USPS In California To Post Combined City Carrier-Clerk Duty Assignment?
Filed under: APWU, NALC, letter carriers, postal, postal news, usps
USPS has notified a Local California APWU President of its intent ( it appears that the assignment has already been posted) to post a “combined full-time assignment” , consisting of six (6) hours of carrier duties and two (2) hours of clerk duties. The Postal Service has proposed to post this job as a City Carrier Craft assignment under the jurisdiction of NALC.
Here is a breakdown of the duties:
Manual Distribution, Breakout and Spreading: 1:59,
Office Time 1:16 and
Street Time: 4:45.
The Full-Time assignment also has a “scheme” attached along with qualifications necessary to be awarded the job.
Excerpts of the letter from USPS to the Local California President:
This is to inform you of my intent to utilize the provisions of Art 7.2A of the National Agreement to create a full-time assignment by combining duties from different crafts. The reason for establishing the combination assignment is to provide maximum full-time employment and provide necessary flexibility.
Attached you will find a copy of the combination assignment to be posted. This bid job will be designated to the NALC represented craft.
Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting, Robbing Letter Carrier
Filed under: letter carriers, postal, postal news, press releases, usdoj
Man assaulted and robbed letter carrier of $26 while delivering mail
The U.S. Department of Justice’s U.S. Attorney’s office for Eastern District of Louisiana issued the following press release:
July 16, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHRISTOPHER ISAAC, age 20, of Marrero, Louisiana, pled guilty in federal court yesterday before U. S. District Judge Helen G. Berrigan to assault on a federal officer, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, ISAAC admitted that on February 12, 2010, he used a semi-automatic pistol to forcibly assault and rob a U. S. Postal Service letter carrier while the letter carrier was delivering mail at the Ridgefield Apartments in Marrero, Louisiana.
ISAAC faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of $250,000 and three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Sentencing is set for October 27, 2010.
The case was investigated by the U. S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Loan “Mimi” Nguyen .
Hayward Letter Carriers Met, Married and Retire While Working at Same Post Office
HAYWARD — It was a match made in Hayward’s Post Office more than 30 years ago. Ron McMahan spied Peggy standing at the time clock, ready to begin work. “Would you go out sometime?” he asked. “I would if someone asked me. You can call me,” she replied. “That stopped him for a moment,” Peggy recalled, “because it was a long–distance call. I told him he could call collect.” Ron called. But not collect.
Fast–forward three decades. The couple, both letter carriers at Hayward Post Office (Ron has 43 years of service, Peggy 36), have decided to hang up their mail bags and deliver their appointed rounds for the last time when they report to work at 7:30 a.m., on Friday, July 2, 2010.
After dating for nine months, Ron popped the marriage question at Columbia State Park. “Let me think about it,” Peggy said.
Their first retirement plan is to head for the Caribbean on the Oasis of the Sea. After that, “Guess we’ll have to go fishing,” Peggy grumbled, good–naturedly. “She likes to fish, but only when they’re biting,” Ron explained.
Ron said he’s ‘worked’ for the post office in Hayward since he was nine. “My dad started as a postal worker in 1957 at the Cypress Annex. I’d hang out in the swing room and play, waiting for him to get off from work. Then, in 1967, I joined him working here.”
Between the two of them, the McMahans have over 80 years of service credit, including sick leave hours. They are both Million Mile drivers, a prestigious driver–safety record denoting zero motor vehicle accidents while driving over a million miles respectively during their postal careers. Together, they have driven the equivalent of driving coast–to–coast 668 times without ever leaving the city limits.
They are the only known married couple in the Postal Service to achieve a million miles of safe driving, and to retire on the same day.
They agree that their customers are like family. “We’ve watched as families have grown, as children have been born,” Ron said. “And we keep an eye out for whatever is going on in the neighborhood.” Peggy works in a residential area with many retirees. The McMahans have heard the same refrain from customers: “Please don’t retire! ”
“Our customers share their lives with us,” Peggy said. “We’re all one big family,” Ron added.
source: USPS
Postal Service Needs Help Preventing Dog Bites
Letter Carriers, Victims, Doctors Promote National Dog Bite Prevention Week
CHICAGO, May 13 – Fifty-four Chicago U.S. Postal Service letter carriers were among the 2,863 postal employees attacked by dogs last year, yet that pales in comparison to the 4.7 million Americans bitten annually — the majority of whom were children.
