The PMG announced yesterday that nearly 3,700 additional Post Offices would be studied for closure.
That means that nearly 1 in 9 Post Offices could be shuttered within a few months.
This is being proposed because of the current fiscal crisis that sees us losing $8.5 billion this year and capping out at our max borrowing on Sept. 30.
We've already suspended FERS contributions and have threatened not to make the retiree health care prepayment mandated by the 2006 Postal Law.
All of this would be made right if:
* Congress would allow us to deliver less than six days a week
* The retiree health care prepayment requirement were lifted.
Additionally, CSRS and FERS have both been overfunded, according to the OIG.
What do you think about this annoucement? Will this get the attention of Congress?
Care to comment?
47 comments:
Post Office closures always get the attention of Congress, because they hear from their constituents and must respond. I think this is more than just a gesture to get Congress' attention, however, and that some locations probably do need to -- and will -- close down.
if it get's so much attention from congress why are all of these offices being closed. it is all political and what they can get out of the deal and forget about the small guy that get's screwed in the end. congress is not helping us and neither are the state reps. the unemployment rate will go up even more people will be out of work!!!!!
Oh so it is blackmail you say......
In France we have many Post Office closure too. In 10 years some places far from the big towns won't get any letters i'm afraid.
Maybe instead of closing offices they should look into cutting the salaries of the top dogs like Donahoe.
It will certainly get someone's attention. The USPS needs to look at all of it's options if it is going to remain viable.
We can no longer call ourselves the United States Postal SERVICE. The term Postal SYSTEM more clearly defines us now. Providing good quality service to our patrons (which was once a top priority)is now unimportant and providing service to rural communities will soon be a thing of the past...the new "Village Post Office" concept, please are they serious?
So we close stations. We still have to deliver to the same people. So we work out of 7-11's and Wal-Marts? Or maybe we all deliver out of one central facility? Those LLV's aren't getting any younger and they sure as shit aren't getting any better gas mileage.....
One more step closer to privatization?
there are interesting comments coming from employees is larger areas--working out of 7/11's & Walmarts. My closest 7/11 is 90 miles & Walmart is 45 miles! We have only one or 2 businesses large enough to put the PO into & that is only after the PO spends thousands of dollars revamping the stores! I agree the alphabet offices need to be closed but it is hard when you have banks and businesses to serve & you may not get any mail until noon or after--whenever the neighboring carrier (20 miles) brings your mail.
I think that after these closures, the PO needs to reascess their program.
Closing the smallest 10,000 post offices only affects 7/10 of 1 percent of the postal budget...this is not about money...it is about getting Washington's attention...or crippling rural, small town America even further. A large percentage of the rural/small town residents are elderly and handicapped...the very people who NEED a helpful, friendly face to help them with their mail - incoming AND outgoing. Shame on the people scaring these residents that may loose this SERVICE.
I'm interested in the breakdown of the percentages the PMG is putting out as from outside of Post Offices. I'll bet the majority is from USPS.COM and NOT from the stores selling stamps. Closing all these offices is just going to drive MORE people to the internet and reduce income even more. I'm beginning to wonder if he was put in office to destroy the Postal Service so private industry can step in. Do you really want non-postal employees, probably at minimum wage, handling your checks, medicines, etc?
Turning our work over to store clerks is not the way to maintain our image as a viable and necessary service! What about the sanctity of the mail? We have always prided ourselves with being the most trusted government agency in the country, primarily because postal workers take their jobs seriously and work to protect the mail. We will lose this with the "village post offices", I'm afraid. And where is the universal service? They will only offer the bare minimum of services. The cost savings is not there, so it must be a political maneuver. The beginning of the end?
This isn't a scare tactic to get congress's attention. This is real and it is going to continue to happen. I understand from a business point what needs to be done. What I don't understand from a business point is how alienating 4000 communities and who knows how many people is good business practice and will "draw in" custmers? I am one of the office being discontinued in December, Merry Christmas to us, and my customers aren't going to use the PO in a neighboring town. They are going to use UPS and FedEX in the neighboring town.
Hey, I'm all for Village Post Offices . . . NOT! Do you people not get that these "Post Offices" will NOT be run by USPS? They will be run by third parties, so those who are being downsized will NOT be getting the Village Post Office jobs. Why are the higher ups trying to kill the United States Postal Service?
