NAPSHQ 2 U
Providing NAPS Headquarter News to You
February 18, 2011 |
 | | Louis Atkins |
Letter from Louie
The anxiety continues as we get closer to the March 25 announcement. We are anticipating the changes Postal Headquarters will render will be drastic. Announced to date are the closing of 10 districts, the reduction of administrative positions, the potential loss of 7,500 jobs and the need for change. I don't know the specific changes and I don't know how the changes will impact our members.
The Postal Service has an extensive retail network of nearly 32,000 post offices. Even though cities expanded outward, some of these stations and branches have remained for decades in places where people no longer live or shop. We need to align these offices to match the need. We must consolidate postal operations in order to meet the needs of the people we service and remain financially viable. Currently we have more than 27,000 post offices and 4,000 stations and branches. In 26,000 of these offices the revenue does not exceed the expenses. Revenue and expenses cannot be the only consideration when closing or consolidating post offices. The proximate closeness to other offices as well as expanded access locations are key to any decisions. Consolidating postal operations makes logical business sense given the severity of the financial condition of the USPS. In FY 2010 the Postal Service implemented 35 AMPs for an annualized saving of $99 million.
We also must close offices that are in suspended status. A total of over 400 offices have been suspended for at least one year or longer. These offices were not open for business and were not handling retail transactions. The Postal Service is proceeding with the necessary steps to close these suspended facilities. We cannot afford business as usual if we are going to survive.
As we brace for the changes that will be revealed next month, please know that NAPS is monitoring all of the new developments and report them to you as soon as we learn of the ramifications. We will ensure that your rights are protected and every effort is made to minimize the impact to mangers, supervisors and postmasters.
Click here to see NAPS President Louis Atkins discuss President Obama's FY 2012 proposed budget. |
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Brian's Bits
Update at NAPSHQ
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Brian Wagner |
In my last Brian's Bits, I mentioned NAPS was moving forward with an Extreme Makeover of our NAPS website. We are also requesting quotes from companies to provide NAPS headquarters with new IT support for our computers and off-site hosting of our NAPSHQ emails. Our current IT provider was purchased by another company. Therefore, now is a good time for us to request competitive IT support.
Currently, we host our NAPSHQ emails on-site with a computer server. Unfortunately, on an irregular basis, our on-site email server will "go down" during evenings and weekends. This has created an issue with NAPSHQ and Resident Officers not receiving timely emails and our ability to respond quickly back to our members. When our email server "goes down" we must physically reboot the system the next morning or the Monday following the weekend. If Monday is a holiday, our email issue worsens.
The need to be in regular communication with our Executive Board, members in the field and the USPS is critical, especially during these changing times at the USPS and in Congress. To ensure our NAPS HQ lines-of-communication remain unbroken, we will transition within the next 30-days our NAPS HQ emails to an off-site server, hosted by the new IT provider we decide to hire. |
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Call the toll-free NAPS hotline:
1-877-667-NAPS
 
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NAPS Newest Intern
Shona Conyers is currently a George Washington University Junior majoring in
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Shona Conyers |
English and Sociology. Prior to her NAPS Legislative internship she was a GWU Legislative Panelist and a two time Legislative Intern on Capitol Hill.
In Fall 2010, the George Washington University Career Center selected her to be an Internships on Capitol Hill Intern Panelist due to her previous experience on the Hill. She discussed the internship search process, steps to acquire a legislative internship, daily activities, networking opportunities and career advice.
During the Summer of 2010, she served as the Legislative Intern for Congressman Frank R. Wolf (VA-10). She also served as an intern during the Spring for Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-11). As a Legislative Intern, she has performed legislative and administrative tasks such as researching legislative issues, typing/proofreading legislative reports, letters, memos and Congressional records. In addition, she has attended congressional hearings, briefings, and professional policy and legal seminars provided through CRS (Congressional Research Service).
As a NAPS Spring Intern, She would like to further her knowledge in legislation; and gain experience in operational management, creating and implementing proposals for the National Association of Postal Supervisors. |
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Donate to SPAC!
 Contributing to SPAC allows us to continue supporting those candidates who will continue to fight for not only the benefits of Postal Employees but for the preservation of the Universal Delivery System as a whole. With one click, your contribution can go a long way toward ensuring that we meet these goals. How much you contribute is up to you, but no matter what you give, your contribution will help ensure a bright future for NAPS and the USPS.
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Register for LTS 2011 NOW!
Last year, 450 NAPS members attended the annual Legislative Training Seminar. With the many issues facing the Postal Service, it's important that NAPS members attend LTS this year.
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Jay's Notes
Delivery Unit Optimization-What are the Impacts?
 | | James Killackey |
The Postal Service is currently on a three-year mission to reduce costs in delivery operations through the consolidation of carrier operations in small, medium and large delivery units. The units targeted make up the network that delivers to over 150 million addresses annually through the Delivery Unit Optimization (DUO) process.
The management associations held extensive meetings with the Postal Service and were briefed on the DUO process when it was first presented to us. The Postal Service, using state-of-the-art computer software, is able to locate and map every retail and delivery unit in the country. The program determines the size of the office, the number of routes, whether the building is owned or leased, how much revenue the office generates, the distance from the neighboring offices-virtually every bit of information on all of the retail and delivery operations.
