Handler with care: Mail Handlers employee lead generation program

  Handler with care

"...The USPS Small Business Solutions team is highlighting the Mail Handlers employee lead generation program throughout February. The organization’s 50 districts will celebrate mail handlers for their participation in the program — The Mail Handlers program has generated more than $44 million in new revenue since its inception in 2013. ..."

Reference: USPS News Link
 

The Post Office Department issued its first postage stamps on...

  The Post Office Department issued its first postage stamps on...

"...On March 3, 1847, Congress authorized United States postage stamps. The first general issue postage stamps went on sale in New York City, July 1, 1847. One, priced at five cents, depicted Benjamin Franklin. The other, a ten-cent stamp, pictured George Washington. ..."

Reference: usps.com
 

Mail Handler Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) set at $1,331

  Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) set at $1,331

Effective February 26, 2022, (Pay Period 06-2022) all career Mail Handler craft employees are scheduled to receive a cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment as outlined in Article 9.3 of the 2019 National Agreement. This is the fifth of six possible COLA increases under the terms of the current agreement. This COLA increase is based on the upward change in the relevant Consumer Price Index (CPI) following release of the January 2022 Index, using the July 2019 CPI index as a base provides an annual increase of $1,331 for all Steps in Table 1 and for Step P of Table 2. The remaining Steps in Table 2 will receive the proportional COLA increase percentages as outlined in Article 9.3 of the National Agreement.

Updated wage charts will be posted when available.

Reference: NPMHU

 

Massive check fraud operation: Encrypted communication platforms online, selling everything from postal keys used to steal mail from blue boxes to the checks themselves

  Massive check fraud operation: Encrypted communication platforms online, selling everything from postal keys used to steal mail from blue boxes to the checks themselves

"...‘This is literally a criminal conspiracy’: Criminals are stealing, editing and depositing mailed checks, leaving a trail of pain across New Orleans..."

Reference: www.wdam.com
 

Mailbox and Postal Blue Box Users: Check Washing Crime Reduction

  Mailbox and Postal Blue Box Users: Check Washing Crime Reduction

Many postal blueboxes and residential mailboxes are being robbed of handwritten checks. Thieves steal these checks and wash them. Check washing is the erasing of the written amount and altering that amount to a much greater sum. Wikipedia explains the process, but we will not detail how to wash a check. Wikipedia also explains several means a check writer can take to reduce the possibility of being the victim of check washing. One of the easiest means of doing so is to use pens with more secure inks. The makers of pens advertise these inks in various terms. Some call the inks secure inks, fraud reducing inks and archival quality inks. Basically these inks soak into the paper better than many inks and resist most solvents used in the check washing process. The inks are found primarily in rollerball, fountain pen and gel pens. One example of the pen is the uni-ball® 207™ Retractable Fraud Prevention Gel Pen offered on Amazon. Often you can find these pens in many of your local stores as well.

So if you place your mail in a residential mailbox or a United States Postal Service blue collection box we suggest you take the simple step of using one of these pens to reduce becoming a victim of the rampant escalation of check washing schemes.

Reference: npmhu317.blogspot.com
 

1973 POSTAL SERVICE EMPLOYEES 1498a Plate Block of 20 x 8 cents US Postage Stamps

  1973 POSTAL SERVICE EMPLOYEES 1498a Plate Block of 20 x 8 cents US Postage Stamps

"...In 1973 the USPS issued ten special stamps to highlight "Postal Week". These were "designed to emphasize to the American people the important duties performed by the men and women" who are employed by the USPS. Originally issued attached, each of the ten stamps depicts one of the many jobs performed by postal workers and contains a message written by the Post Office. Included are: Window Clerk, Mail Pickup, Conveyor Belt, Sorting Parcels, Mail Canceling, Manual Sorting, Machine Sorting, Mail Handler Loading Truck, Letter Carrier, Rural Delivery. ..."

Reference: www.amazon.com

 

Arbitrator Sharnoff Rules on AFCS Legacy Operator

  Arbitrator Sharnoff Rules on AFCS Legacy Operator

February 3, 2022 - Memorandum to Local Presidents re: Jurisdictional Determination re: Operator Position on Advanced Facer Canceller System (AFCS) Legacy Machines (pdf)

Linked here, please find a copy of National Arbitrator Sharnoff’s decision on the dispute concerning the Advanced Facer Canceller System (AFCS) Legacy machine. (pdf)

We linked above, an arbitration decision issued by National RI-399 Arbitrator Joseph Sharnoff with regard to the Advanced Facer Canceller System. It is extremely long – 164 single-spaced pages – and thus extremely difficult to describe.

The arbitrator rejected the claims filed the NPMHU, and upheld the Postal Service’s revised jurisdictional determination for the Operator position on the AFCS Legacy Machines. In short, however, the decision rejects the jurisdictional disputes filed by both the APWU and the NPMHU, and upholds the positions taken by USPS management in all respects.

https://youtu.be/hwN99KLs0jY

Unfortunately, of most importance to the NPMHU, Arbitrator Sharnoff has concluded that the Postal Service did not abuse its discretion or act arbitrarily when it shifted the operator position on the AFCS-200 to the clerk craft in 2012. Sharnoff summed up his rationale using the following words:

The Arbitrator finds, in light of the above considerations, that the USPS’s craft determination in 2012, for the Operator position on the AFCS 200, in favor of the Clerk Craft, reasonably was based on appropriate considerations, including the information known to the USPS officials at the time, and was consistent with the RI-399 Guidelines, previous Jurisdictional Arbitration Awards, and the Parties’ respective CBAs. The Arbitrator is not persuaded that it has been demonstrated by the NPMHU that this craft determination was arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable, based on discriminatory or other improper considerations, or otherwise was contrary to the USPS’s exercise of discretion to make such determinations under the RI-399 Guidelines. Accordingly, the claim that the craft determination for the Operator position in favor of the Clerk Craft is denied.

At risk of stating the obvious, it is worth pointing out that under the principles of Regional Instruction (RI-399), not one time in the history of jurisdictional disputes, has an arbitrator issued a ruling that required the United States Postal Service to reverse their initial or revised jurisdictional determination.

Please do not hesitate to contact the National Office should you have any questions.

Reference: www.npmhu.org