Durbin again asks for new USPS audit regarding consolidations

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) has sent a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe urging him to adhere to a provision – included in the Senate Financial Services and General Government Appropriations passed last month by the Senate Appropriations Committee – that would require the Postal Service to conduct a new audit that shows cost savings before moving forward with plans to close or consolidate facilities that were recently found to be efficient.

 See Full Story  (Quincy, IL News)

BREAKING NEWS! Senate Vote on Postal Bill

(Note: Received in a recent e-mail.)

The United States Senate has Passed the United States Postal Service Bill "21st Century Postal Service Act of 2012" (S1789) by a vote of 62-37.

The Amendment voting results (as I have it) are recorded as either withdrawn, passed, or failed, are posted below.

(R) McCain #2001 Management substitute amendment WITHDRAWN

(D) Tester #2056 Amendment to modify the process of closing or consolidating Post Offices and Postal Facilities. PASSED

**(R) Coburn #2060 Amendment to provide transparency, accountability, and limitations of government sponsored conferences. (not germane to bill) PASSED

(R) McCain #2033 Amendment to establish the Commission on Postal Reorganization (in HR 2309) FAILED

**(D) Wyden-(D) Feinstein #2020 Amendment to require the Postal Service to consider the effect of closing or consolidating a postal facility on the ability of the affected community to vote by mail and to provide Post Offices and Postal Facilities to protect the ability to vote by mail. PASSED

**(R) Coburn #2058 Amendment to alternatives to Post Offices. PASSED

(R) MaCaskill-(D) Merkley #2031 Amendment to prohibit the closing of a rural Post Office unless certain conditions are met and to establish a 2 year moratorium on the closing of rural Post Offices. PASSED

(R) Coburn #2061 Amendment to require retirement eligible employees of the Postal Service to retire. FAILED

(R) Snowe #2080 Amendment to improve, sustain, and transform the United States Postal Service (closures) PASSED

(D) Udall #2043 Amendment to strike the limitations on changes to mail delivery schedule, with an offset. FAILED

**(D) Durbin #2082 Amendment to improve, sustain, and transform the United States Postal Service (closures) PASSED

(D) Akaka #2034 Amendment to replace provisions that would be financially devastating to thousands of Postal workers and Federal employees who were injured on the job and who receive compensation from the OWCP. FAILED

**(D) Bennet-(R) Blunt #2047 Amendment to establish citizen's service protection advocates in each state with respect to facility closures. PASSED

(R) Corker #2083 Amendment negatively impacts six day delivery and Collective Bargaining FAILED

**(D) Mikulski #2003 Amendment to prohibit the USPS from closing any postal facility without certification from the Governor of the state in which the Postal facility is located. WITHDRAWN

(D) Akaka #2049 Amendment to clarify consultative rights of Postmasters and Supervisors FAILED

(R) Paul #2025 Amendment to end the mailbox use monopoly FAILED

(D) Manchin #2079 Amendment to improve, sustain, and transform the USPS (closures) FAILED

**(R) Paul #2026 Amendment to provide merit pay for the PMG and limit the authority of the USPS to award bonuses WITHDRAWN

**(D) Bingamin #2076 Amendment to require that state liaisons for states without a district office are located within their respective states. PASSED

(R) Paul #2027 Amendment to close Post Offices in the Capitol complex PASSED

**(D) Cardin #2040 Amendment to prohibit the closing of a Postal Processing Plant if the nearest Postal facility is more than 50 miles away. WITHDRAWN

(R) Paul #2028 Amendment to establish a pilot program to test alternative methods for the delivery of Postal Services. FAILED

(D) Carper #2065 Amendment to provide for temporary authority to adjust the first class mail stamp rate. WITHDRAWN

**(R) Paul #2029 Amendment to require the USPS to take in consideration the impact of regulations when developing a profitability plan. PASSED

(D) Carper #2066 Amendment to limit the compensation of executives of the Postal Service PASSED

