjustment of $50-$55 billion in favor of the Postal Service would be equitable.

“The Commission is pleased to provide this expert and timely perspective to assist Congress and OPM as they work to resolve an issue that has far-reaching consequences for the financial health and viability of the Nation’s universal mail system,” said Chairman Ruth Y. Goldway.

By law, OPM, which is responsible for calculating the Postal Service’s CSRS pension liability, must now reconsider its calculation of the Postal Service’s pension assets in light of this report, and submit the results of its reconsideration to the Commission, the Postal Service, and Congress.

The Commission finds that the report, prepared by The Segal Company, provides a persuasive statement of how generally accepted accounting principles should be used to develop the current postal pension assets.

The Commission suggests that Congress may wish to alter the schedule established in the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) for potential transfers from the Postal Service Retirement Fund to its Retiree Health Benefit Fund. Currently, such transfers may not take place before September 30, 2015.

The full report, Civil Service Retirement System Cost and Benefit Allocation Principles, is available on the Commission web site, http://prc.gov/.

WASHINGTON — When it comes to safeguarding personal information, Americans continue to trust the U.S. Postal Service above all other government agencies. For the sixth consecutive year, the Postal Service has been named the “Most Trusted Government Agency” by the premier privacy trust study in America.

More than 87 percent of the 9,000 Americans surveyed by the Ponemon Institute in its 2010 Privacy Trust Study of the United States Government ranked the Postal Service first among 75 federal government agencies. The results show that Americans view the Postal Service as the government agency that is best able to keep their information safe and secure. The average score among federal agencies included in the survey was 38 percent, down from 50 percent last year, with an increasing concern among Americans about the government’s surveillance in their personal lives.

The Postal Service has held the top spot since the first privacy trust survey of the United States Government was completed in 2004. In addition, the Postal Service has consistently improved its privacy trust score during this time from 78 percent to the current rating of 87 percent.

“When you visit every door every day, trust is critical,” said Delores Killette, USPS Consumer Advocate and vice president. “It is the cornerstone of our mission to deliver reliable and affordable mail service to every American, as well as a great source of pride for postal employees across the country.”

The Postal Service handles 40 percent of the world’s card and letter volume and delivers more mail to more addresses in a larger geographical area than any other post in the world. Despite the vast size of the Postal Service’s network and scope of operations, many Americans know their letter carriers by name and see them as welcomed and trusted members of the local community, Killette said.

“We have a 230-year tradition of securing the mail and protecting our customers’ personal information,” said Killette. “This survey clearly demonstrates that Americans continue to trust and depend on the Postal Service to protect their privacy.”

The survey asked Americans about their beliefs about U.S. government organizations that are known to collect and use information about the public. The survey included questions about Americans’ belief that the federal government takes appropriate steps to safeguard personal information and about the government’s commitment to protecting the privacy rights of its citizens.

“While overall trust in the government declined this year, trust in the U.S. Postal Service remains at an all-time high,” said Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute. “By offering consumers a sense of security that their privacy is protected and limiting the amount of personal data that is collected, government agencies like the Postal Service are able to strengthen the public’s trust.”

From the Federal Times

The U.S. Postal Service’s former top marketing executive repeatedly used government staff — and at least two business associates he hired with sole-source contracts — to manage his personal finances and outside business interests, according to a new report. Robert Bernstock, who resigned June 4, admitted to Office of Inspector General investigators that he had used postal resources and staff to handle his personal business while on the agency’s time. The report, released today, said his use of Postal Service employees and property to conduct personal business was improper. The report also raises questions about Postal Service general counsel Mary Anne Gibbons’ apparent failure to report Bernstock’s improper use of postal staff. download the entire report by clicking here. 

USPS President Under Fire For Directing Postal Contracts To Former Associates Resigns

According to the Star Tribune

The U.S. Postal Service “knowingly put its workers in harm’s way” at its Eagan processing center by exposing employees to the potential for electrical shock, prompting federal officials to levy $210,000 in fines, U.S. officials announced Tuesday.

The allegations from the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) contend that the Postal Service (USPS):

• Failed to provide required safety training for its workers.

• Did not ensure employees used proper safety-related practices while operating electrical equipment.

• Did not provide workers with the proper safety equipment

According to APWU up until today the recent citations bring the Postal Service’s total fines to nearly $2.5 million. Now with the $210,000 in fines announced today the total stands at $2.7 Million

Reed is often questioned about his secret to longevity and his answer is always the same: “Onion sandwiches. I eat one every day.”

95 year–old has not missed a day of work in 37 years

What:

Nation's oldest Postal Employee

Chester Reed, who proudly claims to be 95 ½ and is the nation’s oldest U.S. Postal Service employee, is ready to retire and will be turning in his forklift keys at his retirement celebration.

Who:
Mail handler and Honoree Chester Reed
District Manager Dallas Keck
Senior Plant Manager Larry Belair
San Bernardino Plant Manager Jim Olson

When:
4:00 P.M. – Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Where:
San Bernardino Processing & Distribution Center Cafeteria
1900 W Redlands Blvd.
Redlands CA 92373

Please Note:

Media is asked to RSVP to Eva Jackson at 858–437–1493 for further instructions on how and where to enter the facility.

Mr. Reed will be available for pre–scheduled one–on–one interviews. To make arrangements, please contact Eva Jackson at 858–437–1493 in advance.

Background:
On his retirement date, Chester Reed will have accrued 37 years and 16 days of Postal Service employment, and to top it off, will have never used a day of sick leave. Combined with his military service time, Reed has a total of 62 years, 10 months and 12 days of government service.

Reed was born in 1914 in Bridgeport, Ohio. As a young man, he worked as a manager at a Texas heating and air conditioning business. Reed enlisted with the Air Force at the age of 33 in 1947. He was stationed in the San Bernardino area, and after 25 years of service, retired from the Air Force as a sergeant. Reed then joined the U. S. Postal Service in 1973, and has since worked as a mail handler–forklift operator at the San Bernardino Processing and Distribution Center.

For decades, the Postal Service offered vending machine service to supplement its retail operations. Vending machines meet the needs of customers who want to purchase a single stamp without waiting in line.

While the lack of stamp vending machines has resulted in widespread customer frustration and a surprising number of newspaper articles, the problems are particularly acute in economically depressed areas. In these areas, customers may go to the post office to purchase only one or a few stamps. As staffing is partially based on revenue and a single stamp is a very low revenue transaction, lines in these areas may be particularly long. Although Automated Postal Centers (APCs) provide many services including the sale of stamps, APCs require credit cards, which people in economically depressed areas often do not have. In addition, some customers find APCs to be intimidating to use. Finally, APCs sell only booklets of stamps or individual stamps in denominations of $1 or more, yet many disadvantaged customers want to buy just one First-Class Mail stamp.

click here to visit USPS OIG blog to vote