Letter Carrier Convicted of Delaying the Mail
BOSTON – A Saugus man was convicted by a federal jury in Worcester for delaying the United States mail.
Derek Nuzzo, 34, stored mail in his car from various postal routes in Malden where he worked as a letter carrier. On March 2010, there were more than two thousand pieces of mail found in his car, some of which had postmarks dating from early January 2010.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 3, 2012. Nuzzo faces up to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Rafael Medina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Kanwit of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.
Postal Inspector Convicted of Perjury and Obstruction Of Justice
JANUARY 27, 2012
BOSTON – A former federal postal inspector was convicted yesterday in federal court of perjury and obstruction of justice.
Joseph M. McGonagle, III, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to perjury and obstruction of justice. Had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that McGonagle knowingly and wilfully falsely testified under oath at a May 19, 2010, court hearing held in U.S. District Court in Boston. At the time the offenses were committed, McGonagle was an inspector with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. He had been assigned to the prosecution team in United States v. Eric L. Levine, et al. Levine was tried and convicted by a jury in 2010. Read more
USPS Introduces 3rd Priority Mail Regional Rate Box Designed for Commerical Mailers
The Postal Service is giving customers a big reason to ship regionally with USPS. It’s called the “Priority Mail Regional Rate Box C.”
At 15-by-12-by-12 inches, the new container is the largest USPS-produced box for commercial use, with a 25-pound maximum weight limit. It makes its debut in conjunction with the Jan. 22 price change. Box C joins Box A and Box B in the Priority Mail Regional Rate lineup. The boxes are designed for commercial mailers.
“Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes are similar to Flat Rate Boxes and provide ‘if it fits it ships’ convenience but have modest weight restrictions,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. “We expect the new box to be a big a hit with shippers.”
Since the introduction of Box A and Box B in January 2011, more than 17 million Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes have been ordered.
While Box A and Box B come in both top- and side-loading versions, Box C will be only top loading.
The boxes offer value for high-volume shippers, like e-tailers and local and regional-based businesses, when they’re shipping shorter distances. And they get free boxes, too, available for order online at usps.com.
Although it’s designed primarily for commercial shippers, customers who bring a Priority Mail Regional Rate Box to a retail office will be charged 75 cents more than the Commercial Base price.
source: USPS News Link Story – Multiple choice.
NLRB Report Challenges Validity of Many Employers Social Media Policies
In its most recent effort to draw lines on the self-described “hot topic” of the “lawfulness of employers’ social media policies and rules,” the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) Office of General Counsel has taken the position that many policy provisions commonly seen in employers’ social media policies violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). This most recent shot across the bow came on January 24, 2012, in the form of a report, issued to senior regional staff, on 14 cases which, according to the General Counsel, “present emerging issues in the context of social media.” This report follows a previous General Counsel report, dated August 18, 2011, which discussed 14 prior NLRB cases involving social media issues.
The cases treated in the report also contain the General Counsel’s opinion on whether the employer in each case violated the NLRA by imposing discipline based on social media conduct. We will cover this aspect of the report in a separate and forthcoming blog post. Here, we will focus on the thicket that the NLRB has created for employers who are trying to gain some reasonable control over what employees publish in social media, often to the world, about co-workers, supervisors, the workplace, and the employer’s products and services. Read more
OWCP Issues Statement Regarding USPS, Align Networks Partnership For Physical Therapy Services
Apparently , APWU is not alone with our concerns regarding the partnership between the Postal Service and Align Networks.
Recent communications from the United States Postal Service and Align Networks generated enough distress among OWCP officials that its Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation issued a statement earlier today on its website that asserts OWCP as the only authority with the power to determine what medical care will be authorized. It emphasizes medical providers are not required to refer claimants to Align Networks for authorization for physical therapy and that postal employees are not required to use Align Networks, or affiliated physical therapists for scheduling or treatment of a condition approved by OWCP under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. The posting clarifies the authorization and billing processes, and deflates the Postal Service’s notion that utilization of Align Networks will save employees money. Read more
USPS, Postal Supervisors Extend Pay Talks
The National Association of Postal Supervisors and the United States Postal Service have agreed to extend Pay Consultations until February 29, 2012. In reaching this decision to request an extension, NAPS president, Louis Atkins and the resident officers believe that it is in the best interest of our members to continue consultations for pay, benefits and improvements in working conditions.
