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APWU
Testimony Assails
Latest ‘USPS Network Plan’
(07/28/08) The Postal Service’s strategy for “network realignment” is based on a faulty premise, APWU Legislative Director Myke Reid told lawmakers July 24. The stated objective of the USPS Network Plan is to promote efficiency by eliminating redundancy, he said. “But the fallacy of the plan is that it artificially limits the definition of the postal network. By intentional design, the plan considers only the 400-plus USPS mail processing facilities to be ‘the network,’ while in reality, the network consists of both public and private facilities that prepare mail for delivery by USPS employees.” [read more]
USPS ‘Network
Plan’ Would
Adversely Effect Postal Workers, Service
(06/26/08) The Postal Service’s latest plan to realign its mail processing, transportation, and retail network “would adversely affect APWU-represented employees and disrupt mail service to the American public,” APWU President William Burrus said in an update for union members. “Regrettably, postal management has developed a business plan that relies almost exclusively on reducing work hours as a means of remaining financially solvent,” he noted. “This is a failed strategy and it cannot sustain America’s mail service.” [read more]
Spending Bill Includes Rider
That Blocks 7 Consolidations
(12/20/07) A provision attached to the appropriations bill awaiting President Bush’s signature would indefinitely postpone most of the Postal Service consolidation plans still awaiting implementation. [read more]
Consolidation Plans Challenged
(12/20/07) Prompted in large part by an APWU advertising campaign,
citizens of Flint and Detroit spoke out last fall against the consolidation
of mail-processing operations into a new facility situated between
the two cities, which are 65 miles apart.
[read
more]
APWU Launches Ad Campaign
Against Consolidation in Michigan
Detroit, Flint Facilities Threatened
(10/15/07) An APWU advertising campaign in southern Michigan got underway last week, urging the citizens of Flint and Detroit to speak out against the consolidation of mail-processing operations into a new facility in Pontiac. The campaign is designed to generate interest in community meetings Oct. 22 and 23, when the USPS will discuss Area Mail Processing studies for the two cities. [read more]
3 Consolidations Stopped; 1 Reversed
(09/01/07) The APWU has been notified that three proposed consolidations that would have resulted in mail-processing shifts in Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Texas will not occur. And thanks to the efforts of the Marysville (CA) Local, a nearly two-year-old consolidation is being reversed. [read more]
Postal Regulator: END Planning Flawed
(09/01/07) In a rush to redesign its nationwide network of facilities, the Postal Service acted on several misguided and poorly rationalized assumptions, a Postal Regulatory Commission official told Congress in late July. [read more]
Postal Regulator Tells Congress of
Failures in Consolidation Planning
(08/02/07) In a rush to redesign its nationwide network of facilities, the Postal Service acted on several misguided and poorly rationalized assumptions, a Postal Regulatory Commission official told Congress in late July. In testimony before a House of Representatives subcommittee, John D. Wailer also cited a lack of consistency in how proposed consolidations are reviewed; a failure to develop criteria for approval or disapproval of proposed consolidations; a failure to seek public input; and “severe tardiness and errors in analysis in post-consolidation reviews.” [read more]
Tennessee AMP Study Terminated
(07/27/07) The APWU has been notified that a proposed consolidation that would have resulted in a mail-processing shift from the Jackson, TN Post Office into the Memphis, TN Processing and Distribution Center will not occur. [read more]
Texas Consolidation Plan Shelved
(07/25/07) The APWU has been notified that a proposed consolidation of mail-processing operations in Waco, TX, will not occur. A study to determine whether operations should be shifted both north (about 90 miles to Fort Worth) and south (100 miles to Austin) has been terminated. Approximately 250 jobs were at stake. [read more]
Oshkosh-to-Green Bay Consolidation Cancelled
APWU Lawsuit Alleging USPS
Failed to Seek Approval of Plans Dismissed
(07/20/07) The APWU has been notified that a proposed consolidation that would have resulted in a mail-processing shift approximately from one Wisconsin P&DF to another 50 miles away will not occur, rendering “moot” an APWU legal challenge over the Postal Service’s lack of adequate public and stakeholder notification concerning its network realignment plan for the facilities. [read more]
Seven More AMPs Terminated
