Postmasters Request Meeting With USPS to Discuss RIF Avoidance Strategies
On Monday, League President Mark Strong and NAPUS President Bob Rapoza sent a joint letter to USPS Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Megan Brennan, requesting a meeting to discuss the impact that the Retail Access Optimization Initiative (RAOI) may have on Postmasters whose offices are on the study list. Specifically, the leaders of the two Postmaster organizations are asking to meet with members of the Postal Service senior management team to discuss minimizing or avoiding the impact that RIF may have on Postmasters whose offices may be discontinued.
RIF Avoidance and minimization strategy actions listed in the ELM 354.23 include voluntary early retirements, voluntary early retirement incentives, voluntary reassignments and other actions that can be considered for impacted employees. The two presidents reminded Ms Brennan that Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said that he would work with the Postmaster organizations as he had worked with other RIF impacted employees. For more information on this and other important news from President Rapoza, click here http://www.napus.org/president-rapozas-updates/.
We have received several inquiries from Exempt status Postmasters who lost employees as a result of Delivery Unit Optimization (DUO) and are re-classified to non-exempt if they manage less than two full-time equivalent employees, but the Form 50 isn’t processed to change them to the correct status for several months. Listed below is the USPS Headquarters response to the FLSA status question and their response on when salary protection begins for Postmasters who are downgraded as a result of DUO.
When staffing conditions in a Post Office do not meet criteria for FLSA-exempt status, the Postmaster’s FLSA status becomes non-exempt. If the FLSA status of the job changes, this should be brought to the attention of the appropriate management authorities promptly so that FLSA status may be adjusted timely, within one or two pay periods of the Postmaster no longer meeting the criteria of an exempt status. We recommend that Postmasters coordinate closely with their supervisors to ensure that work beyond 40 in a pay week is authorized expressly. This will help prevent potential problems. Postmasters should document overtime hours they work since DUO implementation. They should also document the dates such hours are worked, and they should furnish this material to local management for review and determination if there are concerns about pay.
Salary protection for DUO impacted Postmasters begins on the Form 50 effective date of the downgrade.
Next week, members of the two Postmaster organization pay talks teams will resume discussions with Postal Service representatives. The meetings will include discussions on pay, benefits, leave and changes to the ELM that may impact Postmasters. The Postmaster organizations and the Postal Service agreed to extend the October 5, 2011 deadline.
Charlie Moser
October 5, 2011
source: NAPUS
Postmasters President Tells PRC Closing Rural Post Offices Will Not Help USPS
Filed under: NLPM, post office closings, postal, postal news, Postmasters, press releases, usps
National League of Postmasters President Mark Strong Tells Commission that Closing Thousands of Rural Post Offices Will harm Economy of Rural America and Not Help Postal Service.
Closing 3700 Rural Post Offices Would Save Less Than 3/10s Of One Percent Of USPS Operating Budget.
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA – In Testimony submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission, earlier this week, National League of Postmasters Mark Strong said that the Postal Service’s small rural post office closing initiative will harm “the level of services presently provided to small and rural communities, will hurt their economies and social structure, and does not even provide a corresponding benefit to the Postal Service.”
“The Postal Service is considering closing thousands of rural post offices throughout the country.If they close all that they are proposing to close, they will save less than three-tenths of one percent of their operating budget,” said Strong. Read more
USPS Saying Rural America Will Be Served Better After Post Office Closings Is Truly Nonsense
Filed under: NLPM, post office closings, postal, postal news, Postmasters, usps
The National League Of Postmasters filed the following testimony with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) addressing the USPS Retail Access Optimization Initiative.
Highlights of the testimony:
…. the minimal imagined savings to the Postal Service are a critical factor in evaluating a proposal that essentially produces a drastic reduction in availability and service. I know that the Postal Service has said that they will be able to serve rural America just as well if not better once all these post offices are closed, but that is truly nonsense. I suggest that the real proposition here is that the Postal Service is under financial stress and its urban-based leadership wants to back off from providing rural America the type of service it provides today, in order to concentrate its focus on providing service to large urban and suburban areas. Read more
USPS begins Pay Talks with Postmasters today
On August 27, 2010 LEAGUE and NAPUS jointly signed a letter asking that the OIG investigate the 2009 NPA process, specifically the suspected reduction of CORE scores to many Postmasters by higher level management. It was suspected that this unilateral reduction in scores without the immediate manager’s approval or input was driven by higher levels of management. On August 8, 2011 the results of the investigation were shared with the organizations and .found that our concerns were true. Read more
USPS withdrawal from federal benefits could put stability of plans into jeopardy
League of Postmasters Releases Statement on USPS Newsbreak Regarding Retirement and Health Benefit Proposal.
