USPS Ranked No. 1 In The World
WASHINGTON — A review of the performance of universal postal service providers by the Oxford Strategic Consulting (OSC) firm ranks the U.S. Postal Service the best postal service within the world’s top 20 largest economies for access to services, resource efficiency and public trust.
“We’re proud to lead the world in postal services and we will continue to deliver superior performance for future generations,” said Postmaster General and CEO Patrick Donahoe. “Our best days are ahead of us. I have no doubt the Postal Service will overcome its current financial challenges and endure as the world’s leading postal service.” Read more
Dayton, N.J. Mail Carrier arrested and charged in connection with fraudulent tax refund scheme
NEWARK, N.J. – A U.S. Postal Service worker was arrested today and charged in connection with his role in a scheme to provide, in exchange for payment, addresses to be used to file fraudulent tax returns and divert refund checks from his mail route, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Bennie H. Haynes, 52, of Dayton, N.J., was arrested this morning by agents the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. Haynes was charged by Complaint with one count each of theft of government property, bribery and mail theft by a postal employee. He was scheduled to appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy Waldor in Newark federal court. Read more
Zumbox and Catalog Choice Partner to Digitize Consumer Postal Mailboxes
Filed under: postal, postal news, press releases, usps, Zumbox
Zumbox, the leader in digital postal mail services, today announced an agreement with Catalog Choice, the nation’s leading mail preference service. In Q1 2012, Zumbox digital mail users will be able to opt out of catalogs, donation requests, circulars and other printed brochures through their Zumbox account. As a result of the partnership, which is the first of its kind in the industry, Catalog Choice members will be able to claim their Zumbox, a digital postal mailbox tied to an individual’s verified street address, from within their Catalog Choice account. Read more
California Postal Worker Sentenced To Prison For Workers’ Compensation Fraud
Filed under: owcp, postal, postal news, press releases, usdoj
January 9,2012
FRESNO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that today Chief United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii sentenced Karina S. Beard, 44, of Turlock, to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for four counts of mail fraud and two counts of federal workers’ compensation fraud. Beard was also ordered to pay $81,694 in restitution. Read more
Rahall Says USPS Must “Go Back to the Drawing Board” on Post Office Closures
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Citing a recent study that found overly optimistic savings projections and an insufficient attention to community needs, U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) Tuesday called on the Postal Service to go back to the drawing board on its efforts to close and consolidate postal facilities in southern West Virginia.
“The Postal Regulatory Commission was blunt in its assessment of the Postal Service’s closure process – citing unreasonable assumptions about cost savings and an insufficient focus on the needs of communities where post offices are proposed to be closed,” said Rahall, who has been active and vocal in opposing the Postal Service’s efforts to close postal facilities in southern West Virginia. “In light of the Commission’s findings, the Postal Service should go back to the drawing board in its discontinuance studies. It needs to formulate a plan that increases network efficiencies while fulfilling its statutory service obligations.” Read more
Despite Moratorium on Postal Closings, USPS to Hold Public Hearing for Bronx, NY PO
Filed under: APWU, post office closings, postal, postal news, press releases, usps
Media Alert: Despite Announced Moratorium on Postal Closings, USPS to Hold Closing Hearing for Hunts Point Post Office in the Bronx Thursday, Community Leaders and Unions to Protest
New York City – December 14, 2011. Following yesterday’s announcement by the Postal Service of a moratorium on postal closing until May 2012, the Postal Service will continue to hold a hearing to close the Hunts Point Post Office in the Bronx on Thursday, December 15, 2011. The closing of the Hunts Point post office would be devastating to the reborn and growing Hunts Point community.
What: Community Testifies at USPS Hearing on Closing Hunts Point Post Office, Bronx
Where: Hunts Point Recreation Center – 765 Manida Street (near Lafayette Ave.) Bronx, NY
When: Thursday, December 15, 2011 from 6pm until 8pm
Who: Community and labor leaders and the USPS
Why: The community is opposed to the closing of Hunts Post Office and the 33 other post offices in New York City scheduled to be closed.
In 1995 the 10474 zip code was the only zip code in New York City without a post office. But that was to come to end when the USPS announced that Hunts Point would have its own post office. It didn’t happen until 2000, but the USPS spent $2 million to build a Hunts Point post office. This was a wonderful development for the 12,000 plus people who lived in the area and for the businesses located in the Hunts Point market one of the largest food processing areas in the world. Hunts Point in recent decades has been a poor community, located in the poorest Congressional districts in the United States.
The Hunts Point residential community is made up of elderly, disabled, economically disenfranchised people and small business owners who, historically, use and depend upon the post office for their basic needs. The closing of the Hunts Point post office would be an incalculable loss to the community. The Hunts Point business area, with the addition of the former Fulton Fish Market, is thriving even in these hard economic times. Eliminating the Hunts Point Post Office would have a detrimental impact upon these businesses.