Further information will be provided to our membership as it becomes available. Please share this information with your local branches.
NAPS Headquarters
Senate to Vote on Postal Bill: APWU Members Must Take Action NOW!
The APWU has learned that the Senate will consider postal legislation very soon, and President Cliff Guffey is asking union members to contact their senators immediately and tell them that the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) is unacceptable in its current form. “The stakes couldn’t be higher,” Guffey said.
As currently written, the bill would give the USPS some short-term financial relief, but also would inflict long-term damage to the nation’s mail system, he said.
“The bill would force the Postal Service to close hundreds of mail processing centers, shut thousands of post offices, and cause massive delays in mail delivery,” the APWU president said. “By failing to give more substantial financial relief, the bill would weaken the Postal Service, kill jobs, and drive customers away,” he added.
“APWU members have done an outstanding job of expressing our concerns to their senators and representatives,” Guffey added. “At this critical time, union members must continue to let them know where we stand.” Read more
NALC: Senate Will Not Consider Postal Bill Next Week
Dear Supporter,
Thanks to you and your brothers and sisters across the country, S. 1789 will not be brought to the Senate floor next week. We were successful in delaying a floor vote on S. 1789 because letter carriers called their senators and urged them to oppose the bill in its current form.
S. 1789 is still on the docket, though, and it might be brought up in the near future. Therefore, it is imperative that you continue to check your e-mail and the NALC website for the most up-to-date information regarding further action on S. 1789.
The NALC is continuing to work with Senate leadership and our allies in the Senate to reform the bill before the Senate considers it for passage.
This week, you did your part to protect the future of the United States Postal Service and, when I call on you again, I know you will take action to keep the pressure on the Senate to do the right thing.
Thank you for your continued efforts.
In Solidarity,
Fredric V. Rolando, President
National Association of Letter Carriers
Congressional Budget Office Analysis of Senate postal reform bill
SUMMARY
S. 1789 would change the laws that govern the operation of the United States Postal Service (USPS). Major provisions of the bill would:
Transfer more than $11 billion in surplus retirement contributions from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF) to the Postal Service Fund;
Change the payments that the Postal Service is required to make to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (PSRHBF);
Permit the Postal Service to reduce mail delivery from six days per week to five;
Authorize the Postal Service to offer employees credit for additional years of service as an incentive to retire; and
Reduce payments to most federal workers receiving benefits under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) and reform the administration of that act. In addition, other provisions of S. 1789 would aim to help the Postal Service reduce its costs and increase its revenues. Read more
USPS and France’s La Poste to Honor Miles Davis and Edith Piaf on Forever Stamps
WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service today announced the joint issuance of new Forever stamps honoring two of the world’s greatest musicians, Edith Piaf and Miles Davis. The stamps will be issued with the French postal service, La Poste in June.
“We look forward to issuing these great stamps jointly with La Poste, continuing a tradition of international celebration of stamps,” said USPS Manager, Stamp Services, Stephen Kearney.
Americans may know Edith Piaf best for her cheerful song “La Vie en Rose” (“Life in Pink”), about the experience of falling in love and seeing life through rose-colored glasses; the tune is still heard on the streets of Paris today.
Piaf’s tumultuous life got off to a stormy start. Born Edith Gassion in Paris, she was abandoned by her mother and later traveled with her father, singing on the street while he performed acrobatics. The tiny singer was discovered by a nightclub owner who gave her the stage name “Piaf,” Parisian slang for sparrow. She quickly became a star, singing tragic songs about heartbreak that have been called a French equivalent of the blues. Piaf toured the U.S. ten times and sang twice at Carnegie Hall. In 1960, the ailing chanteuse discovered the defiant song that would become her anthem, “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” (“No Regrets”). Read more