Jerry Hempstead, principal of Hempstead Consulting, said that the biggest admission on the call by UPS was that the star its fourth quarter performance was its new Sure Post product offering, which is a contract-only service that combines the consistency and reliability of the UPS Ground network, from pickup through transferring to the Post Office, with the cost benefits of using the United States Postal Service (USPS) for final delivery.

“All the talk was of the extraordinary growth they saw in B2C and it’s obvious from the numbers that this segment can be wildly profitable when one uses that truck and driver that goes to every home six days a week operated by the Postal Service,” he said. “For the first nine months of the year UPS’s ground volume was down slightly year-over-year, but because of the volume surge in the fourth quarter it finished ahead of last year by 0.8 percent. Modest for sure but that’s still a lot of packages.”

via UPS reports 6 percent increase in Q4 2011 revenue – Article from Logistics Management.

Johnson, the founder of Johnson Publishing Company of Chicago, which publishes Ebony and Jet magazines, is the 35th honoree in the Black Heritage stamp series. The Postal Service has recognized the achievements of prominent African Americans through the Black Heritage series since 1978. Past honorees have included Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Barbara Jordan.

“John Johnson’s unyielding commitment to journalistic excellence and his unparalleled reporting on African American culture have distinguished him as one of America’s greatest publishers,” said USPS Chicago Senior Plant Manager Anthony Vaughan.

“I’m immensely proud that my father and his life’s passion are being recognized in such a high honor as the Black Heritage Stamp,” said Linda Johnson Rice, chairman, Johnson Publishing Co. “His legacy lives on in all whom he touched and in the work we continue to do daily.” The stamp goes on sale today at Post Offices nationwide, online at usps.com and by phone at 800-782-6724.

Customers may view the John H. Johnson Forever Stamp, as well as many of this year’s other stamps, on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for background on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes.

Follow USPS on Twitter @USPS_PR and at Facebook.com/usps.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service

via Factiva.

January 30, 2012

Addressing the National League of Postmasters on Monday at a conference in Crystal City, Va., Sen. Bernie Sanders  was greeted with a standing ovation from local officials who welcomed his effort to block widespread closings of post offices and processing plants.

Sanders said he hopes legislation slated to come before the Senate next week will protect 100,000 jobs that are in jeopardy under a plan to close facilities around the country, including 15 post offices and two mail sorting centers in Vermont. Sanders also wants Congress to preserve overnight delivery of first-class mail and maintain Saturday mail service, both of which could fall under the budget ax as a result of drastic cost-cutting measures the Postal Service is considering.

Under an agreement with the Postal Service worked out by Sanders and other senators, closures and job cuts under study by the Postal Service were delayed until May 15 to give Congress time to consider reforms.

One of the bills before Congress is one introduced by Sanders last November. It would establish a blue-ribbon commission to create a new business model for the Postal Service and examine ways to expand services and boost revenue. He suggested, for example, letting postal workers make copies for customers, notarize documents and provide check-cashing services, all things that are now against the law.  He also said post offices could work with states to sell hunting and fishing licenses.

Letter carriers go to 150 million households and businesses across the United States six days a week. “Are there other services that they could be providing to bring in revenue for the post office in addition to just delivering the mail? I believe that there are.”

Instead of a strategy of “cut, cut and cut” advocated by the Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, Sanders called for a business model that acknowledges first-class mail is declining because of e-mail and the digital revolution

“The Postal Service must change,” he told the postmasters, “but it will be a major step backward for our economy if we begin a death spiral for the Postal Service by making mail delivery slower and less efficient.”

Sanders’ legislation also would waive what he called “an incredibly onerous requirement” that the Postal Service set aside billions of dollars over a 10-year period to fund health care benefits for the next 75 years. He also would let the Postal Service recoup billions of overpayments to its pension funds.

Each of the five designs features a photograph of eye-catching 19th century weather vanes made in the United States. All the weather vanes featured are part of Shelburne Museum’s collection: a cow, an eagle, two roosters and a centaur. Sally Anderson-Bruce of New Milford, CT, photographed the weather vanes under the art direction of Derry Noyes of Washington, DC.

“These stamps are truly beautiful reminders of an era gone by,” said U.S. Postal Service Senior Manager, Post Office Operations Shawn Patton, while dedicating the stamps at Shelburne Museum. “We hope Americans will buy and use the stamps when communicating with friends, family and other loved ones.”

Joining Patton in dedicating the stamps were Kory Rogers, Curator of Design Arts, stamp photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce and Deborah Blondin, Postmaster, Shelburne.

