USPS Suspends Acceptance Of International Mail From Yemen
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service has temporarily suspended acceptance of inbound international mail originating in Yemen effective October 30, 2010.
This service suspension has been issued in response to the potential threat posed by suspicious packages arriving in the U.S. aboard international flights originating in Yemen .
The Postal Service has also heightened awareness among its employees, and remains vigilant in ensuring its security processes are adhered to in the acceptance of international mail arriving in the U.S.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service continues to monitor the situation as part of its mission to protect the Postal Service, its employees and its customers.
The Postal Service is prepared to make further adjustments to its international mail transportation network based on the recommendations of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and other federal law enforcement agencies.
USPS Changes Instructions On Excessing Supervisors Based On Workload Credit Process
Filed under: NAPS, NAPUS, postal, postal news, postal supervisors, Postmasters, usps
NAPUS has received a copy of a letter from Deputy Postmaster General & COO Patrick Donahoe, with instructions on changes to the way the results of Supervisory Workload Credit (SWC) will be handled when a supervisory staffing reduction is determined. Mr. Donahoe said “Effective immediately, when the SWC worksheet results in a supervisory staffing reduction to a particular installation or unit, the change will be effective no sooner than 30 days from the date the worksheet is finalized and provided to local management.” The change in the date of implementation is intended to ensure that there is an adequate period of time to effectively make the required change.
From NAPS:
SWC Update 10/29/10
The resident officers have completed discussions with the Postal Service that were previously initiated by the executive board during our recent board meeting. The discussions concerned the use of the automated SWC for Customer Services and the immediacy with which the Postal Service was implementing staffing changes. It was NAPS’ position that the automated SWC data may be incorrect and deserved an additional review.
NAPS has been successful in achieving the issuance of instructions by the Deputy Postmaster General of the Postal Service to have a 30 day review period following a SWC review performed in a Customer Service operation that results in the loss of an EAS position in an office.
Based on the attached letter from the Deputy Postmaster General, Patrick Donahoe, there will be a 30 day period, prior to the ultimate reassignment of an impacted supervisor, where our local NAPS officers can review the automated SWC calculations and complete the manual SWC forms to determine the accuracy of the automated SWC completed by management.
There are two documents attached:
1.Letter dated October 28, 2010 authored by DPMG and COO Patrick Donahoe
2.Instructions for local NAPS branches to conduct a review of the Management initiated SWC evaluation
NAPS, at the local level, should initiate a review of any automated SWC that results in the reduction of an EAS position. Local branch officers should follow the instructions that are attached to this message. If you have any questions, direct them to your respective NAPS Area VP.
Instructions dated October 28, 2010:
NAPS Headquarters has been working with the Postal Service to provide a timeline for NAPS branches at the local level to review the results of SWC’s calculations that result in the excessing of supervisors from Customer Service operations.
As a result of automated SWC calculations, and the desire of local management to make immediate moves of EAS employees, our members, in certain situations, are being required to make decisions about applying for new positions in less than a week.
NAPS has objected to postal headquarters about the speed at which the process has been employed and the negative impact that this process has had on our members who are being impacted.
The Postal Service has agreed to a NAPS proposal to provide a 30 day review period where SWC’s calculations result in the loss of a supervisor position in stations/branches and post offices.
In a letter to the field, from Deputy Postmaster General Pat Donahoe (see attached), when a SWC’s calculation results in the reduction of an EAS position the impacted EAS employee cannot be moved out of the assignment in less than 30 days from the date of notification.
What should our members do when they are notified that their position has been impacted by a SWC completed on their office?
When one of our members is notified that their position has been impacted, they should immediately contact their local NAPS branch president to report the Postal Service’s actions.
• The branch president should request a copy of the SWC evaluation that was completed by the Postal Service and work with the postmaster or station/branch manager to complete a manual SWC form (this form is available on the NAPS website or through contact with your respective NAPS Area Vice President).
• A local branch officer, with the assistance of the postmaster, station/branch manager and/or supervisor of the impacted office, completes the manual SWC form to ensure that all craft positions for the office are identified and reported in the SWC matrix.
• You must pay particular attention to vacant positions and the evaluation of clerks with financial responsibilities as the SWC calculations for clerks with financial duties have a higher value in the SWC process.
• Once the manual SWC worksheet is completed, a comparison between the automated SWC that was generated by the Postal Service and the Manual SWC worksheet developed by NAPS and the local management of the impacted office should be completed.