(07/01/07) From late April through the first week of June, the Postal Service terminated seven Area Mail Processing studies, bringing to 28 the number of feasibility studies halted in the past year. “After review, it has been determined that there are currently no significant opportunities to improve efficiency and/or service through consolidation” at the La Crosse (WI) P&DF, said a letter to the APWU on May 22. “Therefore, no significant changes will be made at this time.” [read more]
Public Affairs Group Honors APWU TV Ad
(06/25/07) An APWU-sponsored TV commercial that decried the negative effects of Postal Service consolidation plans has won a “Pollie Award” from the American Association of Political Consultants. [read more]
Zanesville Consolidation Study Terminated
(06/12/07) The APWU has been notified that a proposed consolidation that would have resulted in a mail-processing shift approximately 60 miles across central Ohio will not occur. “After review, it has been determined that there are currently no significant opportunities to improve efficiency and/or service through consolidation of certain mail processing operations at the Zanesville OH Post Office into the Columbus, OH Processing and Distribution Center,” the Postal Service wrote to the APWU on June 7. “Therefore, no significant changes will be made at this time.” [read more]
Wisconsin-to-Minnesota AMP Halted
(05/22/07) The APWU has been notified that the consolidation of some mail-processing operations at the La Crosse (WI) P&DF into the Rochester (MN) P&DF will not occur. “After review, it has been determined that there are currently no significant opportunities to improve efficiency and/or service through consolidation of mail processing operations at the La Crosse P&DF,” the Postal Service wrote to the APWU on May 22. “Therefore, no significant changes will be made at this time.” [read more]
Termination of AMPs Is Good News
For Northern Michigan, Southern Texas
(05/17/07) The APWU has been notified that studies of the consolidation of some mail-processing operations at the Gaylord (MI) Main Post Office and at Beaumont (TX) P&DF have been brought to a close and the proposed consolidations will not take place.
[read more]
House Bill Would Set
Timetable for Consolidation Studies
(05/10/07) A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would establish firm deadlines for Area Mail Processing surveys and would prohibit the USPS from removing equipment or reducing the workforce in affected facilities during AMP studies. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) introduced H.R. 2177, which would require the Postal Service to complete AMP studies within 180 days. Extensions of 60 days would be permitted only if “persons likely to be affected” are notified prior to the expiration of the original deadline. [read more]
Mail Processing Staying Put in Western MD
 |
(05/07/07) The APWU was notified May 4 that the proposed consolidation of some mail-processing operations involving two sites 90 miles apart in western Maryland has been cancelled. “After review, it has been determined not to pursue the consolidation of certain mail processing operations at the Cumberland Main Post Office,” the Postal Service wrote to APWU President William Burrus of the proposal to consolidate some activities into the Frederick P&DF. [read more]
St. Petersburg Consolidation to Proceed
(05/03/07) The Postal Service has notified the APWU that it will implement plans to shift some mail-processing operations from the St. Petersburg (FL) Processing and Distribution Center to the Tampa P&DC. Citing declining mail volume at the St. Petersburg facility, postal management claims the move will result in “significant savings” for the USPS. [read more]
Twin Falls, Cape Cod Consolidations Stopped
(04/25/07) The APWU has been notified that the Postal Service has decided not to pursue the consolidation of some mail-processing operations at the Twin Falls (ID) Customer Service Mail Processing Center into the Boise P&DC, and has also halted the consolidation of cancellation operations at the Cape Cod (MA) P&DC. [read more]
Bloomington, Two Upstate New York
AMPs Halted; Bronx Study in Limbo
(Updated 04/17/07) The APWU received notice recently that consolidations of mail-processing operations in Watertown and Binghamton, NY, and Bloomington, IN, no longer are being considered, and that the Area Mail Processing study in the Bronx may be on hold. “After preliminary review, it has been determined that there are currently no significant opportunities to improve efficiency or service through consolidation of mail processing operations" in Watertown and Binghamton, Postal Service management wrote in April 13 and April 17 letters. “Therefore, no changes will be made at this time.” Similar language appears in a March 23 letter regarding the AMP study in Bloomington, although the review there is described as “exhaustive” rather than “preliminary.” [read more] | [APWU May/June magazine article]
