Addressing the National League of Postmasters on Monday at a conference in Crystal City, Va., Sen. Bernie Sanders was greeted with a standing ovation from local officials who welcomed his effort to block widespread closings of post offices and processing plants.
Sanders said he hopes legislation slated to come before the Senate next week will protect 100,000 jobs that are in jeopardy under a plan to close facilities around the country, including 15 post offices and two mail sorting centers in Vermont. Sanders also wants Congress to preserve overnight delivery of first-class mail and maintain Saturday mail service, both of which could fall under the budget ax as a result of drastic cost-cutting measures the Postal Service is considering.
Under an agreement with the Postal Service worked out by Sanders and other senators, closures and job cuts under study by the Postal Service were delayed until May 15 to give Congress time to consider reforms.
One of the bills before Congress is one introduced by Sanders last November. It would establish a blue-ribbon commission to create a new business model for the Postal Service and examine ways to expand services and boost revenue. He suggested, for example, letting postal workers make copies for customers, notarize documents and provide check-cashing services, all things that are now against the law. He also said post offices could work with states to sell hunting and fishing licenses.
Letter carriers go to 150 million households and businesses across the United States six days a week. “Are there other services that they could be providing to bring in revenue for the post office in addition to just delivering the mail? I believe that there are.”
Instead of a strategy of “cut, cut and cut” advocated by the Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, Sanders called for a business model that acknowledges first-class mail is declining because of e-mail and the digital revolution
“The Postal Service must change,” he told the postmasters, “but it will be a major step backward for our economy if we begin a death spiral for the Postal Service by making mail delivery slower and less efficient.”
Sanders’ legislation also would waive what he called “an incredibly onerous requirement” that the Postal Service set aside billions of dollars over a 10-year period to fund health care benefits for the next 75 years. He also would let the Postal Service recoup billions of overpayments to its pension funds.
Since tea partier T. Sweeny on Thu, 2nd Feb 2012 10:22 did state on the WWW for all to see that…
“Starting salaries are as follows: $50,000 for custodian then $ 52,000 for mail handlers then $ 53,000 for clerks then $57, 000 for carriers per year!”
All above stated employees shall be given backpay along with interest from their starting dates till the date when said employee finally did reach these said pay scales.
Huh, what you guys think? me like. 🙂
BTW is that enufisenuf on drums?
I do like your boast idea of……..
“Starting salaries are as follows: $50,000 for custodian then $ 52,000 for mail handlers then $ 53,000 for clerks then $57, 000 for carriers per year!”
In your Pretzel Tea Bag Logic.
There “use” to be dinosaurs to.
Just like CSRS is closed/gone forever, so are those final steps increases to $51K after a decade and more of working service for those custodians in the new contract.
Regular Custodians now start off with less and end up with less,also hired PSE maintenance custodians starting at $12.50 with no benifits can fill those slots now with 10% of their work.
Over all the APWU gave up alot sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo?
WTF is up your ass, Far Right Tea Hag, better check the polls. Americans have had it with your crap…soon your going to be “used to be’
Your living in the PAST…
@ bullshit
Thats a rough estimate, I know for a fact that custodians used to be a level 3 now they are a level 4 and final step yearly salary is @ $51,000…mail handlers used to be a level 4 now they are level 5 and final step is @ $53,000….clerks used to be a level 5 now they are a level 6 and final step is @ $54,000….carriers used to be a level 6 now they are a level 7 and final step is @ $ 57,000….what seems to be the problem BULLSHIT, seems like ” TRUTH HURTS “!!!!!
“Starting salaries are as follows: $50,000 for custodian then $ 52,000 for mail handlers then $ 53,000 for clerks then $57, 000 for carriers per year!”
dont think so cupcakes, though i like the idea.
“Just pass S.1789 so us Postal workers can get an early-out retirement that’s your quick fix right there?…..Cliffy and the APWU don’t think so ! That would definitely put a crimp in their lifestyles….then again, maybe not…after all, they’ve got that APWU retirement in addition to Social Security and USPS pension ! Yes…being a union politico pays well !