According to the City of Chicago’s Commission on Animal Care and Control, nearly 2,000 Chicagoans are bitten annually. Fortunately, dog bites are preventable through training, proper control of dogs and education.
These statistics are part of the reason the Postal Service recognizes National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, an annual event designed to provide consumers with information on how to be responsible pet owners while increasing awareness of a public health issue.
“We often hear two tall tales at the Postal Service — ‘the check’s in the mail,’ and ‘don’t worry, my dog won’t bite,’” said Delores Killette, Postal Service vice president and Consumer Advocate. “Given the right circumstances, any dog can bite. Working with animal behavior experts, we’ve developed tips to avoid dog attacks, and for dog owners, tips for practicing responsible pet ownership.”
To spread the word that dog bites are preventable, the Postal Service is working with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Other organizations include the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) and Prevent The Bite.
“Warm and wonderful relationships are shared between more than 72 million pet dogs and their owners in the United States,” said Dr. Gail C. Golab, director of the AVMA’s Animal Welfare Division. “To protect those relationships, everyone must take responsibility for preventing dog bite injuries.”
“Any dog can bite,” Golab added. “Even the gentlest dog, if it is physically or mentally unhealthy, is in pain, feels threatened, or is protecting its food or a favorite toy, can bite. Not only is it important to understand how dogs behave, it is important to understand how our behavior may be interpreted by a dog. To prevent dog bites, we need to find a common language. Finding that common language is the focus of effective dog bite prevention educational efforts.”
“Half of all children will be bitten by a dog by the time they’re high school seniors,” said Dr. Alison Tothy, chair of the committee on injury and poison prevention of AAP’s Illinois chapter. “It’s so important for parents to supervise young children around dogs at all times, and it’s just as important for children to be taught from an early age how to keep from being bitten.”
Plastic surgeon Loren Schechter of Morton Grove, IL, knows all too well how devastating injuries from dog attacks can be. “More than 30,000 reconstructive procedures after dog bites were performed last year, up eight percent since 2008. Unfortunately, many of these surgeries were performed on children,” said Schechter, member of the ASPS, ASRM and ASMS. “Children are frequently bitten on the face, which can result in severe lacerations, infection or scarring.”
Kelly Voigt, 18, was the victim of a savage dog attack when she was seven years old, and needed 100 stitches to her face as part of her recovery.
“Dog bite prevention education cannot begin early enough,” said Voigt. The experience was the catalyst behind the creation of Prevent The Bite, a non-profit organization that promotes dog bite prevention to young children. To date, Voigt has spoken before more than 10,000 elementary school students.
To help educate the public about dog bites, the AVMA developed a brochure, “What you should know about dog bite prevention,” offering tips on how to avoid being bitten, what dog owners can do to prevent their dogs from biting and how to treat dog bites.
Tips include: Pick a dog that is a good match for your home, consult your veterinarian for details, socialize your pet and avoid aggressive games with your pet. To access the brochure online, visit www.avma.org/press/publichealth/dogbite/mediakit.asp.
The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. Letter carriers fearing for their safety due to a loose or unrestrained pet may curtail delivery and ask homeowners to pick up their mail at the Post Office until the carrier is assured the pet is restrained. In cases where carriers see the dog roaming, delivery could be curtailed to the neighborhood.
The Postal Service offers these tips as well:
How to Avoid Being Bitten
* Don’t run past a dog. The dog’s natural instinct is to chase and catch prey.
* If a dog threatens you, don’t scream. Avoid eye contact. Try to remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.
* Don’t approach a strange dog, especially one that’s tethered or confined.
* While letter carriers are discouraged from petting animals, people who choose to pet dogs should always let a dog see and sniff them before petting the animal.
* If you believe a dog is about to attack you, try to place something between yourself and the dog, such as a backpack or a bicycle.
How to Be a Responsible Dog Owner
* Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners control their dogs.
* When a carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the door in another room.
* Don’t let your child take mail from the carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog’s instinct is to protect the family.
* Spay or neuter your dog. Neutered dogs are less likely to bite.
* Dogs that receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time, frequently turn into biters.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.