The Weather Vanes

• The cow weather vane was made of hammered sheet iron circa 1870 and was later found in Hardwick, VT. Its manufacturer is unknown.
• The eagle weather vane is made of sheet iron and dates from sometime in the 19th century. Its manufacturer is unknown.
• The rooster with the thick, rounded tail was made between 1875 and 1900 by Rochester Iron Works in Rochester, NH. This painted, cast iron weather vane resembles several others from the late 19th century originally found in the Boston area and now in the museum collections nationwide.
• Made of copper, the centaur weather vane was found near New Haven, CT, during the 1940s. It was made during the 19th century by a firm in Waltham, MA, first known as A.L. Jewell and Co., then Cushing and White, then L.W. Cushing and Sons.
• The rooster with the bushy tail feathers is made of carved, painted wood and is believed to have been created circa 1890 by James Lombard (1865 -1920), a farmer and woodcarver who lived in Bridgton, ME. He specialized in hens and roosters that are often identifiable by their intricately cut tail feathers.

via USPS issues weather vane stamps.

The Postal Service recently solicited all Mail Handlers with a message to consider transferring to a city letter carrier position. The message outlined how you could transfer to carrier and enumerated the advantages.

Before any Mail Handler decides to transfer to letter carrier, they should also consider the following:

• Voluntarily transferring to another craft would give you a new period of seniority as a part-time flexible.
• If you have less than six years in the Mail Handler craft you might be subject to layoff. Also, you would be junior in that Installation, and subject to excessing.
• With the letter carrier uniform allowance, you would be required to wear a correct and proper uniform. Failure to comply may make you subject to discipline.
• As for outdoor work, depending on Where you are; not every winter will be like the current one. Likewise, remember what it was like in July and August of last year where you work. Also, you must love dogs.

There are a few others, such as a slight increase in salary, daytime work hours and interacting with customers. I haven’t decided whether those are advantages or disadvantages. Most importantly, you will be giving up all your accrued seniority, which given the state of the service could be an important factor in the future for you. I cannot emphasize this point enough, “your carrier seniority begins as soon as you start.” and your mail handler seniority ends and you are a PTF. You may want to stay a mail handler, and if management involuntarily has to excess you to carrier at least you take your seniority and status as a full—time employee with you. Additionally, keep in mind that the Postal Service has been telling anyone who will listen, that they are planning on eliminating thousands of carrier positions, especially if they go to five day delivery.

Please feel free to contact the National CAD should you have any questions in this regard

NPMHU USPS Job Letter

On Thursday, January 26, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the Senate would take up the “Stock Act,” rather than postal reform legislation during the week of January 30. The Stock Act bans insider trading by Members of Congress. In his State of the Union Address, President Obama indicated that he would promptly sign into law the Stock Act, when passed.

At this point, there is some uncertainty about scheduling Senate consideration of S. 1789, although the Senate Leadership, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman, and Ranking GOP Member Susan Collins would like to begin consideration during the week of February 6. A number of speed-bumps confront floor action: the Committee has yet to file its report on the bill; the Congressional Budget Office calculated a significant cost associated with bill; and there are number of controversial provisions in the bill that are generating strong opposition.

via NAPUS.

Joseph M. McGonagle, III, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to perjury and obstruction of justice. Had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that McGonagle knowingly and wilfully falsely testified under oath at a May 19, 2010, court hearing held in U.S. District Court in Boston. At the time the offenses were committed, McGonagle was an inspector with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. He had been assigned to the prosecution team in United States v. Eric L. Levine, et al. Levine was tried and convicted by a jury in 2010.

On the evening of May 18, 2010, during the Levine, et al. trial, Levine’s lead defense counsel at Denner Pelligrino learned that McGonagle had a phone conversation that evening with Melanie Abbruzzese, a paralegal employed at Denner Pelligrino. Defense counsel learned that during that conversation, Inspector McGonagle told Abbruzzese that an Assistant U.S. Attorney prosecuting the case had just sent an email to his staff at the U.S. Postal Service indicating the names of the defense witnesses which listed defendant Levine as a possible witness. The following morning, defense counsel alerted the government and the Court of the conversation between Abbruzzese and McGonagle.

Judge O’Toole held a hearing to determine whether there was any breach of confidentiality. McGonagle and Abbruzzese both testified at the hearing under oath.
McGonagle was questioned about the May 18 phone call to Abbruzzese, and more broadly, about his other interactions with Abbruzzese to include contact by email, phone or in person. McGonagle testified that he had no social out-of-office meetings with Abbruzzese, that his email contacts with her were of a professional nature, and that there were no calls during the Levine trial.

