Example: Contracting out cost more

 
Contract employees cost intel agencies more than in-house staff
"...The average contract employee employed by intelligence agencies costs 65 percent more than the average federal employee costs, a new study by the Office of Director of National Intelligence shows..."
Reference: www.federaltimes.com

 

Mail Processing Facility Discussion Board

 
Please click here to see information on consolidations and excessing. If you have information about movement of equipment, people, plant consolidations, etc. Please post it for our brothers and sisters to read in an effort to stay informed. Please let us know what kind of offers are being made and benefits provided as the P.O. continues to consolidate. Is the National Contract being followed? Are employees being forced to move great distances? Tell us what's happening.

Reference: community.federalsoup.com

 

Mail Processing Facility Consolidations

 
No. 2 Oakland County project: U.S. Postal Service Processing Center -
"...consolidated four mail processing centers that were located in Troy in one new 806,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art mail processing facility in Pontiac...."
Reference: www.mlive.com - by Carol Marshall | Oakland Business Review

 

Other Union Recommends NOT Taking Current Early Out Offer

 
No Incentive ...no go!
"...APWU Recommends not taking the early out offer without an incentive..."
Reference: postal-news-network.blogspot.com

 

Postal Employee Sentenced to Death - Bac Lieu, Vietnam

 
Thanh Nien Daily, Vietnam - Death sentence upheld for postal employee embezzling $937000
"...A court of appeals in the southern province of Bac Lieu yesterday upheld the death sentence of a former treasurer of the provincial post office for skimming ..."
Reference: www.thanhniennews.com

 

New Mail Handler Pay Scale (effective August 30, 2008)

 

"...The fourth of ten guaranteed cost-of-living adjustments to be paid to all mail handlers under the 2006 National Agreement has been set at $1,477, based on changes in the National Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the period running from January 2008 through July 2008. This is the largest COLA in the history of collective bargaining with the Postal Service, and reflects recent increases in the cost of energy and food. This COLA is being added to wages effective August 30, 2008, and will be reflected in paychecks on September 19, 2008. The COLA of $1,477 represents an increase of 71 cents per hour..."
Reference: www.npmhu.org

 

VER Annuity Letter (Actual Received Document)

 

VER Annuity Estimate Letter

The VER letter below (click to enlarge) was received on Thursday, August 21, 2008. The letter was graciously provided by a mail handler union member to share with others. Personl information has been deleted.

Reference: National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 317, Birmingham, AL


 

2012 Mail Handler National Convention

 
2012 Mail Handler National Convention to be held in Portland, Oregon
"...The 2012 National Convention is especially important, as it also will celebrate the Union’s 100th anniversary. Some delegates offered enticing video presentations of their hometowns, while others stepped to the microphone to explain why their locale is the best place to honor the Union’s centennial. Possible sites included: Anchorage, AK; Dallas, TX; Detroit, MI; Hawaii; Las Vegas, NV; Monterey, CA; New York, NY; Portland, OR; and Puerto Rico. After lengthy and often animated debate, the delegates narrowed it down to two sites: Hawaii and Portland, Oregon. The final vote selected Portland, Oregon as the official site for the 2012 National Convention. ..."
Reference: www.npmhu.org

 

NPMHU National Convention Day Six

 
Day Six: Saturday, August 16, 2008
"...selected Portland, Oregon as the official site for the 2012 National Convention. Having settled on the site for the next Convention, the delegates quickly turned their attention to the last order of business, the Report of the Resolutions Committee. During its work in Washington, DC last month, the Committee reviewed all resolutions properly submitted. The Committee left those dealing with legislative and political issues to the Legislative & Political Committee, but discussed and voted on the remainder, recommending the following three resolutions for adoption..."
Reference: www.npmhu.org

 

USPS Video: Mark of the Eagle

 


 

VER Eligibility Letter

 
Are you a Mail Handler eagerly awaiting a "Voluntary Early Retirement" letter? A VER eligibility letter was to have been mailed to eligible Mail Handler's, as well clerk craft employee's, on August 18, 2008. Go to the following link to follow the discussion on this subject.

