APWU, USPS Agree on New Position Description For Delivery/SSDA Clerk
Delivery/Sales Services and Distribution Associate
The Postal Service and the APWU have finalized the position description and qualification standards [PDF] for a new Level 6 Clerk Craft position: the Delivery/Sales Services and Distribution Associate.
The new position will be filled by the senior-qualified bidder in the Clerk Craft, and will include the existing duties and responsibilities of Sales Service and Distribution Associates and Clerk/Special Delivery Messengers. Read more
USPS OIG Poll: How Far Does Your 44 Cents Go?
From The USPS OIG:
When mailing a letter that weighs about one ounce, the U.S. Postal Service’s 44 cents is one of lowest First Class postage rates. Whether you are mailing a letter locally or sending a greeting card across country, it still only costs 44 cents now, but will increase to 45 cents in January. The graph below compares the U.S. Postal Service’s postage rate with other countries. As you can see, Norway charges the highest rate, which is nearly four times the cost U.S. rate.
Some might feel it is reasonable for the Postal Service to increase rates and charge a fee comparable to those in other countries. On the contrary, others might say the Postal Service’s rate must remain at an affordable level, especially for people with lower incomes. They might also say raising the rate to a level found elsewhere would drive customers away even faster.
What do you think about the current postage rate? Do you think 44 cents is reasonable?
If 44 cents is too low, how much do you think the Postal Service should charge?
USPS May Discipline Employees For Non-Compliance With New Social Media Policy
Filed under: postal, postal news, removals, usps, USPS News Link
USPS Reminds Employees They Can Be Fired For Non-Compliance With New Social Media Policy
USPS SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY – NAVIGATING A NEW FRONTIER
It began in earnest this past summer, when the Postal Service previewed its schedule of 2012 commemorative stamps on Facebook and Twitter (Link, 7/18). Before that, USPS had established a YouTube channel in 2007, maintained Facebook and LinkedIn pages for recruiting, and there were podcasts that provided online news to employees and customers. The Postal Customer Council and National Postal Forum programs also had Twitter accounts going back to 2009.
Building on initial groundwork that was laid nearly 18 months ago during a cross-functional Social Media Summit, the Postal Service now has established a corporate social media policy and is set to more extensively use social media to reach customers and market its brand.
USPS has revised its Administrative Support Manual (ASM), adding a new “Part 363” that outlines USPS policy concerning social media. The new policy defines “social media” as any form of online publishing or discussion, including but not limited to: blogs, wikis, YouTube, podcasts, social networking sites — such as Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn ― Twitter/Microblogs and Web 2.0.
Whether employees choose to participate in social media on their own time is their decision. However, when using social media in a personal capacity, employees may not speak for or act on behalf of the Postal Service. All uses of social media related to official USPS business require management consent.
USPS employees who use social media in their official capacity to communicate with the public or other postal employees must follow the specific rules and regulations outlined in the ASM revision. This revision is available in the Postal Bulletin 22322 (10-20-2011) and online at the Postal Service Policy Net website.
Employees should be aware that the Web is not anonymous. External content is accessible to anyone with a browser and isn’t as secure as content on the Postal Service’s intranet.
All USPS employees are responsible for complying with this policy. The new policy states that failure to do so may result in corrective action up to and including dismissal from the Postal Service.
source: USPS News Link
Battle Over USPS Future Enters Critical Period
Union Launches Petition Drive to Protect
Post Offices, Mail Processing Centers, Service Standards
The battle over the future of the Postal Service — and our jobs — has reached a critical stage: Key senators are meeting behind closed doors in an effort to produce a compromise bill to address the USPS financial crisis. It is likely that any proposals they develop will be submitted to the congressional “super-committee” to be incorporated into the committee’s plan to reduce the nation’s deficit. Read more
NPMHU Contract Update: USPS Suggests Sweeping Operational Changes Are Necessary
In addition to the recent Finance Presentation discussed in last week’s update, the Postal Service has provided the NPMHU bargaining team with an Operations Presentation. During this meeting, the Postal Service highlighted key changes that the agency wants to make to the current operating model in order to reduce costs. Read more
Alaska Lawmakers Question USPS On Possible Closures of Fairbanks Post Offices
Lawmakers say post office closures will have impact on military members and their families….
Asks Postmaster General for explanation of information used to consider Fort Wainwright, Eielson closures
The Alaska Congressional Delegation is expressing concern over the decision to move forward on possible closure of the post offices on Alaska’s Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base. After learning yesterday that the United States Postal Service (USPS) has taken the next step toward closing the two offices, the delegation today sent a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahue questioning the calculations used to arrive at the decision to consider closing. Read more
Military Post Offices in Iraq to Close Nov. 17
Filed under: post office closings, post offices, postal, postal news, usps
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2011 – Because U.S. forces are coming home from Iraq by the end of the year, the U.S. Postal Service will stop accepting mail addressed to military post offices in Iraq starting Nov. 17, Defense Department officials said today.
