Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal tells the Hartford Courant that he will probably oppose USPS efforts to lay off 20% of its employees. Connecticut recently finalized a plan for reducing the state’s budget. The plan was worked out through negotiations with the state’s unions, rather than by legislative fiat, as happened in Wisconsin, and as the USPS has proposed.

"I’m not necessarily advocating a specific solution," Blumenthal said, though he has also said there might be a way to change pension funding rules that could avoid post office closures.

And the Postal Service’s proposal to lay off 20 percent of its staff, which would require the approval of Congress to break union contracts?

"I think I’d oppose job cuts of that magnitude. I have no assurance that they’re necessary," he said.

via Blumenthal: Federal Government Needs To Spur Hiring – Hartford Courant.

Washington D.C.- Congressman Steve King (R-IA) today released a series of emails between congressional staff and USPS officials which document the weeks’ worth of effort that has gone into the work of King, Grassley, and Harkin to hold the USPS to the promises made by the Postmaster General earlier this month to release important data to city and community leaders regarding the decision to move Sioux City’s mail processing operations to Sioux Falls, SD. On August 1, the Postmaster General personally promised Congressman King, Senator Grassley and Senator Harkin that he would provide Sioux City’s community and business leaders with the un-redacted data used to justify the USPS decision to move Sioux City’s mail processing operations to Sioux Falls. Despite repeated requests since the August 1st meeting for the information from Congressman King’s office, the Postal Service has refused to follow through on the Postmaster General’s commitment.

This afternoon, the USPS released a heavily redacted version of the AMP study instead of the un-redacted version that was promised. A letter accompanying the redacted report suggested that an un-redacted version would only be made available to community and business leaders during a "closed" meeting with USPS officials to be held in Sioux City next week. This falls short of the Postmaster General’s promise to release the un-redacted data and backup information to Sioux City’s business and community leaders in advance of a meeting with Postal Service officials in Sioux City. It had been agreed the release of this information in advance of such a meeting would give the leaders adequate time to review the data and provide informed feedback and a detailed counter proposal to the USPS.

"I have repeatedly requested the release of the un-redacted Sioux City AMP report in accordance with the Postmaster General’s commitment to me, Senator Grassley, Senator Harkin and the people of Sioux City, and the USPS continues to stonewall this request," said King. "Today, the USPS continued their stalling tactics by releasing a copy of the AMP report that is heavily redacted, already available, and of little use to those in the Sioux City community who are trying to develop a counter proposal to the USPS consolidation plan. Releasing a redacted report is not what the Postmaster General promised. He must keep his word to the Sioux City community."

During the August 1 meeting, the Postmaster General promised Congressman King, Senator Grassley and Senator Harkin that an un-redacted version of the Sioux City AMP report would be provided, and that the community would have sufficient time to put a counter-proposal together. After nearly three weeks of needless delay, and the release of a redacted report, it is clear that the USPS is attempting to run out the clock between now and the October 1 deadline it has set for completing the move of processing operations to Sioux Falls. Concerned members of the public should contact the following USPS officials to request that the Postmaster General keep his promise to release the un-redacted Sioux City AMP report:

USPS Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe

(p) 202-268-2000

Marie Therese Dominguez

USPS Vice President of Government Relations & Public Policy

(p) 202-268-2506

Talaya S. Simpson

USPS Government Relations Representative

(p) 202-268-7839

Sandra Calos

USPS Government Relations Representative

(p) 202-268-7505

In addition to the names and numbers of individuals at the USPS, Congressman King is also releasing the following e-mail exchange to illustrate the degree to which the USPS is frustrating efforts to gain access to the un-redacted Sioux City AMP report.

Email Exchanges

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today that MICHAEL DOUGLAS RITTER, age 36, of Poteau, Oklahoma, was sentenced to two (2) years probation for Delay or Destruction of Mail by a United States Postal Service Employee in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703(b).

The Information alleged that on or about the 22nd day of February, 2011, RITTER, an employee of the United States Postal Service, improperly, without authority, delayed, destroyed and opened mail and packages not directed to him.

Charges arose from an investigation by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General. A misdemeanour Information was filed in March 2011.

The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over today’s hearing. The defendant remains in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending transportation to the designated federal prison at which he will serve his nonparolable sentence.

Ritter pleaded guilty to the charges in May.

Washington — The National Association of Letter Carriers promised to vigorously represent the country’s most trusted federal employees and to defend the long-term viability of America’s most trusted federal agency, the United States Postal Service, in negotiations for a new labor contract that commenced here today.

NALC President Fredric V. Rolando called on Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe to bargain in good faith and to disavow the regressive and destructive path unveiled last week when the Postal Service unleashed a lobbying campaign to convince Congress to reduce postal services to the nation, to slash the postal workforce by 220,000 employees and to attack the collective-bargaining rights of America’s hard-working letter carriers.