Reference: VER Discussion Board at FederalSoup

 

1630-ColorCodes IHD Aug6v2 2008

  Read the article here

Reference: www.scribd.com

 

Mail Handler Convention Delegate Blog

 

Here is a nice blog written by a Mail Handler brother from the Houston P&DC. The blog covers the National Convention with a personal twist via family photos and a descriptive accounting of the convention. Visit the blog link below:

yourpersonaldelegate.blogspot.com/


 

NPMHU National Convention Update

"...Davis. “The architects of our Constitution recognized the need for a government-run postal system that provided universal access and affordable prices to all Americans. In fact, I’m not sure that some people are aware of it, but the U.S. Constitution actually lists the establishment of Post Offices before it talks about granting congressional authority to declare war or to set up a federal judiciary. And so our founding fathers knew that a postal system, government run, . . . was important. The history of the Postal Service is firmly entwined in the history of the development of this country.”
Convention by the day:
# Day One: Monday
# Day Two: Tuesday Part 1
# Day Two: Tuesday Part 2
# Day Two: Tuesday Part 3
# Day Three: Wednesday
# Day Four: Thursday
# Day Five: Friday ..."    

This Article is From: www.npmhu.org

 

Mail Handler COLA Update

 

NPMHU postal employees will receive a Cost-Of-Living Adjustment of $1,477 and will be effective Aug. 30, 2008. The COLA will be in checks Pay Period 19-08 which is Sept 19, 2008. This equates to a 71-cent per hour increase ($56.80 per pay period).
 

Next NALC COLA

 
The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.5 percent in July, prior to seasonal adjustment. The July level of 216.304 (1982-84=100) was 6.2 percent higher than in July 2007. This equates to $1,498 annually. The COLA will be effective the pay period beginning August 30 and received in checks on September 19. The new COLA is equivalent to 72 cents per hour ($57.60 per pay period).


Latest CPI-W Release from the BLS

CPI Reference: www.bls.gov

 

The new COLA is equivalent to 72 cents per hour, or $57.60 per pay period.

FMLA Recertification Requirements Appealed to Arbitration by APWU

 
Dispute Over USPS FMLA Recertification Requirements Appealed to Arbitration
"...over the Postal Service's policy of requiring employees to automatically submit new medical certification for an FMLA-covered condition simply because the leave year has ended..."
Reference: www.apwu.org

 

NPMHU National Convention Day One

 
Day one (Monday)
"...Day One of the NMPHU National Convention convened at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 11, 2008, attended by all members of the National Executive Board and 360 delegates representing all 37 Local Unions..."
Reference: www.npmhu.org

 

2008 NPMHU National Convention Update

 
Read More on the National Convention
"...On August 11, at Disney’s Victorian-inspired Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando, Florida. From now until then, more than 350 delegates, many accompanied by enthusiastic family and friends, will be arriving in Orlando, presenting their credentials as properly elected delegates, and registering for the Convention. As issues before the Convention are discussed and debated, amendments considered, and votes counted, the delegates will work diligently to prepare our Union for the changes bound to come in the next four years...."
Reference: www.npmhu.org

 

FERS Sick Leave Bill

 
House Moves on FERS Sick Leave Credit Bill
"...The legislation (HR 1108) has the following formula that would kick in upon retirement: any FERS employee who retires within three years after the bill is signed into law by the President would receive credit at retirement for ¾ of their accumulated unused sick leave. If the employee retirees after the three year window, full credit for 100% of unused sick leave would be granted. The credit cannot be used for retirement eligibility. The bill would be prospective and not affect persons who retire before it is signed into law...."
Reference: www.npmhu.org

 

Why so many wood pallets?