I think we have to think like any other business...if you can't pay the bills with revenue you close the doors. If small communities want to keep their post office they need to support it (which doesn't mean buying one stamp once a month). Village post offices??? Really? I know what kind of service I get from our Walmart and if that is what the postal service is going to be all about I am switching to electronic bill pay, more emails, and Fed Ex.
One of the criteria for an office to be considered for closing is if there is no assigned postmaster. Well? Who's fault is it that these vacant positions have not been filled?? Seems like maybe this was the plan all along....
Funny thing happened in Arkansas. Some office were slated for closure and the Postal Service sent reps to a "Town Meeting"with the local people. They told the people that there would be a study of months before a decision was made. Two weeks later, the Representative in Congress for that area receive a letter that the offices would be closed. They had already made up their minds and are using the fiscal crisis to do what they had been unable to do, close offices because they aren't profitable. But US law specifically prevents that. "No small post office shall be closed solely for operating at a deficit, it being the specific intent of the Congress that effective postal services be insured to residents of both urban and rural communities." 39 USC 101 - Sec. 101
The guidelines for office closure changed last week- they now allow office with Postmasters in them to be close. Your comment about the vacant positions not being filled- is due to the fact that these positions were never opened- that may have been part of the plan all along....
"The Postal Service shall provide a maximum degreee of effective and regular postal services to rural areas, communities and small towns where Post Offices are not self-sustaining. No small Post Ofice shall be closed for operating at a deficit, it being the intent of Congress that the effective postal services be insured to residents of both urban and rural communities."
What part of this portion of Title 39 of the CFR is so hard to understand? Village post offices and HCR delivery do not "effective postal services" make.
Sanctity of the mail will be gone. I love USPS and that is what I worry about. Will the kid behind the counter decide he might like to keep that box? Will he forget it's there and not get it sent out? I'm sorry, I know there are a lot of good folks out there, but I have seen time and time again the lack of attention in the youngest working generation.
Also, just who is going to pick up the mail from these village offices?
Do you really think Congress is paying attention right now to us? They have a much bigger issue to deal with at the moment.
There are lots of good thought provoking comments from the people that walk the talk in the comments above. I, too, am a small office (11) that is on the list and I am a Postmaster. First, the DUO hit and I lost my big route so now I will be downsized and possibly closed. I will have patrons that will be over 25 miles to the nearest PO if my office is closed and that is to a level 16 that does not have much for stores or reasons for people to go there other then to the PO, gas or groceries. The route is now so big many will not get their mail during the fall, winter and spring months of bad weather because of snow and mud making roads impassable. These are gravel roads that are maintained by the townships and county until they are out of money and then it is left to each patron to find there own way out. My patrons understand that revenue is the driving issue behind closing these small offices and service declining. The thing they don't understand is that rural America needs mail service for medicine and repairs for machinery etc. and they are willing to pay for this service. If the rural customers payed $25.- $50. a year for the service and the towns kept the town people in the PO Box section and they payed for their PO Box yearly we could easily pick up enough revenue to maintain the integrity and service that the United States Postal Service is meant to provide.
The wording for Title 39 was ammended so that USPS could close offices which are underutilized.
Make no mistake, Donohoe intends to CLOSE offices, he has stated numerous times only 15,000 will be open in 5 years.
Why is this not considered a RIF? Why are these employees not being offered the same VERA opportunities as were the cronies at Headquarters, Area, and District offices? Even that was extended to supervisors on the east coast, since there were little opportunities for those employees. The handwriting is definitely on the wall - in PINK.
My office is one of the targets. I have been on detail to another office for over 2 years, but come December I will be out of a job. My feelings are the same towards the Village PO concept, once retired I will not give USPS my support.
After 24 years of service, working in all capacities, carrier, clerk, supervisor, and management - Mr Donohoe has decided I am of no value to this organization.
I wonder who will step up to volunteer for all the additional assignments I have? No one so far.
Thank you for your loyalty, BOSS. I wonder how you would feel if the President decided YOUR services were no longer of value?
