From the Daily Caller:

Rep. Jason Chaffetz called the $5.5 million retirement package
for outgoing Postmaster General John Potter absurd and unfair in the wake of the United States Postal Service’s announcement that it had lost $8.5 billion this year.

“That was ridiculous,” Chaffetz said in a phone interview with The Daily Caller. “It doesn’t seem fair to anybody.”

The congressman from Utah is the ranking Republican member on the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and District of Columbia. He has been working with California Rep. Darrell Issa, the ranking Republican member of the Oversight Committee, on “introducing a comprehensive postal reform bill,” he said.

Chaffetz called the USPS’s accounting of retirement funds
“part of the reason that they’re so upside down financially.” He also cited the way in which the USPS does workers’ compensation as another issue.

“They have to pre-fund this at levels that others do not,” Chaffetz pointed out. As far as a solution goes, Chaffetz said, “We’re still trying to sort all that out,” saying that everything should “be on the board.”

Full story: Chaffetz calls Postmaster General’s retirement package ‘ridiculous’ | The Daily Caller – Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment.

Union and management representatives continued bargaining Nov. 30, and will meet again on Dec. 1 — the day the contract is set to expire. “The final days of contract negotiations are always the toughest, and that’s where we’re at,” APWU President Cliff Guffey said.

“But we are determined to meet the challenge and negotiate a contract that is fair to postal workers and that will strengthen the Postal Service. We will continue our efforts to reach a just settlement.”

In the meantime, the Postal Service has extended the timeframe for bidding under the terms of the 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement [PDF]. Employees will be permitted to continue to bid, and where they are designated successful bidders after Nov. 20, those bids may be counted toward the bid maximum for the next contract.

more 2010 contract negotiations news

via Contract Talks Approach Deadline; USPS Extends Bidding.

Madison, Wisconsin Nov. 17 2010– A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictment today.

Theresa L. Kuehl, 42, Neillsville, Wis., is charged with theft from an item of mail while employed at the Neillsville U.S. Postal Station. The indictment alleges that on December 22, 2009, she removed a prepaid Citibank debit card in the amount of $100 from a piece of mail.

If convicted, Kuehl faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

A survey of Chief Marketing Officers shows that most companies are spending about the same on holiday advertising in 2010 as they did last year, but they’re shifting their mix of ads. While print ads still represent 42% of ad spending, that’s down sharply from the 64% share the medium had in 2009:

Chicago, IL, November 29, 2010 – According to BDO USA, LLP, one of the nation’s leading accounting and consulting organizations, 63 percent of chief marketing officers (CMOs) at leading U.S. retailers say their 2010 holiday advertising and marketing budgets have remained flat, a continued trend from 2009 (55%) and 2008 (43%). Only 20 percent of CMOs cite a decrease in their holiday marketing and advertising budget, signaling some flexibility compared to 2009 (26%) and 2008 (32%). Seventeen percent of CMOs cite an increase, only slightly less than 2009 (19%).

Despite flat budgets, retailers are re-allocating their 2010 holiday advertising dollars to pricier mediums. In fact, one quarter of CMOs surveyed cite an increase in their broadcast media investment for this holiday season (up from 13% in 2009). Online advertising is also gaining steam; 27 percent of CMOs say online advertising, including social networking sites, accounts for most of their holiday advertising and marketing budget, a sizable increase from 2009 (18%). Contrary to popular belief that print media is no longer relevant, this medium continues to see the most investment (42%) but there is a significant down-shift from 2009 (64%).

Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 — Rep. Thomas Petri, R-Wis. (6th CD), issued the following news release:

With the U.S. Postal Service considering closing the Oshkosh Processing and Distribution Center and consolidating the work in Green Bay, Rep. Tom Petri has sent a strongly-worded letter to Post Office Inspector General David Williams calling for an audit. Petri wrote that the process used to potentially bring about the move has raised numerous questions.

“I believe USPS has developed a business case for closing the Oshkosh facility without fully analyzing all of the purported savings and costs associated with moving the mail processing operations currently performed at the Oshkosh Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) to the Green Bay P&DC,” he wrote. “Regarding the proposed savings of $4.6 million, I would like assurance that USPS has taken into consideration all the one-time costs associated with this potential consolidation, such as the costs of relocating and retraining staff, moving mail processing equipment, and redesigning the facility to accommodate the new equipment, increased truck traffic and increased mail volume.”

