Most of the major news outlets that I saw reported about the possibility of a five-day work week, and made sure to mention the day off wouldn't necessarily be Saturday and could possibly be Tuesday. So today, the day after the story was featured prominently at Drudge, the major news outlets and the leadoff story on the local news, I was curious to see what the world thought of the proposal.

First, there were more than a few fellow employees at the PO that have never even considered the possibility, never heard of PostalMag, and never seen the proposal debated online or anywhere. Some of the employees had in fact, never even heard of Potter. But they were unanimous I think in wondering who the heck would propose Tuesdays off instead of Saturday for the day off. They were thinking this "postal president" Potter was an idiot.

I have more than a few businesses on my route, and I heard the following at least a half-dozen times:

"Hey, I heard you might get an extra day off. I was assuming it would be Saturday, but then the news said it could be TUESDAY. That postmaster general of yours must be a complete idiot. WE NEED THE MAIL ON BUSINESS DAYS, NOT SATURDAYS, WAS THERE RESPONSE."

Now I know Potter isn't an idiot. I've learned he's a smart, shrewd guy who seems to always be a half-step ahead of several of the postal unions. I don't think the venue where he presented the five-day proposal allowed him to fully explain the concept, and the Tuesday thing made the whole proposal look almost whimsical.

There are good reasons for keeping the sixth delivery day, but there are also good reasons for going to five-days. Next time, if Potter has a chance, he perhaps needs to present the five-day proposal as part of a well thought out plan that fits into the Postal Service's new 21st century business model. To start with, there are good arguments for five-day delivery in a PostalMag.com article from 2001. You can find it at http://www.postalmag.com/editorial2.htm

One of the things Senator Carper was looking for from Potter was a new business model from the PO. Too bad the five-day proposal wasn't pitched as part of a new business model that had something for everyone. Some points that could be made:

1. Five-day delivery would align the Postal Service with the traditional work-week found in both the government and private business.
2. Five-day delivery would allow the more efficient use of human resources, to include no need for a costly replacement on the sixth day.
3. Five-day delivery would allow the Postal Service to become more "green" in the saving of 1/6 of resources such as electricity and gasoline.
4. Five-day delivery would allow the Postal Service to transition from a high volume model that relied more on Standard Mail, and thus has made the mail more irrelevant with excessive ads and credit card offers, to a lower-volume, more-relevant facilitator of commerce that can capitalize on the Internet Age.
5. Five-day delivery would allow the Postal Service to better compete with UPS and FedEx, who have efficiency advantages due to their five-day work-week.

Just a few thoughts...

Tom, PostalMag.com

The following was forwarded to me and may or may not be factual. Does anyone know the source? - Tom

######

Bosses Order Mass Abolishment's

If you are not handling mail watch out! This is what the latest edict from postal management seems to be stating. Apparently Postal HQ is mandating so called "allied and indirect positions" to be abolished. Postal big shots are ordering Areas to reduce positions that do not directly touch the mail. They are applying a unilateral percentage to each Area.

Some of these "indirect" positions include expediters, general clerks, transfer clerks, training technicians, secretaries, review clerks, data collection clerks, ramp clerks, express mail clerks, special postal clerks, etc.. The bosses realize that the work must still be preformed and have advised Areas and Districts there is a formula for the use of "reduced OT". The effort entitled "TAIP" (Targeted Allied and Indirect Positions) is a HQ driven initiative much like the Tour Compression is a HQ initiative. The forces reassignment of thousands of Tour 2 senior clerks is seen as an effort to force some workers to retire from the postal service. Top managers have denied the compressions are directed by HA and Areas despite evidence to the contrary.

Union Warning

Regional Coordinator Omar Gonzalez has not received official word on TAIP but is alerting Locals that if jobs are unilaterally abolished yet the work remains, grievances must be filed, without delay, challenging management's actions especially if the abolishment results in excessing. "No one is immune to management's madness," he lamented. Locals must act!

Pacific Area Excessing May be Delayed

Scrambling to meet their timelines Area Bosses may have to push back their Jan 31st date for involuntarily reassignment hundred of clerks. Area is having issues with validating residual jobs to place impacted workers. An official announcement has not been made but forced excessing out of installations is anticipated to be mid Feb. 2009!

