THE BULLETIN BOARD
November 2008
[November 18th]USPS Denies Existence of Program to Eliminate Tour 2
In response to an inquiry from APWU President Burrus, the Postal Service has denied that it is "considering or is in the process of implementing a nationwide program establishing a two-tour operation, which is intended to eliminate or greatly reduce Tour 2 assignments, operations, and staffing."
In an Oct. 17 letter to the Postal Service, Burrus noted that the union had not been informed of the program, and asserted that therefore such a program would violate the Collective Bargaining Agreement. He asked the USPS to provide documentation detailing the specifics of the program, and requested a meeting with postal managers with knowledge of the initiative.
Management's Nov. 14 letter says, "While the Postal Service is reviewing various options designed to improve operational efficiencies in light of decreased mail volume, the Postal Service has not implemented the nationwide program you suggest. Rather, operations will be reviewed on a site-by-site basis and any action taken to improve operational efficiencies will be based on local circumstances."
The USPS letter said, "Regarding your request to produce documentation regarding 'any nationwide or region- or district-wide program, plans or initiatives to eliminate or reduce Tour 2 operations and/or Tour 2 staffing', "no such documentation exists."
The union president has reiterated his request for a briefing, which the Postal Service's letter did not address.
[November 15th]Obama Names Transition Team Leader on Postal Issues
Stephen Crawford is a deputy director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. Crawford previously served as a division director of the National Governors Association; vice president of the National Policy Association; executive director of the Governor's Workforce Investment Board (MD); executive director of research centers in College Park and Cambridge; professor at Bates College; and assistant dean at the University of Pennsylvania.
Crawford also served three years in the U.S. Army (airborne, ranger), one as infantry officer, Vietnam (Bronze Star).
Political experience includes positions as president of the United Democrats of Frederick County (MD); elected member of the Frederick County Board of Education; and Democratic nominee of MD's 6th Congressional District (1996).
Read a larger list of transition team members at Presidential Transitions Resources.gov
[November 13th]USPS Loses 2.8 Billion in FY 2008
The U.S. Postal Service concluded the 2008 fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2007-Sept. 30, 2008) with a net loss of $2.8 billion as the national economic slowdown lowered mail volume and as the Postal Service bore additional costs mandated by the Postal Act of 2006. The loss occurred despite more than $2 billion in cost-cutting measures that included the use of 50 million fewer workhours compared to the previous year. The Postal Service continued to improve national on-time First-Class Mail delivery performance, reaching record highs in FY 2008.
Mail volume in FY 2008 totaled 202.7 billion pieces, a decline of 9.5 billion pieces, or 4.5 percent, compared to the previous fiscal year. Declining mail volume was a symptom of the worsening national economy, particularly related to the financial and housing industries and to trends toward the use of electronic mail.
Total revenue in FY 2008 was $75 billion, unchanged from last year. Expenses totaled $77.8 billion, including the $5.6 billion payment required by the Postal Act of 2006 to pre-fund retiree health benefits. Excluding all the retiree health benefit fund payments from 2008 and 2007, expenses were up less than 1 percent over last year. Cost reductions offset nearly all of the impact from rising inflation, of which the major contributors were a $562 million increase in cost of living adjustments paid to craft employees and $525 million in additional fuel costs.
n the fourth quarter of FY 2008, on-time delivery performance for overnight First-Class Mail service remained at 97 percent for the second consecutive quarter, one point above the same period last year. Two-day service was 94 percent on-time and three-day service was 93 percent on-time, unchanged from the fourth quarter of the previous year.
[November 10th]Notes from the Chicago Meeting via PostalNewsBlog.com
Two rate increases in FY 09 packages will go up 5% in January, 1st Class will go up 4.8% in May.
Base pay will be frozen.
DPS goal will be 95% in FY09.
The volume we are working now is the same as it was in 1977.
We need to cut our compliment by 64,600 employees this FY.
Only 8,500 took the VERA, the goal was 40,000.
Read the full list at PostalNewsBlog.com
[November 5th]Supervisors Performing Bargaining Unit Work in Small Offices
excerpted from APWU Web News Article #103-08
APWU President William Burrus has asked the Postal Service to provide documentation that will help the union track the amount of craft work performed by supervisors in small offices.
The USPS was asked to identify:
All Level 15, 16, 17, and 18 offices by name and finance number;
The number of career Clerk Craft employees by category for each Accounting Period in Fiscal Years 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008;
The number of non-bargaining unit employees by category in each office for the same period;
The total number of Clerk Craft bargaining unit work hours performed by non-bargaining unit employees.
Article 1.6.A. prohibits supervisors from performing craft work — except in an emergency; for training purposes; to assure proper operation of equipment, or to protect the safety of employees and postal property. Article 1.6.B., which applies to offices of less than 100 bargaining unit employees, allows an additional exception as well: when the duties are included in the supervisor's job description.
Read the entire article at APWU's website.
[November 1st]REMINDER: Buy Your Tickets to the PMAPWU Holiday Party NOW!
A motion was passed at the January 2008 Membership Meeting for PMAPWU to host a Holiday Party this year. The motion also called for, depending on cost and participation, thereafter adjusting, so to host a biannual Solidarity Picnic alternating with a biannual Holiday Party, or vice-versa, beginning in 2009.
Holiday Party arrangements for a group our size must be made many months in advance, and so the 2008 Holiday Party is scheduled at St. John's Cathedral, Munhall, PA 15120, on Saturday, November 29, 2008.
Limited space is availalbe, and admission tickets will fist be provided to Members and their guests, on a first-come, first-served basis.
No non-member that works in an APWU-covered craft will be allowed as a guest. There will be no fee for Members. Guest tickets were set at $75 by Membership Approval at our May 17, 2008 Membership Meeting.
Tickets can only be ordered through our Headquarter Office. Call, write, or stop in to secure your ticket. Guest tickets will not be issued without first receiving the fee, and that includes not issuing a guest ticket until the check clears.
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