Petri brought up questions about the lack of Postal Service space in Green Bay if processing is consolidated there, and about the cost of carrying vacant space in Oshkosh for an undetermined time due to the state of the current commercial real estate market.

Petri wrote that he is “concerned about the lack of information provided to my office, postal employees, and the local community. We have been asked to comment on the study, but have been given no information on what data or assumptions were used to reach the estimate of $4.6 million in savings.”

“Also, we have not received an adequate response as to why an 11-month study of the Green Bay facility was abruptly halted earlier this year only to have the USPS launch the Oshkosh AMP which was completed in a few months,” he wrote. “In September, I requested information on the Green Bay study and was told by letter dated November 19, 2010, that such information would not be released because the study was never completed. However, the City of Oshkosh, the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, and WBAY TV in Green Bay have filed a Freedom of Information Act request and it is my understanding that they will receive the information (with some redactions) in early December.”

“Additionally, an earlier Oshkosh AMP from 2007, which also was never finalized, was released to the American Postal Workers Union. At the very least, the Postal Service’s policy on releasing AMP information to Congress, employees and the impacted public is confusing and appears to be applied inconsistently,” he wrote.

DES MOINES, Iowa – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the U.S. Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center in Des Moines for two alleged serious and one alleged repeat violation of federal workplace safety standards for failing to properly train workers on powered industrial truck hazards. Proposed fines total $46,200.

“Our inspection revealed that workers were not being properly trained to identify hazards associated with operating powered industrial trucks,” said Charles Adkins, OSHA’s regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. “It is imperative that employers take the necessary steps to eliminate hazards by training workers and providing a safe working environment.”

OSHA initiated an investigation in October at the Des Moines facility following a complaint alleging a lack of powered industrial truck training and operation deficiencies. The serious citations include failing to provide refresher training when workers were observed operating powered industrial trucks in an unsafe manner and to certify that workers were properly trained. A serious citation is issued when there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

The repeat citation was issued for failing to conduct an evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator at least every three years. OSHA issues a repeat violation when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

The U.S. Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center in Des Moines has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director in Des Moines or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

The inspection was conducted by OSHA’s Des Moines Area Office, telephone 515-284-4794. To report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an enterprise-wide complaint against the U.S. Postal Service for electrical work safety violations. The complaint asks the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission to order the Postal Service to correct electrical violations at all its facilities nationwide. This complaint marks the first time OSHA has sought enterprise-wide relief as a remedy.

Contract negotiations between the APWU and the Postal Service resumed Nov. 29, with a Dec. 1 deadline fast approaching. Talks will continue on Nov. 30.

The union and management discussed returning subcontracted work to USPS employees and issues related to workforce structure, as well as pay and benefits. “The APWU is seeking an agreement that will benefit our members and the Postal Service,” APWU President Cliff Guffey said.

The 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement was scheduled to expire on Nov. 20, but the union and management agreed to extend it twice – first to Nov. 23, and then to Dec. 1.

via Contract Negotiations Resume.

WASHINGTON — Neither rain nor snow nor heat nor gloom of night will keep the Postal Service from doing what it does best — delivering the holidays. Between now and Christmas Eve, the Postal Service will deliver 15.8 billion cards, letters and packages across the country and around the world.

“The holiday season isn’t just the busiest time of the year for the Postal Service — it’s our best time of year,” said Steve Forte, senior vice president, Operations. “We’re the holiday mailing and shipping experts.”

The Postal Service expects to deliver nearly 3 billion cards and letters over the holidays and there are more than 3 billion holiday stamps available to handle the volume. This year, a snowman and the words “Happy Holidays” will appear in the upper right-hand corner of greeting cards and letters mailed during the month of December.

During this holiday season, the Postal Service also expects:

* 97 million customers to visit a Post Office

* 30 million pounds of mail to be delivered to overseas military installations, including Iraq and war zones in Afghanistan

* 4.7 million shipping labels to be printed using Click-N-Ship

The busiest mailing day is set for Monday, Dec. 20. More than 800 million cards, letters and packages are expected to be mailed on that day alone, compared to 559 million on a typical day. Wednesday, Dec. 22, will be the busiest delivery day. Staff at the National Operations Center work 24/7 to help navigate mail movement around the world.

“We’ve been delivering the holidays for the past 235 years, and we’re proud to deliver excellent service to our customers, especially during this busy time of year,” added Forte.

