National Journal via Postcom.org

Postal Supervisor Who Feigned Attack Admits Making False Statements To Postal Inspectors

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Greensburg, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of false statements, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Jeffrey Allen Gogets, 51, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Alan C. Bloch.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Gogets was a supervisor at the Jeanette, Pa., Post Office. On April 18, 2011, Gogets staged an assault and robbery on his person while on postal property. The assault and robbery never occurred. Gogets self-inflicted a wound to his head. Based upon the feigned injury, Gogets was flown by Life Flight helicopter to Allegheny General Hospital. Gogets received $8,578.94 in healthcare and workers compensation benefits. On April 19, 2011, Gogets made false statements about the assault and robbery to United States Postal Inspectors who were investigating the incident.

Judge Bloch scheduled sentencing for Sept. 6, 2012, at 11:30 am. The law provides for a total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court continued Gogets on bond.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Gogets.

Senator Carper: The Costs of Inaction On Reforming USPS

Since the Senate Passed Comprehensive Postal Reform, the Postal Service has Lost

$475,002,150 and more

while the U.S. House has Failed to Act

As we learned this week, the Postal Service is moving forward with cutting hours at post offices and offering retirement incentives for some postal workers across the country. Rather than forcing the Postal Service to continue to rely on these sorts of piecemeal, stopgap measures to cut costs, Congress must work to enact comprehensive reform that provides the tools and resources the Postal Service needs to survive in the 21st Century. The Senate has done this. The ball is in the House’s court. Although the Postal Reform Act of 2011 was passed out of the relevant House committee in October 2011, leaders in the House of Representatives have yet to schedule a vote on the bill. The Senate, however, passed a bipartisan postal reform bill, the 21st Century Postal Service Act, on April 25, 2012.

With each day that the House fails to take action, the Postal Service loses $25 million. Further delays could accelerate an already deteriorating financial situation at the Postal Service that would threaten a mailing industry that employs over 8 million people and generates nearly $1 trillion in economic activity each year. Make no mistake, the Postal Service’s financial problems are dire, but they are solvable if Congress acts to pass comprehensive postal reform legislation.
The Postal Service’s Losses, By the Numbers

$6,500,000,000  Total FY 2012 Postal Service Losses So Far
$500,000,000  What New USPS Cost-Cutting Plan for Post Offices Saves in 1 Year
$25,000,000  What the Postal Service Loses Each Day
16 Days  How Long it Currently Takes USPS to lose $500,000,000 – the same amount of savings announced in new USPS plan

$13,000,000,000+  Current Postal Service Debt to U.S. Treasury

143 Days  Until USPS has to pay $11.1 billion for future retiree healthcare costs (as of 5/10)
15 Days   Since the Senate Passed Comprehensive Postal Reform Legislation (as of 5/10)
211 Days  Since the House Reported Its Postal Reform Bill Out of Committee (as of 5/10)
??? Days  Until the House Takes Action on Postal Reform Legislation

USPS Incents Commercial Mailers to Combine Mobile Marketing With Direct mail

Encourages Use Of QR Codes and Other Digital Tools to Increase Returns

WASHINGTON  – The U.S. Postal Service is offering the 2012 Mobile Commerce and Personalization Promotion to encourage commercial mailers to use mobile marketing tools — such as QR codes — on their mail.

During July and August, the Postal Service is offering an upfront 2 percent postage discount on Standard Mail and First-Class Mail letters, flats and cards (presort and automation) that include a two-dimensional barcode or print/mobile technology that can be read or scanned by a mobile device. When scanned, the technology must activate a link directly to either a mobile-optimized Web page that allows the mail recipient to purchase a product or service or to a mobile-optimized and customized Web page uniquely tailored to the mail recipient and accessible by a personalized URL. Read more

NALC Grieves NTFT Clerks Excessed into Letter Carrier Craft

The 2011 APWU National Agreement created a new category of clerks called non-traditional full-time (NTFT) clerks. Many of these NTFT clerks have a regular schedule of fewer than 40 hours per week. Management has begun to excess some of these clerks into full-time letter carrier jobs. The NALC believes that a clerk who works fewer than 40 hours can only be excessed into another part-time regular position, not into a full-time letter carrier position.

