Postmaster General to retire in December: UPDATE

Burris Response:

“Contract negotiations must now be viewed in a different light: It is highly unlikely that Potter will commit the next Postmaster General to contractual provisions that are acceptable to the union.”

                              read more from APWU

From: Bloomberg/AP, By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID

“WASHINGTON: —John E. Potter, one of the nation's longest serving postmasters general, announced Monday that he will retire in December.

Patrick R. Donahoe, currently deputy postmaster general, was named to succeed him by the post office's board of governors.

A New York City native, Potter has served in the Postal Service for 32 years and took over the top job at the agency on June 1, 2001.

Potter has served during a time that has seen the Postal Service struggle to deal with rising costs and a declining mail volume as people switch over to the Internet…”

read more from Bloomberg

From PostalReporterNews:

“To Be Succeeded by Deputy Postmaster General Donahoe: — After nearly 10 years as U.S. Postmaster General and CEO of the U.S. Postal Service, John E. Potter today announced that he will retire on Dec. 3, after 32 years of service.

The Governors of the Postal Service named Patrick R. Donahoe, currently Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer, to succeed Potter.

A New York City native, Potter is credited with modernizing management, introducing long-term, strategic thinking necessary in a complex and changing marketplace, and transforming the Postal Service into a service-driven customer-focused and cost-sensitive organization…”

read more from PostalReporterNews

APWU Grows Impatient With Pace of Contract Talks:

Excerpts from APWU Website:

“…to date, management has not presented its proposals on the central contractual issues of wages, benefits, protection against layoffs, seniority, and workforce structure. When these proposals are presented, we expect them to be consistent with the propaganda we have heard so frequently in recent months: the falsehood that postal workers’ wages and benefits are responsible for the dire financial straits of the Postal Service….

…We will not be intimidated by threats or ultimatums. We are convinced that the union’s case for improved conditions for the employees who maintain the best postal system in the world at the cheapest rate is compelling. It is also consistent with the statutory obligation to maintain postal wages and benefits on a standard of comparability with the private sector…”   William Burrus, President   read complete release

The not to subtle voices for privatization within the Postal Service, the stonewalling contract negotiations and the upcoming Congressional Elections are coalescing to form a “perfect storm” scenario against Postal Workers at all levels, and all crafts. The statements of right-wing conservatives, Tea Partiers and pundits have made their intentions clear in regard to the Postal Service should they gain control in next weeks election. See below:

Another Anti-postal Worker Rant From The Right:

They're Coming To Take You Away Ha Ha: Your Job That Is.

Congressman Calls For Union Concessions:

Your Job Security Under Attack:

Gunmen on loose in Tennessee post office attack:

UPDATES: 

2-18-2011, Henning, TN --  Sources: Suspect confesses in Henning post office murders:  By Janice Broach - HENNING, TN (WMC-TV) - “Flags were still flying at half-staff Thursday in Henning, months after two employees were shot to death inside the town's post office.  But the spirits of the town's residents were lifted by the news that the mystery of who shot two postal workers may have been solved… “    read more

10-23-10, HENNING, TN – The search continues for the person who gunned down two postal workers in Henning, Tennessee Monday morning. Saturday afternoon, the tiny Tennessee town said goodbye to 32-year-old Paula Robinson and 59-year-old Judy Spray. Investigators said they’re following up on several leads but so far no suspects have been identified in the killings.

10-23-2010, A special PO Box has been established for those wishing to offer condolences. Correspondence may be addressed to:

        “Family of Judy Spray” or “Family of Paula Robinson”
        PO Box 620
        Henning, TN 38041-0620

By ADRIAN SAINZ, Associated Press

Investigators are on the scene of a double murder at the U.S. Post Office in Henning, Tenn. Monday, Oct. 18, 2010. Two women were shot and killed Monday during a possible robbery attempt, authorities said. (AP Photo/ The Commercial Appeal, Dave Darnell) NO SALES, MAGS OUT, TV OUT, MEMPHIS OUT, ON LINE OUT

HENNING, Tenn. (AP) — Investigators searched Tuesday for the men who gunned down two workers at a rural post office that doubles as a community center in this small town, where the local gas station that sells fried chicken also is its most popular eatery.

Yellow crime-scene tape roped off the one-story brick post office, and two large police command posts were set up outside one day after the Monday morning violence that shocked Henning, about 45 miles northeast of Memphis. No arrests have been made, and authorities haven’t determined a motive.