More than 47 million customers will skip the trip to the Post Office this holiday season and take advantage of the Postal Service’s convenient online shipping at usps.com. Customers can print shipping labels, pay for postage and request free package pickup while staying warm and comfortable in their homes or offices. The Postal Service will deliver free shipping supplies, including the popular Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, and also pick up packages for free when customers ship online using the Postal Service’s website.

via USPS News Release: Getting Ready for the Most Wonderful Time of Year.

The White House has issued the following “fact sheet” announcing a proposal to freeze the wages of “all civilian federal employees, including those in various alternative pay plans” for two years. According to the Washington Post, the freeze does not apply to postal workers, and will “not impact step increases or bonuses for federal workers, according to the White House.”

Legislation would be required to freeze postal wages, since the current law calls for postal salaries to be set through collective bargaining and a consultation process. Postal wages are funded by USPS revenues, and do not have an impact on the Federal Budget.

Fact Sheet: Cutting the Deficit by Freezing Federal Employee Pay

Because of the irresponsibility of the past decade, the President inherited a $1.3 trillion projected deficit upon taking office and an economic crisis that threatened to put the nation into a second Great Depression. He moved quickly to get the economy moving again. Now, the economy is growing, and we have gained private sector jobs for the past 10 months. But families and businesses are still hurting, and our top priority is making sure that we are doing everything we can to help boost economic growth and spur job creation.

Now, we need to turn our attention to addressing the massive deficits we inherited and the unsustainable fiscal course that we are on. Doing so will take some very tough choices. Just as families and businesses around the nation have tightened their belts so must their government. That must be done in a targeted way that focuses our investments in what works and in what will lay the foundation for job creation and economic growth for years to come while cutting back elsewhere in our budget.

That is why the President has decided to propose a freeze in civilian pay for federal employees for two years, 2011 and 2012.

* This two-year pay freeze will save $2 billion for the remainder of FY 2011, $28 billion over the next five years, and more than $60 billion over the next 10 years.

* It will apply to all civilian federal employees, including those in various alternative pay plans and those working at the Department of Defense – but not military personnel.

This was a decision that was not made lightly. From the doctors and nurses who care for our veterans to the scientists searching for better treatments and cures, the men and women who care for our national parks, and the thousands who make sure that the Social Security check is in the mail and that students get their scholarships, federal workers serve their fellow Americans. They do so often with great sacrifice and motivated by a patriotic love for their country. This freeze is not to punish federal workers or to disrespect the work that they do. It is the first of many actions we will take in the upcoming budget to put our nation on sound fiscal footing – which will ask for some sacrifice from us all.

This move also is another step in what the Administration has done as part of its Accountable Government Initiative to cut costs, save taxpayer dollars and do more with less in the federal government:

* Upon taking office, the President froze salaries for all senior White House officials; in last year’s budget, he proposed to extend this freeze to other top political appointees; and he eliminated bonuses for all political appointees.

* The President directed agencies to dispose of excess real estate to save $8 billion over the next two years.

* The President set an aggressive goal of reducing improper payments by $50 billion by the end of 2012.

* In each of his budgets, the President put forward approximately $20 billion in terminations and reductions, encompassing more than 120 programs all of which have strong supporters.

* The President put forward more than $1 trillion in deficit reduction in his 2011 budget, including a three-year freeze in non-security spending – which will bring non-security discretionary spending to its lowest level as a share of the economy in 50 years.

Ultimately, reining in our deficits will take tough decisions and sacrifices made by us all. We look forward to working with both sides on Capitol Hill over the next several months to forge a commonsense deficit reduction strategy that will rein in our deficits, keep our economy growing, and lay the foundation for American competitiveness for years to come.

Here are the audio segments from this week’s NPR series on the postal service, “Snail Mail Struggles”. Click the play button to play the audio, click the title to go to the web page for each story. Click here for more on the series.

When You Care Enough To Send … An E-Card
[audio:http://public.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2010/11/20101125_atc_03.mp3]

The Loss Of Its Post Office Changes W.Va. Town
[audio:http://public.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2010/11/20101126_atc_11.mp3]

Post Office Cuts Cause Economic, Emotional Blow
[audio:http://public.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2010/11/20101126_me_16.mp3]

Imagine A Saturday Without Mail
[audio:http://public.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/wesat/2010/11/20101127_wesat_15.mp3]