From the article: "The Postal Service has notified stakeholders about the locations of seven more Regional Processing and Distribution Centers (RPDCs). While not identified as such, this is the second wave of RPDCs. The first wave of twelve RPDCs was announced months ago (as discussed in this post), so we now know the locations of 19 RPDCs — about a third of the ultimate number. The new RPDCs are:..."
From the article: "We learned that the Postal Service intends to solicit volunteers from Electronic Technician (ET), Mail Processing Equipment Mechanic (MPE), and Maintenance Mechanic (MM) employees with the goal of getting individuals to participate on the MPE machine removal/ relocation teams. Participation will be strictly voluntary, and selection will be based on geographical location and training. Volunteers will be expected to work 10 hours a day and six days a week, maximum, and overtime will be paid in accordance with Article 8 of the National Agreement. The volunteers will first be solicited from those facilities scheduled to have a machine removed and/or relocated by the local facility. If additional volunteers are needed, solicitation will be expanded to other facilities. ...The removal and/ or relocation of machines is set to begin in August 2023 in Atlanta, GA, followed by Charlotte, NC. It is anticipated that additional sites will be identified where the subject machine’s removal/relocation teams will be utilized."
From the article: "Retired postal worker Genine Plummer took nearly a year to claim a $1,000 A Week For Life prize she won playing New York Lottery’s CASH4LIFE. The Islip woman purchased her winning ticket back in May 2022. But she didn’t realize she had..."
From the article: "...The Postal Regulatory Commission is currently conducting a Public Inquiry into the Delivering for America plan, and the Postal Service is preparing its response to the Commission’s first information request. The response was due June 28th, but the Postal Service asked for, and was granted, a three-week extension, so we’ll have to wait until July 19th to see what the Postal Service has to say. ..."
RE: U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Groff v. DeJoy (pdf)
On Thursday, June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in the lawsuit Groffv. DeJoy.
The case was brought by Gerald Groff, who delivered mail as a Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) from 2012 to 2019 in central Pennsylvania. Groff is a Christian who observes Sunday as the Sabbath. Citing those religious beliefs, Groff consistently refused to work on Sundays. For several years, Groff and the Postal Service attempted to find workarounds, such as having volunteers take over his Sunday slots. Eventually, however, the Postal Service began disciplining Groff for his refusal to work on Sundays, and in 2019, Groff resigned. After resigning, Groff sued the Postal Service. He argued that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act , the Postal Service was required to reasonably accommodate his religious beliefs by exempting him from Sunday work.
Before turning to the specifics of the Court's decision, we note at the outset that the Court's decision leaves in place the longstanding recognition that it would be an "undue burden" to provide an accommodation that would violate a seniority system in a collective bargaining agreement, like the National Agreement between the NPMHU and the Postal Service.
The Court's decision did proceed to answer two principal questions:
On the first question - whether the Court should disapprove the "more than de minimis cost" test for determining whether a religious accommodation was an undue hardship - the Court disapproved of the "more than de minimis cost" language. In its place, the Court held that an employer can show that a religious accommodation creates an undue hardship under Title VII if that accommodation causes a substantial burden in the overall context of the employer's business. The Court held that this is a fact specific inquiry. "Courts must apply the test to take into account all relevant factors in the case at hand, including the particular accommodations at issue and their practical impact in light of the nature, size, and operating cost of an employer."
As to the second question - whether an employer may demonstrate undue hardship under Title VII by showing burdens on co-workers - the Court held - using language consistent with the position the NPMHU took in its amicus brief to the Supreme Court, that impact on coworkers is relevant to the extent those impacts affect the conduct of the business. The Court acknowledged that "an accommodation's effect on co-workers may have ramifications for the conduct of the employer's business, but a court cannot stop its analysis without examining whether that further logical step is shown in a particular case."
The Court concluded by sending the case back to the lower court to consider Groff's claim in Iight of the standard described above.
As we wrote to you previously, the NPMHU supports employees' rights to receive reasonable accommodations for their religious beliefs and practices, and will continue to urge the Postal Service to provide those accommodations consistent with the terms of the National Agreement.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the National CAD.
From the article: "...Similar letters containing a note and a powdery substance were sent to prominent figures such as former president Donald Trump and Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas. However, before reaching their intended recipients, these letters were intercepted by the US Postal Inspection Service, sources told ABC news. The letters were found to be harmless by postal inspectors, sources said. One of the recipients of the compromised letter told ABC Kansas City affiliate KMBC that the note with the letter was intended to threaten...."
