June 22, 2012
(Washington, D.C.) – In a letter sent today to the United States Postal Service, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) expressed their concern over the nature of recent postal service changes at the town postal unit in Sugar Hill.
Sugar Hill residents recently learned that retail postal service at the unit would be reduced to a single half-hour per day and that some services would be eliminated. The reduction was announced through a poster on the building’s front door, which told residents that the changes would be effective the very next day.
“We are concerned about both the nature of the changes in service and the manner in which they were made,” Shaheen and Ayotte wrote. “We urge you to consider holding a community meeting in the town to ensure that affected residents, government officials and small business owners can ask questions and offer their input about the future of retail postal service in Sugar Hill.”
Sugar Hill residents have voiced their concerns over the sudden nature of the changes and the lack of information provided by the Postal Service. In contrast to the regular process followed by the Postal Service in closing a full-service post office, residents did not get a chance to weigh in on how the changes would impact them.
The full text of the letter is below.
June 22, 2012
Ms. Deborah C. Essler
District Manager, Customer Service and Sales
Northern New England
United States Postal Service
151 Forest Ave, Suite 7022
Portland, ME 04101-7022
Dear District Manager Essler,
We recently learned that residents and small businesses in the town of Sugar Hill, New Hampshire have seen a sudden reduction in their access to retail postal services. On Friday, May 25, an announcement was posted on the door of the town’s postal unit, indicating that both the scope and length of daily retail service would be reduced. This change went into effect the following morning, giving the community less than 24 hours notice.
Last month, the USPS revised its retail network optimization strategy with a continued focus on ensuring that communities have a voice in the process. While we understand that this particular change in hours is the result of a pending collective bargaining dispute, we believe the town of Sugar Hill should also have an opportunity to make its concerns known.
We are concerned about both the nature of the changes in service and the manner in which they were made. We urge you to consider holding a community meeting in the town to ensure that affected residents, government officials, and small business owners can ask questions and offer their input about the future of retail postal service in Sugar Hill.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. If you have any questions, please contact Ben Kershaw with Senator Shaheen at (202) 224-2841 or Rob Seidman with Senator Ayotte at (202) 224-3324.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Shaheen Kelly Ayotte
U.S. Senator U.S. Senator
CC: Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe
Goofey was outraged that no one at USPS ran this by him and threatened to file grievances. Goofey reiterated that there would be NO VERA and that clerks dues would be increased to offset prior loss of members. Goofey announced that he would be retiring and taking the APWU Officer only Retirement Plan along with his Postal pension, Social Security and any other hush hush payout and golden parachute available to him. He stated he planned to establish a website to post his opinions on the watershed agreement. He also urged everyone to get their liquor orders in for the August National Bash/Pin Trading Event at LA where the Parade of States has been replaced with a Parade of Gays in celebration of that life choice. He then showed everyone the new LA pin that exhibits the letters “LA” with the gay rainbow over the city’s skyline.
She just got the memo on this? Where has she been?
Reduce delivery to 5 days a week Deal with the cause of loosing millions in providing 6 day street delivery. 195,000 vehicle and carrier work hours 6 days aweek is a wasted cost as the demand for this service is past history. Need to deal with reality that exist in 21st century. The chief source of revenue was generated from first class mail which as a result of advancement in communication technology has eliminated the need for delivery to a physical address. The USPS is not part of increasing use of electronic messaging. First class mail volume will continue to decline resulting in further loss of revenue. Demand for USPS services will continue to decline. Standard mail is high distribution cost and low revenue provider. USPS has too many employees, services and offices that result in increasing debt. VERA A MUST. Closing or consolidating small community offices that were needed in the 1950s but have outlived their need in providing USPS services is now a wasted cost without need to exist. Eliminating postmasters from these small officies nation wide would save millions as salaries are outrageous for selling stamps and boxing mail. Salaries for many range from $63000-$72000 and could be replaced by a retail clerk at $53000. salary.
First they tried closing the Malden WA post office, now they want to reduce our hours. This undermines over $2million dollars in stimulus grants to help us attract and create new businesses.
Reducing post office hours does not make sense for a business struggling to sell their product. If a business made X amount of dollars this year & the operating hours were 8-5 M-F, and a half-day on Saturday, cutting the hours in half allows less time for retail transactions. Rather than mess around with a Post Office that seemingly isn’t interested in procuring their community’s “business”, people will just tap into Fed Ex and UPS. Where USPS fails to deliver, Fed Ex and UPS will be glad to pick up the slack. I remember the UPS strike back in 1997. I was a newly-hired career clerk in the USPS. We had so many parcels it was insane. The carriers were going crazy & everyone commented on how much the business had “picked up” since the UPS strike.
Standard mail is a bargain for businesses but does not take up the slack in revenue resulting from decline in first class volume. Efforts should directed to increase parcel business as this is an increasing growth market in the 21st century as Amazon and other online companies are rapidly growing.. USPS founded Express mail but failed to promote and has less than 10% of the market. Efforts should be directed to increase market share through advertising and special promotions. FED X is the term used by business and the public when an item has to be delivered in a critical time frame. EXPRESS USPS SHOULD BE THE TERM USED WHEN ITEM HAS A DELIVERY DEADLINE.
Office hours must accommodate demand for products and services as determined by revenue generation.
the only reason we are losing 25 mil. a day is because of our federal health benefits payment we make, it is not because of falling business.
Expenses must be reduced but there has to be balance. Retail hours 30 minutes a day appears to be some what overboard. Maybe a couple of hours would accommodate customers need. Size of town and business would be a consideration for 2 hours. Level 11?
Reduction in hours, employees, consolidation/closing small offices near each other,
reduction in managers, postmasters small offices, high level management district/area, as well as headquarters Street Delivery reduced to 5 days a week; as First class volume will continue to decline resulting in revenue loss which is non replacable as new revenue will not be generated as new products and services will not be created. Operations must be cost effective to break even. Work hours-employee, offices, salaries, must be reduced to eliminate loosing 25 million dollars a day.