USPS Abandons a Dozen AMPs
(03/01/07) The Postal Service cancelled 12 Area Mail Processing studies early this year, a direct result, APWU President William Burrus said, of the efforts of postal workers and community leaders. “They have demanded that individuals and small businesses continue to receive the postal services they deserve,” he said. “We are pleased that so many of these ill-advised studies have been abandoned.” [read more]
USPS Abandons Nine More AMP Studies
(02/12/07) The Postal Service has notified the APWU that it has cancelled nine more Area Mail Processing studies. In a statement on Feb. 9, the Postal Service told the APWU that “it has been determined that there are currently no significant opportunities to improve efficiency or service through consolidation of mail processing operations” in: Carroll, IA; Glenwood Springs, CO; Hutchinson, KS; McCook, NE; Sheridan and Wheatland, WY; Fox Valley, IL; and Bryan and McAllen, TX. [read more]
Postal Service Cancels Another AMP Study
(01/29/07) The APWU won another battle in the fight against misguided “network realignment” plans when the USPS announced the end of a study aimed at consolidating mail processing operations in Yakima (WA) with those in Pasco, 85 miles away. Saying that the proposed consolidation would not result in improved service or efficiency, the Postal Service announced on Jan. 22 that the Area Mail Processing study begun in December 2005 would not be completed. The central Washington city of Yakima will keep its mail processing operations and its postmark. [read more]
Two Consolidation Studies Scrapped
(01/18/07) The U.S. Postal Service announced in early January that it was calling off plans to move some North Carolina mail-processing operations from Kinston to Fayetteville; in Montana a week later, Sen. Max Baucus (D) announced that plans to move mail-processing from Helena, the state capital, to Great Falls also had been abandoned. [read more]
Anti-Consolidation Resolution Introduced
(01/12/07) In a demonstration of the growing level of concern over the Postal Service’s consolidation plans, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) introduced a non-binding resolution on Jan. 7 seeking to ensure “a maximum degree of effective and regular postal service to all communities.” [read more]
Rate Commission Assails USPS Consolidation Plan
(12/22/06) In a blistering criticism of the Postal Service’s Evolutionary Network Development strategy, the Postal Rate Commission concluded that the “record does not provide assurance tha the proposed realignment program will meet its declared goals. In particular, the record reflects flawed or absent information on certain crucial aspects of the Postal Service's plan for realignment.” [read more]
Portland APWU Rains
on Potter’s Parade
Maine Officials Honor Union Picket
 |
(11/09/06) When the Postal Service announced a ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 2 to celebrate the grand opening of an $82 million mail-processing center in Scarborough, ME, it expected that distinguished guests, such as Maine’s U.S. senators, would be pleased to be guests of honor. What USPS officials didn’t expect was an APWU protest — and that became much bigger news that the event itself. [read more]
Postmaster General Gets Noisy Greeting
 |
(11/01/06) With chants of “Save Our Service” and other messages protesting USPS policies locally and nationwide, more than 100 APWU members protested Postmaster General John E. Potter’s early October visit to a downtown San Antonio hotel. “The US Post Service was created to serve all citizens and not just big special interests,” said Alex Aleman, president of the San Antonio Alamo Area Local. “It’s supposed to be based on customer service and demand, not on a computer program.” [read more]
 |
Protests of Ill-Advised Plans
Expand in Number, Size, Impact
With a nationwide day of picketing representing both a crest and a continuing wave of protest, APWU locals continue to press the Postal Service for accountability in its plans to consolidate postal facilities across the country. The picketing was part of the APWU’s campaign to expose the poorly conceived — and often well-hidden — network realignment plans and the serious negative impact they would have on mail service for consumers’ and small businesses. [read more]
APWU Nationwide |
Thousands of Postal Workers
Protest Ill-Conceived USPS Plans
(10/26/06) In a nationwide day of picketing Oct. 26, APWU locals across the country protested Postal Service policies that put the demands of corporate advertising mailers ahead of the needs of individual postal customers and small businesses. The picketing was part of the APWU’s campaign to expose the poorly conceived — and often well-hidden — network realignment plans and the serious negative impact they would have on mail service for consumers’ and small businesses.