Mike Dunavant, the Lauderdale County District Attorney, gave no new information as he talked to a reporter Tuesday morning. On Monday, he acknowledged the suspect or suspects were armed and dangerous and said the killings were done with “disturbing violence.”

Killed were Judy Spray, 58, a rural carrier associate, and Paula Robinson, 33, a retail clerk. Their bodies were removed from the post office and sent to a medical examiner late Monday night for autopsies.

They were well-known to residents who often come to pick up their mail at the post office, which sits between a self-service car wash and a coin-operated laundry called “Mom’s” in this western Tennessee town of about 1,200 people.

read more of: Gunmen on loose in Tennessee post office attack.

www.postal-indy.com

Voting Options:

Marion County Election Board's Voter Information Portal. Here you can find your Election Day polling location, confirm your voter registration status, review a sample ballot and determine who represents you in federal, state and local offices.

Absentee Ballot Applications for November 2, 2010 General Election: To download an application for absentee ballot, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader. To request an application be mailed to you, please call the Marion County Election Board at (317) 327-VOTE. You must receive and complete the application and mail it in by Oct., 25…this is the application NOT THE ABSENTEE BALLOT. Once you’ve sent in the application by the deadline then you will receive the Absentee Ballot, which must be returned by Nov., 2.

Early Voting

Any Marion County voter can choose to vote early in the Clerk's office. Traditionally, early voting begins 29 days before any election. Voters must complete an absentee ballot application onsite and present it along with a valid, photo ID card issued by the state of Indiana or federal government. When the application is approved, voters are given a ballot to complete. The ballot is sealed in an envelope and delivered to their precinct on Election Day.

Early Voting times and locations for the 2010 General Election:

Clerk's Office, 200 E. Washington St., W-122
Begins: Monday, October 4
Ends: Monday, November 1 (at noon)
Weekday Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.,
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat. & Sun. for four full weekends beginning Oct. 9

Clerk's Offices at Juvenile and Traffic Courts
Juvenile Court: 2451 N. Keystone Ave.
Traffic Court: 9049 E. 10th St.
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat. & Sun. for four full weekends beginning Oct. 9
Weekday Hours: 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday for week of Oct. 25 ONLY

Pickets warn mail service will decline:

From:  

 

Posted: Oct 20, 2010 5:47 PM CDT Wednesday, October 20, 2010 6:47 PM EST Updated: Oct 20, 2010 5:52 PM CDT Wednesday, October 20, 2010 6:52 PM EST

By Theresa Schmidt - bio | email

LAKE CHARLES, LA.(KPLC) -Postal workers in the Lake Charles area staged an informational picket today at the post office downtown. They are fighting the transfer of mail processing from Lake Charles to Lafayette.

They carried signs saying, "Don't let your mail service fall apart." The workers say that's what will happen if postal officials succeed in transferring local mail processing to Lafayette.

Workers picketing here say consolidation will hurt the local economy and slow mail delivery.  Union President Gene Nichols says, "It will have an effect of possibly delaying your mail up to one day if not two days."

more at KPLC

Related Links:

Fighting Back: Being Pro-Active

Local Picket Plans [Indianapolis Area Local]

GE to Add 500 U.S. Appliance Jobs, Spend $432 Million

Considering that in June, Whirlpool closed its refrigerator manufacturing plant in Evansville, moving production to Mexico and eliminating the jobs of 600 Hoosiers, GE's strategy is opposite that of a competitor.  read more on Whirlpool.

October 18, 2010, 5:05 PM EDT

By Rachel Layne

(Updates with closing share price in sixth paragraph.)

Oct. 18 (Bloomberg) -- General Electric Co. plans to spend $432 million and add 500 U.S. jobs to design and make energy- efficient refrigerators, returning positions to a division up for sale as recently as 2008.

Factories and design centers in Bloomington, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; Decatur, Alabama; and Selmer, Tennessee, will open during the next four years, Fairfield, Connecticut- based GE said. Designs will incorporate Energy Star standards in effect in 2014 and target the U.S.

GE has invested more than $1 billion in its appliance unit, creating more than 1,300 jobs since 2009. Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt said in a September speech that he planned to bring appliance jobs back from China and Mexico, because U.S. workers were making higher-quality products for less. Employees and unions agreed to cut expenses, including reducing starting wages for production employees.

read more at Bloomberg

FEHB Open Season Approaching:

Monday, November 8, 2010 to Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Relative Links:

• OPM: Federal Employees
• Managing My Own Health:  "Managing My Own Health" is a new website that provides you with healthcare information and tools you can use to keep track of your own health needs.
• Health Care Reform
• OPM: Insurance Operations

GET UP!