(R) Paul #2039 Amendment to eliminate Collective Bargaining FAILED

(D) Casey #2042 Amendment to maintain current delivery time for market dominated products for 4 years. FAILED

(R) Paul #2038 Amendment to end the Postal Service monopoly on First Class Mail and mailbox use WITHDRAWN

**(D) Landrieu #2072 Amendment to determine the impact of certain Postal Facility closures or consolidations on small businesses PASSED

(R) DeMint #2046 Amendment to cut union income FAILED

**(R) McCaskill #2030 Amendment to improve FECA PASSED

(R) Coburn #2059 Amendment to allow the USPS to close unprofitable Post Office Facilities. WITHDRAWN

**(D) Pryor #2036 Amendment to express the sense of the senate to place a moratorium on Postal Facility closures and consolidations until enactment. PASSED

**(D) Rockefeller #2073 Amendment to clarify retirees cannot be required to enroll in Medicare. PASSED

**(D) Rockefeller #2074 Amendment to ensure the Postal Service Health Benefits Program be comparable to the FEHBP PASSED

(D) Schumer #2050 Amendment to maintain door to door delivery point services PASSED

**(D) Tester #2032 Amendment to limit the pay of Postal Service Executives. PASSED

(D) Warner #2071 Amendment to require reporting regarding retirement processing and modernization. PASSED

I hope the above information has been helpful.

Sam Wood www.swfloridaapwu.org

President - Southwest Florida Area Local / APWU

Union Denounces USPS Plans to Dismantle Mail Processing Network

APWU Web News Article 101-2011, Sept. 15, 2011

APWU President Cliff Guffey condemned USPS plans to study 252 mail processing facilities for possible closure, saying widespread closures would “dismantle the mail-processing network.” On Sept. 14, the USPS released a list of offices where studies will take place.

“The Postal Service should be urging Congress to address the cause of its problems – not slashing service and demolishing its network,” the union president said.

A 2006 law has pushed the USPS to brink of insolvency by imposing a burden on the Postal Service that no other government agency or company bears. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act requires the Postal Service to pre-fund the healthcare benefits of future retirees. The mandate, which forces the agency to pre-fund a 75-year liability in just 10 years, costs the USPS more than $5.5 billion annually.

“The mail processing network is a major asset,” Guffey noted. “Destroying it is misguided and counterproductive.

“Degrading service is not the answer to the Postal Service’s problems,” he said, noting that extensive closures would force the USPS to reduce delivery standards and delay mail delivery. “The Postal Service should be looking for ways to strengthen service and increase its relevance in the age of digital communication.”

Guffey said he was extremely displeased by the Postal Service’s refusal to provide the union with any advance notice of its plans.

Office of Inspector General Report: Oshkosh, WI Processing and Distribution Facility Consolidation

WHY THE OIG DID THE AUDIT:
We performed this review as a result of a congressional request on the consolidation of mail processing operations from Oshkosh, WI Processing and Distribution Facility (P&DF) into the Green Bay, WI Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC). The objectives were to determine whether a business case exists to support the consolidation and to assess compliance with established area mail processing (AMP) guidelines.

WHAT THE OIG FOUND:

Although the consolidation would result in cost savings, adequate facility and machine capacity does not exist at the Green Bay P&DC to process the additional mail volume and service could be negatively impacted. Our analysis also indicated that: (1) No career employees will lose their jobs at either location although there may be some reassignments; (2) Oshkosh P&DF is more efficient and processes its mail volumes at a lower cost than Green Bay P&DC; (3) Mail processing cost savings were overestimated, but significant savings still should be achieved; and (4) Some AMP guidelines were not followed, but had no impact on the business case.

Click here for full report

Postal Service Denies Plans for Oshkosh Town Hall Meeting

By Chris Hrapsky

Postal workers in Oshkosh say a town hall meeting will take place in November to discuss the potential closing of the mail processing facility in the city. It's a claim the U.S. Postal Service denies.