More AMP's Closing

USPS is going forward with their Network Plan to close all Airmail Centers by the end of 2009. The first one slated in Seattle slated to be closed by the end of March '09. This the first major closure in the Western Area since the elimination of MVS in Tacoma WA . Coordinator Gonzalez is meeting with Local officials to enforce Article 12 of the contract.

Arbitrator Fired

Coordinator Gonzalez fired a New Mexico panel Arbitrator who systematically ruled against the Union after a confrontation with an NBA. Exparte discussion with USPS was the final straw that led to the termination.

New Mexico's Service Issues = Management

For at least five solid years the poor postal service given to citizens of New Mexico can be attributed to the quality of local management, compounded by the SW Area's reluctance to admit and act on it. The District Office is in the city with the worst service but it is not limited to just Albuquerque . Service issues are everywhere! Of course, poor service is not limited to New Mexico either but in this particular part of the country there is not question that management is solely responsible. From the top manager to the flunky labor relations types they claim to be concerned about employees and service yet conditions literally get worse. There is extreme low morale among employees who still struggle to get their work done with no real managing from their bosses. The only apparent relief is for patrons, workers and citizens to contact the media or Congressional reps. as well they should!

Five Day Delivery Probable

Washington DC - In an extra ordinarily called meeting December 16th the PMG informed the postal unions and management associations of the bleak economic picture that postal service is in. In turn National Union President William Burrus briefed Western Region Coordinator Omar Gonzalez and the NEB of the real possibility of the elimination of one day of delivery. The first two months of fiscal year 2009 was worse than anticipated according to the PMG. Efforts to secure a "loan sort to speak" (actually a better payment plan) of retirement obligations, along with severe cost cutting efforts may not be able to provide enough relief for USPS to keep it operation sustainable. If and when five day delivery comes it will not be a set day eliminated. In some areas it may be Saturday while in others a different day of the week on a rotating bases may be the way local managers go. The immediate impact will be to the carrier craft but operations will also be impacted. Employee work weeks will be modified and more excessing would be in store. In a sign of the times the NALC (carrier's union) has been reaching out to APWU in an effort to coordinate union response to growing employee work like disruptions. The was no mention of lay offs at this meeting. But, discussion did ensue on the issue of shared impacts by all elements of the postal service complement.

Postal HQ admits lie on Tour Compression

Washington DC - To no one's surprise USPS big shots admitted the compression of Tours , (i.e., two tour initiative) is a Headquarters mandated project triggering the National Union to file a Step 4 appeal. Management had claimed the elimination of tour(s) was not an HQ or nationwide effort. After the Union filed an Unfair Labor Practice Charge with the government and demanded negotiations management came clean. The National Union is advising locals to file individual grievances for each employee so that if a monetary remedy is granted those employees who have appeals will be compensated.

Regional Budget Cut 30%

Coordinator Omar Gonzalez, who administer 13 westerns states for the National Union, was informed his budget has been cut by 30% plus. Gonzalez has sent the Locals and NBA's notice of the cuts and the anticipated impacts. "Its the economy stupid," explains Gonzalez! While 2009 and new president give us hope things will likely get worse before getting better, he added.

Postal Monopoly report issued

The Postal Regulatory Commission issued a report December 19th required by the '06 postal reform law(PAEA) on universal service and postal monopoly. The report declares recent events require a recommendation that Congress closely monitor USPS financial situation as the possibility now exists that significant changes may be necessary. PRC also recommends USPS be directed to develop info on probable impact if universal service is changed. But the PRC also recommends societal benefits of Federal postal service be carefully assessed before adjusting or "eliminating" universal service or the monopoly. Coordinator Gonzalez sounded the alarm last May on the Federal Trade Commission and PRC anticipated reports' impact on the future of the USPS.

######

The following is from Bill Lewis, Trenton Metro Area Local:

The following Christmas Holiday facts are for APWU members and the information contained in the article is from the APWU Collective Bargaining Agreement. I would like to share with everyone the questions and my responses to many questions relating to the upcoming Christmas Holiday.

