Nabble - RURAL MAIL TALK

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2009-05-15T15:27:09Z

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Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Forum Information

Lets see how much money the USPS could save...

2009-11-22T22:59:50Z

I started a small project on my network site to compile some our ideas of how the USPS could save money. We all have seen the day to day waste in the USPS.

You have to sign up for the site and get approved but I need to have it where I can keep all of the information together in one spot.

I would like to hear from you guys and get your ideas.

http://ruralconnect.ning.com/profiles/blogs/lets-see-how-much-money-the

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Vicki Kohls is in need of our prayers and support...

2009-10-15T22:36:01Z

A message from Magal

I know that many of you have known Vicki Kohls for a long time. Maybe as WIWENCH or from the website she used to have RCanswers.com or maybe you just knew her as Vicki.

She has dedicated many hours to helping her rural carrier family online and off. I have been very fortunate that I have the privilege of being her very close and dear friend.

It deeply saddens me that I have such sad news to share on her behalf. Vicki has suffered a brain aneurism, stroke and massive heart attack. She is currently battling the biggest fight of her life and is in very very serious condition. She is improving but still very deep in the woods.

I am sure she and her family would appreciate any prayers and then some to help them through this difficult struggle. I am also hoping that you might take a minute and send her a little encouragement get well card.

If you are interested in doing so you may by mailing it to the following address.
Vicki Kohls, patient
C/O Froedtert
9200 W Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53226-3596.
She is currently in room 10.

As always, the USPS is not being user friendly so I am attempting to help the family by providing them with as much information as possible on any Federal or Postal rules and regulations that may apply to her situation or any programs that may help her/them during this time.

If anyone knows of anything I may have overlooked and you think I need to share with her family so they can best protect Vicki from the system please email me and I will pass it on to her family. You can email me at vickihelp@gmail.com When she has been approved for the leave share program I will post again so that anyone within her geographic district (Great Lakes) who wishes to donate may do so. It is with a heavy heart that I ask you to please keep her in your prayers until we see her smiling face once again.

Thank you.

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Message from Hierofont (J. Amstfield)

2009-10-10T07:55:08Z

For those who know who I am, I have been at the top levels of two state associations, have served on National Committees both standing and convention committees. I helped put together the Steward Task Force in forcing National to appoint it and served as one of the first members.

I have advised and counseled progressive elements for more than 20 years and the way that locals, states and national are set up and the convention rules preclude any serious effort to make constructive change from the inside. The entire union structure is set up to keep and insulate the existing power structure from either change, threat or danger of losing their position unless they step out of line.

The structure is perfectly built to punish progressives, critics or dissidents ensuring that no substantial changes will ever be made. I talked about these things twenty five years ago when it was no secret that USPS was going to do what they have been doing up to now and what they plan in the future. I even published this in an article that was sent statewide in Pennsylvania in 1987.

Many of the things I've written about over the last twnety five years have come to pass. I remember USPS telling people that having delivery employees spend 60-70% of their time in the office was a waste of time, resources and manpower and that the ratio kept heading the wrong way. I wrote about ever expanding routes, consolidating routes, working toward delivery hubs where delivery route mail would arrive at the Post Office and carriers would spend 85% of their time on the road.

The Union has never done any effective preparation for changes. They never had a five year plan, a ten year plan or a twenty year plan. They never bothered to monitor USPS R & D to get a heads up on what was coming. Until the last ten years, there was no organized approach to planning for conract negotiations and almost no effort is spent on contractual monitoring when the Union has access to USPS reports that could easily be programmed to raise flags where obvious anomalies are taking place.

Every thing USPS does in their business model is driven by stats and records. With an upgraded "geek" team, we could take advantage of those reports for purposes of contract prep, contract monitoring and to discover where union resources need to go. National teams could be utilized to blitz trouble spots instead of leaving everything to the states and hoping that they can make a case or trip over some problem.

The Union structure has not significantly changed since they created state stewards in 1972 while USPS has transformed itself many times. We used to have a good chance in arbitrations and negotiations when each post office or old SCF or MSC made their own defenses and when there was not a conventrated effort by USPS in negotiations. Those days are over. We cannot count on USPS making really dumb mistakes anymore and we sure don't do ourselves any favors by going into arbitrations with a half assed case presented by a bumpkin lawyer who we inherited. Each arbitration we lose creates precedents for future losng arbitrations which we are increasingly more likely to lose. The lesson here is not to avoid going to arbitration, it is simply to prepare for everything, to war game everything and then to go to WAR.

We've been doing the exact sme thing with a little wrinkle here and there for narly forth years. I think USPS knows our script. We either change or we hang it all up. If we don't change, we only make the day we are contract employees at minimum wage that much more likely and that much more quickly. IT WOULD BE NICE IF OUR UNION WOULD STOP HELPING THEM TO DO IT!

