From the article: "...The United States Postal Service has announced that it will move forward with plans to close up to 229 mail processing facilities nationwide. ..."
From the article: "...Mail Handlers who choose to leave employment with the USPS on or before August 31, 2012 will each receive incentive payments totaling up to fifteen thousand dollars ..."
From the article: "...USPS spokesman Dave Partenheimer declined comment Wednesday on whether the cuts will be accompanied by buyouts or early retirement incentives for affected employees. But the American Postal Workers Union, which represents many plant employees, was notified late Wednesday that the Postal Service is working on an "employee incentive," according to a union spokeswoman...."
From the article: "...Under heavy pressure from Congress, the U.S. Postal Service is shelving plans to close up to 3,700 post offices and instead will offer $20,000 buyouts to 21,000 postmasters as a way to save money. As a result, some 13,000 communities will be able to keep their local post offices, but with reduced customer service hours..."
From the article: "...Bartlett's comments are the latest sign that Republicans will largely ignore the Senate-approved bill, S. 1789, and take up their own bill from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), possibly as early as next week.
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From the article: "...voted to stave off Draconian cuts and retool the nation's mail-delivery system with nearly $11 billion for buyouts and early retirement-incentives for thousands of postal workers, as well as for paying off a lot of the Postal Service's debt...."
From the article: "...More likely than not, the bill will facilitate the destruction of a national treasure by strangling the principles that support its existence. Postal reform is going to fail because Congress cannot understand the fundamental role of a national post as essential infrastructure. Congress will do nothing to stem the slow evisceration of the network. It will do nothing to prevent the wholesale destruction of the value of First Class mail. ..."
From the article: "...The measure would tap most of an estimated $10.9 billion overpayment in the Federal Employees Retirement System to pay down postal service debt and use up to $2 billion on buy-out packages to entice long-time employees to retire...."
From the article: "...Ochopee, Florida -This closet-sized, 7x8-foot building used to be an irrigation pipe shed for a tomato farm. It was pressed into service after a fire destroyed the Ochopee general store..."
From the article: "...“We hope senators will now use this extra time to carefully analyze the service’s financial problems, so that when the Senate resumes consideration of the bill, it will be prepared to work on real reform designed to strengthen the agency, not dismantle it,” Mr. Rolando said...."
From the article: "...postal management would probably prefer if the public did not know very much about their compensation packages, and they’ve fought the APWU’s effort to find out more about performance bonuses. But as the salary finder FAQ page explains, government workers aren’t entitled to the same kind of privacy as workers in the private sector..."
From the article: "...Maine-based firm that relies on a nearby processing facility to quickly deliver shipments. Bazinet says he might have to lay off workers if his firm can no longer guarantee speedy mail deliveries...."
From the article: "...claim about trucks parking on the roadside is verified by the fact that the Postal Service purchased a $2,000 permit, valid Dec. 21 through Feb. 1, allowing use of curb lanes for parking near the Baltimore plant. That was after Baltimore's Department of Transportation issued several citations for illegally parking on the road...."
From the article: "...The first round of closings and consolidations will begin May 15 and be completed by the end of August. USPS will meet with states holding primaries during the closures..."
From the article: "...Last year (2011), 21 federal agencies offered buyouts to more than 30,000 federal and postal workers. They ranged from major offers..."
From the article: "...Chief Financial Officer Joe Corbett on Feb. 16 outlined for reporters the Postal Service's ambitious plans to pare down its workforce in the next five years by 155,000 employees — ultimately leaving a workforce of 402,000 by the end of fiscal 2016...."
From the article: "...“The House is expected to vote soon on a bill that would cut retirement benefits for postal and federal employees and increase the amount we must pay for them.” The retirement bill (H.R. 3813) has been merged with a Highway Transportation bill (H.R. 7).
“The Senate is expected to vote in the next few weeks on a bill (S. 1789) that would inflict severe, long-term damage on the Postal Service, and lead to the closure of hundreds of mail processing centers and thousands of post offices,” Reid said. The APWU is asking lawmakers to support amendments to the bill.
The House could vote at any time on H.R. 2309, Reid added, a bill sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) that would “destroy the Postal Service as we know it.” ..."
From the article: "...Jobs are available in two categories — mail-processing clerks who earn $14.60 hourly and casual mail handlers who earn $12 hourly...."
From the article: "...Today, the United States Postal Service declined to extend collective-bargaining negotiations with the National Association of Letter Carriers, triggering an impasse that will automatically send the matter to mediation under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service...."
From the article: "...the postal system is rethinking its commitment to overnight first-class mail. Currently, first-class mail is supposed to be delivered to homes and businesses within one to three days...."
From the article: "...about 28 people would lose their jobs and the close would eliminate overnight mail to and from Missoula. Secretary of State Linda McCulloch says business owners would suffer from this elimination—especially with time sensitive materials and legal paperwork...."
From the article: "...The USPS Office of Inspector General’s report found significant mail delays were caused by inadequate staffing and supervision, failure to color code and process mail properly and failure to report delays. In a period of two years, the plant’s volume of delayed mail more than doubled..."
From the article: "...The National Association of Letter Carriers, the second- largest postal-workers union based on the number of current employees, last month said it had hired Lazard Ltd. (LAZ) and former White House auto adviser Ron Bloom to come up with ideas to restructure the Postal Service. ..."
From the article: "...Donahoe, who was named to head the USPS a little more than a year ago, will explain his reasons for cutting thousands of jobs, closing thousands of local Post Offices and possibly ending Saturday delivery..."