When is my Holiday? This year Christmas Day, December 25, 2008, falls on a Thursday.  If Thursday is your normally scheduled workday then your holiday will be observed on Thursday, December 25. If Thursday is your non-scheduled day then your holiday will be Wednesday, December 24 and if Wednesday and Thursday are your non-scheduled days then your holiday is Tuesday, December 23.

The 3-day holiday period for Christmas is December 23, 24 & 25. The holiday schedule must be posted by December 16, 2008. This posting is mandated by article 11.6.A. The Employer will determine the number and categories of employees needed for holiday work and a schedule shall be posted as of the Tuesday preceding the service week in which the holiday falls.

Do I get paid time and one half if my holiday is other then Thursday? All full time /part time regular employees who work on the Christmas Holiday or the designated holiday will receive one and one half times (1 1/2) the base hourly straight time rate for each hour worked. A part-time flexible (ptf) employee, who works on December 25, shall be paid in addition to the employee’s regular straight time hourly rate, one-half (l/2) times the employee’s regular straight time hourly rate for each hour worked up to eight (8) hours.

Do I receive an extra half (½) of day annual leave if I work the holiday? No, if you elect to be credited with annual leave instead of the holiday pay you will be credited with up to 8 hours of annual leave. All this provision of the contract does is allow you to switch the holiday leave pay for annual leave; you still get paid for the holiday work hours.

This is what was discussed at a meeting of all District Managers and Plant Managers held in Chicago last week:

 

7000 to 9000 routes have to be removed in FY 09.


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.


If we stop Saturday delivery it will be a savings of 3.5 - 5.0 billion, but we can't do that by ourselfs, has to go through congress.


DPS goal will be 95% in FY09.


Mail will have to be finished in processing by 0600AM.


FSS orders have been cut, so if your district was getting 4 or five you will be getting only three now.


The volume we are working now is the same as it was in 1977.


Letters are going out this week informing clerks they are now going to be carriers.


We need to cut our compliment by 64,600 employees this FY.


Only 8,500 took the VERA, the goal was 40,000.


HQ will be reduced by 1,200 positions.


Registry jobs will not be posted as registry only jobs, they will have other duties including registry.


Pay is frozen for all executive positions.

SOURCE: http://www.lettercarriernetwork.info/

The talk of layoffs is probably a scare tactic, except for maybe EAS employees.  It would be very costly to layoff craft employees--if management followed the contract.  I know that hasn't stopped them before.

APWU & NALC Article 6.B - NPMHU Article 6.3

4.  Before implementation of reassignment under this
Article or, if necessary, layoff and reduction in force of
excess employees within the installation, the Employer
will, to the fullest extent possible, separate all casuals
within the craft and minimize the amount of overtime
work and part-time flexible hours in the positions
or group of positions covered by the seniority unit
as defined in this Agreement or as agreed to by the parties.
In addition, the Employer shall solicit volunteers
from among employees in the same craft within the
installation to terminate their employment with the
Employer.

Employees who elect to terminate their employment
will receive a lump sum severance payment in the
amount provided by Part 435 of the Employee and
Labor Relations Manual, will receive benefit coverage
to the extent provided by such Manual, and, if eligible,
will be given the early retirement benefits provided by
Section 8336(d)(2) of Title 5, United States Code and
the regulations implementing that statute.

5.  No less than 20 days prior to effecting a layoff, the
Employer will post a list of all vacancies in other seniority
units and crafts at the same or lower level which
exist within the installation and within the commuting
area of the losing installation. Employees in an affected
seniority unit may, within 10 days after the posting,
request a reassignment under this Article to a posted
vacancy. Qualified employees will be assigned to such
vacancies on the basis of seniority. If a senior non-preference
eligible employee within the seniority unit indicates
no interest in available reassignment, then such
employee becomes exposed to layoff. A preference eligible
employee within the seniority unit shall be
required to accept such a reassignment to a vacancy in
the same level at the installation, or, if none exists at the
installation, to a vacancy in the same level at an installation
within the commuting area of the losing installation.

If the reassignment is to a different craft, the employee’s
seniority in the new craft shall be established in accordance
with the applicable seniority provisions of the new craft.

#### End of Message ####