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

A rural carrier needs our support.... Joe Mandeville

2009-09-14T09:58:07Z

If you would like to help Joe and Kelley....
One of our dear friends and Rural Carrier Joe Mandeville needs our help. To start off, he has lost his voice due to a paralyzed vocal chord from nerve damage. It is caused by a mass growing on his left lung or inflamed lymph nodes along his windpipe. Some biopsies have been done that did not show malignancies, but they were not able to test all areas.

He is now scheduled for surgery Monday, Sept. 14th to remove the mass on his lung. They will not know whether they will be able to just remove the mass or if the whole lung will have to be removed until they get into the surgery.

Whether the mass is malignant or not, he will have to go through chemo and or radiation as the lymph nodes along his windpipe are inoperable because of their location. His adrenal glands are also enlarged, but they will have to deal with this after the surgery.

He will have a minimum one week stay in the hospital followed by 6-8 weeks of recovery after the surgery. Then they will start the plan of attack on the lymph nodes and anything else they will need to do.

He does not have enough leave to get him through this ordeal and most of us are not able to donate leave because we are not in his postal district.

So, those of us here on Ruralinfo decided that we would try to send them some money to help them through this time. Im sure most of us know that when someone is going through something like this, there are a lot of days of missed work for the spouses and the family to be able to be beside their loved one.. Then we decided there might be other rural carriers out there that might like to help too, so we decided to set up this for everyone.

If you can manage it, please think of sending them something to help them through this time in their lives. They are hanging tough and Joe is a stubborn headstrong guy, and we know he will get through this. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any help you are able to give. It will help put their hearts and mind at ease in this difficult time.

Here is the link to donate to them through Paypal

http://ruralinfo.chipin.com/joe-and-kelly-mandeville

Or if you prefer to send them a card through the mail here is their mailing address:

Joe and Kelley Mandeville
7203 Carr Dr
Belleville, IL
62223

They have also set up a site where they will be adding updates as they go through this ordeal..

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/josephmandeville

We have also set up a virtual candle page for Joe if you would like to add your thoughts there

Light a Candle for Joe

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Time for action on amendments to S. 1507 that are detrimental to postal employees..

2009-07-28T20:36:02Z

Ok my friends, it is time for us to put our collective butts on the same page.

There are amendments being added to the Senate bill (S. 1507) (This is the Senate companion bill to HR 22) that would provide short term financial relief to the USPS. Most of these amendments are not in the best interest of postal employees.

Amendments offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) would require arbitrators to consider the financial health of the USPS when ruling on collective bargaining agreements, and an amendment submitted by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) would increase the share postal employees pay for healthcare coverage.

An amendment submitted by Sen. Coburn would repeal the requirement in appropriations law that requires the USPS to deliver mail six days per week. A total of 11 amendments were submitted as of the deadline for submissions, but additional amendments could be offered when the committee meets on July 29 to vote on the bill.

For the summary of all of the amendments, click the link below:

http://www.divshare.com/direct/8021535-057.pdf

Once the committee acts on the amendments, it is expected to vote on the main bill, the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Funding Reform Act of 2009 (S. 1507) The bill was introduced by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) on July 23, would restructure the USPS obligation to pay retiree healthcare benefits, and would generate savings of billions of dollars over the next several years. The USPS is projecting a loss of $7.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2009, despite predictions that it will cut costs by $6.1 billion this year.

If you live in one of the states of the Senator's that serve on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs then please contact those senators and urge them not to approve this bill with these amendments attached.. If they are a Senator in your state, then they need to hear loud and clear from their consituents. And, I dont see where it could hurt for the rest of us to contact the Committee also..

You can find the Senator's that serve on that Committee along with links to their websites with contact information at the link below:
http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutCommittee.Membership

This is make or break time folks.. Lets put our voices together and do something..

Thanks to the APWU for this information

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Sunday night group chat about to start...

2009-07-12T15:57:04Z

Live rural carrier chat tonight.. Starts in about 5 minutes.. You have to join and get approved to get in, but I am quick on the approval process during chat night.. Hope to see you there..

http://ruralconnect.ning.com/chat

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

State Candidates page... check it out

2009-05-23T11:46:29Z

Running for office in your state.. Submit your info at the link below

http://statecandidates.blogspot.com/

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Check out the Ruralinfo NRLCA National Candidates Page

2009-05-23T11:45:16Z

Check out the Ruralinfo NRLCA National Candidates Page

http://ruraliinfocandidatesforum.blogspot.com/

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Organize against 5 day delivery

2009-05-23T10:46:02Z

We need to get organized against the 5 day delivery push. Our subs will suffer the most. This will also affect all of us.. Think working Mon-Friday will be the best thing??? How about when you need off and you dont have a sub to work for you.. We need to write the Committee and our Congressmen NOW!! I have made it easy for you to contact them on my Action alert page..

http://ruralinfo.net/actionalerts.html

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Very interesting Rural Craft Stats from 2008

2009-04-13T13:12:34Z

Hierofont News reported some time ago that the 2008 mail count impact represented a net total loss of
154,377 hours for a route average of -2:01hours from Pay period 9-09 through pay period 10-08
representing the 2008 National Mail Count.

