The APWU has expressed outrage over the Postal Service’s unilateral decision to shut down online bidding from Jan. 28 until Jan. 31, and for giving the union only 24-hour notice of its plans. The bidding “outage,” as the USPS called it, was prompted by an upgrade to the computer system. “Please be advised that 24-hour […]
“Although progress in contract negotiations is slow, bargaining is ongoing,” APWU President Cliff Guffey reported on Jan. 28. Representatives of the Postal Service and the union are meeting almost daily, he added. “I know that many of our members are eager to hear details about our exchanges,” Guffey said. “Unfortunately, while talks are ongoing, it […]
The Postal Service has notified the APWU that posting and bidding will be disrupted while management upgrades the computerized bidding system, beginning at 12:01 p.m. CST on Friday, Jan. 28. The upgrade is expected to be completed by 6 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 31. Clerks, Letter Carriers, Rural Letter Carriers and Mail Handlers will be […]
The union is “deeply disappointed” by the Postal Service’s announcement — via the Wall Street Journal — that it plans to close as many as 2,000 post offices beginning in March, APWU President Cliff Guffey said Monday. The Postal Service did not specify the locations under consideration for closure, but said it is currently looking […]
APWU’s national officers will meet in Atlanta for several days in early February, as President Cliff Guffey seeks to move the organization in a new direction. “We must shift the focus of the union away from acting as a grievance machine,” he said. “Leaders at all levels of the organization must get more involved in […]
Management ‘Lacks Understanding’ of Risks, Agency Concludes The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has hit the Postal Service with another unwelcome finding: Delivery Bar Code Sorter machines pose a direct risk to workers’ health, and there is a “general lack of understanding about the hazards and injuries” associated with the equipment among postal managers. In […]
Problem May be ‘Pervasive’ The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) slammed the USPS again for safety violations — this time for under-recording workplace injuries and illnesses. In recent months, OSHA found 242 instances of recordkeeping violations during inspections of 10 postal facilities. “OSHA believes that under-recording of injuries and illnesses may be a pervasive […]
Safety Talk on Recognizing And Handling Suspicious Mail Following the explosion of several mail pieces in Maryland and Washington, DC, the USPS has issued a Safety Talk [PDF] that instructs employees how to react to suspicious packages. APWU President Cliff Guffey is encouraging union members to follow the guidelines and to exercise caution. The union […]
In a report issued Dec. 23, 2010, the USPS Inspector General’s Office (OIG) echoed what the APWU has been saying for years: Worksharing discounts for large mailers mail are too high. The OIG’s study (Report Number MS-AR-11-001 [PDF]) echoed the results of a March 2010 report by the Postal Regulatory Commission [PDF], which concluded that […]
APWU Web News After years of APWU complaints, the Postal Service has notified the union that the Mystery Shopper Program will be altered beginning in January 2011. Retail Associates (RAs) will no longer be required to follow a precise script when waiting on customers; instead they will be permitted to “customize their questions to best […]