Just returned from the monthly membership meeting and before I go to work wanted to throw a 'hell yes' to everyone. The topic of an informational picket came up and passed. The picket will be held over two days in November. I am holding back on information on the picket for now because some basic details need to be worked out.

The important thing is this:

Its time we got up and said enough is enough. I'm not a big fan of informational pickets as a be all end all, but hopefully this is the beginning. I'm excited for two reasons, hopefully if we can get numbers to show up we can put a scare into local management and secondly maybe this can serve to get our membership fired up to get involved. To me both are important but the second one is most important because that's how we really shake-up management.

So here's my challenge to you: Can you commit to attending, are people upset enough in your unit to getup? Can you get family and friends to walk with us?

Let me know! Start working on your co-workers. Since you don't have dates and info now start off by asking them [especially when they're complaining]. If the Local has a march will they attend? Start getting soft commitments now so when more info comes out they'll already be thinking about it.

Share this post with your FaceBook friends and co-workers. Use the share button below there to share this post with your other friends and co-workers.

Hell yes! Lets do it.
GlennDL

Another anti-postal worker rant from the right

“It must be the day for right wing attacks on postal workers. Hot on the heels of ace market forecaster Kevin Hassett’s latest predictions comes a rant from that favorite tea bagger think tank, the Cato Institute. Tad Dehaven, who bills himself as a budget analyst, analyzes the USPS by pointing to the fact that “The USPS, which is close to maxing out its $15 billion line of credit with the U.S. Treasury, faces the prospect of running out of operating cash by year’s end.” No mention of the fact that the entire $15 billion in borrowing is due to the “trust fund” requirements of the 2006 PAEA law, which forces the USPS to borrow money from the Treasury so it can turn around and loan the money back to the Treasury.

Similarly, Dehaven trots out the familiar “labor still accounts for 80 percent of the USPS’s costs” without mentioning that 90% of the last fiscal year’s $6 billion loss was due to the $5.5 billion “trust fund” requirement.

Then Dehaven gets to the big one- he tells us “An arbitrator weighing a decision on a contract dispute between postal management and a union is not allowed to consider the financial position of the USPS when rendering a decision.” It would be nice if Dehaven could tell us where this restriction appears in the law, but of course he can’t, because there is no such restriction. More importantly, Dehaven seems to be blissfully unaware of the fact that for the last ten years, postal wages and benefits have been set voluntarily by collective bargaining, not by arbitrators. More importantly, since the USPS was established in 1971, wage increases granted by arbitrators have averaged significantly lower than increases agreed to by the USPS at the bargaining table.

None of those actual facts fit the narrative, though, so Dehaven leaves them out. “

from PostalReporter News Blog

Indianapolis Job Market: Hall of Shame?

List of 29 companies and industries have been reported as exporting jobs from the central Indiana area, within a 50 mile radius of Indianapolis [ZIP code 46220].

Apria Healthcare Indianapolis, IN Services Apria Healthcare Indianapolis, IN Services Apria Healthcare Indianapolis, IN - undefined - Bridgestone Firestone Diversified Products Noblesville, IN Manufacturing Collins and Aikman Morristown, IN Manufacturing DIAMOND CHAIN COMPANY, INC. INDIANAPOLIS, IN Manufacturing DIRECT BRANDS, INC. INDIANAPOLIS, IN Retail Trade Delphi Corporation Anderson, IN - undefined - Direct Brands Inc. Indianapolis, IN - undefined - Diversified System Inc. Indianapolis, IN - undefined -

ENGINEERED MACHINED PRODUCTS, INC. GREENFIELD, IN Manufacturing Eaton Corporation Greenfield, IN - undefined - Eaton Corporation - Truck Components Greenfield, IN Manufacturing Excel Technical Services Fishers, IN Manufacturing Flair Design Limited Alexandria, IN Manufacturing Guide Anderson LLC Anderson, IN - undefined - Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. Indianapolis, IN Finance Hewlett-Packard Company Carmel, IN Manufacturing INDIANA MILLS & MANUFACTURING INC WESTFIELD, IN Manufacturing International Aerospace Tubes Indianapolis, IN - undefined -