National Dog Bite Prevention Week® is a registered trademark of the American Veterinary Medical Association and is licensed for use to the United States Postal Service, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery.
SOURCE U.S. Postal Service
NALC: Memorandum signed on Joint Alternate Route Adjustment Process
President Rolando announced May 4 that the NALC and the Postal Service have reached an agreement on the next phase of a Joint Alternate Route Adjustment Process. However, the agreement makes it clear that finalizing a number of incomplete revisits of 2009 MIARAP adjustments must be given priority over the evaluation and adjustment of routes/zones under the new JARAP.
Included among several positive changes to the process are automatic reviews of specific forms to ensure the integrity of the data being reviewed. Additionally, rather than reviewing all routes/zones nationwide, only routes/zones requested by either party will be evaluated and/or adjusted under JARAP. Local parties may also submit locally developed alternatives for adjusting routes to the national parties for review and possible approval.
“NALC is pleased to reach an agreement that improves the joint alternative process,” Rolando said. “The new agreement builds on the key principles established in the IRAP and MIARAP—no decision at any level regarding the evaluation and/or adjustment of any route can be made without the agreement of both the union and management.”
- M-01720: The 23 page joint guidelines to the new Joint Alternate Route Adjustment Process (JARAP) This includes the shaded MOU language itself.
- M-01717: The JARAP Memorandum of Understanding itself
- M-01719: MOU on prioritizing incomplete 2009 MIARAP revisits first
- M-01718: MOU on Alternative Evaluation and Adjustment Processes.
source: The National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO
Mail Handler and Letter Carrier Charged With Mail Theft
Filed under: legal cases, letter carriers, mail handlers, postal, press releases
Press Releases from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas :
(HOUSTON) – A mail handler for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been indicted for mail theft, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.
Johnny McCoy, 49, of Spring, Texas, has been charged in a one-count indictment with theft of mail by a postal employee returned by a Houston grand jury on April 8, 2010. McCoy surrendered himself to USPS-Office of Inspector General authorities on Monday, April 12, 2010, and has been ordered released on bond pending trial of the case.
The charges are the result of an investigation into the theft of greeting card letters destined for USPS customers. McCoy is accused of stealing two $20 bills and a $10 bill from first class mail addressed to a USPS customer residing in Kemah, Texas, in July 2009.
McCoy worked as a mail handler at the North Houston Processing and Distribution Center at the time of this incident. Three days later, McCoy resigned from his position with the USPS.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Tammie Y. Moore is prosecuting the case
(HOUSTON) – A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier has been indicted for mail theft, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.
Johnnie Harden, 46, of Houston, was charged by a Houston grand jury on April 8, 2010, with two counts of theft of mail by a postal employee. Harden surrendered himself to the U.S. Marshals Service on Monday, April 12, 2010, and has been ordered released on bond pending trial in this case.
The charges against Harden are the result of an investigation initiated by the USPS-Office of Inspector General upon receipt of customer complaints reporting non-receipt of a greeting card intended for a recipient address in Houston.
Harden is accused of having stolen a $50 Target gift card from the mail entrusted to him for delivery to a USPS customer on Sept. 23, 2009, and two $50 bills enclosed in a second article of mail on Oct. 15, 2009.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Tammie Y. Moore is prosecuting the case.
Injured Letter Carrier Fired For Failing To Report Income From Rock Band
Filed under: Injured On Duty, NALC, legal cases, letter carriers, postal
Illinois Letter Carrier fired for failing to report income earned playing bass guitar for a rock band called BANG!
Truhlar sued the Postal Service and NALC Branch.
TRUHLAR v. U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
KENNETH T. TRUHLAR, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, et al., Defendants-Appellees.
No. 09-1652.
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit.
Argued December 3, 2009.
Decided April 12, 2010.
Before EASTERBROOK, Chief Judge, and MANION and EVANS, Circuit Judges.
EVANS, Circuit Judge.
