From the League of Postmasters:

LEAGUE Office Receives Proposal to Revise Salary Protection Provisions in the ELM

On January 28, 2011 the LEAGUE office received a letter from John Cavallo, Manager Labor Relations regarding a proposed change to the salary protection provisions in Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) Section 415, Rate Retention and Change to Lower EAS Grade. Please read the letter carefully.(PDF)

The main change impacting EAS is that those Postmasters/EAS that had salary protection when changed to a lower nonbargaining grade during a Reduction in Force (RIF) avoidance period, a specific RIF notice period, placement in a nonduty, nonpay status for 30 days related to RIF, or to a RIF will not extend beyond two years of saved grade unless the protected salary is below the maximum of the employee’s new grade. If the employee’s salary exceeds the maximum of the new grade upon expiration of the two years of protection is provided in ELM 415, it will be reduced immediately to the maximum of the new grade.

Simply put, the indefinite saved salary would be removed from the ELM. The LEAGUE of Postmasters is adamantly opposed to this revision. Mark Strong, President of the LEAGUE has requested a meeting with PMG Pat Donahoe with regard to these revisions. We are very disappointed that after months of working on DUO and specially addressing RIF in which we were assured that no Postmasters salary would be impacted that less than 30 days later this change has been proposed.

Pursuant to Title 39, U.S. Code, Section 1004 (d) we have 60 days to respond with our recommendations. We will keep all Postmasters informed of the results from the requested meeting with PMG Donahoe and any changes that take place with regard to this proposal to revise Section 415 of the ELM.

Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available and check the LEAGUE Website for updates.

Mark Strong

via National League of Postmasters – Educational.

The League and NAPUS have jointly asked USPS Inspector General David Williams to investigate the alleged manipulation of the Pay for Performance program. PFP replaced cost of living adjustments and “step” increases for postmasters and supervisors, and was originally supposed to have been based on meeting individual and organization-wide goals.

The organizations say they have tried to work with the USPS to resolve the many complaints that have been filed since the PFP ratings were published in February, but to no avail. The National Association of Postal Supervisors has filed a similar equest with the OIG.

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found GINO PASSARO, age 39, of Prospect, Connecticut, guilty of one count of stealing postal funds. The jury returned its verdict October 25, after a one-day trial.

According to the evidence presented during the trial, PASSARO was a Customer Service Supervisor at the United States Post Office in Branford, Connecticut. Over the Fourth of July holiday weekend in 2005, a video camera captured footage of PASSARO twice entering a locked vault in the Branford Post Office. PASSARO used his combination to open the safe and then used a foot-long screwdriver to pry open cash drawers, from which he took less than $1000 in cash.

Passaro is scheduled to be sentenced by United States Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis on January 12, 2007, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of one year and a fine of up to $100,000.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William J. Nardini.

There doesn’t seem to be much common ground between major mailers and some postal employees, especially APWU members. But here’s something both groups would probably agree on- Lawrence Buc’s suggestion, in rate case testimony on behalf of the DMA, that the USPS probably has too many supervisors:

According to the Postal Service, Cost Reduction Programs enable it to save 9,951.1 clerk and mailhandler workyears in FY 2006 through what the Postal Service labels as Section 1A programs. Cost reduction programs also enable it save 8,955.9 clerk and mailhandler workyears in these programs in FY 2007, and 5,106.4 clerk and mailhandler workyears in the Test Year. However, the Postal Service claims that these truly impressive savings in craft labor will not enable it to save even a single supervisor workhour in any of these three years.