[read more]
APWU Locals Prepare
For Nationwide Day of Picketing
(10/25/06) Momentum has been building for the APWU nationwide day of picketing to be held Thursday, Oct. 26, at locations across the country. The picketing will highlight the potentially damaging effects of the Postal Service’s plans to consolidate postal facilities and expose USPS policies of catering to big mailers at the expense of individual customers and small businesses. [read more]
OIG Report Criticizes Pasadena Consolidation
(10/23/06) A report by the USPS Office of the Inspector General concluded that the cost savings projected by the Postal Service for the consolidation of a California mail processing facility “may be significantly overstated, and the service impacts are not fully described.” The report on the Area Mail Processing (AMP) plan for the Pasadena Processing and Distribution Center, dated Sept. 26, 2006, also found that “the approval process was not consistently followed, notifications to stakeholders were not issued in a timely manner, and the implementation of the AMP differed from the proposal” that postal managers had approved. [read more]
Nationwide Solidarity Display Set for Oct. 26
Day of Picketing to Expose
Ill-Advised Consolidation Plan
(10/05/06) In accordance with a resolution adopted by delegates to the union’s 18th Biennial Convention, the APWU National Executive Board has selected Oct. 26 for a nationwide day of picketing to protest ill-advised postal consolidations. The coordinated informational picketing is intended to spotlight the potentially damaging effects of the USPS consolidation plan, and to expose how Postal Service policy panders to major mailers. The Oct. 26 date was selected to give local unions the opportunity to seek support from elected officials and candidates prior to Election Day, Nov. 7. [read more] | [click here for materials]
APWU Asks U.S. Lawmakers
to
Support
Citizens’ Right
to
Be Heard on Consolidation
(09/21/06) In a letter sent to every member of Congress, APWU President William Burrus asked legislators to support citizens’ efforts to be part of the debate about plans to realign the nation’s mail-processing network. “The Postal Service has failed to consider the concerns of the American people, denied them the information necessary to determine if the revised network will meet their needs, and excluded them from having real input in the decision-making process,” Burrus wrote. [full story]
PRC Testimony:
USPS Rate Proposal Shifts More Costs
From Major Mailers to Individual Customers
(09/14/06) Analyzing the Postal Service’s own data, APWU testimony before the Postal Rate Commission has demonstrated that proposed increases in the price of postage would expand a controversial USPS policy — shifting costs from large corporate mailers to small businesses and individual citizens. [full story]
Testimony: USPS Fails
In Effort to Get
Input on Consolidation
(09/07/06) In testimony submitted to the Postal Rate Commission on behalf of the APWU on Sept. 1, Margaret L. Yao, an expert and senior associate at AmericaSpeaks, sharply criticized the USPS for failing to adequately consult with the public on its network consolidation plan. [read more]
USPS Tries to Keep It Secret –
But the APWU Takes It Public
(09/01/06) The Postal Service was forced to acknowledge in testimony to the Postal Rate Commission (PRC) in July that nearly a year ago it had compiled a list of 139 facilities that were being considered “potential candidates” for consolidation. The USPS provided the list to the PRC on July 25. David Williams, who coordinates the Area Mail Processing program at USPS headquarters, revealed the existence of the list during cross-examination on July 19. He testified that the list of facilities was part of the Evolutionary Network Development (END) initiative, and was generated in September 2005. It identified facilities that postal headquarters wanted regional managers to consider for possible inclusion in the program, he said. [read more]
Delegates Protest Consolidation
Nationwide Deterioration
In Service Spurs Rally at Post Office
 |
(8/18/06) Nearly 3,000 blue T-shirt-clad APWU union members sent a strong and unified message to the Postal Service Thursday, as they surrounded what used to be the Philadelphia Processing and Distribution Center at a rally protesting failing service and mismanaged network realignment programs.
