USPS, DOL settle cases over heat hazards and retaliation of postal worker who called 911

June 28, 2015 – USPS was seeking to overturn OSHA citation, penalties in heat-related death of Missouri letter carrier and USPS settled case involving postal worker who called 911 and labeled a terrorist. On September 10, 2014, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) Administrative Law Judge Peggy Ball upheld the willful citation issued […]

Obama, GOP pushing cuts to Workers’ Comp for Federal and Postal Workers

According to the Washington Post: President Obama’s administration, with support from House Republicans, is pushing reductions to workers’ compensation for federal employees — to the consternation of fellow Democrats and his union allies. Like the Obama administration, Rep. Tim Walberg (Mich.), the Republican chairman of a House Education and the Workforce subcommittee, cited “concerns” that […]

USPS mail processing center in St Louis again cited by OSHA for fire extinguisher, electrical violations

April 2, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited USPS again for hazards throughout the mail center. Employer name: United States Postal Service Investigation site: 1720 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri Date investigation initiated and what prompted inspection: On Jan.13, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational […]

Postal Casual Employee fired following work-related injury at USPS facility

(December 3, 2014) A U.S. Postal Service temporary non-career employee (casual) was terminated after being transported to a medical facility for treatment of a workplace injury. The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit (last month) against the Postal Service on behalf of the employee at the Sharonville facility. The lawsuit seeks restoration of […]

OSHA Increases Enforcement Against Serious Safety and Health Violators

From October 2009 to September 2010, OSHA issued citations in 164 significant cases where penalties reached $100,000 or more. OSHA found conditions warranting use of its egregious citation policy in 20 of these inspections. In a so-called egregious case, an employer is cited on a per-instance basis under the same standard rather than grouping similar […]

New York Postal Worker Gets Two Months For OWCP Fraud

Press Release from the United States Attorney Northern District of New York September 10, 2010 Richard S. Hartunian, United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, announced today that JAMES IZYK, 49, of Oswego, New York was sentenced in federal court today in Syracuse, N.Y. by U.S. District Court Judge Norman A. Mordue, […]

Department of Labor Files Motion To Consolidate USPS Electrical Safety Charges

APWU Web News Article 081-2010, Aug. 6, 2010 The Department of Labor (DOL) is seeking to consolidate complaints regarding the Postal Service’s ongoing and systemic violations of safe electrical work practices, and has initiated settlement discussions with the Postal Service in an attempt to correct the hazards. The DOL has invited the APWU to participate […]

OSHA Fines USPS $357,000 For Safety Violations At Boston, MA Facility

APWU Web News Article 076-2010, Aug. 3, 2010 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the Postal Service nine “willful and serious” safety violations for exposing employees to electrical hazards at a Boston, MA postal facility. The USPS has been ordered to pay $357,000 in fines. OSHA issued the Postal Service citations [PDF] after […]

US Labor Department's OSHA proposes $272,000 in Fines Against USPS Capitol Heights MD Mail Processing Facility

for exposing workers to electrical hazards at Capitol Heights, Md., facility CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the U.S. Postal Service for workplace safety violations related to electrical hazards found at the Capitol Heights Processing and Distribution Center. Proposed penalties total $272,000. “These citations and […]

Department of Labor Safety Complaint Underscores Widespread, Systemic Violations

APWU Web The Department of Labor filed a complaint [PDF] against the Postal Service on July 6 for ongoing and systemic violations of safe electrical work practices, marking the first time the department has sought an “enterprise-wide” remedy. “When the same safety violation is discovered in multiple locations of an organization, we need an enterprise-wide […]