In 1998, Kenneth Truhlar was working as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service in Westmont, Illinois, when a car rear-ended his mail truck, injuring his back and neck. Truhlar sought partial disability payments but failed to disclose in the disability compensation paperwork that he was earning money playing bass guitar for a rock band called BANG!. When the Postal Service discovered the omission, it launched an investigation to determine whether he had engaged in misconduct. It ultimately concluded that he had, and in 2005, Truhlar was fired. He sued the Postal Service and his local union, John Grace Branch #825 of the National Association of Letter Carriers, under § 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (LMRA), 29 U.S.C. § 185, claiming that the Service breached the collective bargaining agreement by firing him without just cause and that the union breached its duty of fair representation. Truhlar’s suit, which is a form of hybrid litigation, came to an end when the district court granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment. Truhlar appeals that decision.
Although the parties disagree over a number of (ultimately immaterial) details, the following facts are undisputed. In order to collect partial disability payments following his injury, Truhlar periodically submitted a Department of Labor (DOL) form called the CA-7, which includes the following question: “Have you worked outside your federal job during the period(s) [for which you are claiming disability]? (Include salaried, self-employed, commissioned, volunteer, etc.).” Truhlar responded “no” to this question or failed to answer it on 24 CA-7 forms he submitted between 2000 and 2001, despite the fact that he earned between $8,775 and $11,000 performing with BANG! during that period. After a Postal Service inspector videotaped Truhlar playing with the band, another inspector interviewed him about the discrepancy. Truhlar claimed he misunderstood the question on the form. In June 2001, the Postal Service notified Truhlar that he was being placed on off-duty status for “failure to provide correct earning information on your Form CA-7.” A local union steward filed a grievance on Truhlar’s behalf, and when the grievance was denied, union representative Eric Smith appealed in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement’s (CBA) three-step grievance procedure. Read more
Illinois Letter Carrier Celebrating 50 Years of Delivering Mail
Glenview, IL, Letter Carrier Joe Kraus is celebrating 50 years of delivering the mail. Nothing has slowed him down.
He’s a rarity. Most people change jobs many times. But for Kraus, delivering the mail in his hometown was an excellent fit. “My parents bought a new house in 1940 when I was a boy,” he says. “I grew up on the west side of town back when there was a lot of open space.”
The letter carrier has enjoyed the opportunity to work directly with the public. “I like being with people,” says Kraus. “This job gives me a chance to help others every day.”
Kraus has become so well-known on his route, people offer him tea or coffee when it’s cold outside and water and lemonade when it’s hot. “I’ve been lucky,” he says. “I’ve had no major injuries and everyone has been very good to me.”
When asked if he plans to retire soon, Kraus says “I could have left a while ago. But I thought I would stay on for the work, my co-workers and the customers.”
After a celebratory cake and good wishes marking his anniversary, a co-worker asked, “What’s your secret?”
“I just keep going,” said Kraus.
source: USPS
New Hampshire Letter Carriers Awarded $30,000 For Postal Management Deleting Time Clock Rings
From PostalReporter reader: Our Union is in receipt of the attached arbitration case. It has awarded close to $30,000 to letter carriers in the Milford Post Office (New Hampshire) . It also includes some retirees and transfers from the Milford Post Office. The case deals with Postal Managers that “Stole Time” from the electronic time card records of letter carriers that worked overtime. The Managers were found guilty in arbitration but it appears never charged with a crime. I do not even think they received discipline.
This is not right to come to work and have a manager steal time from us. I have been a letter carrier for many years and I have never stolen anything. We took an oath! These managers stole from us and did not even get disciplined.
Arbitration Award Summary
Management violated Article 19 of the National Agreement when they altered Milford City Carrier clock rings for the period 2003-2008. The grievances are sustained. For a remedial award I find:
1. The Service agreed based on the evidence, that all the carriers who were adversely impacted by the altered clock rings are entitled to a make whole remedy for the period 2003-2008; the details to be worked out by the parties. Thus, all employees adversely impacted by the altered click rings are to be made whole.
2. Management at the Milford Post Office engaged in a pattern of intentional, repeated and flagrant violations of the contract when they altered the City Carrier clock rings for the period 2003-2008. Management’s violations were so egregious over a period of many years that punitive damages are warranted to deter the Service from further clock ring violations. This, I award $1500.00 to all current career city carriers at the Milford, New Hampshire PO.
3. As a result of Management’s contractual violations, part-time flexible carriers West and McGaughey were not converted to full-time regular status. Based on the documentation presented, I conclude that PTF carriers West and McGaughey are qualified for conversion to full-time status. I find that PTF carriers West and McGaughey are to be converted to full-time regular carriers, effective 30 days from the date of the award, into the two positions curreently being withheld under Article 12.