Since that time, a total of 234,000 boxes/deliveries have been added to rural routes nationwide in
March and through April (some as corrections that should have been credited during the mail count or
boxes added when route inputs were frozen or from route growth.

The additional 234,000 boxes /deliveries makes the average per route impact of the 2008 National Mail
Count -2:13 per route.

As an average, 50% of routes did better and 50% of routes had a more serious impact.

A Little Recent Rural Route Evaluation History

THE BUMP
The Bump is simply the difference in time between rural carrier actual hours on average and rural
carrier average evaluated hours. In all of the statistics, rural carrier average hours are annually below
rural carrier average evaluated hours both currently and historically.

Beginning in 2001 and 2002 Rural carriers actual work hours were a total of approximately 37,500
hours below evaluated time.

Following the Wells arbitration, rural carriers actual total work hours were only about 20,000 hours
below evaluated hours on rural routes.

The Wells arbitration introduced new time standards that reduced the time standards previously.
In 2004, Reloading time was introduced and rural carrier actual work hours increased to 26,000 hours
below rural route evaluations.

In 2005, the actual work hours amounted to approximately 27,000 total work hours below evaluated
rural carrier route hours.

In 2006 the total actual work hours was approximately 30,000 total hours under the total evaluated
hours.

In 2007, total actual work hours was 39,000 hours below rural route evaluated hours.

There is one other difference in that from 2001-2005 non-L routes were more below average than were
L routes as might be expected.

But beginning in 2006 and especially in 2007, it was L routes that were significantly different from
non-L routes and considerably below totals for non-L routes.

This was and is a dangerous precedent and it raised the interest of Delivery at USPS headquarters and
was raised a number of times in discussions with National Officers.

In the 2008 mail count, what routes took the brunt of the impact in reduced route evaluations? High
density L routes in metro areas. It is exactly the routes that were identified in the 2007 volume statistics
as having the largest “bump”. Could it be a coincidence? The routes that suffered minimal impact,
stayed the same or actually increased were the high mileage, low volume routes primarily non-L routes.

In 2008, 54% of all routes in the country are L routes and rural delivery is one of the few employee
categories where there are significant increases in added deliveries, added miles, added full time
employees, added relief employees, added wages and benefits and added expense.

In 2005 1856 routes were added to rural delivery.
In 2006, an additional 2279 rural routes were added.
In 2007 1453 additional rural routes were added and so far this year in 2008 292 routes have been
added.

For an organization seeking to reduce employee expenses and number of employees and enjoying
considerable success in reducing the work force in the clerk craft, the city carrier craft and in the
number of managers and support personnel; efforts to reduce employees and employee costs has been a
miserable failure every single year in the rural carrier craft which has posted gains in routes, miles,
employees and costs every single year.

This information was taken from the May 9th, 2008 issue of Hierofont Rural/Postal News

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

April Ruralinfo Newsletter is now onliine

2009-04-12T13:22:39Z

The April Ruralinfo Newsletter is now online

http://ruralinfo.net/monthlynewsletter.html

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Sign the Petition concerning the USPS "Summer Sale" on standard mail

2009-04-11T20:13:50Z

Print the petition below, take it to work and get every member you know to sign it and then send it to:

Don Cantriel
National Rural Letter
Carriers' Association
1630 Duke Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3465

TO Don Cantriel

President, NRLCA

The members of the NRLCA that have signed their names to this document, demand you and the Officers of the NRLCA take action to protect all members of the Rural Craft. The USPS plans to offer discount mailings in an effort to raise volumes without fair compensations to the rural craft members. As our elected and paid officials, it is your duty to represent the interests and desires of this association to the best of your abilities.

The Postal Plan

April 10, 2009 — The Postal Service has informed mailers that it will be announcing shortly a summer sale on postage for any increased Standard Mail volume for many Standard mailers. “We are very pleased that USPS is taking advantage of the pricing flexibility that DMA worked so hard for in the passage of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act," said DMA President and CEO John Greco.

DMA has long advocated seasonal pricing. At the Postal Regulatory Commission/Postal Service Summit in 2007, DMA Chairman Markus Wilhelm urged the Postal Service to offer seasonal rates and even daily rates to grow mail volume during slower times. "The current economic climate demands this new pricing strategy to grow mail volume during the slow summer season,” Greco continued. “It has taken two years for this to come to fruition, and we welcome its continued progress.”