@ T. Sweeny Lies & @ mike
too bad, two more years of pay freezes for federal workers including the USPS!
I like how the USPS employees have it so much better than other federal employees and way better than the private sector!
All you have to be employed by the USPS is to be a high school gradute or at least 18! Starting salaries are as follows: $50,000 for custodian then $ 52,000 for mail handlers then $ 53,000 for clerks then $57, 000 for carriers per year! Thats not even counting benefits like the no layoff clause and fantastic helth benefits and fantastic retirement benefits!
So T. Sweeny Lies and Mike do you want any ” CHEESE WITH THAT WHINE “?
NALC and APWU
What is this?, The Postal Unions telling Congress not to help the US Post Office,
it is the Unions dictating to Congress, yet Congress listens not to those they serve.
The Bill S- 1789 in the United States Senate, was to help to salvage what is left of the US Post Office, and offer Early Retirements to workers, so as to avoid a Reduction in Force and layoffs, the NALC, APWU, and the Mail handlers Unions have basically doomed any legislation to keep the Post Office solvent, the bottom line is Union dues for the Bigwigs in these Unions.
The Craft Workers not management should be offered the Voluntary Early Retirements, and soon, and not the Reduction In Force nor the layoffs, better an Incentive than R.I.F. Or Layoffs.
APWU & NALC
Call Your Senators:
202-224-3121
(Capitol Switchboard)
[Click here for direct #s]
Tell them you Support
S. 1789 as it is currently written
Cut what is there and paste this or something else to your Senators.
Today, 8:45:07 AM
Like – Reply – Delete
You can also Email Your Senator Directly as shown below, the Unions cannot overcome the will of the people , do not give to COPA, give to a legitimate Charity instead, COPA is not tax deductible, Charities usually are.
GOOGLE……….U.S. SENATE………Choose your “SENATOR HOME” State. Look for the area in which to write and send your comment.
I wrote ” I work for the U.S.P.S. and I do not oppose S1789 in it’s current form”. This bill offers three types of incentives not to be combined.
1. 25,000 cash.
2. 2 years added on to your FERS retiremrnet.
3. 1 year added on to your CSRS retirement.
* NOTE: Remember you can only choose one of the three.
Reduce street delivery to 5 days as the demand for this service does not justify its existence. Rreducing delivery from 302 days to 250 would be a double savings on gas and labor cost. The only Sat. delivery should be for Express and Priority to meet delivery service time guarantee same as FED X and UPS per WEEKEND DELIVERY. MARKETING EFFORTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO REGAIN EXPEDITED DELIVERY AS SHARE OF EXPRESS MARKET LESS THAN 10%. Priorty volume should increase with advertising. Retail service is poor in some large officies level 21,22, offices 1-2 clerks with 8-10 customers patiently waiting as their next trip to mail a package will be to UPS Store that has 3 clerks with small counter area were no time is lost. Also have PO BOXES (ups) boxes available.
Postal service need to direct marketing efforts toward services and products that can produce a profit margin and this is not delivering advertising junk mail on Sat..
Todd Sweeney must be upper management if he can crunch these numbers
“walk in revenue of $100.00 a day, yearly= $1200.00. ”
Please don’t support S. 1789. It doesn’t benefit anybody in the long run. The only ones who support it are those eligible for an early out and those ready to retire. They don’t care about those left behind.
The USPS has been ruined by the very people running it. Dont try to blame everyone else. Thirty years ago no one talked about productivity and spent their waking hours looking for ways to move more letter through a machine. The mail came in and the mail went out. Every piece every day. Now we have too many bean counters trying to run the Post Office like a private business. That is like telling the snow plow drivers to plow less when it snows more!!!!
as for the uneducated tea party members perhaps they could start by attending a community college and get some much needed education on why taxes are collected and how things work.
APWU & NALC
Call Your Senators:
202-224-3121
(Capitol Switchboard)
[Click here for direct #s]
Tell them you Support
S. 1789 as it is currently written
Just pass S.1789 so us Postal workers can get an early-out retirement that’s your quick fix right there.