[read more]
APWU Convention Delegates
To Protest Decline in Service
(08/15/06) Postal workers will take to the streets of Philadelphia on Aug. 17, in a rally at the 30th Street Post Office to protest the dramatic deterioration in mail service that is the result of ill-advised postal policies that can — and should — be changed. [read more]
Postal Service Feels the |
Postal Service Drops Plans
To Consolidate Illinois Facility
(08/02/06) In a major win for the APWU and a northern Illinois community, the Postal Service has terminated its plan to move mail-sorting operations and as many as 100 jobs out of Rockford’s main post office. “This is a colossal victory for the people and the hard-working postal employees whose jobs were threatened by this consolidation plan,” said U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo (R), who had worked with community and union leaders in opposition to the proposal. [read more]
Postal Workers Warn of Service Delays
Under USPS ‘Consolidation’ Plan
Postal Service Forced to
Disclose
Plans Targeting 139 Facilities
(07/31/06) Postal workers are warning customers to expect week-long delays in mail delivery under a Postal Service plan to close parts of mail processing facilities across the nation. Last week, the USPS was forced to reveal a secret list targeting 139 sorting facilities across the nation for consolidation.... The Postal Service’s revelation coincides with the launch of a major advertising campaign by the American Postal Workers Union, representing 300,000 USPS employees. [press release]
USPS Lists 139 Facilities
As ‘Potential Candidates’ for Consolidation
(07/31/06) The Postal Service was forced to acknowledge in testimony to the Postal Rate Commission (PRC) in July that nearly a year ago it had compiled a list of 139 facilities that were being considered “potential candidates” for consolidation. Until July 25, 2006, the Postal Service had failed to provide a comprehensive list of sites under consideration. The USPS first announced the consolidation of some operations in October 2005 and has notified the APWU of only 40 facilities for consolidation “feasibility studies,” most of which are included among the 139 facilities. [read more]
Union Launches Ad Campaign
To Combat USPS Network Consolidation
(07/26/06) The APWU is taking its grassroots campaign against USPS “network realignment” to a new level by airing radio and television ads that warn of week-long delays in mail delivery. Broadcast advertising began July 26, with radio and television commercials running in Beaumont (TX), Bloomington (IN), Cumberland (MD), St. Petersburg (FL), and Yakima (WA), cities where APWU activists have already taken steps to inform citizens about the negative effect USPS network consolidation plans will have on mail service for individual postal customers and small businesses. [read more]
Our Action Plan to Fight Consolidation
(07/01/06) The specter of excessing has loomed large in postal workers’ lives seemingly forever, and its possibility is always a source of anxiety to the rank and file. That’s why management’s concerted effort to consolidate postal services in every corner of the country could be — unless we step up to the plate to battle it — a form of institutional excessing, with the lives of thousands of postal workers and their families disrupted. [read more]
Senior Florida Congressman
Challenges St. Petersburg Consolidation
(06/26/06) U.S. Rep. Bill Young (R-FL) has asked Postmaster General John E. Potter to respond to a detailed list of questions that challenge the Postal Services’ plan to shift mail processing operations from the St. Petersburg Processing & Distribution Center to the Tampa P&DC. Young asked Potter to postpone any further decisions about the merger of operations until the USPS provides more information and community leaders have an opportunity to study it. [read more]
Iowa’s U.S. Delegation
Pushes
USPS to ‘Get Its Act Together’
(06/23/06) At the request of Iowa’s U.S. senators and Rep. Steve King (R), the USPS Inspector General’s office has agreed to conduct an audit of the Area Mail Processing study of the Sioux City Processing & Distribution Facility. King made the announcement about the audit plan last week, after he, Sen. Tom Harkin (D), and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) met with the Postal Service IG to discuss the report, which is expected to take months. [read more]
Five Consolidations Cancelled
USPS: ‘No Significant
Opportunities
to Improve Service’
(05/24/06) The APWU has been notified that the proposed consolidation of “certain operations” at five postal facilities in the Northeast Area has been cancelled, because they present no substantial opportunities to improve efficiency or service. The five facilities are: Utica (NY) Processing & Distribution Facility, Plattsburgh (NY) Post Office, Burlington (VT) P&DF, Springfield (MA) Processing & Distribution Center, Portsmouth (NH) P&DF. [read more]
19 Congressmen Express
Concern About ‘Consolidation’
(05/04/06) At the urging of the APWU, 19 members of Congress whose constituents would be affected by USPS “network realignment” plans expressed concern about the program in a May 1, 2006, letter to U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker. The letter urged the GAO to follow up on its 2005 report on the USPS realignment strategy, which the agency concluded, “lacks sufficient transparency and accountability, excludes stakeholder input, and lacks performance measures for results.” [read more]
 |
| Guy Cruz, Olympia Local treasurer, at a rally in April. |
Consumers, Workers, Legislators:
The People Demand to Be Heard
(05/01/06) It didn’t take long for postal consumers and workers to react — and strongly — to the long-expected postal network consolidation that began in bits and pieces last fall. Shortly after the USPS announced that it was consolidating “some operations” at about a dozen processing and distribution facilities, and conducting Area Mail Processing feasibility surveys at approximately 40 others, APWU members and members of the public began to demand answers and accountability. And the campaign to fight consolidation is being coordinated with a grass-roots effort of individual citizens, community organizations, small businesses, and elected officials on all levels. [read more]
APWU Asks District Court
To Put Consolidation On Hold
(04/25/06) The APWU filed a complaint in U.S. District Court on April 21, charging that the Postal Service violated the Postal Reorganization Act in implementing its “network realignment” plan, known as Evolutionary Network Development (END). The complaint seeks a judgment that management violated the 1970 law, as well as an injunction against future violations. [read more]
PTFs in Small Offices
(04/24/06— Question submitted to "Ask the President")
What are the union’s plan to assist with conversion of PTFs in Associate Offices?
