NAPUS: PRC Monitoring USPS Post Office Suspension Process

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From eNAPUS Legislative & Political Bulletin (PDF)

PRC Issues Compliance Determination and Keeps Tabs on Postal Suspensions

On Monday, the Postal Regulatory Commission issued its Fiscal Year 2008 Annual Compliance Determination. The Report is required under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PL 109-435) and reviews the Postal Service’s Annual Compliance Report that details financial and service data.

The Report recognized that the Postal Service is operating under economic duress, experiencing a $2.8 billion loss during FY 2008. The PRC acknowledged four factors that played a role in the USPS dire financial position: the $5.6 billion retiree health care pre-funding health payment; a 9.5 billion piece decline in mail volume from the previous year; a 0.5% decline in postal productivity, the first time in 9 years, despite a reduction of 50 million work- hours; and an increase in operating revenue of a paltry 0.2%, despite a May 2008 postage increase of 2.9%. Ironically, at the same time that the USPS has been laboring under serious fiscal threat, service for measured-mail improved.

Besides general data and performance issues, the PRC addressed two concerns that NAPUS raised during last year’s Universal Service Obligation (USO) hearings and, again, as part of our Reply Comments to the USPS Compliance Report. First, NAPUS took exception to comments filed by the PRC’s “Public Representative” that seemed to endorse the privatization of particular postal services, including retail postal operations. The Compliance Determination notes, “NAPUS argued that the Public Representative’s proposal to sell post offices is counter to current public policy and requirements of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. In fact, NAPUS characterizes the proposal as an effort to privatize the Postal Service.”

NAPUS was particularly pleased that the PRC has taken a significant interest in “temporary emergency” Post Office suspensions. For years, NAPUS Post Office Closing and Consolidations Chairman Betty Eickler has found that the USPS has abused the “temporary emergency” post office suspensions process to circumvent the due process protections afforded to local communities when the USPS elects to commence a post office closing. (In response to a PRC request, on September 22, 2008, PMG Potter sent a letter to the Commission that listed 186 suspensions.) Earlier this year, Betty Eickler communicated this concern to the PRC, and in its response, the PRC indicated it would discuss the matter of temporary suspension with the USPS. Moreover, in the Determination Report, the PRC reference that these “temporary” suspensions have “in many cases been pending for many years.” This phenomenon was supposed to have been addressed by the “official” post office suspension procedure, to which the USPS and the postmaster organization agreed nine years ago. Regrettably, too many times, USPS flouts the process. Consequently, the PRC FY 2008 Annual Compliance Determination includes the following:

The Commission expects that those communities impacted by a suspension and/or closing are allowed to voice their opinions and concerns and that the Postal Service will be responsive to those needs. In future Annual Compliance Reports the Commission requests that the Postal Service provide updates on the disposition of any emergency suspensions as well as post office closings …

PO Closings and Consolidations Chair Eickler is monitoring the situation

9 thoughts on “NAPUS: PRC Monitoring USPS Post Office Suspension Process”

  1. Give all postmasters early out incentives, 10,000 minutes worth of phone cards and maybe an X-box, so they can feel they are still at work!! Then just have the PMR’s run the office. They are pretty much the one’s running it now anyway!! They are the ones doing all the crap jobs for the pm’s so the pm’s call stay current on all the P.O. gossip on the phone, computer and the get together and bitch meetings with other members P.O.’s and members of management. I say, let the p.o. go and save alot of money!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. PO just had to pay me another $600 for not following the contract again. heehee I likes my free money…

  3. claps,claps for “unbearable” Your statement says it all. I have been saying that for years. GOOD JOB

  4. Well said UNBEARABLE. But we both know that will never happen to many kiss asses in the PO.

  5. Well said UNBEARABLE. But we both know that will never happen to many kiss asses in the PO.

  6. Well said UNBEARABLE. But we both know that will never happen to many kiss asses in the PO.

  7. Well said UNBEARABLE. But we both know that will never happen to many kiss asses in the PO.

  8. Postal management continues to operate as if there are no rules or regulations that they have to adhere to. If anyone looked at the money they waste everyday ignoring the National Contracts they signed with the unions and started adding up the costs, then held their managers accountable by either demotions or firings, the money and time saved , as well as employee morale, would be enormous.

  9. Every community deserves a post office..Especially in those communities that are isolated and do not have any form of delivery to the house!

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