Out of Thin Air: New Numbers on Declining Mail Volumes:

from “Save The Post Office”

“Someone please give Phil Herr at the GAO a Xanax.  The guy has been focused on USPS doomsday scenarios for so long, it’s apparently making him depressed and clouding his vision.  His new GAO report paints a dire picture of the Postal Service’s future, but it’s based on numbers that seem to be pulled out of thin air…

…And what might those changes be?  The report proposes three: (1) turn the Postal Service into a government-subsidized federal agency (read “taxpayer-funded bail-out”); (2) keep the current structure but give the USPS “additional flexibility” (so that it can “revise” the universal service obligation, outsource more business, close 16,000 post offices, and put 225,000 workers out of work), and (3) privatize the Postal Service completely… “

…read more

Veteran’s Day Freebies & Discounts:

Restaurants:

Veteran’s Day free meals:

• Applebees - All veterans and active duty military eat free from a limited menu at Applebee’s on Veterans Day.
• Chili’s — Veterans and active duty dine for free from a special limited six item menu on Veterans Day. 
• Hooters — All Veterans and active duty eat free. The free entrees must be selected from a special Veterans Day menu.
• Krispy Kreme – All active-duty, retirees & veterans get a free doughnut on Veterans Day. Be sure to call ahead to verify your local Krispy Kreme is par-ticipating.
• McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants — Participating McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants offer a complimentary entree to vets from a special menu on a space available basis, online reservations are highly recommended.
• Outback Steakhouse — Veterans and active-duty military get a complimentary Bloomin’ Onion and non-alcoholic beverage on Veterans Day.
• Texas Roadhouse – Free meal from opening until 4pm. on Veterans Day. Call ahead to your local restaurant for more information.

Veteran’s Day meal discounts:

• Abuelo’s Mexican Food - Abuelo’s offerings vary by region, be sure to call ahead to see what the discounts or freebies are included.
• UNO Chicago Grill — UNO is offering a Buy One Get One free offer to Service members or Veterans with a military or veteran I.D. or in uniform or with a photo of themselves in uniform. The Veterans Day BOGO offer includes a free entree or individual pizza, with the purchase of an entree or pizza of  equal or greater value.
• T.G.I. Friday’s – Veterans and Service members Buy one get one free from Nov 11–14. Contact your nearest location for more details on their Veterans Day BOGO offer.

Veteran’s free meals after Veteran’s Day:

• Golden Corral Restaurants’ Military Appreciation Monday free dinner will be available on November 15, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Military retirees, veterans, active duty, National Guard and Reserves are all welcome.
• see T.G.I. under meal discounts above.

Retail:

Veteran’s Day:

• The Dollar General — Veterans, Service members (Active, Guard, and Reserve), and their immediate families will receive a 10-percent discount with a Veterans Day coupon. The coupon may be found in store circular ads or by asking a sales associate. 
• Sam’s Club — Sam’s give away 36,000 collapsible Hugo Canes on Veterans Day to military veterans in need of mobility assistance. Sam’s Club will require membership for this offer, but proof of service may be necessary.
• Amazon.com – Free ―Veterans Day Honor‖ MP3 album download. The album includes 12 songs by The Bands and Ensembles of the U.S. Armed Forces.
• Fashion Bug – 20% off all plus-size and misses clothing purchases with a copy of military ID or spouse’s military ID.
• Sports Clips Haircuts - The men’s hair salon chain is offering a free haircut to active military and veterans on Veterans Day.

Veteran’s Day +:

• Home Depot — Offers a 10 percent discount to all Veterans during Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day.
• Lowe’s — All veterans receive the 10-percent discount on Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. The offer is available in stores only and is limited to in-stock and special-order purchases of up to $5,000.
• Cabela’s Outdoor Store – Offers their employee discount to all veterans, active-duty military and reserves, law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel November 11-12. Discounts vary from 5% to 50%, depending on the item.
• Build-a-Bear Workshop – Members of the armed services including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Reserve Officer Training Corps, will receive a 20% discount November 11-15 on any one transaction at Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Year Round:

• Foot Locker — Veterans, Service members (Active, Guard, and Reserve), and their immediate families with a Foot Locker Veterans Advantage Card receive a 20 percent discount every day of the year. That offer is good both online and at any store location, including Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Footaction and Champs Sports — even on sale items.

The Boys Of Anniston, MO
Remember Our Littrell Family Veterans

The Postal Service Hires More Veterans Than…

VoteVets.org

Iraq-Afghanistan Veterans Unemployment: A Quiet Crisis

Return to Indy Info-Online [front page]

Hurting Non-Profits While Destroying The Postal Service:

The Postal Reform Act (HR 2309) is the bill sponsored by Republicans Rep. Issa, Ross and now McCain.
The damage it will do is not limited to the Postal Service but extends to non-profits and many other aspects of our economy, communities and infrastructure.

Proposed new legislation would eliminate the nonprofit postage rate discount, resulting in lower contributions and fewer resources to help those in greatest need.

OPPOSE HR 2309
SUPPORT HR 1351 

from “foodforthepoor.inc”

Issa overrules majority of House members, refuses to allow vote on Lynch bill…

from postalnewsblog:

“(Perhaps one of the constitutional scholars in the Tea Party can tell us which article provides that a bill supported by a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives can be defeated “because Darrell says so”?)

From the American Postal Workers Union:

House Panel Approves Postal ‘Destruction’ Bill

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved an amended version of the Issa-Ross postal bill on Oct. 13 by a vote of 22-18. All but one Republican (Rep. Todd Platts of Pennsylvania) voted in favor of the bill; Democrats voted against it.

The APWU has denounced the bill, H.R. 2309, as a “reckless assault on postal services and postal employees.” The bill demands that the USPS….”                                                  ….read more

APWU Post Contract Q&As: UPDATE

APWU post 12 page Q&A on Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) issues click here: [30 questions resolved with management, Oct. 6, 2011] Posting, Bidding and Assignments, Leave,Holidays, MVS, In addition see the e-mail and letter below referring to excessing and NTFT positions.

 APWU post 12 page Q&A on new contract: click here: [65 questions resolved with management, June 28, 2011] PSE’s, NTFT’s, NTFT’s overtime rules, Article 12, Transfer Opportunities to Minimize Excessing, Lead Clerk, General.

APWU post 33 page Q&A on new contract: click here:  [The unions position of 178 questions, some of which have been resolved in the above cited posting.] Article 1.6, PSE’s, NTFT’s, NTFT’s overtime rules, Article 12, Transfer Opportunities to Minimize Excessing, Article 15, General, 204B’s, Lead Clerk, Relief and Pool Clerk, Maintenance, MVS, and Rec Sites.

Contract Time Table: By Topic
Contract Time Table: By Date

-click here to read full article, the e-mail and the letter-

Be sure you know what your doing when faced with such situations. Management will always imply that the union agrees with them, but when the union agrees that management is following the contract it doesn’t mean they agree with what management is doing. When the union believes that management is violating the contract they will fight it, unfortunately that fight may take some time, and time is a tool that management uses to wear down you and your union. So don’t be influenced by managements threats, intimidations or implications of what you ‘have to do” or what they can “do to you”. Follow direct orders but also ask for a steward, stay informed and keep the union informed, know your options and the consequences.