Military post offices in Iraq also will stop processing mail Nov. 17, and service members there should begin now to advise those who send them mail about the Nov. 17 deadline.
Mail still in the postal system through Nov. 17 will be processed and delivered to service members in Iraq, officials said.
In November, U.S. military postal service responsibilities in Iraq will transition to State Department embassy or consulate post offices for service members assigned to Office of Security Cooperation or the Chief of Mission in Iraq.
These sites will provide letter and parcel mail services to service members assigned to the Office of Security Cooperation or the Chief of Mission in Iraq.
The transition will be closely coordinated with the U.S. Postal Service Agency, which will delete ZIP codes for Iraq military post offices from the USPS database to prevent undeliverable mail from entering the postal system after Nov. 17, according to defense officials.
If APO mail arrives in Iraq after a service member departs, mail will be redirected to the new mailing address provided or, if no mailing address was provided, returned to sender.
Any mail mistakenly accepted by a USPS post office after Nov. 17 will be returned to sender once it reaches the International Gateway in New Jersey.
Service members in Iraq or returning from Iraq who do not receive a requested absentee ballot from their state can complete a back-up federal write-In absentee ballot at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Web portal. The form wizard will provide a PDF document for printing, including the completed ballot and instructions for returning it to their local election official. Contact installation and unit level voting assistance officers for additional assistance.
Service members who are remaining in Iraq after Nov. 17 and who are there on behalf of or are assigned to the Office of Security Cooperation or the Chief of Mission in Iraq should coordinate with their chain of command and the servicing State Department mail location to receive a new mailing address.
According to defense officials, conditions and situations in the Iraq transition change often. Officials recommend that service members check the Military Postal Service Agency website and USPS Postal Bulletins frequently for updates.
source: U.S. Department Of Defense – Military Post Offices in Iraq to Close Nov. 17
Burrus: Questions and Answers Defining the 2011 USPS-APWU National Agreement
Questions and Answers defining the 2011 national agreement will be invaluable in the enforcement of the newly negotiated provisions; however they omit a number of important subjects such as those referenced below. Perhaps the language is sufficiently clear that clarification is not required to explain the agreement that:
* Reduces wages up to 60% for newly hired employees for the performance of the same work;
* Permits involuntary reassignment as far as required under consolidations;
* Permits PSEs to bump full time employees from assignments when senior employees do not want to accept the conversion to NTA;
* Permits management to establish the pay rate for employees whose work is assumed by the Postal Service.
Bill Burrus
Burrus Journal – Questions & Answers Defining The 2011 Agreement
California Postal Worker Convicted Of Paying For Money Orders With Counterfeit Bills
OAKLAND, Calif. – Emmanuel Odion Esezobor was convicted by a federal jury yesterday of one count of theft of public money and seven counts of passing counterfeit U.S. obligations, United States Attorney Melinda Haag, Special Agent in Charge Nichole Cooper of the Postal Service Office of Inspector General’s Pacific Area Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Andrew Adelmann of the U.S. Secret Service San Francisco Field Office announced.
The jury found that Esezobor stole $13,800 from the U.S. Postal Service and passed counterfeit bills at the Alamo Post Office on seven different days in February and March 2011. The guilty verdict followed a 3-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken.
Evidence at trial showed that Esezobor, 51 of Hayward, Calif., issued himself $13,800 worth of U.S. postal money orders and purported to pay for those money orders with counterfeit $100 bills. Esezobor knew these bills were counterfeit and had passed similar counterfeit bills at his credit union in Hayward in November 2010.
“Today’s verdict sends a clear message that theft by a postal employee is a very serious crime and will not be tolerated,” Special Agent in Charge Cooper of the Postal Service Office of Inspector General said. “The overwhelming majority of Postal Service employees are honest, trustworthy individuals. But when a postal employee, such as Mr. Esezobor, betrays that trust, Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agents vigorously investigate those matters. This conviction reflects the continuing commitment of both the OIG and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring to account those who violate the law.”
Special Agent in Charge Adelmann of the Secret Service added, “This verdict reinforces the effectiveness law enforcement partnerships and collaboration on joint investigations has on addressing serious violations of federal law.”
Esezobor was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 14, 2011.
The sentencing of Esezobor is scheduled for Jan. 31, 2011, before U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken in Oakland. The maximum statutory penalty for theft of public money, in violation 18 U.S.C. § 641, is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for each count of passing counterfeit U.S. obligations, in violation 18 U.S.C. § 472, is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Brian Lewis and Joshua Hill are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Noble Hughes, Janice Pagsanjan, and Vanessa Vargas. The prosecution is the result of a year-long investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service.
source: Press Release – United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California.
Union Launches Petition Drive To Save America’s Postal Service
President Guffey is asking APWU members to collect signatures on a petition [PDF] to Congress urging senators and representatives to oppose plans to close post offices, shutter mail processing facilities, and drastically degrade service to the American people. Read more