Comments on: PRC hearing on USPS five day delivery proposal today at 9:30 ET

By: david

david — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 23:09:13 +0000

The USPS contends that vertical flat casing has always been in the M-41. A NALC member contends she devised the method and submitted it pursuant to the ESP in 1988-1989.
Does anyone know when the VFC method began? This is being litigated.
Secondly, USPS contends that the EPS was merged into the collective bargaining agreement? Is that true? Any response is welcomed.

By: brian

brian — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:37:52 +0000

Danny- I don’t understand your comment “The union leadership could care less about the loss of jobs. What they do care about is the loss of the dues”. How would they lose “dues” unless people lose their jobs. You obviously don’t think you’d lose your job if we go to 5 day delivery. People like you, who care more about having nice days off than about their co-workers being unemployed aren’t really in a position to question other people’s motives.

By: jeff

jeff — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:46:37 +0000

I agree with Brian here…I am a carrier (rural) and work six days a week…while it might be nice to have those saturdays off, it will lead to alot of job loss…so keep sats for our fellow workers…

By: Danny

Danny — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:38:45 +0000

I’ve been a carrier for 27 years. The union leadership could care less about the loss of jobs. What they do care about is the loss of the dues and less power that they have with a shrinking organization. The Nalc protested vertical flat cases, LLVs replacing jeeps, and had national pickets against DPS. The Nalc openly protests everything basically that is healthy for the Usps. We all know that the Usps can be idiotic in it’s running and management. Most of us in the rank and file can think for ourselves without the B.S. from either side. Eliminate Sat delivery and save the company before it is too late. I do believe that the union would completely destroy the company if left unchecked. Remember Eastern Airlines anyone ? If the Usps continues to lose money and market share what are we to do ? where will the money to operate come from ? Taxpayers ? Don’t talk about selfish if carriers expect the citizens to continually clean up after us. It is mis management to fail to take corrective action in making the postal service fluent and viable. Our contracts will surely be better if the company is healthy instead of on the verge of collapse.

By: brian

brian — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:30:57 +0000

Tony- 40-50,000 letter carriers is what the USPS spokesperson told the Billings Gazette in July. The Economic Policy Institute report over the weekend quoted USPS as providing this breakdown: “Job impacts are based on estimates provided by USPS to its employees’ unions in February 2010. The 80,000 figure includes full-time positions, part-time positions, and full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. The four unions that received estimates are the American Postal Workers Union (2,250 FTEs); the National Association of Letter Carriers (25,075 full-time jobs); the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (450 FTEs); and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association (3,386 full-time jobs and 49,354 parttime jobs). In response to your other points:
A- Why would the USPS make routes smaller? The whole point of eliminating one delivery day is so they can capture the 20% reduction in volume. Eliminating T-6′s are a big chunk of the savings.
B- Whether or not the USPS has to offer incentives depends on what it gets from contract arbitration- if it can lay off carriers, it doesn’t need incentives. Offering incentives (the incentive bonus PLUS the additional years of annuity payments) reduces the savings, so it would be a last resort. You can expect the same incentives offered to clerks at plants that started AMPing on weekends: relocate 100 or more miles or resign.
C- I’m trying to take this one seriously, but I can’t. Sorry, but that’s ridiculous.
D- Of course we have to down size. Eight tracks went away because there was no demand for them. There is still demand for the mail. If I was in the 8 track industry in the old days, I’d be doing exactly what most of them did- retooling to cassettes, CDs, whatever, not just throwing up my hands and giving up. The USPS needs to find new revenue streams for the unique things it offers, including 6 day delivery.
E. No, the USPS has said it “probably” wouldn’t need to lay people off. It’s touching how people who usually rant against management, especially Headquarters, are suddenly so trusting in them!
F. If you’re worried about the environment, just cut to the chase and prohibit mailing anything that can be sent electronically. Then you can pretty much eliminate the USPS altogether. Why bother with the not even halfway measure of cutting one day’s delivery?
And you’ll have to explain to me why opposing 5 day delivery is selfish? I have absolutely nothing to gain- I’m retired. I AM concerned about the tens of thousands of my former co-workers who will be without jobs if it passes. How is that selfish? The only selfish people I see are the ones pushing for 5 day delivery because they think, naively, that the only difference it will make to them is Saturday’s off. Meanwhile they are indifferent to tens of thousands of other postal workers who will be unemployed in a very tough job market. That too me is one of the best examples of selfishness I can imagine.

By: Tony

Tony — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:39:05 +0000

Brian, where do you get your 40-50,000 positions eliminated? I dont think you do know what your talking about. A. the post office would have to make the routes slightly smaller creating new routs to absorb some of the t-6 positions, B. The post office would offer insentives for those who want to retire early any way. C. If we dont go to five day delivery elderly people wont be able to afford postage which will go up alot!! D. technology is replacing a lot of our mail and eventualy we will have to down size anyway. I bet if we were making 8-track tapes you would have us keep making them just to prevent any job loss!! E. The USPS has said that no employees would be laid off by this delivery day cut. F. it sounds hypocritical when people complain about the green house gasses but would oppose something like this. There are just so many reasons that this must happen and any rational thinking person would have to agree, unless they were the one being selfish.

By: brian

brian — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:08:40 +0000

Jack- I’m not exactly sure what your point is, but after 32 years in the USPS I think I know what I’m talking about. By the way- there was talk of going to five days many years ago, when I was a mailhandler, working not just Saturdays, but often Sundays too. I was all in favor of five day delivery, because I figured I’d get at least one weekend day off! I’ll admit to having been selfish and short sighted back then. On the other hand, mail volumes were still growing in those days, so there was much less danger that many people would have lost their jobs. It’s very different now.

By: jack

jack — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:34:40 +0000

hey Brian do you work on saturdays?

i do an love it. i get off one off every 5 weeks, butr it it saves the usps and some of the slugs retire, we are better off.

You have no idea what you are
talking about you are retired.

By: brian

brian — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:46:07 +0000

David-

My comment had nothing whatsoever to do with jealousy. I just find it incredibly short-sighted of some letter carriers who are willing to trade 40-50,000 letter carrier positions, just so that they can get Saturday off. I don’t particularly care whether I get mail delivery on Saturdays- and I don’t know anyone outside of postal employees themselves who would be interested in the subject enough to get angry about it.

You think that if we go to five day delivery the only change will be that you personally get Saturdays off. I hate to break it to you, but if you eliminate 40-50,000 positions, the changes are going to be massive. You may not be laid off, but you may need to relocate. That might be the best case scenario.

I have no vested interest either way- I’m retired. Just suggesting you think things through a bit more.

By: David

David — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:41:49 +0000

Funny how everyone wants their cake and eat it. I think it is jealousy. Folks are angry at letter carriers and working Saturday , makes those that are not in with the PO feel better about themselves. Even though these are the same hypocrites doing most things electronically as far as bill payments and, no paper trail from utilities, sending emails left and right, and of course direct deposit. They still want Saturday. Unbelievable. It is a complete waste. If Canada and the rest of the world does not need Saturday than neither does the USA . What about energy savings? Isn’t it stupid to waste all that fuel and energy and create an extra day of pollution when the same work can be done in 5 days? Just saying folks!