First of all there are probably some offices on the list that maybe should be closed. That being said and with the saving's from closing the small offices almost nothing what are we really doing. The Postal Service is a vast network and you can't cut off mass portions of that network and expect it to continue to operate as usual. Also the customers in all area's are just as important as the customers in urban area's and Washington. I also understand what we are up against with the current leadership in the House of Representatives, they obviously don't care about the average american or the american worker.
It's hardly a profitable situation when the ones doing the work retire, we can do without someone to replace them, but when a VP retires they are replaced almost immediately. Anyone ever heard of too many chiefs and not enough Indians?
Our Postmaster General says that people don't want a "physical building" anymore for their post office. He has obviously lost touch with rural America. I'm sure that does apply in the city but try telling that to those of us who live in a small town. Then to add insult to injury, which offices are being closed down? Yes small town America! Why can't we start at the top instead of the bottom? So frustrating!! The village PO idea is a slap in the face to postmasters. Obviously will be no need for us if all business takes place in Walmarts and convenience stores.
What are the postal unions doing about all of this. So far all I've read involves finger pointing at Donahoe and congress. Why aren't all of the due paying union members calling the reps out on this one. What kind of kick backs are they taking that they let this happen? Why are we calling and screaming at them? Just think of the money you'ld have in savings if you bought bonds or IRAs with the union dues you paid. Just wondering.
I second the suggestion that everyone pay something for their mail service. When we started giving free box rent I thought it was rediculous and all the 1/4 mile rules are laughable. Phone service is not free, utility service is not free, why should mail service be free??? I also agree about the "village post office" are the people running it going to know all the rules and regulations that we have to follow? I have been a postal employee for almost 26 years and still learn new things each day so now we are going to hand over our duties to someone with no training that doesn't care whether they do it right or not.
It is understandable that from a business point closing small offices will help the financial situation, it won't fix it, but everything that can be done has to be done. It's like saying, "My phone bill is $50 but I only have $10 left in my checking. So, I won't pay the bill this month because I can't pay the whole amount? Does that make sense? No. I do agree that the integrity of USPS and the sanctity and security of the mail is ready to be dealt a huge blow that it will never recover from. That will happen when the "Village Post Office" comes into play.
Wow, wonderful, insightful comments. I, too, feel this is the end of the USPS. I hate to think our new PMG had this planned from the start, but it sure looks like it. My PO is on the "list" and we're 60 miles from the nearest town with a PO. Many of my customers are 25 mi. further out
and this will alienate them and drive them to UPS and Fed Ex. How sad. The Village PO is a ridiculous and dishonest idea. They're not making clear that all they'll be able to do is sell stamps and accept Flat Rate Priority parcels. They won't have to learn the many rules and regulations we deal with because they won't be offering those services.
To the individual who wondered where the unions are in all of this, most of the people affected are not union employees.
We are management employees, as managemnt, our organizations only have "consulting" priviledges with USPS Headquarters. We can ask, they can say no.
I agree with prior postings, this is another step toward privitaztion of USPS. First the 1-800#, then HR, and now directly to the SERVICE part of the organization.
I remember someone commenting about Post Offices in other countries, they are in small businesses. Except for a few of the larger "hub" offices, that will be the future of USPS.
Postmasters are Non-bargining employees. We cannot be part of any unions.
Our PMG has stated that the "Village Post Office" will help local businesses because they have suffered with the economic downturn. Since when has it been the United States Postal Services' job to worry about the revenue of private businesses? It would be best if USPS was back under the "wing" of the government. If they are going to sit back and dictate how it operates then they should be footing the entire bill for it along with the taxpayers that insist that we deliver free of charge nationwide to everyone.
Almost 3 million dollars a year could be save by elimination of just one position, that of the Senior Manager of Post Office Operations.
How many small offices could be retained which actually provide a service to real customers and put a face to the United States Postal Service?
Anonymous...No one makes that kind of money in the PO. No one.
sorry for the confusion.
I meant each District has a SrMPOO. Wonder how many business connects they each are required to do a month.
Did "Anonymous" mean all MPOO positions, not just one Senior
Manager? I think most Postmasters would agree that we don't need MPOO's scolding us and reminding us to complete reports we do automatically and forwarding reports from Area and Headquarters that we received 3 minutes earlier.