[President Burrus' Response]
Members of Congress Ask GAO
To Address Consolidation Concerns
(04/11/06) Echoing union criticisms of the USPS network consolidation plan, four key members of Congress expressed “concerns about the way the USPS is carrying out” the program, in a letter to the Government Accountability Office. “While we recognize the USPS may need to consolidate its facilities…,” the March 27 letter said, “... we are not convinced that USPS is following the recommendations made” in GAO’s 2005 report on consolidation. The 2005 study concluded that the USPS “strategy for realigning its mail-processing infrastructure lacks clarity, criteria, and accountability.” [read more]
Five Consolidation Studies Put ‘On Hold’
(04/06/06) The APWU has been notified that five Area Mail Processing (AMP) feasibility studies “have been placed on hold” indefinitely. An April 3 USPS notice to APWU President William Burrus indicated that the facilities involved are two in Illinois (Carbondale and Centralia), two in New Mexico (Las Cruces and Alamogordo), and one in Arkansas (Batesville). “We have not been informed whether these decisions are the result of community resistance or technical issues involving appropriate management review and approval for the studies,” Burrus said. [read more]
Postal Rate Commission Rejects
USPS Proposal for Expedited Schedule
(03/28/06) The Postal Rate Commission (PRC) has rejected a USPS motion for expedited Rate Commission review of the Evolutionary Network Development (END) plan for consolidation of postal facilities. The ruling is a victory for the APWU, which opposed the fast-track timetable, and for citizens whose postal services will be negatively affected by changes to the USPS network. [read more]
Union Asks Legislators to Support
Public Input on USPS Consolidation
(03/27/06)The APWU has asked key legislators to support language in the Senate version of postal reform legislation that would require the Postal Service to consider community input when contemplating consolidation of postal operations. The language, offered by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), was adopted by the Senate when it approved the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act on Feb. 9, 2006. [read more]
National Executive Board Acts
To Fight Network Consolidation
Dues Assessment to Help Pay for Ad Campaign
(03/10/06) Vowing to do “everything in our power to thwart the Postal Service’s network realignment plan,” the union’s National Executive Board has voted to approve a $5 dues assessment. Spread out over two pay periods, the assessment will help pay for an advertising campaign designed to make the public more aware of the expected negative changes. “The plan was created without any input from the American people whose mail service will deteriorate,” said APWU President William Burrus. [read more]
Network Realignment Update
Public Supports Workers’ Efforts
To Preserve Service, Postmarks, Jobs
(03/01/06) Postal Service announcements of plans to consolidate “some operations” at mail processing facilities around the country have generated mostly unfavorable reactions from elected officials and consumers alarmed by the prospects of deteriorated customer service, the demise of historical postmarks, and the dislocation of citizens important to local economies. As part of an effort to get the Postal Service to reconsider plans to relocate major functions of local facilities, these same displeased officials and consumers — aided by APWU members — have been seeking the support of state and federal officials. [read more]
USPS Briefs APWU
On Plans to Realign Network
(02/15/06) The Postal Service provided a long-awaited outline of the Evolutionary Network Development (END) program in a meeting with APWU officers Feb. 14, 2006, the same day it submitted the plan to the Postal Rate Commission (PRC) for evaluation. The USPS is required by law to seek an advisory opinion from the PRC when it proposes to make changes in service that are national in scope. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Postal Service is also required to notify the union when a major relocation of employees is planned “due to the implementation of national postal mail networks.” [read more]
USPS ‘Network Realignment’ Update
Public Supports Workers’ Efforts
To
Preserve Service, Postmarks, Jobs
(01/25/06) From Waterbury to Waco, from western Pennsylvania to Pacific Palisades, public officials, consumers, and local businesses are expressing alarm at wide-ranging plans to consolidate “some operations” at postal facilities around the country. [read more]
The APWU and USPS Consolidation Plans
(01/18/06— Question submitted to "Ask the President") Why was the national APWU caught off guard by the USPS consolidation plans? The only time I know of that the APWU protested management’s refusal to provide the consolidation plan was during the first year of the contract extension. Why was there no follow-up? Why wasn’t legal action taken or a grievance filed? What is the national doing in regard to all the Area Mail Processing (AMP) studies? Grassroots efforts are fine, but what is the national union doing?