From the article: "CLEVELAND, Ohio— A former U.S. postal worker in Brooklyn was sentenced to one month in prison for stealing high-end shoes and phones from the mail. Brandon Williams, also known as Brandon Trotter, worked as a processing clerk in the Brooklyn post office when he stole the items, according to federal prosecutors. ..."
From the article: "Canal Street denizens did not know what fueled the fury, but several, like gift shop employee Kamal said they saw the elderly man sprawled out on the pavement in the aftermath.
A woman selling fruit alleged the postal worker shoved the man to the ground.
Other vendors on the block said the 75-year-old is a regular street vendor, who sells masks and knockoff items on Canal Street..."
From the article: "...“This type of alleged behavior within the Postal Service is not tolerated and the overwhelming majority of Postal Service employees, which serve the public, are honest, hardworking, and trustworthy individuals who would never consider engaging in any type of criminal behavior,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Hopefully they can track this down because I thought it was really strange when they told my wife he was also investigating another check made payable to Florida Blue..."
From the article: "...Corey McFadden, 33, was recovered off the coast on May 22 after being spotted by a fisherman, according to State Police. McFadden’s family said Saturday he had been found, but they declined to say where. ... authorities previously said. He had contact with Manasquan police that evening, but wasn’t reported missing until the next morning when didn’t show up for for work in Cape May, where had worked as a mail carrier for years. "
From the article: "...A resident called police at 2:53 p.m. May 3 asking them to check on the local Post Office employees. He said he had been trying to call that office since 12:05 p.m. but no one answered. An officer was in the post officer earlier and said they only had one employee working. ..."
From the article: "...The review is being called for based on feedback from unnamed “stakeholders” concerned about the impact of the plan on postal operations and costs, and the need for more of a forum to address different components. In particular, concerns were raised in an April report to the PRC about costs and processing changes for so-called “flats” or large envelope mailers at new regional sortation and delivery centers. The first one opened in Athens, GA in November. The PRC said the public review is not intended as way for it to offer an advisory opinion on the overall Delivering for America plan. However, it will be “beneficial to the interest of transparency to provide a forum to learn more about these strategic plan initiatives that may have a significant impact on the postal community,” the PRC wrote in its order. ..."
From the article: ""Our mailbox has been broken into about 10 to 15 times over the last two to three years," Jones said. ...Jones says over the past year or so, he's often times come home to find the doors on his mailbox either broken into or tampered with. ..."
From the article: "...26-year-old Kori Ann Moreno has pleaded guilty to theft of mail. Moreno faces up to five years in prison and payment of restitution to the victims in the case. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Moreno was arrested on November 29, 2022..."
From the article: "Anthony Fernandes, 37, of Douglas, Massachusetts, was charged with one count of theft of government money. ...Authorities say Fernandes, who works in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, is alleged to have fraudulently used the U.S. Postal Service supervisor’s travel authorization account..."
From the article: "...Deputies arrested Ronald Washington Jr., 27, after the postal worker reported the encounter near Labadieville, deputies said in a statement Friday. The postal worker had been on her regular mail route along La. 1014 when the man, later identified as Washington, jumped in front of her postal truck and demanded she deliver his check, deputies said...."
From the article: "James Belardo, 41, the third person taken into custody in the probe, was arrested Wednesday by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office’s Narcotics Task Force and charged with second-degree conspiracy to distribute cocaine in a quantity greater than one-half ounce. ..."
From the article: "...Postal officials say these attacks now happening almost every week. "Well just in the last several months, from the locks being shot out of the back of the LLVs [long-life vehicles] to people jumping out of cars and putting guns in our letter carriers faces..."
From the article: "A federal grand jury has indicted two more employees of the U.S. Postal Service from Champaign County for fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. On Wednesday, Tasheena White, 32, of the 2400 block of Goodfield Drive, and Uniqua Whitaker, 26, of the 1200 block of Clifford Drive, Urbana, were each charged with wire fraud in connection with Paycheck Protection Program loans. The indictments allege that the women submitted false loan applications and supporting documents..."
From the article: "The post office closed in June 2021, and services moved to the Northcross Station in north Austin, according to the U.S. Postal Service. The original building at 4300 Speedway was built in 1967, Travis County appraisal records show. Tiny Grocer will be one of the tenants in the redeveloped space. Owner Steph Steele..."
From the article: "...the Waccabuc Post Office, which delivers the mail for the 500 or so homowners. It came as a surprise to many Westchester residents when the United States Postal Inspection Service posted a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects who robbed the Waccabuc post office on Jan. 10 at 430 pm. The Lewisboro Police Department reported that they responded on 1/10 to the Waccabuc Post Office, located at 2 Post Office Road, on reports of an armed robbery. While there were no injuries, the incident had Post Office employees and residents, in disbelief. ..."