Postal Service workers in Oshkosh fear their plant is one step closer to shutting down for good. [Full Story]

Source: WBAY TV Green Bay, WI

Senator Collins’ remarks on USPS from yesterday’s Senate session

Senator Collins’ remarks on USPS from yesterday’s Senate session
Source: postalnews blog

PICKET ON FIRST DAY OF SEPTEMBER GETS MUCH ATTENTION

Up to 50 participants picket the Oshkosh Mail Processing and Distribution Center at 1025 W 20th AV from 7am to 10am. Over 40 come out for the 1pm to 4pm picket! Special thanks go out to City Council Member Bob Poeschl, Rep. Dick Spanbauer of 53rd Assembly District, Rep. Gorden Hintz of 54th Assembly District, Mayor Paul Esslinger, and Deputy Mayor Jessica King for stopping in and some carrying singage. Retirees, former postal employees, as well as members of the public with labor union affiliation, current employees, the President of the Green Bay Local APWU, and Santa stood to support NOT closing down the Oshkosh P&DC. Flyers were distributed to customers many of which went out of their way to learn what they can do to help raise public awareness. Yard signs were available for pick up and going by the handful. Thanks to every one who mailed a signature card/petition showing their support of keeping 549 mail processing in Oshkosh!

Source: http://www.save549mail.com/

Postal Service Relies on Incomplete Data, Discriminates Against Underserved Communities

APWU Testimony on Station Closings

APWU Web News Article #135-09, Oct. 29, 2009

An analysis of the postal stations and branches being considered for closure shows that the USPS study process “discriminates against communities with high percentages of low-income, minority and transit-dependent residents,” according to recent testimony submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) by the APWU. In addition, the union asserts, the Postal Service uses incomplete data to support its conclusions.

In testimony submitted to the PRC on Oct. 21, economist Anita B. Morrison and APWU steward Michael T. Barrett enumerated significant deficiencies in the Postal Service’s methodology in selecting stations for closure. The national union has intervened in proceedings before the commission, which is preparing to issue “an advisory opinion” on the station-and-branch initiative.

Morrison’s testimony [PRC 10-21-09 Morrison - PDF] provided statistical evidence that the USPS plans would most severely impact communities where the postal services are needed the most — low-income neighborhoods where computer use is relatively low and where residents are especially dependent on public transportation.

More than three out of four stations — 287 of 371, or 78 percent — under consideration for closure have median household incomes below the national average, Morrison testified, and 41 percent have incomes below $20,000. These households are most likely to be affected by the inconvenience and cost of accessing more distant post offices, she said.

Pointing out that post offices in more well-to-do areas were less likely to be considered for closure, Morrison wrote: “This suggests that the process favors postal stations in more affluent neighborhoods.”

She also noted that “closure of a branch post office can have significant negative impacts on local business districts,” particularly in walkable neighborhoods that are critical to reducing America’s dependence on cars.

Morrison criticized the Postal Service’s procedures for gathering public input. “USPS currently gathers information from interested stakeholders without a specified forum for sharing initial feedback with the public,” she wrote. “In addition, the feedback represents a reactive rather than pro-active approach. Expanding the methods of soliciting feedback and adding other affordable feedback options could greatly improve this process.”

Incomplete Data

Testimony by Michael Barrett, of the Buffalo (NY) Local, [PRC 10-21-09 Barrett - PDF] asserts that the USPS uses incomplete data to support its conclusions, and overlooks information that would offer a more accurate indication of cost savings and the impact of closures on nearby stations and branches.

“The current analysis of cost savings performed by the Postal Service is cursory at best,” Barrett said. Many transactions currently performed at stations slated for closure will migrate to other postal facilities, he said, and so will the costs associated with them.

In addition, he noted, “The Postal Service calculates the total salary and fringe benefits costs associated with employees of stations or branches under study and considers this entire total to be savings to the Postal Service.” These costs will continue at other facilities, he said, and must be considered in USPS evaluations.