The full details of the plan remain a work in progress, but mailers would be offered 20- to 30 percent discounts from June 15 to September 15 for mail volume over and above that mailer's past mailing. The Postal Service would establish a base mail volume for each mailer derived from that mailer's mailings from June 15 to September 15, 2008 adjusted downward by the current mail trends for that mailer during the first two quarters of Fiscal Year 2009. Any mail volume above that baseline would receive the ‘summer sale’ price.

Since the Postal Service must establish a separate base line for each mailer and provide an appeal to each mailer to contest those calculations, it is likely only the 4,000 largest Standard Mailers will be eligible this summer.

The proposal must go to the Postal Regulatory Commission, and DMA will push for quick approval so that mailers will have the greatest amount of lead time for planning as possible. DMA will also ask the Postal Service to establish this "sale" for the summer of 2010, so that mailers will have a year to plan and the Service will reap the full benefit of the sale.

"Every mailer should immediately examine their mailing program and seek to adjust it to take full advantage of this stimulus program," added Greco.

DMA expects the Postal Service to file the details of this issue with the Postal Rate Commission within the next three weeks, and will keep members informed of developments as they arise.

The Members of the NRLCA Respond:

Our Contract

(4) The Employer reserves the right to conduct a national count of mail for all rural routes during the last twelve (12) working days in September of any year. The Employer agrees to notify the Union at the national level at least thirty (30) days in advance of the commencement of the count.

Just how convenient will it be to add the additional workload of these added bulk business mailings to our routes, following a major hit to our evaluations, without having to pay us for the additional workload that will be created? And then STOP the program immediately prior to our next opportunity to be evaluated based on the workload!

THIS is the time to start demanding that wherever possible, an ANNUAL average of anything that can be tracked data wise annually be done that way. This farce of claiming our time when it is down, then adding work, then removing the workload 2 days prior to an evaluation is a direct assault and a unilateral action against our pay and allowances. If the Union cannot prove this, as they failed to prove the other "programs" that have been used to devalue our checks, then it is time for some serious rethinking.

When PMG Potter goes to Hill with this one, we need to demand that Mr. Cantriel and his staff be right there to demand that some form of compensation, such as a "Summer Percentage Increase" of our pay in proportion to the increased volume be included in any agreement to allow the USPS to offer these deals to the same companies they sweet talked delaying mailings during the Feb-Mar mail count. This is plainly an effort to work us extended hours without compensation.

Here is the real kicker....While offering these "deals" to the mailers, USPS will be working hard to eliminate/consolidate routes and terminate employees, while increasing the mail volumes they say have created the NEED to eliminate/ consolidate the routes! Talk about having your cake and eating it too!

AT least offer us something.

If you are going to mug me, take my watch, wallet, and car keys, there is absolutely no need for you to spit on me and slap my face while you fill your pockets with my hard earned items, and then kick me before you walk away.

Mistreat the family pet often enough, and that pet will respond. Think we are less than a pet? That gentle family dog, once abused enough, will rip out your throat to defend itself.

More from Contract:

b. Whenever a carrier represents that certain unusual conditions or special services were not reflected in the latest evaluation, the evaluated time may be adjusted by an appropriate allowance as determined by the Employer. Such additional allowance may be authorized only when the carrier’s actual work time exceeds the current evaluated time for the route.

If this plan by management does go into effect, WE MUST compare our daily and weekly DUVERS totals, number of boxholders etc to that which we received during the mail count. This SPECIAL program, should be reflected as a SPECIAL SERVICE, and should be more than proof that we need to be adjusted based on that special service.

IT IS IN THE CONTRACT ALREADY!!!!!

It is time this craft stand up and be counted. Each dues paying member of the NRLCA should affix their name to this document, to express our concerns to the NRLCA about this issue. Let our numbers show our resolve in prohibiting continued loss of pay and positions through Management’s manipulation of the evaluation pay system.

DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE PETITION TO YOUR COMPUTER HERE

ALSO SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION

Links to articles about the "Summer Sale"

USPS Playing Lets Make a Deal

DMA responds to USPS

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

House Approves Bill To Give Sick-Leave Credit to FERS Retirees

2009-04-01T15:40:53Z

- House Approves Bill To Give Sick-Leave Credit to FERS Retirees
The House of Representatives approved legislation on April 1 that would give employees covered by the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) credit for unused sick leave when calculating their retirement benefits. -

http://www.apwu.org/news/webart/2009/09-038-fers-sickleave-090401.htm

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Ask Alan VerValin Questions and see his ideas.

2009-03-30T15:12:24Z

Click below to ask Alan a question and read some of his proposals and ideas.