• If there are differences between the USPS SWC data and the manual SWC data that was prepared at the local office indicate that the office has been evaluated improperly and the impacted EAS supervisor position should remain in the office, immediately contact local postal officials (POOM, Manager, Operations Program Support, etc) of the findings of your review.
• Should you be unable to resolve the discrepancies that you have found between the automated SWC generated by the Postal Service and your local manual SWC worksheet, the next step is to contact your respective NAPS Area Vice President and advise them of the situation you have.
• Due to the time frame of 30 days that was provided by the Postal Service prior to the impacted EAS supervisor being relocated, it is critical that everyone involved remain mindful of the time period provided so that our SWC review and any rebuttals so not wait until the last minute to surface.
The ultimate objective of this NAPS’ plan is to conduct a timely review of the SWC process within the 30 day timeframe established through negotiations with the Postal Service.
If there are no discrepancies between the automated SWC and your manual SWC the process of reducing the EAS complement in the office can proceed after the 30 day period has expired.
If you have any questions about this process, and/or if the Postal Service is disputing the data that is developed by NAPS local officials, please contact your NAPS Area Vice President.
MSPB: USPS National Reassessment Process Must Find Work For Injured Employees In Commuting Area
Filed under: Injured On Duty, mspb, nrp, postal, postal news, usps
More MSPB cases filed by Postal Workers were remanded during the month of October. The cases were remanded because the Postal Service’s job search under the National Reassessment Process was limited to installations within a single district and failed to include the entire commuting area as required by 5 C.F.R. § 353.301(d). Each decision cited Sanchez v. USPS, 2010 MSPB 121.
The Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) regulations provide:
Agencies must make every effort to restore in the local commuting area, according to the circumstances in each case, an individual who has partially recovered from a compensable injury and who is able to return to limited duty. At a minimum, this would mean treating these employees substantially the same as other handicapped individuals under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. 5 C.F.R. § 353.301(d).
The Board has interpreted this regulation as requiring agencies to search within the local commuting area for vacant positions to which an agency can restore a partially recovered employee and to consider her for any such vacancies. Sanchez v. U.S. Postal Service, 114 M.S.P.R. 345, ¶ 12 (2010); see Sapp v. U.S. Postal Service, 73 M.S.P.R. 189, 193-94 (1997); see also Urena v. U.S. Postal Service, 113 M.S.P.R. 6, ¶ 13 (2009) (evidence that the agency failed to search the local commuting area as required by 5 C.F.R. § 353.301(d) rendered nonfrivolous the appellant’s allegation that the agency acted arbitrarily and capriciously in denying restoration).
“For restoration rights purposes, the local commuting area is the geographic area in which an individual lives and can reasonably be expected to travel back and forth daily to his usual duty station.” Hicks v. U.S. Postal Service, 83 M.S.P.R. 599, ¶ 9 (1999). It includes any population center, or two or more neighboring ones, and the surrounding localities. Sapp, 73 M.S.P.R. at 193. The question of what constitutes a local commuting area is one of fact. The extent of a commuting area ordinarily is determined by factors such as common practice, the availability and cost of public transportation or the convenience and adequacy of highways, and the travel time required to go to and from work. Sanchez, 114 M.S.P.R. 345, ¶ 13.
Summary of MSPB cases on National Reassessment Process:
Appellant: Blanca G. Patino
Agency: United States Postal Service
Decision Number: 2010 MSPB 210
Docket Number: SF-0353-10-0183-I-1
Issuance Date: October 29, 2010
Appeal Type: Restoration to Duty
Action Type: Denial After Partial Recovery from Compensable Injury
In June 2009, the agency’s Bay-Valley District began implementation of Phase 2 of the National Reassessment Program (NRP). Under the NRP, the agency seeks to identify operationally necessary work for employees with compensable injuries. The Bay-Valley District undertook to identify operationally necessary tasks and assess employees on limited duty assignments for modified work assignments. On November 18, 2009, pursuant to the NRP, the agency provided the appellant a modified assignment as a Sales Associate for 3 hours a day. Starting December 17, 2009, the agency assigned the appellant to work 8 hours a day as a lobby host for the holiday season. *
The appellant filed an appeal alleging that the agency’s provision of only 3 hours of work was a rescission of her restoration to duty after a compensable injury and denial of reasonable accommodation. The agency filed a Motion to Dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. The administrative judge issued an initial decision granting the agency’s motion.