The National league of Postmasters fully recognizes the gravity of the financial position the Postal Service finds itself in, but is extremely concerned about the Postal Service’s radical notion to abandon the Federal retirement system and the Federal Health Benefit Plan, the most efficient and effective set of health care plans in the United States. Not only would such an action throw postal employees to the wolves, but withdrawal of postal employees from the Federal Plans could put the continued health and stability of those plans into jeopardy. Read more
PRC Dismisses Part of Postmasters Complaint Over USPS PO Closings Regulations
Filed under: NAPUS, NLPM, post office closings, postal, postal news, Postmasters, PRC, usps
From The National Association Of Postmasters of the US:
On August 11, the Postal Regulatory Commission issued a ruling on the joint NAPUS/League complaint that certain provisions in the USPS’ March 31 proposed post office closing regulations violated current law. (While most of the provisions of the proposed regulations were implemented on July 14, none of the provisions that were subject to the complaint were implemented.) The first part of the complaint argued that the regulations should not have been issued, absent a request for a PRC Advisory Opinion. Since the USPS requested such an advisory opinion on July 27, this part our complaint was settled. The other parts the complaint, were dismissed as being premature, since the USPS has yet to implement final regulations to “consolidate” a Post Office into a station or branch, without conducting a formal discontinuance process, and has yet to implement regulations to designate a postal employee other than a “Postmaster” as the manager-in-charge of a post office. However, the PRC made clear that it would reconsider the complaint, if and when the USPS implemented final regulations on post office consolidations and the definition of “Postmaster.” Read more
USPS To Send RIF Notices To Postmasters Impacted By DUO
Postmasters Receive Second RIF Notice
On August 2nd Areas sent another RIF notice to Postmasters impacted by DUO. Many Postmasters had received a RIF notice when their office was going through the DUO process. This RIF notice apparently was just a notice of a possible RIF. The August 2 RIF letter was a General Notice that in fact you had gone through DUO and are RIF impacted. It is very unfortunate but many Districts were not aware this letter was going out and were not able to give much local assistance to why Postmasters were getting the second letter. On August 31, 2011 a Specific RIF notice will be mailed to all DUO impacted Postmasters. . This RIF letter will state that all Postmasters impacted by DUO will have a effective date of November 4, 2011. Those Postmasters who have been downgraded with saved salary and who have not been reassigned to another office already will get a Specific RIF assignment to their own office effective November 4. It is our understanding that the official 2 year saved salary agreement in the February 14, 2011 letter from Doug Tulino will begin from that date. This agreement is for DUO impacted Postmasters and Station Mangers only. DUO impacted Postmasters will not be separated by this DUO RIF notice. This does raise a lot of questions for those Postmasters who have already been forced to move to another office right after their office went through DUO and now are being told the effective date is November 4, 2011.
Mark Strong
February 14, 2011 Letter regarding impact of Delivery Unit Optimization (DUO) on Postmasters and station managers View Letter (PDF)
source: National League Of Postmasters
PMG to Meet With Management Associations Presidents
Presidents of NAPUS, The League of Postmasters, and NAPS are scheduled to meet with the Postmaster General on Wednesday, July 27, 2011. NAPUS President Bob Rapoza said that he will ask for time to discuss the impact on Postmasters whose offices were recently identified to be included as part of a discontinuance feasibility study.
A review list for the possible discontinuance of approximately 2800 post offices has raised the anxiety level of impacted Postmasters, who are concerned over what options may be available to them if they receive a Reduction In Force (RIF) notice. As stated on the NAPUS website on Friday, there is no certainty that all of the offices on the list will be closed. Additionally, the process could take as long as 7-10 months before a final decision would be made to close an office.
Impacted Postmasters are encouraged to check the NAPUS website for updates on discussions with USPS leaders about available options if a RIF notice is received. To see a list of offices under study for discontinuance click here . For information on how the review process works, please go to the NAPUS Action Guide Download PDF . Additional information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.
Charlie Moser
National Association of Postmasters of the US
Postmasters: Post Offices on study list does not mean they will close
National League Of Postmasters:
Today The Post Office released the list of offices that will go through the review process for discontinuance. You can click on this link to see the list. We want to emphasize that this is a review list.
Coming under review doesn’t necessarily mean an office will close. The post office announced in January it was reviewing 1,400 offices for closing. So far 280 have been closed and 200 have finished the review process and will remain open. Of the 1,400 offices announced for review in January, 620 are still in the review process and 300 will move to the new review list.
We are very concerned for those impacted Postmasters and communities. The discontinuance process takes over 120 days, if appealed even longer. We will share the entire discontinuance process shortly. The Post Office will ask for an Advisory Opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today which is another process that needs to be completed. We do not want to give false hope but there is a lot we can do to reduce the overall impact.
We will share more information as it is made available.
source: National League of Postmasters
USPS To Hold Briefings, Webinar To Explain New Post Office Closings Process
The National League Of Postmasters :
The Postal Service has published in the Federal Register its Final Rule, 39 CFR Part 2411; the Final Rule takes effect immediately. Temporarily, the Postal Service has excluded from its Final Rule the portions it believes are subject to consultation under 39 U.S.C. §1004(b) and (d). Read more