Armed with this data, the Postal Service has moved full-speed into relocating carrier operations into neighboring facilities around the country in an effort to reduce costs. DUO changes have resulted in reductions in EAS levels for Postmasters and Managers and have changed some Supervisor staffing in offices too.
In response to these changes, the three management organizations consulted (our formal term for negotiating as per Title 39) and were successful in making certain that Postmasters and Managers whose positions were impacted by the DUO process would be able to keep their current salary indefinitely.
At about the same time the DUO consultations were completed, another part of Postal Service headquarters was completing proposed revisions to ELM 415. These revisions contained rules for non-bargaining unit employees that would limit their saved-salary protection from indefinite to only two years from the current indefinite term language that had been in effect since 2004.
Once we were informed of this new proposal, one that would eliminate the indefinite saved salary for impacts from the DUO process, the three management organizations collaborated and went back to the table to make sure that the policies that we had just completed for the DUO process would remain in place.
Due to our ability to protect our rights under Title 39, we were successful in maintaining indefinite saved salary for what will ultimately be a large group of Customer Service Postmasters and Managers who will be impacted as the Postal Service consolidates delivery operations through the DUO process in the next three years.
We are now continuing our consultations with the Postal Service to provide alternative recommendations to address the Postal Service's proposal, that they plan to implement, which would change language in ELM 415 to restrict saved salary to two years for non-bargaining unit employees who take lower level positions that are not related to the DUO process.
As our consultations continue, we will attempt to resolve this matter to the best of our abilities. |
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Seth's Slant
Obama's Proposed Budget
 | Seth Lennon
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This past Monday, President Barack Obama unveiled his budget for FY 2011. While many government programs were slashed, the United States Postal Service was thrown a very crucial and timely lifeline. The President outlined that the Postal Service would receive $4 billion in relief through a more relaxed schedule of payments into retiree health benefits accounts. In addition, the President pledged that the $6.9 billion overpayment for FERS-eligible employees would be repaid during the course of the next 30 years. Finally, there was no language altering the USPS's six day universal service obligation - a key point of contention between the USPS and the postal employee organizations.
While this is a substantial victory for all Postal employees, we must remember that this is only the first step in a process that will hopefully result in financial relief for the Postal Service. What the President has unveiled is simply his proposal to Congress. Now, we enter the phase where his proposal is debated, ripped apart, changed and hopefully moved through the halls of Congress.
This, however, is not going to be an easy process. Shortly after the budget's release, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that the President's budget was "unrealistic," "unserious" and "irresponsible." Needless to say, when NAPS legislative delegates hit the halls of Congress in March, our work is cut out for us.
What the President's budget proposal has done is really put this issue on the radar screen of even the most freshman members of the 112th Congress. While we are all very familiar with the issues that confront us when it comes to the financial well being of the USPS, it would not be unheard of that this is the first time many of our legislators are hearing about this issue.
Come March, our task is simple. Using the President's proposal as a stepping stone, we must educate members of Congress on why the Postal Service needs the financial relief we believe that it deserves. During the course of your discussions with staffers in March, discuss the need for the continuation of the Universal Delivery System and that without this relief, our ability to fulfill that mandate is compromised. |
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USPS Correspondence to NAPS Headquarters
Almost daily NAPSHQ receives correspondence from USPS Headquarters. NAPS Resident Officers use this correspondence to fight for the rights of NAPS members. The following is a list of correspondence received by NAPSHQ from Jan. 22 to Feb. 14 and a brief summary:
- David Fields, Mid-Carolinas District Manager, will be detailed to the position of VP Capital Metro Area Operations while Tim Haney is out of the office for an extended period of time recuperating from surgery.
- Effective 02-11-11a new mailing option will be launched - mailers can use the Retail offering of Every Door Direct Mail (Simplified Addressing) on saturation flat-size and irregular parcels.
- USPS will incorporate two new notices in the Family Medical Leave Act certification packets effective February 21 that provide information related to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008.
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- Accenture representatives will be visiting selected offices in the Cap Metro Area to discuss with supervisors and postmasters the level of technology that should/could be used at small post offices generating revenue of less than $100,000.
- Intent to conduct an AMP feasibility study at the Augusta, GA P&DF for possible consolidation of some operations into the Columbia, SC P&DC.
- Intent to conduct an AMP feasibility study at the Portsmouth, NH P&DF for possible consolidation of some operations into the Southern Main P&DC.
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- Changes are to be made to the Passport Acceptance Program in concert with the Dept of State. Pilot programs will be launched in calendar year 2011 that will last 90 days to one year.
- Intent to conduct an AMP feasibility study at the Bronx, NY P&DC for possible consolidation of some operations into the Morgan, NY P&DC.
- Intent to conduct an AMP feasibility study at the Gainesville, FL P&DF for possible consolidation of some operations into the Jacksonville, FL P&DC.
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- PMG Donahoe accepted President Atkins' invitation to address the 2011 LTS on March 21 at 9:30 a.m.
- Intent to conduct an Area Mail Processing (AMP) feasibility study at the Wareham, MA Customer Services Mail Processing Center (CSMPC) for possible consolidation of some operations into the Brockton, MA Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC).
- Intent to conduct an AMP feasibility study at the Frederick, MD P&DF for possible consolidation of some operations into the Baltimore, MD P&DC.
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