Part-time regular letter carriers are considered to be a separate category. Seniority for assignment and other purposes shall be restricted to this category. They may not bid on preferred full-time duty assignments. On February 22, 2012, the NALC notified the USPS that a case scheduled for regional arbitration out of Westerly, RI, concerning this issue was interpretive. Read more

Video: Postal food drive intercepted by thieves

NATOMAS, CA – Police say it’s a new low for crooks. They were caught on tape stealing food intended for the needy.

Senator Schumer: The Buffalo Processing Facility Will Be Open For At least 3 Years

In Personal Conversation with the Postmaster General, Schumer Secures Commitment that Williams St. Processing Center For At Least Three Years, Preserving 700 Facility Jobs & Overnight Mail in Western NY

Throughout Postal Reform Debate, Schumer Lobbied Postmaster General to Keep Buffalo Processing Facility Open, Which Could Have Closed As Early As May 15th

Schumer: The Buffalo Processing Facility’s Doors Will Be Open For Years To Come

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Williams Street Processing Center, which would have been eligible for closure when the current post office and facility moratorium expires on May 15th, will remain open for at least three years. Throughout the postal reform debate, Schumer lobbied the Postmaster General to keep the processing facility open, in order to preserve overnight mail service in Western New York and the facility’s 700 jobs. In a personal conversation with Postmaster General Patrick Donohue, Schumer secured a commitment that the Williams Street center will remain open for the next three years.

“Western New York businesses, residents, and senior citizens rely each and every day on the Williams St. Processing Center for timely and reliable mail service that delivers everything from paychecks to Social Security payments at their door. The Buffalo processing facility is simply too important to the Western New York community, and its 700 employees, to be shut down, and I’m thrilled to announce that the Postmaster General agrees,” said Schumer. “While I recognize the importance of making cost-saving reforms in order to preserve Post Office’s vital services, I lobbied the Postmaster General to keep the Williams Street facility open, in order to prevent the loss of hundreds of jobs at the facility and hardship for families and businesses in Western New York. Today’s news means the Buffalo processing facility’s doors will be open for years to come, providing Western New Yorkers with the timely mail delivery that they deserve.”

Following news in September 2011 that Buffalo would be one of eight facilities to be studied for closure or consolidation within New York State, and throughout the postal reform debate in April, Schumer pushed to keep the Buffalo Center open. In February, USPS announced that the Buffalo facility was included in the closure and consolidation moratorium which would have ended on May 15th, when the Postal Service planned to transfer the operations of the William Street facility to Rochester. Schumer’s effort will keep the facility open for at least 3 years.

Video: Postal big rig involved in deadly accident

HOUSTON (KTRK) — A postal truck was involved in an accident that killed one person near a residential neighborhood in northwest Houston Friday.

The accident happened just before 4pm at 13100 Misty Willow at Misty Willow Place. The wreck involved a US Postal Service 18-wheeler and an SUV. One woman from the SUV died at Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. Another woman was injured and taken to an area hospital. The extent of her injuries are not known.

via KTRK-TV Houston, Tx

GOP Votes Pay Cut For Postal, Federal Workers

APWU Web News Article 58-2012, May 11, 2012

The House of Representatives voted for a 5 percent cut in postal and federal workers’ pay on May 10 by approving an increase in employees’ pension contributions. Republican members of the House provided all 218 votes in favor of the measure, while 183 Democrats and 16 Republicans opposed it.

The 2012 Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act, introduced by Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), would phase-in the five percent contribution increases to both the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) over five years.

The bill requires FERS employees to contribute 5.8 percent of each paycheck toward the FERS basic annuity portion of their pensions and requires CSRS employees to contribute 12 percent, yet it does not increase employees’ annuities or provide any additional benefits upon retirement. Read more

More Than 100 Members of Congress Seek Extension of Moratorium on Mail Processing Facilities

APWU Web News Article 57-2012, May 11, 2012

More than 100 U.S. representatives have signed a letter to Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe [PDF], urging him to extend the moratorium on the closure of post offices and mail processing facilities, and asking him to refrain from cutting hours at rural offices.

“We write to urge you to extend the May 15 moratorium on post office and mail processing facility closures until the Congress has completed action on postal reform legislation, including any action that would result in cuts to rural postal services such as cutting back hours at rural facilities,” the May 9 letter said.

The passage of a postal reform bill in the Senate “is evidence that Congress is moving toward putting the United States Postal Service on a path to sustainability,” 107 House members said. “We understand that the USPS cannot sustain itself under its current system, and we agree it is up to Congress to act,” they wrote. Read more

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