The appellant has filed a petition for review. Petition for Review (PFR) . She asserts that the administrative judge misstated her physical restrictions, did not consider the relevancy of the collective bargaining agreement, and erroneously found that the agency’s action was not arbitrary and capricious because she had been doing the same work since 2007. She further contends that the agency failed to search for work within a 50-mile radius and directed the offices to which it sent search requests to respond negatively
Although the initial decision states that “the agency submitted evidence that it searched for available work within the appellant’s medical restrictions in her commuting area,” it does not define the local commuting area relevant in the appellant’s restoration claim. Therefore, we are remanding the appeal for supplemental proceedings and issuance of a new initial decision. See Mubdi v. U.S. Postal Service, 114 M.S.P.R. 559, ¶ 12 (2010). On remand, the administrative judge shall oversee further development of the record by the parties on this issue, including an opportunity for discovery by the parties and a hearing. Id.; see Sanchez, 114 M.S.P.R. 345, ¶ 15; Sapp, 73 M.S.P.R. at 193-94 (remanding the appeal for further development of the record on what constituted the local commuting area and whether the agency’s job search properly encompassed that area). Read more
Appeals Court Sets Schedule For USPS Appeal Of PRC’s Denial Of Rate Increase
The U.S. Postal Service on October 22, 2010 appealed the Sept. 30 ruling of the Postal Regulatory Commission denying the Postal Service exigent price request.
According to court records:
The United States Postal Service hereby petitions this Court for review of Order Number 547 of the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), issued on September 30, 2010, which denied the Postal Service’s request for exigent rate adjustments. The United States Court of Appeals For the District Of Columbia Circuit has set a preliminary schedule for submitting documents.
FURTHER ORDERED that respondent submit the documents listed below by the dates indicated.
Entry of Appearance Form November 29, 2010
Procedural motions, if any November 29, 2010
Certified Index to the Record December 13, 2010
Dispositive Motions, if any (Original and 4 copies) December 13, 2010
It is FURTHER ORDERED that briefing in this case be deferred pending further order of the court.
USPS Updates Leased and Owned Facilities Data
USPS Leased Facilities Report
The Postal Service maintains more than 25,300 leased spaces in its facilities inventory nation wide. Below is the current national listing of leased postal facilities which includes all fifty States and U.S. Territories.
USPS Owned Facilities Report
The Postal Service maintains more than 8,500 owned facilities in its inventory nationwide. Below is the current national listing of owned postal facilities which includes all fifty States and U.S. Territories.
Code translations for leased report (txt)
Individual postal facilities can be accessed by clicking on the .csv file for a state or territory. The leased information is subject to change and will be updated periodically.
Postal First Services Industry to Commit to CO2 Reductions
U.S. Postal Service Improves Score, Surpasses Global Average
WASHINGTON — The international postal sector is the first services industry worldwide to commit to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions, according to the International Post Corporation (IPC). The U.S. Postal Service and 21 other postal operators in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region — all members of IPC — have pledged to measure CO2 emissions and collectively reduce them by 20 percent by 2020, under IPC’s Environmental Measurement and Monitoring system (EMMS.)
“The U.S. Postal Service continues to build on our long history of green innovation, and we’re proud to work with our global postal partners to reduce the size of our industry’s carbon footprint,” said Sam Pulcrano, vice president, Sustainability. “Collectively, the 21 EMMS participating posts manage more than 100,000 facilities, 600,000 vehicles, and deliver more than 80 percent of the world’s mail. Our joint effort to reduce CO2 emissions will have a major positive effect on the environment.”
The Postal Sector Sustainability Report 2010 recently published by the IPC announced that the global postal industry has already cut CO2 emissions by greater than a half million metric tons — more than one-third the goal — since 2008.
The IPC developed EMMS to provide a common carbon measurement and reporting framework. The EMMS tool measures carbon management proficiency (CMP) across 10 areas, including:
• Management and strategy
• Employee engagement
• Measurement and verification
• Disclosure and reporting
• Value chain management
In 2009, the global postal sector had an average CMP score of 61 percent. One of the Postal Service’s goals for this initiative was to improve its score and exceed the industry average, according to Pulcrano. The Postal Service met this objective by increasing its score from 53 to 73, a 38 percent improvement, and 18 percent higher than the industry average.
