To consolidate the Uniform Allowance Program under one umbrella for Cost Management
To obtain sources for market research to support the U.S. Postal Service’s National Uniform Program. Under this effort, the successful Supplier shall be responsible for full program management of the Uniform Program (e.g. certifications, marketing, distribution, delivery) including manufacturing and providing all uniform items (e.g. dress uniforms, work clothes, accessories, foot wear, outer wear etc.).
via FebBizOpps
From the USPS Employee and Labor Relations (ELM) Manual
The Uniform Program consists of a number of types of clothing developed for various positions dependent on (a) the level of visibility to the public, (b) the type of work normally performed, and (c) the physical environment in which the employee normally works. The current categories are:
- Type 1 – city letter carriers, clerk/special delivery messengers, clerks performing city letter carrier duties, motor vehicle operators, tractor–trailer operators, driving instructors and examiners, letterbox mechanics, ramp clerks and transfer clerks, AMF, performing ramp clerk duties, area maintenance technician/specialists, maintenance mechanics working as letterbox mechanics (see 932.11h), passenger elevator operators, and elevator starters.
- Type 2 – employees assigned to retail operations.
- Type 3 – vehicle maintenance, custodial maintenance, mail handler, BMEU, and clerical employees eligible under 932.12 and 932.13.
- Type 4 – security force police officers.
- Type 5 – bargaining unit and nonbargaining unit medical personnel.
- Type 6 – supervisors.
LOL just noticed something else:
“…buy from a retired vendor who visits your station…”
If you’re retired, then you’re not an active vendor anymore (hence “retired”); if you’re visiting stations selling uniforms, then you’re not really retired, then, are you? :p
Jfa wrote on Wed, 25th May 2011 8:28 am
“Susana ….u are an in considerate (sic) fool…..buy from a retired vendor who visits your station….u go online u get seconds and stuff made ourtside (sic) the usa….
smartin (sic) up….see a vendor who is an ex postal employee…helf (sic) him or her to make a buck….better service and better quality…”
Help him make a buck? Why did he/she retire from the post office, then, if he/she needed to make a buck? I’m sure they make a commission, but we’re also allowed to say no if we choose to. What is this guilt trip from not buying from a guy just because he or she visits your station? What are we now, a new car dealership?
Yes, more personal and friendlier service, perhaps, but that’s true because you get what you paid for, and by paying more for the product (commission, shipping) you are paying for personal interaction and assistance, but better quality? I don’t know, aren’t all Elbeco and Fechheimer shirts the same? What about good ol’ American free market competition? God, I’m starting to sound like a conservative now…
“In considerate”? “Ourtside”? “Smartin’ up”? Are you sure you’re American? Even customer service representatives from India and other Asian countries write better than that! Is “smart” a verb now? Besides, if you actually read what susana wrote, you would notice that even though she didn’t buy it “from the guy that visits her station” (are there former carriers that visit EVERY station in the US?), she did point out that, BECAUSE it was delivered by UPS, that HAD SHE KNOWN THIS, WOULDN’T HAVE ORDERED FROM THEM. (She wrote “new” instead of “knew,” but I know what she meant.)
That said, unifying all items under one umbrella is bad business, because it would only lead to price gouging. We will be obligated to wear uniforms, but would have no choice except to buy it from one single company. (Imagine if you could only buy gasoline from Exxon because Exxon bought out everyone else. How does $20-30 per gallon gas sound? ) This spells disaster–except for the successful company that wins the bid to supply our uniforms. Make that “the lowest bidder.” You get what you pay for. Halliburton (and its subsidiary KBR) worked out great for our troops in Iraq, unless you were a soldier who got sick from contaminated drinking water or died from electrocution instead of actual combat.
@ #7 Toxic Donkey: +1
Anything is better than what we have now. Every time we get a 10% increase in allowance, prices go up 11%. I pay almost as much for a uniform shirt as I would for a designer shirt. And, the uniform guy isn’t always a retired Letter Carrier many are not and have no postal expreance. It’s very profitable, they are their getting anywhere from 16 to 18% comission on each sale some make more than a Letter Carrier per year. Not bad for only working two or three hours per day. Don’t forget they passon the shipping charges, plus mark-up we are only getting about 70% value for our allowance.
My Brother has a company that will be able to support all of the craft uniforms. And they are made from the strongest paper bags he can find
Jack Potter’s Uniform Company?
Joe: Why is susana obligated to support you? Perhaps she gets better products elsewhere or perhaps like me she has just never encountered any ex employee selling clothing in the 15 years I’ve been with USPS.
Maybe if you needed money so bad you should have worked a few more years.
Can I still steal supplies?
Stringent standards are already in place for manufacture, licensing and distribution of postal uniforms. Those eligible get a few Postal Bucks on a credit card through Citi Bank to purchase items from USPS approved vendors.
So, how is this new & wonderful big brother program going to get employees more clothing for the USPS Buck negotiated by our unions?
I don’t see how this benefits the P.O. unless Donnyhue plans on starting up the “Company Store” wherein there is one supplier for the Five Year Plan and the prices can be rigged so we get nothing for our clothing allotment.
Susana ….u are an in considerate fool…..buy from a retired vendor who visits your station….u go online u get seconds and stuff made ourtside the usa….
smartin up….see a vendor who is an ex postal employee…helf him or her to make a buck….better service and better quality….
shame on u for thinking of yourself and not others….
Joe….a retired carrier who has been visiting stations for over 20 years and I have hundreds of satisfied loyal customers…
i just use all my allowance and it was delivered to my home by UPS,I wouldnt use the company if i new this.Please make sure that the company ships usps
It means that one company will handle everything. You will no longer have a choice as to where you buy your uniforms from, there will be one national vendor.
What does this say (other than paraphrasing existing regs). Are they moving to a military type quartermaster disbursement system (preferable) or a non competitive preferred vendor program? Will the debit program remain intact or are they moving to a new payment system?