Lots of redundant supervising that we don't need.
With all of the consolidations and office closings, they will not need as many MPOOS (Postmaster bosses for those not used to USPS accronyms).
They are working themselves out of a job. While we are at it, let's get rid of all the districts and just keep 4 Areas (north, south, east, west). Pretty soon, we will not need them either, just Headquarters to oversee all of the "Villages." Goodbye, USPS.
In reference to the fact that most of the PO's under study to be closed are rural, how very sad. Not only for the employees and the communities but for our country in general. Many ranchers and farmers depend on these rural offices for their businesses. Farming and ranching which was once the heart of our country is taking yet another blow. How very sad to see the history and herritage of the rural Post Office wiped out like it never existed. And for what? The customers who currently use them will now have to travel unreasonable amounts of miles for shipping services. I guarantee you that they will be bitter and therefore the USPS will be their last choice when it comes to chosing a service. It seems this will cost the USPS, not save them. If closing PO's is neccessary, why not close larger offices in cities that have multiple locations. Yes, the customers may be inconvenienced in having to drive a few extra blocks, but most rural customers will have to drive far MORE than a few extra MILES! In addition, I believe it would save the USPS more money than closing the rural offices will. Rural America is already in danger due to being overlooked in uncountable ways. Closing rural PO's is a huge loss in the battle to keep rural America alive.
Wow! I am impressed with the quality of thought-provoking comments on this postal blog. I wish I had been able to read it on the day it was first published. RE: union members. There will be several changes for union workers as a result of the changes needed after these closings. Unfortunately, those of you in EAS positions in small offices will be hit first, but it will trickle back to those of us who work in plants who service rural offices as well. Even though the unions will fight, they won't win. If congress agreed to an "amendment" of Title 39 without blinking an eye, then I predict the down-hill slide will only get steeper and faster for USPS.
a bailout should cure things for the status quo...
Does our new Postmaster General hold stock in UPS, FedEx ???? He seems to be turning the lights off pretty fast on our company.
Sadly we don't know the truth of why the small PO are being targeted. Are they a pawn to get Congress to tackle the Postal System crisis now that the country's debt has been worked out for now? Or is it that we can not sustain leaving facilities open that sadly are not supported by the revenue generated by the office. If it cost our company $80,000 in rent, utilities, operating cost and salary to have a office open and we only get $25,000 in revenue can we afford to leave the office open? I would never adovcate reducing the salary of these small PO but if we paid the PM say $25,000 to keep their Post Office would they take the deal? How about eliminating the Franking prievelges Congress gets, getting reimbursed for non-profit organization mailing, or working with the federal government to use the Postal Service for it's mailing needs. Most federal agency use UPS and FedEx to move their packages. Let's be realistic something or many things needs to be done.
There is a small grocery store next to this office. Some day someone is going to tell them that they will pay them $10,000 a year to run a CPU and they will jump on it...thinking its an easy ten G's. Then the USPS will come in and make them do the same standard of work that they are paying us, doing all the logs, scans, ect...and they will get mad. I will laugh if once they close down all the PO's and these guys get smart and come back and ask for $20,000 or they will close their doors!!
The Village concept will not offer all of the services current Post Offices have, only stamps and prepaid flat rate packaging. With the Aviation guidelines, won't that packaging need to be paid for with a credit card? Then the Village will also need a USPS scanner/cradle to link the packaging to the customer in case there is an issue with the shipment. I guess there will be plenty available with the office closures.
When this story came out in our local newspaper, I was sad to see that one of the offices that are being studied is not in a rural area, but in fact in the city. Unfortunately, a part of the city that is poorer and people might not be able to travel farther to get to the "nearest" post office. It is also in the middle of a food desert. The bus system is deplorable. Some of the more elderly people may not have computer access. These offices need to be there because they are a little more easily attainable. We live in a crazy world.
Here's a thought: How many PO's across the nation have those Zee Medical First Aid boxes in them? I just got a $70 bill for almost nothing on mine. Lets save some money and get rid of these. We can have the same thing at a huge discount. I took the itemized list from Zee and ran a comparitive order from an online company: $40 instead of $70!
Post a Comment