Hundreds more mail processing plants like this one (Sioux City, Iowa) would be closed if service standards are relaxed. First-Class Mail is becoming like Standard Mail. People will be forced to pay for Priority Mail or Express Mail if they want one or two day delivery. This proposed reduction in service standards amounts to a huge price increase.
Proposal To Revise Service Standards for First-Class Mail, Periodicals, and Standard Mail – http://federalregister.gov/a/2011-24149
Don Cheney
Auburn WA
Idle Sioux City Postal Workers to Earn Millions
“Tuesday was the first day that Scott Tott was scheduled to become a standby employee at the Sioux City mail-processing facility that closed Friday. Tott – and 39 of his workplace peers – might have nothing to do for the next 3 and a half years, but will still get paid. “The situation has prompted some of Iowa’s top elected officials to sound further alarms about the rationale behind the federal government’s decisions to close some postal operations. “My question is: Are there actual cost savings in this move?” asked U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican, echoed a similar sentiment. “If the Postal Service is determined to close this facility to save money, then it better make sure that it’s saving money,” Grassley said.
Here are some stories about the Sioux City processing center shutdown:
40 Idle Sioux City postal workers to earn millions
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011310050044
Postal service could pay some employees not to work
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/a1/article_026f6013-f696-5dcf-b615-cce87ed71d8c.html
No Hope For Sioux City Mail Processing Center?
http://www.kcautv.com/story/15428859/no-hope-for-sioux-city-mail-processing-center
OUR OPINION: Flaws mount in USPS process for closing local center
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_c15cf2ba-caec-50e1-913e-c0b83a12c9bb.html
Barring a last-minute legislative miracle, it appears the United States Postal Service’s mail processing center in Sioux City will shut down for good on Friday. Despite serious flaws with the process that led to the decision and outrage from local, state and federal officials, the Postal Service remains intent on closing the facility.
On Sunday, the Journal reported in an exclusive story that up to 40 workers could be paid $1.7 million for the next three and a half years for doing nothing. That’s a figure that Sioux City Postal Workers Union Local 186 executive officer Jim Price says wasn’t considered when the Postal Service conducted a study of the shutdown.
Postal officials argue that those workers will all eventually be reassigned to other duties within the Postal Service. Yet, that still doesn’t explain why that $1.7 million (and the figure could be higher given other workers have already been reassigned) in labor costs weren’t part of the equation. Add that figure to a list of factors that local, state and federal officials have long complained the USPS didn’t consider before announcing the decision to move the work done in Sioux City to Sioux Falls.
The nearly comical inability of the Postal Service to appropriately consider and weigh all factors, including a union contract that stretches into 2015, is the clear problem here. Yet, sadly, we are not surprised. With business decisions like these, it’s no wonder the Postal Service is fighting for its life.
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That’s it, I’m putting in for e-reassign to Sioux City…..Who did this math…obviously someone’s brother, sister, uncle, cousin, aunt, stepchild….HOUSE OF CARDS CRUMBLING RIGHT BEFORE OUR VERY EYES.
Is there not some kind of breach of contract in selling forever stamps if the service is going to be degraded?
Ohh, also a big thank you to Rep. Issa. See you in Paris.
Wonderful, a 3 and half year vacation with full pay and benefits. Europe, here I come. All My Love to USPS and Uncle Sam.
And email will no longer be free!
Get rid of the inbred idiot managers and I will work till I am 8o and it would be a good place to work. This is why management ranks are increasing so they force out the union workers and eliminate customer service. Then the corporations can privatize our last freedoms of information.
Can you tell me how this works? Are they on standby because there are no jobs within a 50 mile radius? Are they excessed?
nothing will change unless all top management of u.s.p.s. is removed and the “watchdog” office of the inspector general is investigated for fraud and misconduct. the post office claims that their package revenue volumes have fallen 28% over the last 4 years (according to the el paso times)! with all the shipping ebay and other internet
companies provide this statistic is just unbelieveable. management is
totally incompetent to run ANY business or they are lying and fudging the numbers in an attempt to manufacturer a crisis and get what they couldn’t get any other way.
Articles like this are why the public is turning against postal workers.
Most are offended by clerks making $55K/year doing nothing.
I gradgueight frum Univacity of Pheenix wit mastirs degea in pollstall ideosee.
I ain’t dump, I a bose!!
The Postal Service just don”t know how to run a bussiness
Management is just not Qualified in management
most if not all Supervisors have no college at all
I have 33 years experience in the USPS and I seen alot
of bad decisions over the years……I would bet the PMG
Donohoe doesn”t have much of an education too
WE need help …………….
Pay people to do nothing and protect thier jobs ? Sounds like the ranks of management are growing .
The management of our ” Gob Bless The USPS” has the right to mis-manage and they exercise that right EVERY single day ! Learn how to make money, you incompetent morons ! No company can be saved by excessive cutting and no growth!! Remember the coin-op stamp machines? I used to service 11 machines- revenue ? Try $1.3 million a year….These morons are CRIMINALS and the whole world should know it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!