JDS UNIPHASE CORPORATION INDIANAPOLIS, IN - undefined - Keihin IPT Manufacturing, Inc. Greenfield, IN Manufacturing MODUSLINK CORPORATION INDIANAPOLIS, IN Transportation Navistar (dba Indpls Casting Corp.) Indianapolis, IN - undefined - PORTER ENGINEERED SYSTEMS INC WESTFIELD, IN Manufacturing PQ Corporation Anderson, IN Manufacturing Plastech Engineered Products, Inc. Elwood, IN Manufacturing Pratt and Whitney International Aerospace Tubes, LLC Indianapolis, IN Manufacturing ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS CORPORATION INDIANAPOLIS, IN Manufacturing

 

List of 14 companies and industries have been reported as laying off workers in the central Indiana area, within a 50 mile radius of Indianapolis [ZIP code 46220].

Biddle Precisions Components Sheridan, IN Manufacturing CITIZENS GAS & COKE UTILITY INDIANAPOLIS, IN Manufacturing Computer Task Group, Inc. (CTG) Indianapolis, In Services Daimler-Chrysler Indianapolis Foundry Indianapolis, IN Manufacturing Emerson Appliance Controls Frankfort, IN Manufacturing

Franklin Plastic Products, Inc. Franklin, IN Manufacturing Guide Corporation Pendleton, IN - undefined - INDIANA MANCOR INC ANDERSON, IN Construction INDIANAPOLIS CASTING CORPORATION INDIANAPOLIS, IN Manufacturing KING SYSTEMS CORPORATION NOBLESVILLE, IN Manufacturing

Meridian Automotive Systems, Inc. Shelbyville, IN Manufacturing NAVISTAR, INC. INDIANAPOLIS, IN Manufacturing STANDARD LOCKNUT, L.L.C. WESTFIELD, IN Manufacturing WRR, Inc. Elwood, IN Manufacturing

For more details click on the ‘Job Tracker icon below and enter your zip code and ‘radius’.
Once your map displays you can list the companies and then find out more about their actions.

Source:

They’re coming to take you away, ha, ha: Your job that is.

It is amazing how everyday there is a new statement from right-wing conservatives that is directed at the working man and their family, Federal workers, Union members, and the Postal Service.

These statements, often delivered in a manner that denotes no fear of reprisal for uttering them, show an arrogance that should scare the bee-jeebies out of the middle class. I could list these statements endlessly as there is no shortage of them but that would be over-kill and the list to long to keep the point focused. So here are some of the most egregious and recent attacks on the future of Postal Worker…YOU:

• Rep. Darrell Issa* declares: “No union has or ever will lobby for a layoff, so it’s up to USPS management and Congress to demand concessions.” Rep. Issa also said that he was against providing Health Care assistance to the first responders at ground zero because, it was just another plane crash…gdl
• Representative Darrel Issa*, who last week suggested that relieving the US Postal Service of its crippling $5.5 billion annual “prefunding” requirement would be a “bailout”, explained today on his FaceBook page that the overpayment, first discovered by the Bush Administration in 2002, is actually a “myth” recently concocted by the US Postal Service. Yet last year Congress, meaning Mr. Issa passed legislation to relieve the Postal Service of that payment last year…was that legislation ‘mythical’… Rep. Issa has since deleted that post from his FaceBook page…gdl
• "…most of these guys working in the Post Office should be driving cabs, and I think we should stop importing labor from Nigeria and Ethiopia. That's the skill level…"Most people employed by the United States Post Office...are thoroughly unskilled labor…there is no good argument as to why the government should be behind some kind of Federal monopoly in the mail service…”   “…the reality is that many in the American ‘middle’  like postal workers are really unskilled labor who should have been pushed down for market reasons…” comments of GOP strategist Jack Burkman** on “Money Rocks” Sept., 16, 2010 ”…no good argument as to why the government should be behind some kind of Federal monopoly in the mail service…” Here’s the good argument you idiot…its called the Constitution…read it…gdl
• “…does the Postal Service serve any other purpose, anymore, other than inhaling tax dollars and hiring thousands of tellers who seem to take pleasure in making me wait in insanely long lines…” Eric Bolling, host of Money Rocks   “…other than inhaling tax dollars and hiring thousands”?  who is this moron confusing us with? The Postal Service was mandated in the 70’s to operate on its own revenues, which has been the case since the 80s, in other words USPS receives NO TAX DOLLARS, we operate strictly from out revenues raised. Most of the Post Office has been under a hiring freeze for years…and has down sized significantly while increasing production…gdl
• .”…it [the Postal Service] probably should be privatized…” former Senator Al D’Amato If privatized, once you sold off the money making functions what private company is going to want to run the non-money making functions, which is the bulk of the vast infrastructure? None, then these functions would go back on the tax roles at great expense to the public. For example, what company would want to take responsibility for that 150 mile delivery route in South Dakota which only has 150 delivery addresses? None, how would they make a profit, charge $20.00 to deliver a letter?   gdl
• “The first, I think, bit of order that we've got to get in place is financial solvency. But yeah -- ultimately, we've got to transition out of the Social Security arrangement and go into more of a privatization."   Joe Miller, Tea Party Candidate, Alaska  “Prior to the creation of Social Security, old folks who couldn't afford to take care of themselves sometimes spent their final days as "inmates" in squalid poor houses.”

