Mail Cover Surveillance

Post Carrier Accused of Warning Customer About ‘Mail Cover’ Surveillance
“…Federal prosecutors in Detroit say letter carrier Xxxxxxx Xxx illegally tipped off a postal customer that he was the subject of a “mail cover” — a form of warrantless surveillance in which the envelope information on every card and letter received is secretly recorded by the Post Office, then passed to federal law enforcement or intelligence officials….”
Reference: wired.com

Huntsville Alabama International Intermodal Center Near Postal Service Processing and Distribution Facility

The Huntsville Alabama area International Intermodal Center is U.S. Customs Port of Entry that provides a single hub location specializing in receiving, transferring, storing, and distributing international and domestic cargo via air, rail, and highway.

Paul Vogel, USPS Global Business Operations

pushing the envelope: interview with Paul Vogel
“…started his career with the USPS at the ground floor, working nights as a postal clerk while in college in Massachusetts. After college, he worked as a clerk and carrier before joining the Postal Service’s management intern program in 1975. He has since served in numerous management positions in operations and logistics in New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Prior to his current appointment, Vogel was vice president of network operations, responsible for the national network of 350 mail processing and distribution centers, as well as the worldwide transportation network that moves the U.S. mail….”
Source: www.dcvelocity.com

Postal Service is developing new automation mail preparation standards for letter-size booklets and folded self-mailers

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Ross-Simons Slams Proposed USPS Rule Change For ‘Slim-Jim’ Processing
“…the USPS says in its proposal that “many slim-jims will jam letter automation equipment or become significantly damaged during processing. To avoid these problems, slim-jims often are run on flat-sorting equipment, where they process without significant problems, but at significantly greater cost. To rectify this situation, the Postal Service is developing new automation mail preparation standards for letter-size booklets and folded self-mailers that more accurately characterize which pieces can be run on its primary letter-sorting equipment”…”
Reference: multichannelmerchant.com

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Forever Stamp

Every Time a Bell Rings… Another Forever Stamp is Sold: Postal Service Customers Prepare for New Prices on May 12 “…The Forever Stamp, as the name suggests, can be used to mail a one-ounce First-Class Mail letter at any time in the future without additional postage, regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change. Customers who buy Forever Stamps now at the current First-Class Mail stamp price of 41 cents will save a penny when the price of stamps — including the Forever Stamp — increases to 42 cents on May 12….”
Reference: www.usps.com

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NALC Food Drive …May 10, 2008

ABOUT STAMP OUT HUNGER
On Saturday May 10th, letter carriers in more than 10,000 communities will collect food items and deliver them to local food banks to help some of the millions of Americans, including an estimated 13 million children, who face hunger every day.

Since 1993, families have donated more than a half-billion pounds of food to Stamp Out Hunger. You can help make this year our most successful ever.
Simply place bags filled with nonperishable food items like canned meats and fish, canned soup, juice, pasta, vegetables, cereal and rice next to your mailbox on Saturday, May 10th. *

Your letter carrier will pick up the bags and deliver them to your local food bank.

* Please do not include out-of-date items or those in glass containers.

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Classic Car Commemorative Stamps

Service provides ‘sneak peek’ at Classic Car Stamps “…Ever wanted to own a classic car but couldn’t afford one? Later this fall, 50 million Detroit classics will roll out of the nation’s 37,000 Post Office show rooms as the second issuance in the America on the Move commemorative stamps series.  The 50s Fins and Chrome 42-cent First-Class stamps go on sale Oct. 3, and feature paintings by renowned automobile illustrator Art. M. Fitzpatrick—a ’57 Chrysler 300C, ’57 Lincoln Premiere, ’57 Pontiac Safari, ’57 Studebaker Golden Hawk and a ’59 Cadillac Eldorado. The stamps were modeled after cars still on the road today….”

Reference: www.usps.com

CPI-W

Charting average weekly earnings for U.S. workers
“… …”

Source: www.reliableplant.com

Mailboxes are no longer sacred

Mailbox flags may be tipping off thieves
“… Residents who pay bills by putting a check in an envelope, placing the letter in a mailbox outside their home and pulling up the little red flag are making it too easy for thieves in Thousand Oaks…”

Source: www.toacorn.com

Postal Related Television Comedy A Hit

French comedy smash a curious phenomenon

“… the film centers on a postal manager (Kad Merad) banished from sunny Provence to a bleak town “up north.” All southerners consider that region uninhabitable by any civilized person because of bad weather and a backward culture. Even a traffic cop refuses to issue a citation in sympathy for the poor man …”

Source: www.reuters.com

Postal Worker Found Money Returned To Owner

Postal Worker Finds $2,300 In Envelope

“… The owner accidently dropped the enveloped in the postal collection box instead of the bank’s deposit box…

Source: www.newsnet5.com

Will TSP begin automatic deuctions for new hires?

Board to press for automatic TSP enrollment of new employees

“…draft legislation prepared by the board, new or rehired employees would have 3 percent of their basic pay automatically contributed to one of TSP’s L Funds as soon as they begin work, unless they specifically decline to participate. Employees would have 90 days to opt out of the program and receive a full refund. …”

Source: www.federaltimes.com

OPM Launches Enhanced Telework Website

Does the postal service offer employees the opportunity to work at home via the internet/intranet? The postal service does participate in telework. The telework website lists a telework cordinator.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Linda M. Springer today announced the launch of an enhanced interagency telework website, www.telework.gov. The updated site features a series of user-friendly improvements designed to make telework information more accessible and understandable to Federal employees.

The site: www.telework.gov/

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Postal Employment Blog

If you are seeking postal employment, we found an excellent blog on finding a postal job and taking the postal exam. The site identifies where exams are open right now.
The link is as follows: http://employment-assistance.blogspot.com/

Postal Service New Equipment

New equipment to lower USPS costs as revenue declines “…Postmaster General John Potter said the agency’s quarterly revenue indicators were “bad.” “These are not normal times,” Potter said. “Economic problems have deepened … and they have been sending waves of turbulence through the Postal Service.”…”
[Reference: www.federaltimes.com]

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Foiled Postal Vending Machine Security

Melcher Used Newspaper, Tin Foil To Trick Machines, Prosecutors Say “…and four other people allegedly stole $10,486 worth of stamps and other postal property between October and December 2006, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The stamps were stolen from vending machines inside the post offices, the paper reported….”
[Reference: www.thebostonchannel.com]

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Postal Carrier Saves Baby

Postal worker saves infant who fell from second-floor window “…City police said Lisa Harrell was making a package delivery to 306 Second St. about 11 a.m. when she noticed the child in an upstairs window that was open and did not have the screen pulled down. Harrell started to walked to the front door when she was struck in the head, police said. Unsure of what hit her, she put her arms out and the child fell into her arms, according to police….”
[Reference: www.dailygazette.com]

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