USPS To Consolidate 48 Plants in 2012

The United States Postal Service announced it's 'modified' network consolidation plan. Phase 1 of their plan calls for the consolidation of 48 mail processing centers beginning in July 2012. The USPS said it would consolidate an additional 92 processing centers in February 2013, and 89 more in early 2014.

In the Local 300 area, facilities targeted for immediate impact; Monmouth P&DC, Eatontown, NJ to Trenton, NJ  August 2012 - Monsey DDC to Westchester P&DC January 2013, Mid Island Annex (Maxess Rd) to Mid Island P&DC no later than January 2013.

Federal News Radio Interview with NPMHU National President John Hegarty

USPS Releases its Phase 1 List of Mail Processing Facilities Slated for Closure or Consolidation

NY Times: Postal Service to Consolidate 48 Mail Processing Centers in Summer

Cong. Grimm Appeals to USPS Management 'Keep Staten Island P&DC Open'

Congressman Michael Grimm (R) NY-13th appealed to Triboro District Manager to keep Staten Island P&DC open. The Congressman cited the installation's exemplary performance, issues with transportation, service impacts, etc. To view his letter, click here.

Senate Passes Amended Postal Reform Bill

Senate Approves Twenty Amendments and Votes to Adopt its Postal Reform Bill - Focus Will Turn to Action in the House of Representatives
During this second and final day of debate and votes in the full Senate, a series of twelve additional amendments to S.1789 were considered and adopted, while the body rejected an additional five amendments to the bill. Taken together over the two days of action by the full Senate, that chamber authorized a total of twenty amendments to the pending substitute legislation. Immediately following the amendment votes, the Senate approved the substitute version of S. 1789 -- the “21st Century Postal Service Act,” as amended, by a vote of 62-37. For more info click here

• New York Times: Senate Passes Plan to Give Postal Service Fiscal Relief
• Washington Post: Senate approves changes to the U.S. Postal Service
• NALC: Disappointed, but determined, as Senate passes S. 1789
• APWU: Senate Approves Amended Postal Bill, Next Up: The House of Representatives
• Nat'l League of Postmasters: Senate Passes Postal Bill - Rural Post Offices Get Support, New Restrictions on Closing Added
• NAPS: President Atkins Statement on Passage of S. 1789
• Bloomberg: Senate Postal Service Overhaul Shifts Attention to House

The Ed Show video: Progress on Post Office debate?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is singing the praises of a bill to save the postal service. But Ed Schultz thinks they still have a lot of work to do. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont explains his vote on the Post Office bill. Click here

Senate Considers the First Round of Amendments to S.1789

Debate and Voting Set to Continue on April 25, 2012. Several amendments were accepted and several rejected on Tuesday, April 24, 2012. For more info, click here. 

US Senate Bill Movement on Postal Reform

The 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2011 (S.1789) was discussed on the floor of the US Senate beginning on Monday 4/16/12. 35 possible amendments were introduced that could be added to the bill. Some of them are aimed at strengthening the bill, while others would devastate the USPS and our jobs.

Once things start moving in the Senate, we will have very little time to make an impact. The NPMHU is sifting through the amendments, and evaluating our options at this point, and we are going to need your help to call your two Senators with a message to support or oppose particular amendments. As they say on Capitol Hill; "Timing is everything". Please monitor these messages closely over the weekend, and into Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Informational Leafleting Senate Bill 1789

Mail Handlers and Clerks from across the country united to educate the public with informational leafleting. Local 300 members were at several locations within the New York Metro Area providing information on S.1789 and the USPS, to see the flyer click here. Click here for an article from the Staten Island Advance.  

In addtion, Local 300 leaders were in direct contact with the office of several US Senators within our area. (Click here for photos)

Westchester Branch Meeting

On April 28th, the Westchester Branch of Local 300 held their General Membership Meeting in White Plains. Numerous agenda items were discussed, such as; Stamford AMP, Seniority and excessing issues if Stamford Mail Handlers are excessed into Westchester, Monsey Impact, other National and Local items of concern, Political and Legislative Action, etc. For photos, click here.

Teterboro Branch Meeting

On 4/14/12 the Teterboro Branch of Local 300 held their General Membership Meeting. Several items of concern were discussed including but not limited to: The Teterboro AMP Study results, Seniority, Excessing out of the Installation, Congressional Action, Service Standards, Landing Spots for Excessed Mail Handlers, (DVD, NDC, LDC) etc. For photos, click here

GAO Report: USPS Mail Processing Network Exceeds What is Needed

"The U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) dire financial situation has increased the urgency for agreement on an effective strategy to better align USPS’s postal services with its costs and revenues. USPS has noted that the decline in First-Class Mail volume accelerated more than expected and predicted that volume will continue to fall." Click here for the full GAO Report

Hidden cost of postal cutbacks: $5 billion

April 5, 2012 - Article from CNN Money - The Postal Service retracted and redid a survey that showed postal closings and cutbacks would result in $5.2 billion in lost business. Click here for the article.