Q and A forum with Alan

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

So..... What are you going to do??

2009-03-19T15:14:18Z

After this count everyone is mad as hell.. and with good reason. You should be mad.. We all should be mad. I didn't do as bad as some of you did. But, I still lost money.

And, once again, here we are. Wounded from the battle of the count, pissed off and screaming at the top of our lungs about the unfairness of the count. Do you think anyone is listening?

So, in an effort to once more stir some action from some of you, I am going to repost the exact same post I posted here at the exact same time last year with a few tweaks. Not much had to be changed. I could have really copy and pasted the exact same post and it would still fit our situation today. Sad isn't it? That we have not made one bit of progress since the last mail count? That we take the same abuse year after year and never do a thing about it...

Anyway, below is the post from last year. I will post it again next year and the year after until we as a craft are fed up enough to join together and do something..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I do believe there is manipulation of mail flow going on. I do believe they work overtime to purge the mail the week before a mail count begins. I do believe that they offer the mailers some type of incentive to slow down the mailings during a mail count period. I do believe they hide and shuffle bulk mail during the count period. I also believe they will let the mail flow the week after count ends without a worry in their minds. Why do I believe all of this?? Because we have and will let them. Ever heard of BOHICA? Bend Over Here It Comes Again... We invite them to the BOHICA fest time and time again.

We have continued to have a death grip on the evaluated system no matter what they do... And, in return they continue to manipulate mail counts.

Every time our standards have been reduced or we lose in a mail count, we speed up. We end up running ourselves back to the same level of under time we had before.

We are like hamsters on a wheel. Running after who knows what... That glorious hour or two that we get to leave early?? I keep hearing lets get the standards fixed.. We can repair this.... Oh really, as a good friend of mine likes to say “How we looking now?” Don't forget, we have FSS on the horizon. If you think that wont reduce our evaluations, you better take some time and read up on that...

Once upon a time the evaluated system worked for the craft as a whole. It no longer works as a fair pay system for all. And, as I have said many times, the USPS changed the rules. We are no longer playing a fair game.

The evaluated system has always been based on the incentive it provided. It created efficiency.. It worked for both sides... The USPS and the rural carriers. And, again, I say, “How we looking now?” Is it still working for you? Even after this massacre of a mail count?

Some say if we change anything we will be micromanaged like the city carriers are... NEWS FLASH!!!!! We are being micromanaged now... Anyone ever heard of RDOIS?? If you haven't go to work tomorrow and ask your postmaster... He will know exactly what you are talking about and probably has been tracking you through it on his computer. Ever heard of ERMS? Ask your PM about that too.. Ever had them push you to go faster? Ever had them tell you that you weren't working to standards? Ever had them harass you over 2080? Ever heard the words “thats included?” Ever heard of “Christmas Overtime”? Ever get much of it?

We have allowed all of this to happen by not even considering that the evaluated system no longer works for us. We have allowed ourselves to end up with manipulated mail counts time and time again.
Does going hourly hold all the answers? Probably not, but what we are doing now is not working like it used to. I could deal with a yearly average system, or something like it.. As long as there are NO MORE MAIL COUNTS. Mail counts can be be manipulated over and over again.

Are you mad about this mail count?? Are you mad because your mail volume suddenly disappeared??
NEWS FLASH!! You haven't seen anything yet until you get counted in a May mail count under FSS.... You think this mail count is a massacre.. We will need gallons of Vaseline for that one.

Do you think quitting the union is the answer? Go ahead... And the next time you don't like a contract that is presented, guess what?, you will have no say.. Some say lets go to the media, or even Congress... Sounds like an idea, but what exactly are you going to tell them? The USPS manipulates the mail flow during a mail count... The very first question any of them are going to ask is what proof do you have.... Does anyone out there have solid substantiated proof that the USPS is manipulating mail flow? We can all say we know they do it. But without some kind of proof, anyone we go to will laugh us out of the building.

If we really want to make a change, we, meaning ordinary rural carriers will have to start something to make a change at the ground level. Ordinary rural carriers, like myself and all of you have two very important rights in this association. One, you get to vote on contracts like we did when they offered us the extension... Yea, we ended up with about the same thing, but there was a little improvement that came out of us voting that thing down. Two, you get to vote on the delegates from your state that you send to represent you at the National convention. These two things are basically the only power ordinary rural carriers have. So, what can we do to change things?

We change the delegates we send to the national convention.. Plain and simple...

I hear time and time again how we keep electing the same old delegates who vote in the same old people over and over again. Let me ask you this.... Did you vote on your delegates last year? Did you even look at the ballot? I bet more of you take the time to vote on “American Idol” than have taken time to look at one of those ballots..

