THE BULLETIN BOARD
April 2010
[April 19th]Postmaster General Says USPS Could Cut its Workforce
excerpted from WashingtonPost.com article by Ed O'Keefe
As Postmaster General John E. Potter met with lawmakers Thursday to discuss his plans for restructuring the U.S. Postal Service, he acknowledged that the mail agency could further reduce its workforce.
Asked by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) whether postal employees at all levels were being fully utilized, Potter said, "The answer is no, but are we operating in an optimum world? The answer is no."
Potter appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to defend his call for greater flexibility to cut Saturday mail delivery, raise postage rates and potentially close or consolidate thousands of post offices. The proposal also calls for cutting tens of thousands of jobs through attrition and layoffs. The Postal Service stands to lose about $238 billion in the next 10 years if Congress fails to act, Potter said.
Though no lawmaker wholeheartedly endorsed all of Potter's ideas, as a group they seemed eager to address the impending financial shortfall.
"The one thing we believe we are all in agreement on is that doing nothing is no longer a viable option," said Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.). But how the Postal Service should change remains open to debate.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said he would introduce legislation allowing Potter to establish a panel, similar to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, to independently assess which post offices should close. He has also proposed establishing at least eight postal holidays during slow periods instead of cutting Saturday deliveries.
Read the entire article here.
[April 5th]End to Saturday Mail Faces Resistance
excerpted from GovernmentExecutive.com article by Jackie Clews
Two key lawmakers overseeing the U.S. Postal Service said they do not support the cash-strapped agency's plan to cut Saturday mail deliveries in hopes of saving more than $3 billion.
"While I understand the seriousness of the Postal Service's fiscal issues, I remain supportive of a six-day delivery schedule," said House Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., whose panel has purview over the Postal Service. "I will be in conversations in coming weeks with the senior postal leadership and the postal unions in an effort to avoid service cuts."
House Oversight and Government Reform Federal Workforce Subcommittee ranking member Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, echoed that sentiment and said he plans to introduce legislation to eliminate only 12 days of mail delivery per year.
American Postal Workers Union President William Burrus said last week that he sides with Chaffetz in opposing elimination of Saturday deliveries, but added he does not think eliminating 12 days is any better.
Chaffetz said he is concerned that if the Postal Service cuts Saturday deliveries, it could end up hurting itself in the long run by creating an opening for private delivery companies. "You have got to serve your customers, or somebody else will come in and do it for you," he said.
Chaffetz said the Postal Service needs to find ways to cut costs while maintaining core services.
"The challenge for the Postal Service is to become more relevant to people's lives," he said. "They have been cutting back ... and I applaud them for that. The Postal Service is also one of the few things highlighted in [the] U.S. Constitution. They've got to figure out ways to cut and make it more relevant."
Read the entire article here.
[April 1st]PRC Report Finds Excessive Postage Discounts
excerpted from APWU Web News Article 027-2010
Confirming charges the APWU has made for more than a decade, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) concluded on March 29 that the Postal Service grants excessive postage discounts to large mailers. The USPS suffered a loss of $3.8 billion in Fiscal Year 2009.
The PRC findings echo concerns that the APWU has raised regarding the discounts offered to large mailers. "We are pleased the PRC has verified our claims: Postage discounts to large mailers are excessive," said APWU President William Burrus. "They rob the Postal Service of needed revenue, and undermine the mission of the USPS to provide universal service at uniform rates."
The PRC report also confirms another important APWU contention, that the general "policies and objectives" of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act do not modify the clear statutory requirements of the law governing workshare discounts. The report notes that the APWU argued "that the language of section 3622(e) is clear and mandatory,' requiring the Commission to ensure that discounts do not exceed avoided costs unless one of the exceptions within the section is met.'"
Read the entire article at the APWU News and Events page.
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