Attacks on not just Health Care Reform but also FEHBP, Workman's Comp, Social Security benefits [for those 55 and under], unemployment Insurance, minimum wage, have been made repeatedly by right-wing candidates. The repeated intent of many candidates has been expressed that they will not seek across the aisle cooperation and bi partisanship efforts foretells another two years of obstructionism or unrelenting attacks on your job security.

Notes:

*Rep Darrell Issa is the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform which oversees the Postal Service. If the Republicans gain control over the House he will, as chairman, have tremendous influence over legislation affecting postal employees and other federal workers — deciding which bills are considered and how they are handled.

**The quote above from Jack Burkman set off former Senator Al D’Amato and the other panelist to aggressively distance themselves from his racial references. What is lost in the flair-up that occurred is the numerous mis-representation of the facts, as limited as they were in regards to the Postal Service.

Related Articles/Post [links]:

• 'ZERO' FOR HEROES, SAYS NY-BASH POL 
• Congressman’s Call for Concessions Should Drive Postal Workers to the Polls: 
• Your Job Security Under Attack!
• Top 10 Darrell Issa Hall of Shame Moments
• In 1982, U.S. postage stamps became "postal products," rather than a form of taxation. Since then, The bulk of the cost of operating the postal system has been paid for by customers through the sale of "postal products" and services rather than taxes.

Indianapolis Area Local-APWU: General Membership Meeting [monthly]

At the September General Membership Meeting two Constitutional Amendments were introduced and read for the first time. They will be read again at the October and November meetings. No discussion at membership meetings is allowed until after the third reading in November which, at that time the amendments will be debated and voted on.

• One amendment concerns the process whereby Officers and Stewards are reimbursed for time spent on Union Business when they perform that business 'off' the Postal clock.
• The other amendment concerns the process whereby nominees for office to the Local’s tri-annual elections are to indicate their intent to accept or decline the nominations for office.

To see more, debate and review these proposals you can visit [must join] the FaceBook Group “POSTAL-iNDY.com on FaceBook” and click on the ‘Photos’ tab to view the proposals and then the the ‘Discussions’ to see or join in on the discussion.

Want to know more about POSTAL-iNDY.com on FaceBook before joining?  click here

Good News, Bad News? [update]

Hopefully the fact that the PRC rejected the stamp increase, along with Pres. Burris’s argument disproving the USPS’s explanations for our financial problems and the postmaster’s foot-in-mouth explanation of projected loses will serve Union negotiators well in either avoiding or winning arbitration on this issue.

from Postal Reporter
from Federal Times

Unfortunately, the fact that Congress passed a stop-gap spending bill “…that did not provide the relief…for a $5.5 billion payment due today…” will keep our losses in the public eye.

The root cause of the USPS financial problems is neither the recession or declining volume:

“…the Postal Service would have experienced a cumulative surplus of $3.7 billion over the last three fiscal years, despite declining mail volume, an economy in chaos, and electronic diversion….”  William Burris, APWU President

GlennDL

UPDATES:

Did the PRC’s Decision Send a Message to the USPS?

Potter defends USPS health insurance policy: [For Top Management]

Postmaster General John Potter is standing by his agency’s policy of paying the full cost of health insurance premiums for senior executives. According to a recent audit,  the U.S. Postal Service could save about $577 million in fiscal 2011 if its contribution rate for those employees matched that of the federal government.
But postal executives don’t do as well as feds in other ways, Potter suggested at an end-of-the-fiscal-year news conference Friday.
“Postal managers do not get locality pay,” he said. “Postal managers only get raises if they perform.”
While not ruling out changes,  Potter added: “I believe our total compensation package is fair.”

from the Federal Times Website