Contrary to his testimony, McGonagle had numerous social, out-of-office meetings with Abbruzzese during the Levine trial, including drinks on three occasions all within the10 days prior to his May 19, 2010 testimony. Further, on the evening of May 13, 2010, following their visit to the Bell and Hand restaurant in Boston, McGonagle and Abbruzzese were observed by a co-worker in McGonagle’s car while parked in front of Denner Pelligrino’s office. In addition, documentary evidence, to include cell tower information from Abbruzzese’s cell phone, showed that Abbruzzese had overnight visits at McGonagle’s apartment in Danvers the evenings of May 14 and May 16, 2010.

Furthermore, contrary to McGonagle’s testimony that emails between them were all of a professional nature, there were actually 41 emails between the two work email accounts from March 29 and May 18, 2010. The first three of those emails, dated Mar. 29 through Mar. 30, related to official business. The remaining 38 emails, dated April 12 through May 18, 2010, were all of a personal nature. Finally, although McGonagle testified that “I don’t think there were any phone calls,” cell phone records showed approximately 40 calls between the two between May 5 and May 19, 2010. The prosecutor told the court yesterday that four of those calls actually exceeded one hour, and on the day of their testimony alone, they exchanged seven phone calls.

The evidence would have further shown that McGonagle’s false testimony concerned a matter material to the court’s inquiry. The Judge ruled that McGonagle’s false statements hindered the court’s inquiry into the nature of the relationship between he and Abbruzzese. McGonagle’s false testimony was intended to, and did, conceal the existence of his ongoing relationship with Abbruzzese and thus deprived the court of a fulsome inquiry into whether anything inappropriate, in terms of confidentiality, was passed from one party to the other.

Judge Gorton scheduled sentencing for May 3, 2012. McGonagle faces up to five years in prison on the perjury charge and 10 years in prison for obstruction of justice. He also faces three years of supervised release following incarceration and a $250,000 fine on each charge.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Curtis Lembke, Area Special Agent in Charge, Special Inquiries Division, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane C. Freniere of Ortiz’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit.

JENSEN BEACH, Fla., Jan. 27 (UPI) — Authorities in Florida said the mysterious liquid behind the evacuation of a U.S. Post Office was found to be moonshine.

Read more: Moonshine sparks postal evacuation – UPI.com.

WASHINGTON

“We look forward to issuing these great stamps jointly with La Poste, continuing a tradition of international celebration of stamps,” said USPS Manager, Stamp Services, Stephen Kearney.

Americans may know Edith Piaf best for her cheerful song “La Vie en Rose” (“Life in Pink”), about the experience of falling in love and seeing life through rose-colored glasses; the tune is still heard on the streets of Paris today.

Piaf’s tumultuous life got off to a stormy start. Born Edith Gassion in Paris, she was abandoned by her mother and later traveled with her father, singing on the street while he performed acrobatics. The tiny singer was discovered by a nightclub owner who gave her the stage name “Piaf,” Parisian slang for sparrow. She quickly became a star, singing tragic songs about heartbreak that have been called a French equivalent of the blues. Piaf toured the U.S. ten times and sang twice at Carnegie Hall. In 1960, the ailing chanteuse discovered the defiant song that would become her anthem, “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” (“No Regrets”).

Miles Davis was at the forefront of jazz musicians for decades, setting trends and exploring musical styles from bebop through cool jazz, fusion and funk. His restless musical exploration made him a hero to many, while sometimes confounding critics and fans. Among his many influential recordings are Birth of the Cool, Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain, and In a Silent Way. He was also a great bandleader, and many important musicians rose to prominence in his bands, including saxophonists John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter; drummers Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette; and pianists Bill Evans, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hancock.

Davis’ music will long be remembered for its profound depth of feeling. By the time of his death in 1991, he had won many prizes and honors, including a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 1984, he received Denmark‘s prestigious Leonie Sonning Music Prize. In 1989, he was awarded the Grande Medaille de Vermeil by the city of Paris, which was presented to him by Jacques Chirac, then mayor and later president of France.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps using an undated, black-and-white photo of Piaf made by Studio Harcourt Paris and a black-and-white photo of Davis, from 1970, by David Gahr.

The Edith Piaf and Miles Davis stamps are being issued as Forever stamps in self-adhesive sheets of 20 (10 of each design). Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.  At the time of issuance, the Edith Piaf and Miles Davis stamps are being sold at a price of 45 cents each, or $9 per sheet.

Customers may view the Edith Piaf and Miles Davis Forever stamps, as well as many of this year’s other stamps, on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for background on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.