Update: EEO Class Action For Postal Employees Placed Under National Reassessment Process

Obama Budget Promises Strong Support for USPS

A Surprising Example of the Depth of Deception

Burrus Update 04-2010, Feb. 4, 2010

Recently I instructed the union’s office staff to prepare labels for several letters, and I was surprised to discover that the labels they printed included nine-digit bar codes for each address — even though the letters identified the recipients only by their name, street address, city, and state. Knowing that the union’s secretaries were unaware of the millions of unique barcodes, I inquired about their ability to affix them to the labels.

They informed me that their desk-top label printers, which cost about $100, automatically applied the bar code to the labels when they typed the addresses.

I do not carry a cell phone, do not send text messages, and would not recognize “Facebook” on the Internet, so one can reasonably conclude that my knowledge of the latest technology is severely limited. Even so, I was shocked by this latest example of the colossal sham of postal policies: Management reduces postage for large mailers when they present mail with nine-digit barcodes — a feat my secretaries accomplished without any extra effort, equipment, or training.

I have frequently criticized excessive workshare discounts and their impact on postal revenue, so this Update does not break new ground; but I hope this example helps readers appreciate the depth of the deception associated with postage-rate reductions.

The mailing referred to above included nine-digit bar codes and the union incurred no cost other than the one-time investment in an inexpensive label-printer. The result was the placement of a nine-digit barcode, readable by USPS mail processing equipment, that will sort the letters to their state, city, and street. The union incurred no cost for the activity — not 10.5 cents, not 5 cents, but zero — for adding the nine-digit bar code.

Federal law requires uniform postal rates. No matter where you are mailing to or from, “uniform rates” means that the cost should the same. The workshare-discount charade pretends that the cost that would be incurred by the Postal Service is forgiven if the work is performed prior to depositing it in the mail stream.

But the union’s secretaries affixed a barcode to my letters, and they entered the USPS mail processing system without any responsibility by the Postal Service to perform any sorting other than the walk sequence of the letter carrier. The value of the work that the APWU secretaries performed is not 10.5 cents, the discount afforded large mailers; it is zero.

Until the Postal Service complies with the requirement for uniform rates and demands that all mailers adhere to these rules, it is absurd to even suggest that workers pay and benefits should be restricted.

William Burrus
President

January 31, 2010
Trackstick Mini - GPS Tracker
PEN reader Don Cheney tells us that GPS tracking was recently installed in LLV's at his office - the Trackstick description says "The detachable weatherproof and shock resistant case, magnetic mount, and a small 3 1/2” figure make the Trackstick Mini ideal for covert deployment and use in harsh conditions."

USPS, Congress moving forward with electric vehicle plan

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Jan 25th 2010 at 6:35PM

Chrysler U.S. Postal Service Minivan - Click above for high-res gallery

Old news: that the USPS has used electric vehicles (EVs) since at least 1899.
Newer news: that Congressman Jose Serrano introduced a bill – called the American Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Act or "e-Drive" (H.R. 4399) last December for the USPS to use a fleet of 20,000 electric delivery vans and to get a network of 24,000 charging stations (with more to come). There is a summary of the bill here (PDF).
Newest news: there are things being done behind the scenes to push EVs into the fleet sooner rather than later.

This week, during the Washington Auto Show, EV advocates are holding meetings with Congressional staffers about this very issue. The e-Drive bill just got a new website, which gives people who aren't in D.C. a way to support the bill and to contact their Representatives and Senators to voice that support.

We haven't heard much about the all-electric USPS minivan that Chrysler displayed last Earth Day recently, but that doesn't mean that the Postal Service is standing still. AC Propulsion and a company called AutoPort will be converting a traditional USPS Grumman LLV, the "long live vehicle" that is the standard mail truck used around the country, to electric drive. The test vehicle will use AC Propulsion's AC-150 drive system and have a range of up to 300 miles at 60 mph.

Union Plus, APWU Scholarship
Application Deadlines Near

APWU Web News Article 006-2010, Jan. 25, 2010

Union members with children who will be graduating from high school this year are reminded that the application deadline for Union Plus scholarships is Saturday, Jan. 30.

Since 1992, the Union Plus Scholarship Program, created by the AFL-CIO, has awarded over $2.4 million to union members and their families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education at colleges or trade and technical schools. Their awards range from $500 to $4,000. For applications and more information, visit http://www.unionplus.org/scholarships

In addition, Union Plus sponsors the National Labor College Scholarship, which awards grants to union members who attend the National Labor College at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies in Silver Spring, MD. Union Plus also offers a free Scholarship Search, with a database of more than 3,700 scholarships worth over $3.1 billion.

APWU Scholarships

In 2010 the APWU will award 15 scholarships — 10 academic scholarships and five vocational scholarships — to the children or grandchildren of APWU members, with payment made on behalf of the students to their educational institutions. March 15 is the deadline for both programs.

The APWU E.C. Hallbeck Memorial Scholarship program will award $6,000 ($1,500 annually) to 10 recipients (one male and one female from each of the five postal regions) to help pay for their four-year college tuition.

Vocational Scholarship winners will receive up to $3,000 ($1,000 annually) for specialized training in such fields as culinary arts, medical or dental assistant, electrician, real estate, auto mechanic, certified IT/computer education, cosmetology, or massage therapy, etc. Eligible programs can be of a nine-month to three-year duration.

APWU scholarships are open only to high school seniors.

Click here for more information and to download applications.