If you did vote, did you even know what they stood for when you voted? Did you vote for them just because you recognized their name? I see time and time again a blurb in my state paper that says vote for me.... but nothing that tells me why I should vote for them. Guess what, I don't vote for them. If I don't know how they feel about important issues in this craft, then they don't get my vote.

So, my point is, for those of you that are tired of all the same old crap, the same old people, are you ready to do something about it? Are you ready to do something more than just gripe on a message board? Are you ready to step up to the plate? The first thing we need to do is get people to vote for their delegates in the first place. The 2nd thing we need to do is get the word out about the delegates in your state. If we don't get carriers start voting we may as well get used to the BOHICA fests. Over and over again.

Once again, I have started the Delegate Awareness Project. It will require collaboration from many people. It will require carriers from every state. If people do not step up for this, a few of us cannot do it... It will not be possible. And the same old song will continue to play.

For those of you who want to hear that same old song over and over in your head every day, do nothing. Keep griping while doing nothing... We will keep checking back to see how thats working for ya..... But for those of you out there that want to do something but don't know where to turn.... Join us, get involved and spread the word.

http://ruralinfo.net/delegateawareness.html

Think about it... Its time to make a commitment to something.. It is time to do something. I will spend my free time trying to make this thing work if you will step up to help me..
AND

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Brainstorm on Resolution and Bylaw changes

2009-03-16T16:53:02Z

Join us to share and discuss resolutions and bylaw changes...

http://ruralinfo.net/resandbylaws.html

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

Delegate Awareness Project

2009-03-16T16:51:14Z

Come and join in our delegate awareness project... Its that time... Lets all participate and try to learn more about the National Delegates we vote for...

http://ruralinfo.net/delegateawareness.html

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Ruralinfo News

FAQ and Forum Guidelines

2008-11-29T14:01:25Z

How do I reply to a post

To reply to any post on this forum, just click on the message
and click on reply.. Thats it, very easy...

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To make a new post, Click on one of the categories
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Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: Forum Information

Post Office reports loss, MAY CUT SATURDAY SERVICE

2009-11-18T05:25:51Z

Well, as anticipated, with the release of the financial report, we're going to be hearing the B.S. flying again:

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/16/news/companies/US_postal_service/

"Corbett also said on the call that the Post Office will formally propose to Congress that it drop Saturday delivery. "We need more flexibility in our delivery schedule. We've talked a number of times about reducing from 6 to 5 days of service," he said.

That move alone would save $3.5 billion. But even a 5-day delivery schedule won't be enough to put the USPS into the black, Corbett said. So the agency will also propose to Congress that it reduce the $5.5 billion in annual payments to pre-fund retiree health benefits that it is slated to make until 2016."

==================================

I find it interesting that even though studies have questioned that $3.5 Billion savings figure, they continue to put it out there.

Button, button, who's got a button??

From forum: USPS News

USPS 4th quarter results due

2009-11-16T05:27:37Z

I believe I read somewhere that the USPS was going to release the figures for the 4th quarter & year ended in Sep today, so get ready for yet another onslaught of stories & articles about how the Post Office is going down the tubes, losing gazillions of $$, etc, etc, etc.

Button, button, who's got a button??

From forum: USPS News

Comments by Postmasters' League pres. on problems

2009-10-22T16:37:27Z

http://www.postmasters.org/news/message/101609.asp

My first reaction was, gosh it's tough being a postmaster. LOL

Here's a clip that caught my eye:

We should be treating all of our employees, clerks, carriers, mail handlers, PMRs, supervisors, and POSTMASTERS with fairness and respect.

Unreal.

Button, button, who's got a button??

From forum: USPS News

COR - Carrier Optimal Routing

2009-10-22T05:34:05Z

Here is a link to the OIG audit of the Carrier Optimal Routing system:

http://www.uspsoig.gov/foia_files/DR-AR-10-001.pdf

We heard about this project on the chat site one night. It appears to be a system to computerize routes to come up with the "best fit" (optimal) way of setting up & delivering routes.

Note the comments on problems with the system:

a. The COR system was not initially user friendly and the data preparation process
is labor intensive and time consuming.

b. Dedicated district personnel are sometimes not selected and trained as COR
system subject matter experts.

c. Postal Service Headquarters did not mandate tracking of mileage changes in the
issued policy memorandums.

Though the Post Office doesn't seem to be able to identify "savings" associated with this program, I'd hazard a guess that it's a done deal.

Button, button, who's got a button??

From forum: USPS News

FERS Sick Leave and Retirement Provisions Poised to Pass Congress

2009-10-08T13:22:13Z

developing....

