2009 VA Disability Compensation Rates

 
2009 VA Disability Compensation Rates
"...tables show the 2009 VA compensation rates for veterans with a disability rating 10 percent or higher. These rates are effective as of 1 December, 2008..."
Reference: www.military.com

 

TSP Rates of Return for December 2008

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USPS Data On Postal Employees Approved For VER

 
USPS Data On Postal Employees Approved For VER
"...VER Group 1 includes clerks, mail handlers and initial level supervisors of mail processing and customer service. The group has 72,000 eligible employees. The application deadline was Sept. 30. USPS has approved the applications of 3,685 employees, whose retirement date is Dec. 31, 2008...."
Reference: www.postalreporter.com

 

USPS Obama Inauguration Commemorative Souvenir

 
USPS Obama Inauguration Commemorative Souvenir
"...Pre-orders are now being accepted for this exclusive presidential inaugural commemorative souvenir at www.usps.com/shop and will be shipped starting Jan. 20, 2009. Official sales of this exclusive product begin on Jan. 20, 2009 at select Post Offices, usps.com, and by calling 800-STAMP24...."
Reference: www.usps.com

 

Obama Stimulus ...Instead of mailed checks

 
Tax cuts a big part of Obama's $775B plan
"...Under Obama's plan, the key tax provision would be $500-per-individual or $1,000-per-couple rebates for most taxpayers. Instead of mailed checks — the rebate method that the Bush administration used in a failed bid to spark the economy last year — the amount would be distributed by withholding less from paychecks over a period of months...."
Reference: seattletimes.nwsource.com

 

2009 USPS Payroll Schedule

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Union Busting (Opinion)

 
OPINION: UAW busting, Southern style
"...Senate Republicans from some Southern states went to work trying to do just that, on the foreign car companies' behalf. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Bob Corker ( R-Tenn.) and Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) -- representatives from states that subsidize companies such as Honda, Volkswagen, Toyota and Nissan..."
Reference: www.latimes.com

 

Destruction of the American Working Class and the American union?

 
Reluctance to Help Detroit Reeks of Class Bias
"... Implicit in the criticism of UAW compensation packages is that union-represented automobile workers are being paid above their social class. Greedy, bad people. They are supposed to be satisfied with wages that cover only the basics -- food, acceptable clothing and housing. They are not supposed to receive pay that allows them to aspire to or dream of more...."
Reference: www.washingtonpost.com

 

Why are we seeing a shift from plastic pallets to wood?

Here is an article that explains the decrease in plastic pallets and the increase in the difficult to handle wood pallets.
The Case of the Pilfered Pallets
"...The demand for plastic resin has driven the price of reground material to as high as 60 cents per pound. A trailer load can fetch as much as $10,000. "I was recently contacted by a postmaster in a small, rural town in Oklahoma," says Vogel. "He had found hundreds of our pallets in a company's yard, waiting to be shredded... His other piece of advice is to decline to buy or use a pallet if it's stamped Property of USPS." Unless you are an authorized user, you will be breaking a federal law. ..."
Reference: www.mhmonline.com -

 

Bail-out Deal Forces Wage Cuts on Union Auto Workers

 
Historic $17.4b Detroit bailout
"...Bush said that the United Auto Workers must agree to make wages competitive with those paid by foreign-owned auto companies that have plants in the United States. But Bush sidestepped the contentious issue of defining a competitive wage. ..."
Reference: www.boston.com

 

Labor Secretary will be Hilda Solis

 
Unions praise Labor Dept. choice
"...Solis, 51, is the daughter of immigrants who were blue-collar, union workers. Her Mexican-born father was a shop steward in the Teamster's union, and her Nicaraguan mother belonged to the United Rubber Workers...."
Reference: www.sfgate.com

 

Postal Service Helps Customers Beat Rush With Online Services

 
Postal Service Helps Customers Beat Rush With Online Services
"...HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - The Christmas rush is on, and getting those presents to your loved ones can take a lot of time and money. But there are things that the United States Post Office is doing to help you save money...."
Reference: www.waaytv.com

 

Postal Service still anticipating last minute rush

 
Postal Service still anticipating last minute rush
"..."This past Saturday was slower than usual also," Jensen said. "I suspect that was because it was..."
Reference: www.gretnabreeze.com

 

USPS not given December 26, 2008 off as Feds will get

USPS not given December 26, 2008 off as Feds will get
"...The heads of executive branch departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 26, 2008, for reasons of national security or defense or other public need..."
Reference: The Postal Newsgroup

 

Jersey City mail handlers concerned over jobs

 
Jersey City mail handlers concerned over jobs
"...TOM MULLAHEY’S small union office is in a cavernous building that holds what might be the largest single cluster of decent-paying blue-collar jobs left around these parts...."
Reference: www.nytimes.com