“Despite the Postal Service’s outrageous show of bad faith at the start of these negotiations, we are prepared to negotiate a fair, responsible and innovative labor agreement to reward our members and to position the Postal Service for a stronger and better future,” Rolando said.

“Letter carriers and NALC have worked tirelessly over the past four years to help the USPS overcome the impact of the Great Recession, helping to maintain high-quality service at the most affordable postage rates in the world,” he said. “Even as we press Congress and the administration to reform the crushing retiree health pre-funding mandate that accounts for 100 percent of the Postal Service’s losses over the past four years, we are ready to roll-up our sleeves at the bargaining table to creatively negotiate a contract that helps the USPS better serve the American people and the $1.2 trillion industry it supports—we are not prepared to shut out the lights on one of America’s greatest institutions.”

“We need to strengthen our nation’s only truly universal communications network, not dismantle it,” Rolando said. “We want to work with management to restore the Postal Service to health and to help it grow, offer new services and evolve to meet the changing needs of the country and the American economy.”

Ottawa (ON) – The Canada Post Group* today reported that it experienced a continued deterioration in its core Canada Post segment in 2010.

In the Canada Post annual report, which was tabled with the Clerk of the House of Commons today, the company disclosed that earnings before income taxes in the Canada Post segment in 2010 were $233 million, a 27% decrease from 2009. Volume in the company’s flagship domestic Lettermail business decreased by 4.5% from 2009. That marked the fourth consecutive year-over-year decrease in domestic Lettermail volumes and fifth consecutive year of decrease in volumes per address in Canada. Total volumes in the Canada Post segment (comprised of the Transaction Mail, Parcels and Direct Marketing lines of business) decreased by 1.8% from 2009. Revenue from Operations for The Canada Post Group totalled $7.5 billion.

The Canada Post pension plan continued to pose a significant financial burden on the Group in 2010. The plan had a liability of $16 billion and a pension solvency deficit of $3.2 billion at the end of 2010. Canada Post made $746 million in cash contributions to the pension plan in 2010, including $425 million in special payments relating to the solvency deficit. As a result, Canada Post generated negative cash from operating activities in 2010.

Driven by a non-cash income tax entry of $192 million, The Canada Post Group* recorded consolidated net income of $439 million in 2010.

* The Canada Post Group is comprised of the core Canada Post segment, subsidiaries Purolator and SCI Group and Innovapost, a joint venture with CGI Group. The Canada Post segment accounted for almost 80% of the Group’s revenues in 2010.

Canada Post 2010 Annual Report

PMG Pat Donahoe has named Cliff Rucker vice president, Sales. Rucker had been acting vice president since May 31.

A 29-year veteran of the Postal Service, Rucker began his career as a part-time letter carrier in Anaheim, CA. He is a former manager, Operations Support for the Southwest Area. While in that position, Rucker was part of the leadership team responsible for the Southwest Area’s top ranking in national performance assessment for three years in a row. He is also a former district manager of the Houston and Oklahoma districts and was a PCES Postmaster.

Rucker was the recipient of the Chief Operating Officer Award in 2010 and has won three Vice Presidents Awards during his career. He has completed executive training programs at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and at Columbia University.

As vice president, Sales, Rucker is responsible for the direction and management of the Sales organization, including market competitiveness, distribution and business development. He also is primarily responsible for meeting the Postal Service’s customer acquisition and revenue goals.

via USPS News Link – August 18, 2011.

From the Wichita US Attorney’s office:

A grand jury meeting in Wichita, Kan., returned the following indictment:

Amanda L. Casebier, 33, La Crosse, Kan., is charged with misappropriation of U.S. Postal Service funds. The indictment alleges the crime occurred from March to June 2011 while she was a postal contract employee at the Community Post Office in Liebenthal, which is in Rush County, Kan.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Postal Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

Financial Presentation from today’s MTAC meeting

USPS June Financial Update

Donahoe Says Postal Service Needs 5-Day Delivery – The Washington Post.

Twitterer @nonprofitpostal has been providing updates from today’s MTAC meeting. A few minutes ago he tweeted the answer to the question of whether the USPS would have to shut down next summer when it runs out of money to pay its bills:

USPS will not "shut down" in Jly or Aug 2012 due 2 cash crunch bc they’ll have about $2B from not paying CSRS or FERS, plus $2 Bil fm Q3. USPS has a total $10B in gvmt pmts per yr which will be paid after suppliers and employees, if at all, until legislation intervenes. Any shut-down is only theoretic. Will. Not. Happen.

via Alive and well!: “USPS will not “shut down” …” « Deck.ly.