WASHINGTON, DC ---

On Wednesday, Senate and House Members concluded conference work on the Defense Authorization Bill, which includes provisions for FERS Sick Leave Reimbursement, Rehiring of Federal Annuitants, and Locality Pay (for federal employees in Alaska and Hawaii). While no vote on the Defense Authorization has taken place, it is understood that this measure will pass when taken up, due to the urgency of the overall legislation.

The FERS Sick Leave provisions, which have passed the House twice only to be removed by the Senate each time, would be phased in over a period of four years. Upon enactment, workers under the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) would be able to count their unused sick leave towards retirement annuities. Until December 31, 2013, employees would receive a 50 percent credit for unused sick time; they would receive a full 100 percent credit beginning on January 1, 2014.

From GovExec.com:

"The conference report also contains language that would make it easier for agencies to rehire federal retirees, without forcing them to take a cut in their annuity checks. Those retirees would be able to return to work only for a limited time, and the comptroller general would be required to report on how agencies use this new authority. Another provision would allow employees who choose to work part time toward the end of their careers to use a higher salary figure to calculate how that work factors into their retirement benefits. And FERS employees who left and returned to government service would be able to redeposit savings in the retirement systemand earn credit for years they already worked in government."

The NRLCA is very pleased with this result and will encourage members to contact and thank their Representatives who aided in this effort by co-sponsoring H.R. 958.

http://www.nrlca.org/legislative_pac/legUpdate.cfm/legID/82

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: USPS News

House passes HR 22 substitute 1 year version

2009-09-15T16:35:11Z

House Passes USPS Stopgap Relief
Resounding Vote of Support for HR 22

By a 388-32 vote this afternoon, the House of Representatives approved a substitute version of HR 22, the “United States Postal Service Financial Relief Act of 2009.” To find out how your Member of Congress voted, click here.

The measure now goes to the Senate for approval. NAPS and its members, along with other postal groups, will work to achieve Senate passage of the measure before September 30, the end of the 2009 fiscal year for the Postal Service. Without immediate relief, the Postal Service risks defaulting on its obligation to pay $5.4 billion this year to pre-fund retiree health benefits for future retirees.

NAPS President Ted Keating said after the vote, “Thanks to everyone who contacted their House Member to urge their “YES” vote on HR 22 today. Now let’s make sure the Senate does the right thing, and soon.”

Bruce Moyer
NAPS Legislative Counsel

http://www.postalnewsblog.com/2009/09/15/house-passes-hr-22/

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: USPS News

Time running out on NSPS, sick leave, postal rescue bills (5-day delivery discussed)

2009-09-15T05:31:55Z

This Federal Times article discusses the bills facing Congress:

http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=4273445

<clip>

Finally, one measure that has virtually no chance of passing this fall would:
• Allow the Postal Service to cut back to five-day mail delivery.
Postal Service officials have been pleading with Congress to approve five-day mail delivery to reduce operating expenses.
The outlook is dismal. When many Americans are waiting anxiously for their Social Security or unemployment checks to arrive in the mail, cutting back mail service doesn’t seem like a popular idea to many lawmakers.
No one has even introduced legislation to enact five-day delivery. In fact, one pending House resolution, HRes 173, expresses the sense of the House that the Postal Service should do everything possible to ensure six-day delivery.

Button, button, who's got a button??

From forum: USPS News

Mailman finds baby

2009-09-14T15:57:22Z

For those of you who get the Eastern Area Update, the story appears on the back page of the Sep edition. Here's an abbreviated version:

http://www.blisstree.com/babylune/mailman-finds-a-baby/

Other than another good deed by a mail carrier, what else does this story tell us??

This happened on a SATURDAY

Button, button, who's got a button??

From forum: USPS News

11,000-plus postal workers idle at any given time at the cost of a million dollars a week

2009-09-07T14:36:16Z

The U.S. Postal Service, struggling with a massive deficit caused by plummeting mail volume, spends more than a million dollars each week to pay thousands of employees to sit in empty rooms and do nothing.
It’s a practice called “standby time,” and it has existed for years — but postal employees say it was rarely used until this year. Now, postal officials say, the agency is averaging about 45,000 hours of standby time every week — the equivalent of having 1,125 full-time employees sitting idle, at a cost of more than $50 million per year.

Read the rest of the article...

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: USPS News

Postal Service reports preliminary loss of $865 Million in July

2009-09-02T14:07:19Z

http://www.postalnewsblog.com/2009/09/02/usps-loses-865-million-in-july/

excerpt:

"Personnel expenses, mainly salaries and benefits, were up by 3.8% from the prior year, or $167 million. City and rural carrier compensation expenses were up less than a percentage point from July 2008, while customer service and mail processing compensation (i.e. employees who work inside post offices and processing plants) was down by about 7%, or $104 million. The biggest contributors to the increase in compensation were “other” employees, i.e. administrative, maintenance, postmasters, etc., where compensation was up by 33% or $245 million...