[President Burrus' response]
Consumers, Workers Get Glimpse Of Future Plans
Some Operations Consolidated
As ‘Network Realignment’ Begins
(01/03/06) To the consternation of the American public and APWU members, the Postal Service began making announcements late last year that it was consolidating “some operations” at approximately a dozen processing and distribution facilities, and conducting Area Mail Processing feasibility surveys at others.
The AMP studies are likely to result in additional instances of consolidation, and the APWU, at all levels, continues to press the Postal Service for details on its plans. [read more]
Realignment Plans Spark Controversies
Consumers, Postal Workers
Express Concerns About 'Consolidation'
(01/03/06) Postal Service announcements of plans to consolidate “some operations” at mail processing facilities around the country have generated interest in the press, as well as among elected officials and consumers. The reviews are almost universally unfavorable. The deterioration of customer service, the demise of historical postmarks, and the dislocation of citizens important to local economies are issues that seem to resonate with the media, legislators, and the public. [read more]
Stop the Presses!
USPS Kills Favorable Story About
Facility Targeted for Consolidation
(12/22/05) Why would the Postal Service decided against publishing an internally prepared story about one of its most productive facilities? According to Clint Burelson, president of the APWU local that includes employees of the extremely efficient Tumwater (WA) plant, there’s a very good reason: The plant is part of a consolidation plan and the good publicity might too easily result in, well, bad publicity. So the USPS-publication’s Tumwater tale has been put on hold. [read more]
Olympian Effort May Be Model
For Combatting Consolidation
(12/22/05) Activities by the Olympia (WA) Local in response to a plan to move the city’s mail processing to Tacoma (a much larger city 30 miles away) may prove to be a model for other APWU locals fighting consolidation. The Olympia local has taken its message to the public – and loudly – and has challenged each claim the Postal Service has made. [read more]
Postal Operations Identified
For Consolidation or Study
(11/22/05) The APWU has received notification from the USPS that some operations at the facilities listed would be consolidated, or that the facilities would be the subject of AMP (Area Mail Processing) studies. [read more]
Consolidation of USPS Network Begins
(11/21/05) Recently, the union received notification from the USPS of the planned consolidation of “some operations” at 10 offices one week, followed by a dozen more several weeks later. “The APWU will respond with all available resources,” APWU President William Burrus said in a Nov. 17 Update to local and state presidents. “A group of resident officers has been empanelled to coordinate the APWU response, including activating and updating APWU plans that were developed and distributed to local and state presidents in 2003.”
[read more]
Consolidation Begins in Bits and Pieces
(11/17/05) The long-expected USPS network consolidation has begun in bits and pieces, with individual offices now being notified of changes to their mail processing operations. Over the past several weeks the union has received notification from the USPS of the planned consolidation of “some operations” at 10 offices one week, followed by a dozen more the following week. [read more]
Locals Threatened with Consolidation
Are Urged to Act to Protect Jobs, Service
(10/25/05) APWU President William Burrus has written to 17 local presidents, notifying them of USPS plans to consolidate some mail processing operations in facilities represented by their locals, and providing them with material to help protect jobs and service in their communities. [read more]
GAO Criticizes USPS Network Consolidation Strategy
(05/18/05) The U.S. Postal Service plan for consolidating its mail processing and distribution network lacks “clarity, criteria, and accountability,” a recent report by the Government Accountability Office concluded.
The agency’s study, conducted at the request of members of the House Government Reform Committee, also found that the USPS has failed to clearly communicate its network realignment plans to the mailing industry, employee groups, and Congress. [read more]