Also: Specifically over a six year period Supervisor Cohen and Postmaster Mottlard deliberately made 805 changes to carriers pay and thousands of changes and modifications in clock ring codes in violation of the National Agreement resulting in loss of pay to the carriers. Moreover in one year ther were several weeks of training time that affected the carriers jobs in a seven route office. Supervisor Colen put carriers in for training time when they were actually working. For example, in 2005 there were over 9 weeks of training time recorded although there were only seven full-time letter carriers and two part-time flexible carriers. Falsely listing the carrier training time negatively affected the evaluation of the routes.
Sherri Rose Talmadge, Esq., Arbitrator
Related link: Postal Manager of Somersworth Post Office Escorted From Building By OIG
Can Parcels Save the Postal Service?
Burrus Update
A Letter Carrier wrote to me recently in response to an Update I posted last month, praising my work on behalf of postal employees and the USPS, and offering some alternate ideas about how the Postal Service could grow. The Letter Carrier suggested that my column (Update 21-2009) downplayed the importance of generating new package-delivery business for the Postal Service. “I believe the post office has another option besides ‘growing’ letter mail, and that is to retrieve the parcel business,” he wrote.
In response, after thanking the gentleman for his kind words and praising his commitment, I pointed out some flaws in the idea that the growth of parcel service could provide enough volume to sustain the USPS:
The first is that a national network consisting of 37,000 facilities cannot be supported by a product that is delivered on an “on-call” basis.
The Postal Service is structured to deliver to every home six days per week. Sufficient revenue simply cannot be generated from the delivery of parcels, which are intermittent. There must be a reason to deliver to every home every day, or there is no justification to staff for universal home delivery.
Parcel delivery alone cannot justify the staffing levels of the Postal Service. While UPS guarantees delivery to every address, it staffs its operation in anticipation of sporadic delivery.
If one compares the United Parcel Service’s network to the USPS’ network, it will reveal that on-call delivery requires a much smaller “footprint.” Following is a comparison:
| United Parcel Service | Postal Service | ||
| FACILITIES | 877 | 37,000 | |
| EMPLOYEES | 340,000 | 600,000 | |
| DELIVERIES PER DAY | 12,000,000 | 565,000,000 |
As reflected above, there is no comparison between UPS and the USPS network. For UPS, parcels are their primary product; for the USPS packages represent such a small portion of total volume that even a substantial increase would have a negligible impact on total revenue.
The United Parcel Service is a major force in the parcel delivery market, and any attempt to erode its dominance would be met with fierce opposition. As a private corporation unfettered by the regulations that govern the Postal Service, UPS can price its service at a loss in order to preserve its market share.
The Postal Service does not have this freedom, so the likelihood of winning away UPS’ volume is scant at best; even if such an endeavor were successful, the impact on USPS’ total revenue would hardly be worth the effort.
It is not my intent to minimize the importance of increasing the revenue generated by parcels, retail, and other services, but we must begin with an acknowledgement of our primary product: letter mail. A 40 percent increase in parcels would be needed just to replace the decline of 17,000,000,000 letters in 2009. Taking into account the continuing impact of electronic messaging, it is unreasonable to expect comparable increases in parcels year after year.
Letter mail is the foundation of the Postal Service. While other services — including parcel delivery — are necessary to generate sufficient revenue, the foundation of the USPS is built on letters. Without a strong foundation, a structure cannot stand.
The Postal Service, universal rates, and universal service are bound to letter mail. Other services offered by the Postal Service can be provided by the private sector. So, as I concluded in the earlier article, our focus must be to increase letter-mail volume. Without a substantial improvement in that arena, the USPS will perish.
My Letter Carrier friend has been an active participant in the Customer Connect program, which encourages carriers to submit potential business leads they discover on their routes to USPS marketing departments. He was severely disappointed by what he believes is management’s abandonment of the program, which is aimed primarily at small businesses, in favor of focusing exclusively on big customers.
In that regard, I wholeheartedly agree: I believe the USPS should market its parcel services to small businesses much more aggressively; but letter mail is the key to our survival.