34 yrs and counting….i like suger in my tea.
Thank God Senator Bernie Sanders for senators like you and a few others. Let’s hope and pray that your fellow coulleauged will think like you and vote this bill up. If the overpayment retiree funds is returned back to the Postal Service, the Postal Service can stay afloat and make the changes you are suggesting in your bil that will fenerat revenuel. It would be detrimental to this great country not to have a every day universal mail delivery system in place. One of the most trusted federal agencies we have had since almost the beginning of time, over 300 years. No one can delivery the mail as inexpensive as the Postal Service! Hats off to you Sen. Sanders. You have my vote!
git rid uv all union and liburel. soicilist ruining this cuntry.
More window clerks=better service
So now we see what thirty years of promoting people for all the wrong reasons has gotten us. I said it thirty years ago, that this “thing” about promoting girlfriends, lovers, friends, relatives, race based… was going to be the ruin of the USPS, and now you see what it has come to. Sad, and stupid yes, but at least I was right. Of course no one cared enough back then to stop it, easy money, fast living and all at the governments expense. Now we are saddled with a total bunch of morons that go way up into the heiarchy of the Postal Service. And still, to this very day, we still promote idiots! From a sociological point of view…just too funny.
I love you “Todd Sweeny LIES!!! ” You really hit the nail on the head and said exactly what I would have said. I am so tired of ppl speaking about things they are obviously clueless about! Kudos.
@todd sweeny…
First, learn the language and how to type it. Second, learn how to punctuate. Third, get help as you are clearly delusional. PMG Donahoe’s ultimate goal is to close over half, 15,000+, of the branch offices and over 300 processing facilities leaving us with 135 P&DC’s; of which 15 will be consolidation hubs strategically located so as to best serve the largest of the commercial mass mailers
3,700 rural, two person PO’s = a LIE. $100/day, which is a figure you clearly pulled out of your ass (I’m guessing your head appreciates the extra room) x 302 days/yr open = $30,200. There would NOT be a Postmaster at a two man station and any manager there would NOT be an EAS level 16. In other words, they would NOT be making $60k/yr. Also, a station that small would likely only have ONE employee…
As for the time spent boxing the mail, once again, right out of your ass. The Postal Service has never been mandated to break even, much less turn a profit. This is profiteering at its most grotesque in order to turn the USPS into a money making machine for bulk mailers. To subvert the charter of the Postal Service at the expense of the American public it was created to serve is unconscionable. You, sir, are a douchebag of the lowest caliber.
As for being top-heavy in management put in place through the most disgusting form of nepotism, with no real skills or formal training, we are agreed. Good day.
Joe needs to stop listening to FOX and all the right wing nuts…….its NOT about unions…….it’s preserving the best postal service to the citizens of this country…we have the largest, cheapest and most efficient post office in the world…….so get off the anti-union rant…..and learn the facts……we have to fund health care benefits 75 years in advance…….we also overpaid into the Treasury about $70 BILLION!!!!!! that the congress won’t give back……..you wanna rant…….rant to CONGRESS……they created the mess THEY can fix it !!!!!!!!
Unions like APWU have handcuffed USPS making it nearly impossible to make any necessary changes to ensure USPS employment survives. The union lemmings figure that grievances will be filed and union arguments sustained and there is no way they will lose their jobs. So…what we’re looking at is inevitable failure and banruptcy. Till then, expect the lemmings to increase the number of injuries “suffered” on the job by union protected malingerers seeking to somehow have that ace-in-the-hole just in case.
Occupy the APWU today !!
Mr. Sweeny.
From your earlier post one can only assume you are insufficiently informed regarding that of which you speak reminding me of the old adage of appearing foolish and then speaking to remove all doubt. Mind you, the struggles that the Postal Service fight to overcome are the product of the never ending battle being waged by the corporatist and their minions.