USPS on The Ed Show - MSNBC

April 4, 2012 - "Postal Service a Political Target" Many Republicans on Capitol Hill are on a mission to make big cuts to the Postal Service.  Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joins Ed Shultz to talk about his solution for the Postal Service. Click here!!!

NPMHU & APWU Work To Improve Senate Bill (The 21st Century Postal Service Act)

(April 2, 2012) The National Postal Mail Handlers Union and the American Postal Workers Union are working together during the upcoming Senate recess (April 3rd through the 13th) to improve Senate Bill 1789. During the scheduled recess we are asking our union officers and members, in coordination with their counterparts from the APWU, to lobby their Senators and also to participate in an informational leafleting scheduled for April 17th which is Tax Day. Click here, for more info.

OSHA Memo - Employer Safety Incentive and Disincentive Policies and Practices

The Occupational Safety and Health Act prohibits an employer from discriminating against an employee because the employee reports an injury or illness. This memorandum is intended to provide guidance to both field compliance officers and whistleblower investigative staff on several employer practices that can discourage employee reports of injuries and other whistleblower statutes.

Reporting a work-related injury or illness is a core employee right, and retaliating against a worker for reporting an injury or illness is illegal discrimination. Other whistleblower statutes enforced by OSHA also may protect employees who report workplace injuries.

If employees do not feel free to report injuries or illnesses, the employer's entire workforce is put at risk. For more, click here.

NJ Congressman Pascrell Opposes the Closure of Teterboro

Congressman Bill Pascrell has voiced his displeasure to the Postal Service's plans to close NNJ P&DC in Teterboro. He has written letters to the Speaker of House Boehner and the Postmaster General. We appreciate his support for the Mail Handler craft.

Stamford Branch Meeting

On 3/23/12 a membership meeting was held for the Stamford Branch of Local 300. As usual at this branch, there was a large turnout of members. Several topics were discussed, such as; The results of the Postal Service's AMP Study , proposed Mail Service Standard changes, local and national issues, etc.  Click here for photos.

Contract Negotiations in Mediation

The ongoing bargaining dispute between the NPMHU and the Postal Service – to determine the terms and conditions of the 2011 National Agreement – is headed to mediation. The mediation will be conducted under the supervision of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), which is charged, under the Postal Reorganization Act as amended in 2006, with appointing the mediator. For more, click here

Secret market survey reveals USPS plans would cost over $5 billion in lost revenue

The Postal Service revealed something it’s been hiding for months — the projected revenue losses its consolidation plan could cause. Research showed that First-Class mail volumes would drop a whopping 10.3%, and total mail volumes would drop by 7.7%. That translates into $5.2 billion in gross revenue losses. Losses like that would wipe out nearly all of the $2.6 billion in cost savings the Network Rationalization plan hopes to achieve. Given that the AMP studies suggest cost savings might be far less than $2.6 billion, the consolidation plan could easily end up losing more money than it saves. Click here for the full article.

Congressman Grimm Pledges To Keep Staten Island P&DC Open!!!

NY1 VIDEO: Congressman Michael Grimm went on the job with workers from the Manor Road Post Office Thursday, and said he will fight to keep Staten Island's mail processing facility open, even though it is slated to close as early as May. Click here

Local 300 NPMHU Delegate Election Results

Click here for the official results of Local 300's 2012 NPMHU Convention Delegate Election.

NJ Congressman Donald Payne Passed Away

Rep. Donald Payne, a New Jersey Democrat first elected to Congress in 1988, has died after a battle with colon cancer. He was 77. Congressman Payne was one of the NPMHU's biggest supporters on Capitol Hill. For more info, click here. For NJ AFL-CIO's statement, click here.

2012 Bergen County CLC AFL-CIO Scholarship

All Local 300 Members and their dependents are eligible to apply. Click here for the application.  The deadline is April 14, 2012.

USPS Plows Forward With Closings and Service Cuts

(February 16, 2012) In what can only be described as a blatant slap in the face to all postal stakeholders, including the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the Postal Service has informed the NPMHU that it will not wait for the PRC to issue (probably in August) its advisory opinion on the changes in service standards and the subsequent closure of hundreds of mail processing facilities around the country. For more info of the USPS Service Standard Changes and Network Consolidation, click here

NPMHU Comments Opposing Proposed Service Standards

To view the comments of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union on the Postal Service’s Proposed Rule, Service Standards for Market-Dominant Mail Products, click here

NJ L&DC to Teterboro Proposal

The Postal Service is soliciting comments on their proposal to move the mail processing operations from NJ LDC to Teterboro. Click here

Contract Update - Impasse Declared

(January 31, 2012) National negotiations between the National Postal Mail Handlers Union and the U.S. Postal Service over the terms of their 2011 National Agreement have stalled, and the parties have been unable to agree to another extension of the deadline for their bargaining. The parties at the National level are still discussing how they will proceed from this point forward, pursuant to their joint authority to establish dispute resolution procedures. In the meantime, the terms of the 2006 National Agreement will remain in effect until the completion of those procedures. Click here for more info

2012 Leave Chart

Local 300's 2012 Leave Chart is available by clicking here.