The New York Metro Area Postal Union is calling for the community to come out for Thursday’s hearing, hoping the announced moratorium will will not deter the Hunts Point community. The hearing Thursday is the opportunity for members of this community to come out and let the USPS know how much they need to keep the Hunts Point Post Office.
President Clarice Torrence
Executive Vice President Clarence Wall, Jr.
Secretary-Treasury Wilfredo Figueroa
Director of Industrial Relations Frankie Sanchez
Director of Organization Abriitto Divine Pla’El
New York Metro Area Postal Union,
APWU, AFL-CIO
350 West 31st Street, 3rd floor
New York, NY 10001
California Congressman Calls On PMG To Keep Mail Processing Facility Open In Stockton
Filed under: Congress, consolidations, politics, postal, postal news, usps
From the office of Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-CA-11)
December 8, 2011
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-11) wrote to the United States Postal Service, calling on Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe to ensure that the processing and distribution center in Stockton which is being considered for closure remains open. The closing of the facility would mean an estimated 187 jobs would be lost in the Stockton area.
“Recently, we have seen that unemployment has fallen across the nation. Unfortunately, we have not seen the same decrease in our region, and we cannot bear to lose any more jobs. In this economy, we need to be creating jobs, not losing them,” said Rep. McNerney.
In his letter, McNerney also expressed his displeasure at the lack of transparency throughout the deliberation process over the potential closure of the facility. As the window for public comment comes to an end, the Postal Service has continued to withhold vital information related to their decision-making process regarding the facility. The Area Mail Processing (AMP) study conducted by the USPS has been kept from the public. Read more
Thursday’s Postal Closing Hearing for Bronx Stadium Post Office to be Flashpoint for Protest
New York City – December 6, 2011. Following yesterday’s request by the Postal Service to dismantle its operation and cut back on basic services to the American people, the New York Metro Area Postal Union and community groups are focusing on the upcoming hearings to close post offices in New York City.
Stadium station is located at 951 Gerard Avenue in the Bronx , it serves the community that lives in the shadow of Yankee Stadium and is essential to the people in the community who depend upon the Postal Service the most: the elderly, the disabled, the poor and small business owners. Stadium Station is one of the 17 post offices in the Bronx out of 34 in New York City that is scheduled to be closed. There is a growing grass roots movement to protest these closings.
What: United States Postal Hearing on Closing Stadium Post Office in the Bronx
Where: The Lobby of Bronx General Post Office 558 Grand Concourse at 149th Street in the Bronx
When: Thursday, December 8, 2011 from 6pm until 8pm
Who: Representative of the USPS, community members, union representatives, elected officials
Why: Input by the community into the closing of Stadium Post Office
The New York Metro Area Postal Union, APWU is in support of Congressman Peter A. Defazio’s call for the firing of Postmaster Patrick R. Donahoe.
Kucinich: USPS Privatization Plan Will Hurt Business, Workers and the Economy
Filed under: politics, postal, postal news, press releases, usps
Today’s Announcement will Drive Customers to Private Competitors
( Dec. 5) Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), a long-time proponent of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and senior member of the Congressional committee that oversees the agency, today released the following statement after plans were announced to significantly degrade service and drive customers to private competitors.
“This privatization plan is bad for Americans, bad for businesses, bad for the economy and bad for workers. We can do better than to dismantle the Postal Service and privatize its operations,” said Kucinich.
The plan from Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe would make extreme cuts including the elimination of over 100,000 jobs, lengthening the delivery time for periodicals up to 9 days, and closing thousands of neighborhood post offices.
“These draconian cuts were proposed under the false pretense that the Postal Service is headed towards bankruptcy. We could easily protect the Postal Service if Congress would address the agency’s overpayment into its Retiree Health Benefits program, and allow the USPS to generate revenue in other ways that take advantage of their existing infrastructure and dedicated workers.”
Under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006, the USPS is required to prepay retirement benefits for future employees, a requirement that no other government agency has. This will cost the USPS $5.5 billion this year.
“The Postal Service employs the greatest number of veterans outside of the Department of Defense. It provides a living wage and decent benefits for the middle-class. It is a service to be protected, not a resource to be exploited for private profits. As a Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which has jurisdiction of the Post Office, I will fight this proposal,” said Kucinich.
Alaska Delegation Refutes USPS Inspector General Bypass Mail Report
Nine Assertions “Either Inaccurate, Incomplete, or Are Not Well-Considered”
Alaska’s Congressional Delegation today sent a letter to the United States Postal Service Inspector General, prodding the department for answers to nine questionable claims made in this week’s report “Bypass Mail: Beyond Its Original Purpose.” Read more