Another USPS goal is to lead the adoption of sustainable business practices, which includes encouraging suppliers to produce Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM products that have a reduced impact on the environment. Pulcrano said, “We are the only Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM mailing and shipping company worldwide, and we work with our suppliers to help improve their sustainability performance.”
The Postal Service’s 2010 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan describes the agency’s objectives and initiatives and summarizes milestones, including:
• a 10.8 trillion reduction in Btus (British thermal units) in facility energy use since 2005.
• $400 million in savings in facility energy costs since 2007.
• $314 million in savings from reduced contracted transportation fuel use in 2009.
• 10 million saved sheets of paper through online initiatives in 2009.
• Testing three-wheeled electric delivery vehicles that cost only 2 cents per mile to operate.
The Postal Service has won more than 75 environmental awards, including 40 White House Closing the Circle, 10 Environmental Protection Agency WasteWise Partner of the Year, Climate Action Champion, Direct Marketing Association Green Echo, and the Postal Technology International Environmental Achievement of the Year.
For more information about the Postal Service’s Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan, visit usps.com/green and the green newsroom.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
The other IPC member posts participating in the program are: An Post, Ireland; Australia Post; bpost, Belgium; Canada Post; Correios de Portugal; Correos y Telegrafos, Spain; Deutsche Post, Germany; Groupe La Poste, France; Hellenic Post, Greece; Itella Post, Finland; Magyar Posta, Hungary; New Zealand Post; Norway Post; Posten Norden AB, Denmark and Sweden; Postes et Telecommunications Luxembourg; Royal Mail, United Kingdom; Swiss Post; and TNT, The Netherlands
USPS Using Temporary Schedule Changes To Avoid Paying Employees Overtime
It appears management officials in many USPS offices across the country are using “temporary schedule changes” to avoid paying Postal Employees overtime. There are also reports that USPS is using Full-time Regular employees like Part-Time Flexibles. Here are two Western Region grievance settlements “Temporary Schedule Changes to Avoid Overtime (PDF)” that may be of interest to readers which states:.
“Management may not schedule employees for the purpose of intentionally circumventing overtime desired list provisions.”
“Management initiated temporary schedule changes should be the exception rather than the norm, and not on a regular or recurring basis. These schedule changes are to be made for a pre-determined duration and used to cover operational needs.”
Additional Information:
Out of Schedule Premium Pay
Out-of-schedule premium is paid to eligible full-time bargaining unit employees when they work on a temporary schedule at the request of management.
Notification Requirement:
Notice of a temporary schedule change must be given to an employee by Wednesday of the preceding service week. If the notice is timely, the employee’s work can be limited to the hours of the revised schedule. Out-of-schedule premium is paid for hours worked outside of, and instead of, his or her regular schedule.
Noncompliance with the Notification Requirement:
If notice of a temporary schedule change is not given to the employee by Wednesday of the preceding service week, the employee is entitled to work his or her regular schedule. Hours worked outside of the employee’s regular schedule are then not worked “instead of” but “in addition to” the regular schedule. The additional hours worked are not considered out-of-schedule premium hours but overtime hours worked in excess of eight hours per service day or 40 hours per service week.
Exceptions:
Eligible employees do not receive out-of-schedule premium when any of the following conditions apply:
Training – Employees attending a recognized training session.
Request of Employee – The employee requests the schedule change for personal reasons. The employee’s supervisor and shop steward or other collective bargaining representative must agree to the change. The employee is responsible to complete PS Form 3189, Request for Temporary Schedule Change for Personal Convenience, and obtain all required signatures.
Request of Employee – The employee requests changes to accommodate intermittent leave or a reduced work schedule for family care or a serious health problem of the employee. (See FMLA.)
Tardiness – The employee is allowed or directed to make up time missed because of tardiness in reporting for duty.
Detail Assignments – When the employee is detailed to:
- Postmaster position as officer-in-charge
- Rural carrier position
- Ad hoc position that requires an irregular schedule when the employee applied and was selected for it
- Any non-bargaining position, if the employee is in the clerk, maintenance, motor vehicle, or materiel support craft
- Bargaining or non-bargaining position in grade 19 or above
source for portions of this article: USPS, APWU
APWU President: It is Not My Job To Be Fair And Balanced With Anti-Labor Politicians
Ask the President
Question from APWU member
I really think that the way Burrus Update #16-2010 is written is shameful. The column, which refutes a guest editorial by Rep. Darryl Issa (R-CA), is one sided. The electorate needs to be informed about what is coming out of Congress from both sides of the aisle — not just Republican bashing.