 

Craft Jurisdiction for Flat Sequencing System (FSS)

 
Craft Jurisdiction for Flat Sequencing System (FSS)
"...the mail handler craft has been determined to be the primary craft to perform most of the work associated with this piece of equipment. In particular, the duties performed at the Automated Bundle Sorting Unit (ABSU), the preparation stations, the dolly maker, the dolly induction unit, as well as the removal of mail containers from the FSS machine and the movement of containers between parts of the FSS, have all been assigned to the mail handler craft. The work at the feed station of the Automatic Induction system has been assigned to the mail processors. Finally, allied duties such as clearing jams have been assigned to whichever craft can perform the work most efficiently and effectively...."
Reference: www.npmhu.org

 

Politicians Attempt to Pressure UAW to Reduce Wages

 
White House offers lifeline to automakers
"...the talks broke down over a proposal to require the United Auto Workers union to accept wage and benefit cuts to the level of workers at U.S. plants owned by foreign automakers such as Honda and Toyota. The union was willing to accept the cuts starting in summer 2011, when their current labor contract expires...demanded that the union accept lower salaries starting next year. ..."
Reference: www.sfgate.com

 

Angry laid-off workers occupy factory in Chicago

 
Angry laid-off workers occupy factory in Chicago
"...They say they won't leave without assurances they'll get severance and vacation pay they say they are owed. About 200 union workers..."
Reference: www.kgan.com

More Reading: Republic Windows and Doors, United Electrical Workers

 

Dillard E. Reid, 81, handled mail for close to 50 years

 
Dillard E. Reid, 81, handled mail for close to 50 years
"...Mr. Reid worked for the Reading Railroad handling mail and baggage for 15 years before becoming a mail handler at the 30th Street Post Office. He retired from the Green Street Post Office in 1994 after 33 years of service...."
Reference: www.philly.com

 

Oak Creek to vote on mail processing center

 
Oak Creek to vote on mail processing center
"... The facility would be tax exempt, but the postal service is proposing to pay Oak Creek $1.4 million to compensate the city for the impact the facility would have. ..."   
Reference: www.jsonline.com Journal Sentinel Milwaukee, WI

 

536 Chattanooga USPS Employees Seek New Jobs

 
536 Chattanooga USPS Employees Seek New Jobs
"...The U.S. Postal Service will shutdown the Chattanooga Remote Encoding Center (REC) in April 2009, leaving 536 people to seek other jobs...."
Reference: www.newschannel9.com

 

...More photos from the National President John Hegarty visit

 

"...Visit to Local 317 Branch in Alabama. On September 6, 2008, National President John Hegarty visited Local 317 in Birmingham, AL..."
Reference: http://npmhu317.blogspot.com/


































 

November 2008 Postal NPMHU Contract Raise Pay Scale

November 2008 Postal Mail Handler Contract Raise Pay Scale
Click Image to Enlarge

 

U.S. Department of Labor final rule will expand FMLA for military families and clarify rules for workers and employers

 

"...Provisions in the final rule call for increased notice obligations for employers so that employees will better understand their FMLA rights, while revising the employee notice rules to minimize workplace disruptions due to unscheduled FMLA absences. The final rule also contains technical changes that reflect decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts...."
Reference: www.dol.gov

 

Jan. 2009 USPS Shipping Price Changes

 
Shipping Services January 18 Pricing Change
"...The move to January price changes for shipping services is consistent with industry standards and provides a clear picture of the affordable services we offer. Highlights for domestic shipping services include new Commercial Plus pricing, with up-front discounts for high-volume Express Mail and Priority Mail users...."
Reference: www.usps.com

 

The oldest operational post office in Alabama

 
The oldest operational post office in Alabama
"...To many, the “heart” of this town is the Mooresville Post Office. Built after 1840 of sawmill lumber and now owned by the Town of Mooresville, it is located at the corner of Lauderdale and High Streets...."
Reference: www.mooresvillealabama.com

 

Weingarten rights (video) described by USPS Law Department

 
Weingarten rights (video) described by USPS Law Department
"...Video describes employee rights relative to Weingarten..."
Reference: www.lettercarriernetwork.info

 

Visit the USPS Mail Handler Alabama Local 317 Photo Gallery

 
Visit the USPS Mail Handler Alabama Local 317 Photo Gallery
"...See pictures from Local 317 meetings, members, Local President, and more. If you would like a photo added to our site, please email it to President Leonard for approval. We thank you for your submissions. ..."
Reference: npmhu-317-photo-gallery.blogspot.com

 

Recent USPS Chicago Managers Meeting

 
Recent USPS Chicago Managers Meeting
"...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..."
Reference: http://postalbriefing.blogspot.com as found on www.lettercarriernetwork.info