Republicans, sadly, have only one goal; eliminate anything remotely resembling government so the “free-market” (formerly “capitalism”) can lead us all to the Promised Land. Which is evidenced by the requirement that the Postal Service and ONLY the Postal Service to fund the retirement of employees 75 years in the future. No other agency or business in the world, suffers such an illogical, egregious burden.
Added to this potentially fatal attack by traitors of the United States of America and its goal to protect free speech seditious “Federal Employees” from the conservative wing twisted the knife by contracting with a foreign agent to provide mail service for the Executive Branch.
In closing, I do hope that you research the challenges facing all of us while we watch our rights, liberties, freedoms as well as the basic foundation of protections and the connection to each other across this land as the as our Constitution slowly morphs into a Corporate Charter.
By the way, the U.S. Postal Service, regardless of the locations, is open more than 12 days a year…
Be safe today. And be a better person for it tomorrow
I guess you can’t spell either, Mike, if that was the only word you caught!
YES RON WAS QUITE WRONG IN HIS SPELLING OF QUIET. THE OTHER WORDS WERE JUST AMUSING! TRY SPELL CHECK!!
ron calling other people stupid is funny. learn how to spell at a 3rd grade level first you moron.
It’s a gathering place? So is your local pub. Maybe we should provide a guarantee to your local pub. Grow, Grow, Grow? you mean like the deficit?
3plus minutes of drival. Gee thanks from the rural state Vermont’s Senator Sanders. You have been a great help! What happens when my check is not in the mail, and has not been made to my auto deposit! We need a bail out, Maybe we can consolidate with Government Motors we could be called Government gathering places and rural motors! GMGPRM. The weather would get better, Polar bears will be happy on thier own iceberg, and showers for 99%
additional revenues? Japan post and new zealand how is that working for you?
It is going to take more then keeping small offices open. Let’s just decide priviatize or federaliz, or fossilize! What is it? Let’s quite the gutless wondering and pick a door! This is just stupid
VERA please…what are they waiting for? Without a incentive Iam out of here!
I agree with all those little post offices are not bringing in the revenue and they need to close. I think that they need to offer an early out and hopefully things will turn around. I know for a fact that this Christmas was busy lots of post but as yet nothing has been said about how we done as far as income. It really makes me wonder whats going on. It was a big Christmas for other business ‘s but not a peep out of the Post Office.
Cliff: Todd Sweeny has the inside scoop. Read and weep!
First of all, the PMG wants to reduce only 10 % of the rural post offices out of 37,000! Due to the fact that these small rural post offices have very little walkin revenue! The cost of labor exceeds the revenue received yearly! There’s usually only 2 employees in these rural post offices! One is the Post Master who makes at least $60,000 a year and a clerk who makes another $50,000 a year. Together they make around $110,000 a year most exceding the walk in revenue of $100.00 a day, yearly= $1200.00. Come on people wake up and smell the coffee! You cant possibly run a business like this where its a lose lose situation! The clerk who puts up the box mali wichl they received at 7 am usually takes probably less than a hour to box it! So that leaves the rest of the day to lollygag and slack off! Senator Sanders is a out right fool suggesting the the USPS stop closing these facilities! With these closures the Post Masters will have to either retired before they want too. Or be place in a position where they must do some work!!!! That why they are up in arms against the USPS! Its a major disruption in their lives considering those who where in these little gold mines doing NOTHING…….
Bernie, Nice, what about we who need the VER to get out of the nuthouse!
What is this?, The Postal Unions telling Congress not to help the US Post Office,
it is the Unions dictating to Congress, yet Congress listens not to those they serve.
The Bill S- 1789 in the United States Senate, was to help to salvage what is left of the US Post Office, and offer Early Retirements to workers, so as to avoid a Reduction in Force and layoffs, the NALC, APWU, and the Mail handlers Unions have basically doomed any legislation to keep the Postal Office solvent,the bottom line is Union dues for the Bigwigs in these Unions.
Call Your Senators:
202-224-3121
(Capitol Switchboard)
Tell them you Support
S. 1789 as it is currently written.