An article in Postal and Parcel reports on a bill introduced by a Democratic senator that proposes cutting Saturday deliveries and allowing the Postal Service more scope to close post offices. The article quotes Sen. Carper (DE) as saying that there is “a need for a ‘shared sacrifice’ by postal employees and customers alike to protect the service.”
Please inform the membership about the full scope of issues that are coming out of the capital from both sides of the aisle.
Balance is needed to keep neutrality in politics and work for the general good of the union membership and the viability of the Postal Service.
Thank you.
Wesley, Alaska Postal Workers Union
President Burrus:
Thank you for communicating with me and sharing your thoughts. I respect your political views and your ideas about the role of the union in the political process, but I strongly disagree.
As president of the APWU, my responsibility is not to be fair and balanced, but to align the union with legislators who promote a pro-labor, pro-postal agenda. As Rep. Issa’s editorial reveals, his agenda is extremely hostile to labor — especially postal workers. If the Republican Party takes control of the House of Representatives in the Nov. 2 election, Rep. Issa will become chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and will have extensive influence over legislation affecting postal employees and the Postal Service.
As the elected president of the APWU, my responsibility is to improve conditions for postal employees. In this capacity, I am obligated to expose those who would deny workers the full opportunity to make collective demands for improved wages and conditions of employment.
I cannot — and should not — be “balanced” when it comes to politicians or parties that seek to weaken labor unions and eliminate the benefits unions provide for workers.
The APWU disagrees with several provisions of Sen. Carper’s bill — and we have shared our concerns with him; but his observations about shared sacrifice simply do not compare to the views of Rep. Issa, who voiced vehement anti-worker sentiments.
Rep. Issa identified specific benefits that our members receive from the union contract, and his belief that they should be eliminated. He urged postal management – and Congress – to demand concessions from the union, including the elimination of protection against layoffs. He also said that our members’ rights and benefits should be determined by the Postal Service’s financial condition.
It is not my intent to “bash a political party,” as you allege. Instead, I report and actively oppose the principles that many members of Rep. Issa’s party espouse. These include the elimination of Social Security and Medicare, opposition to the minimum wage, privatization of the Postal Service, and unwavering hostility toward labor unions and the right of workers to make collective demands.
If you want “balance,” I suggest you watch a circus performance; but do not look for it in my efforts on behalf of postal employees.
Oct. 28, 2010
NAPUS President Rapoza Requests a Continuance of DUO Moratorium
October 28, 2010
NAPUS President Bob Rapoza has sent a second request to Postal Service headquarters to continue the moratorium on the DUO program until after the December holiday mailing season. Rapoza’s letter to USPS Vice President of Labor Relations stated that NAPUS has not yet received a response to his October 20th request to form a focus group to review a DUO draft guide and suggestion to continue the moratorium until after the holiday mailing season. Despite rumors we are hearing in the field about re-starting the DUO process, NAPUS is hopeful that we will receive a favorable response to our request to extend the DUO moratorium until after the end of this year.
full story: National Association of Postmasters of the United States
USPS ranks among brands Americans like best
Feeling the love
iPod, Google Search, Nintendo Wii, Disney Parks and JetBlue. In a recent survey, consumers ranked them among the brands they like best.
That may not be surprising. But in the 2010 survey — conducted by marketing research firm NewMediaMetrics — consumers say USPS is 15th-ranked among brands they find the most attractive. The Postal Service was unranked in 2009.
Nestled between BlackBerry and Microsoft Windows 7, USPS is named one of the top 60 products and services in the firm’s “Leveraging Emotional Attachment for Profit” (LEAP) Index. In an online survey, NewMediaMakers asked 3,500 Americans between the ages of 13 and 54 to rank on a scale of 0-10 the companies they liked based on their “emotional attachment.”
Consumers gave iPod — the LEAP Index top-scoring brand — a rating of 61.5 percent. The Postal Service received a score of 47.5 percent and is the only company among its competitors that cracked the list of top 60 brands.
“The most interesting aspect of this survey is it names brands that consumers say they are the least willing to give up,” said Kent Smith, manager, USPS Strategic Business Planning. “Considering that this was an online survey that included people as young as 13, we may still have opportunities to strengthen our connections with these market segments.”
source: USPS News Link – Oct 28, 2010.