CRS Report: Common Questions About Post Office Closures

In late July 2011, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced it was considering the closure of 3,652 retail postal facilities. These are not the only USPS facilities that might discontinue operations. An additional 728 retail postal facilities are being considered for closure under a 2009 USPS initiative, for a total of 4,380 USPS retail facilities.

Report: Rural Letter Carriers Union Passes New National Steward System

From PostalReporter.com reader: Today at the National Rural Letter Carriers Association (NRLCA)  national convention the delegation passed the proposed national steward system. Posted: 18 Aug 2011 at 4:25am Basically, State, Assistant state, and Area stewards will become employees of the national association and will be trained and paid by national. They will represent the postal […]

Postcom: USPS to submit network realignment plan to PRC in mid-September

According to PostCom : ♪♫”Oh I heard it — Heard It — Yes, I heard it through the grapevine. . . .” ♫♪ The word has it that the USPS will be submitting its network realignment as a major service change to the PRC in mid September. My understanding is that the PRC will have […]

New Mexico USPS Window Clerk Gets Prison For Embezzling Over $80,000

ALBUQUERQUE (August 18, 2011) – This afternoon, a United States District Judge sentenced Yolanda Vallejos, a 48-year-old resident of Albuquerque, to a two-month term of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release for her conviction for theft of federal government property. Vallejos also was ordered to pay $97,025.44 in restitution to the […]

USPS Pulls 25 Alaska Offices Off List for Possible Closure

Sen. Begich makes the case for Alaska mail (August 22, 2011) In a meeting today between U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, officials with the United States Postal Service (USPS), rural health care providers, and other community groups, postal officials announced 25 Alaska post offices are no longer under consideration for closure.

APWU: Save USPS, Stop Layoffs, Support H.R. 1351

With headlines predicting the imminent demise of the Postal Service — and management brazenly exploiting the crisis to attack postal employees — the APWU is asking union members to contact their members of Congress and urge them to take action to save the USPS and protect our jobs.

NALC: Letter carriers will get $978 COLA increase Effective Sept 10

September COLA announced: Letter carriers will receive their first cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in three years in September. The COLA will amount to 47 cents per hour ($978 annually). Contract COLAs, which have been provided by our collective-bargaining agreements since 1971, are based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) every six months. However, due […]

Editorial: Update – Does the Postal Service Really Want Early Retirements?

A year ago I speculated in the PostalReporter News Blog, “In recent VERAs the Postal Service issued FERS annuity estimates that omitted the employee’s FERS annuity supplement.  The FERS annuity supplement is often nearly equal to the basic annuity amount.  Was that to discourage early retirements so they can justify weakening the no-layoff clause in […]

Customer survey says USPS employees providing better service

How USPS treats its customers does matter. Every quarter the CEM survey asks for feedback from customers on their experience with receiving and sending mail, the Post Office they most frequently visit, their most recent experience with contacting USPS and their overall experience. Customers are saying USPS employees are providing better service. Nearly all of […]

PRC Proposes Improved Rules for Appealing Post Office Closings

Washington, DC (August 19, 2011) – The Postal Regulatory Commission yesterday published proposed rules designed to simplify the procedures for people wishing to appeal a post office closing or consolidation, and allow for a speedier decision. Although the law gives the Commission up to 120 days to issue its decision in appeal cases, the proposed rules […]