If this is true, I believe we've discovered the cause of the USPS "deficit". LOL

Button, button, who's got a button??

From forum: USPS News

Postal Service blames deficit & drop in volume on recession

2009-09-02T13:59:07Z

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/29/business/29postal.html?_r=2

Amid unrelenting bad news, the Postal Service is striving to make the case that mail is here to stay.
About 175 billion pieces of mail will be sent in 2009, down from 202 billion last year.

“We’re very optimistic about the future of mail because mail has great value,” said Susan Plonkey, vice president for sales. “Mail works.”

Top postal officials say the recession is to blame for the agency’s $7 billion deficit and a steep drop in the volume of mail, and they express confidence that mail, particularly advertising, will rebound.

===================

Whoever these "top postal officials" are, they evidently haven't been talking to DontKnowWho & The Pott-man.

Button, button, who's got a button??

From forum: USPS News

Updated FSS Deployment plan

2009-08-21T16:17:33Z

The USPS has updated their FSS deployment plan.. You can check it out at the link below:

http://ribbs.usps.gov/flat/documents/FSS_Deployment_Information/flat_deployment.htm

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: USPS News

Field Updates on 5 Day Delivery by Deputy PMG Donahoe

2009-08-13T14:35:51Z

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: USPS News

USPS staffing down 5.7% from a year ago

2009-08-13T13:38:42Z

http://www.postalnewsblog.com/2009/08/13/usps-staffing-down-5-7-from-prior-year/

Reports filed with the Postal regulatory Commission show that as of July 17, the US Postal Service has reduced its field staff by 5.7%, or 37,454 employees from the same period last year. (All numbers cited refer to actual employees on the rolls, not authorized positions).

The largest reductions among bargaining unit employees, as in the past, have come in the clerk craft, which lost 16,023 employees, or 8.1%. City carriers were down by 5.2%, or 11,135 employees. The smaller mail handler craft lost 2,829, or 5% of its members. Career rural carriers, who are compensated on an evaluation basis, and generally earn significantly less than their city counterparts, lost just 974 employees, or 1.4%.

Supervisors, managers and administrative staffing in the field was reduced by 3,468 employees, or 8.4%. Headquarters lost 88 staff, or 3.1%.

The bad news for the USPS is that the complement reductions so far have not translated to any significant cost reductions. Thanks to salary and benefit increases, the USPS has paid out almost exactly the same amount in base salaries and benefits this year as it did in 2008. The $1 billion the agency has managed to save in compensation costs this year has come entirely from reductions in overtime. Sustaining that level of savings solely from overtime in the future will be difficult if not impossible.

=====================================

I've been looking at USPS staffing over the last 10 years, and some trends stand out. Unfortunately, they've "reclassified" some of the staffing categories, so they are more difficult to compare. When looking at the rural #'s, notice the part I italicized, and recall that the rural craft is adding significantly more delivery points than the city.

Button, button, who's got a button??

From forum: USPS News

OIG Audit of the 2009 National Mail Count

2009-07-23T14:19:00Z

The Postal Service generally followed the National Rural Mail Count procedures and processes during the 2009 mail count, which resulted in an average standard hourly reduction of approximately 4 percent nationwide. Our observations confirmed all classes of mail were counted and results documented.

http://ruralupdates.blogspot.com/2009/07/oig-audit-on-2009-national-rural-mail.html

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: USPS News

Details on USPS/Union Meeting from National League of Postmasters

2009-07-20T20:45:35Z

Mr. Potter then reviewed the elements of the Postal Service's Survival Strategy. They look simple enough; cut costs, grow the business, and protect liquidity. He laid the strategies out for the next few years. We are on target to cut more than $6 billion in expenses during the current fiscal year, 2009. A great part of these savings will come from a reduction of 100 million workhours. Strategies for FY 2010 include Network Distribution Centers, increased usage of Flat Sequencing, continued reduction in delivery routes, the consolidation of stations and branches, and further administrative reductions. The Postal Service hopes to implement 5-day delivery by FY 2011. If all of these strategies are implemented, the Postal Service projects a move back into black ink in FY 2012. This projection assumes the passage of HR 22 through Congress, and the implementation of 5-day delivery. Of course, a positive turn in the economy will help the trend.

Mr. Potter added that the Postal Service will also be looking to use increased product freedom. He remarked that some foreign postal services paid for their universal service obligations with non-postal revenues such as banking and cell phone sales. (About a year ago, you might recall, our own Bill Krejci put together a proposal on postal banking. Maybe someone was listening!)

Without relief from HR 22 and the implementation of 5-day delivery, Mr. Potter told us that the Postal Service's losses would climb into double-digit billions. That can't happen.

Read the whole story here

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..

From forum: USPS News