 
Pallet Lessons from the USPS
"...Over the past year, leakage and budget concerns have led the USPS to re-evaluate its purchasing practices. The USPS has begun purchasing wood pallets, INCA presswood pallets and some low-priced plastic pallets. Peter Grau, a contractor to the USPS, said, “The action to purchase wood pallets over plastic pallets is due to budget constraints and asset management issues with plastic pallets. ..."
Reference: Pallet Lessons from the USPS

 

Mail Handler COLA Update

 

The next Mail Handler COLA will not be calculated until the release of the July 2008 data. July 2008 CPI data are scheduled to be released on August 14, 2008 at 8:30 am Eastern Time.
Reference for CPI data: http://www.bls.gov/CPI/#news

 

[NPMHU] Third Update on VERA: Voluntary Early Retirement

 
Click Here to Read the Full Article
"... on August 22, a VER offer packet will be sent to all eligible employees containing a cover letter, an application, and a list of questions and answers. Interested employees will have from August 25 to September 30 to submit their application. It is important to note that September 30 is the date when an employee's voluntary choice to retire becomes irrevocable.
The Postal Service in meetings on this subject has assured the Union that there will be “group counseling” as soon as possible, at which information packets will be passed out; also, information has been posted on the Postal Services’ LiteBlue website, portions of which we have downloaded and are attached to this memo. ..."

* Timetable
* Sample Annuity Estimate Cover Letter
* Sample Offer Letter
* Sample Irrevocability Statement
* Questions and Answers
* Publication 164 - Compensation, Relocation Benefits, and Reinstatement Policies for Career employees in Transition: Q's and A's


Reference: www.npmhu.org

 

Outsourcing

 
USPS Unable to Justify Outsourcing, GAO Finds
"...The report pointed out that, under the terms of the collective bargaining agreements, when the Postal Service is contemplating outsourcing, it “must consider five factors: public interest, cost, efficiency, availability of equipment, and qualification of employees – and must determine whether outsourcing will have a ‘significant impact’ on work performed by postal employees covered by collective bargaining agreements.”

If outsourcing will have a significant impact on postal employees, the USPS “must compare the costs of performing proposed work with postal employees and with a contractor, notify the affected union that it is considering outsourcing and consider union impact before making a decision.”..."
Reference: www.apwu.org

 

NPMHU Second Update on VERA: Voluntary Early Retirement

 
Late last week the USPS announced some additional details regarding the early retirement for mail handlers. Click here for the full Article, and links to frequently asked questions: Read More.
 

NPMHU President Hegarty Testifies on USPS Network Realignment Issues

 


National President John Hegarty appeared before the House Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia on July 24, 2008, to provide the views of the NPMHU on the recently-issued USPS Network Realignment Plan. Read More.
 

(Some) Unofficial Local 317 Election Results

 
Unofficial Reported Results

State Vice President: John Alexander

State Representative: James Morris

Huntsville P&DF Local Branch President: Alex Dockery

Congratulations to the incoming elected officials! Also, thanks for a job well done by our outgoing officials.

 

Anthrax Biodefense

 

"...Ivins' lawyer and some of the scientist's colleagues say he was innocent. But officials at the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Saturday were confident they had the right man, though they said they were still weighing how and when to seek an end to the grand jury investigation.

"That's not a decision we're going to make lightly," one Justice Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Saturday.

"There won't be a rush to judgment."

Ivins' lawyer, Paul Kemp, said by e-mail on Saturday that reports that his client had been considering a plea bargain were "entirely spurious."..."
Reference: www.chron.com

 

NPMHU VERA Update 2

Voluntary Early Retirement

 

"...On Aug. 18, an annuity estimate will be mailed to all VER-eligible employees from Eagan, MN. In addition, on Aug. 22 a VER offer packet will be sent to all eligible employees containing a cover letter, an application and a list of questions and answers. Interested employees will have from Aug. 25 to Sept. 30 to submit their application. It’s important to note that Sept. 30 is the date when an employee's voluntary choice to retire becomes irrevocable...."
Reference: www.npmhu.org