USPS Agrees to Moratorium on Plant Closures and Consolidations

(December 13, 2011) In response to growing concern among a coalition of United States Senators, the United States Postal Service announced today that it will delay the closing or consolidation of any post offices or mail processing facilities until May 15, 2012. (Click here for more info)

Local 300 Basic Shop Steward Training

Local 300 presented a Basic Shop Steward Training Program on December 5 & 6, 2011given by National Shop Steward Trainer Sam D’Ambrosio and Local 300 President Paul Hogrogian. Click here

The following stewards participated in the program: Michelle Draganigos Flushing, Kimberly Parker NYC/Morgan, Calixto Safont NYC/Morgan, Pamela Jiles-Blake NYC/Morgan, Annesia Williams-Arnold NYC/FDR, Huey Stanley NYC/Times Square, Janet Hurdle NY L&DC, Raymond Sheffield Teterboro, Ronald Owens Teterboro, Robert Leishman Teterboro, Joseph Eichler Teterboro, Hector Coella Teterboro, Mahdi Abu Abdur Rashid DVD, Melissa Irby Westchester, Vance Jones Westchester, Lisa Taylor-Waugh Westchester, Pi Yu Chen NJI & NDC, Lavoria Clark-Fordham NJI & NDC, Linda Yancey Recording Secretary

The following officers also participated: Vice President Robert Blum, Treasurer Kevin Tabarus, Connecticut State Executive Board Member Tom Ruther, NYC Branch President Willie Delgado, Flushing Branch President Trevor Stuart

Local 300 Newsletter

Local 300's latest newsletter is complete. All members should receive a copy delivered to their mailbox.

This was the largest issue we have ever published. It is jammed with information on the various issues confronting us in Local 300 and the nation. Inside this issue; Save America's Postal Service Rally, Legislative, Political, Articles from Officers, etc.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this newsletter; see a steward or contact Local 300 headquarters. To view the newsletter, click here. 

New York City Branch Meeting

On 11/9/11 the NYC Branch held their membership meeting. Several issues were discussed regarding the installation, as well as issues affecting the national level. Click here for photos

Postal Unions Release New Television Ad

Our nation’s veterans are real-life heroes. But when they come home, they don’t want a parade, they want a job. The Postal Service employs more veterans than any other civilian employer, but Congress is debating a bill that would force the Postal Service to fire tens of thousands of vets, close post offices, shut mail processing plants, and disrupt mail delivery. Drastic cuts won’t fix the Postal Service and aren’t needed. Tell your representative to vote ‘no’ on House Resolution 2309. It’s time to deliver for our veterans – and America.

New Bill "21st Century Postal Services Act"

A bipartisan group of Senators from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee have announced plans to reform and bring savings to the United States Postal Service such as;

·         Refund the FERS pension fund overpayment ($7 Billion) THIS IS NOT A BAILOUT

For more, click here.  Click here for the Committee's PRESS RELEASE

Postal Unions Tell Congress: "Don't Fire Our Veterans!"

The National Postal Mail Handlers Union joined forces with a leading veterans advocacy group, VoteVets, and three of its sister postal unions -- the National Association of Letter Carriers, the American Postal Workers Union, and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association -- to run a print advertisement in several prominent Capitol Hill newspapers. The ad was designed to help raise awareness on Capitol Hill of the devastating effects that H.R. 2309, introduced by Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), would have on the workforce of the USPS. In particular, the advertisement draws attention to the fact that tens of thousands of military veterans would be among the 120,000 postal workers laid off under the provisions of this anti-worker bill. Click here for more

5 Day Delivery is the Wrong Way

Sign the Petition. It Only Takes a Moment of Your Time to Save U.S. Postal Service Jobs
We urged our members of Congress to support H.R. 1351. Thanks to your support, a majority of U.S. Representatives now co-sponsor this legislation which will put the U.S. Postal Service on a path to fiscal solvency without costing taxpayers one cent. However, our fight to safeguard USPS jobs is far from over. The “super committee” in Congress, which is charged with producing a plan to reduce the federal deficit, is considering cutting the number of mail delivery days per week from six to five. This action would threaten thousands of middle class jobs and undermine our nation’s mail delivery system which remains critical to our economy.

To continue the fight to save jobs and keep our postal service strong, we ask that you sign a petition to Congress urging them to preserve six-day mail delivery. You can sign the petition online HERE. Please sign the petition prior to November 14, 2011.
Stamford Branch Meeting

On 10/22/11 a membership meeting was held for the Stamford Branch of Local 300. This was a very special meeting there were numerous special guests. At the meeting Congressman Chris Murphy spoke to the membership. Also present this special meeting was National President John Hegarty, NPMHU Legislative and Political Director Bob Losi. Click here

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