The data necessary to more accurately measure these costs is readily available to the USPS using current resources, Barrett testified.

USPS studies fail to accurately analyze the ability of nearby facilities to accommodate the migrating business, he said. “Where a neighboring station or branch does not have sufficient space for a separate box section dedicated to the closed station or branch,” Barrett’s testimony noted, “the closing will initially turn the entire volume of arriving box mail into Undeliverable As Addressed (UAA) mail. ... It is obvious from the UAA costs reported [by the USPS] that these additional processing costs are not insignificant.”

This should be accounted for in each USPS discontinuance study,” the APWU steward testified. “Yet despite the ready availability of the information needed to determine the additional processing costs,” the Postal Service does not appear to consider them at all.

Commenting on the testimony, Assistant Clerk Craft Director Mike Morris said, “Barrett and Morrison made important points about the consequences of USPS plans to close hundreds of stations and branches. We should share these conclusions with elected officials and other community leaders.”

Morris and APWU Vice President Cliff Guffey are coordinating the APWU’s response to the Postal Service’s Stations and Branches Initiative. A “tool kit” [PDF] to assist locals fighting the closure of stations and branches is available in the “Members Only” pages at www.apwu.org.

Postal Consolidation Study

Click on cartoon to enlarge

Will Postal Consolidation Hit Green Bay?

Picketers on one side of the driveway at the General Mail Facility in Green Bay on September 15th.

Save Our Service

by: John E. Durben

Members of the Northeastern Wisconsin Area Local APWU were joined by members of the Oshkosh Area Local as well as members from the National Postal Mailhandlers Union and National Association of Letter Carriers in an informational picketing. The picketing took place on September 15 at the General Mail Facility in Green Bay and was organized to inform the American Public of a study being performed by the Postal Service to take the outgoing mail operation as well as the Green Bay Postmark and send it to Oshkosh, WI.

The results of the postal survey are expected to be available in about 60 days. All APWU members, their families, relatives, and friends are urged to contact their Legislative Representatives and urge them to get involved and Save our Service in Northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan . At last count there were 79 employees involved in the event.

Not only is the postal service threatening to take the mail to Oshkosh, they are also planning to close the Station A office on Chestnut Street. This Office is located in the West Side downtown area and has been run by one clerk for many years. Aside from a full service window unit the Station operates a post office box section. There goes some more service

Is it time to say good-bye to the Green Bay Postmark? Say hello to the Oshkosh Packers...

Consolidating Stations

APWU Web News Article #076-09, July 1, 2009

At a meeting at USPS Headquarters on June 23, the Postal Service briefed APWU Clerk Craft officers [PDF Powerpoint presentation] about plans to consolidate operations in large stations and branches. Managers also provided the union with an updated list [Excel spreadsheet] of 3,243 stations and branches in Level-24-and-above installations that are being reviewed.

At the briefing, postal officials said that among the stations under review, 740 already had been identified as candidates for consolidation and/or closing. (The Postal Service has not yet provided the list to the APWU; when it does, the list will be posted at www.apwu.org.) [Full Story]

APWU-Led Consolidation Protests Gather Steam, Gain Public Support

APWU Web News Article #045-09, April 20, 2009

Owners of small businesses, workers, and other concerned citizens continue to speak out at protests and at public meetings staged by the Postal Service to “share initial results” of Area Mail Processing studies.

At one of the noisier of such gatherings, several business owners and public officials in Wilkes-Barre disagreed sharply with the USPS conclusion that moving mail processing operations 25 miles away to Scranton would leave the economy of Luzerne County unharmed.

The Wilkes-Barre City Council unanimously approved a resolution that opposes “any and all efforts” to close the USPS facility. “We have employers that really rely on getting their mail out,” Mayor Thomas Leighton said at the meeting. “That’s why it’s important for the future of the city, while we’re going under revitalization, that we maintain this kind of service.” [Full Story]