Jim Falvey and NALC National President Fredric Rolando
Solidarity!
Jamie Partridge
503-752-5112
Congress has created Postal Service crisis: Guest opinion
Thanks to The Oregonian for again engaging the debate about the future of the U.S. Postal Service. While Congress is certainly key to a long-term solution to USPS woes, the current postal management is using a phony financial crisis to dismantle the largest, most efficient, reliable and affordable communications and delivery system in the world.
In the past year, the postmaster general has closed 45 percent of our mail processing plants. Salem closed in June 2013; Eugene/Springfield, Bend and Pendleton are due to close in 2015. All mail north of Roseburg will be trucked to Portland for sorting.
The USPS’ own studies (revealed at the March 22, 2012, meeting of the Postal Regulatory Commission), showed that mailers leave the system as a result of such delays, costing more in lost revenue than is saved by lowering labor costs, not to mention the dramatic increase in trucking costs as mail is transported hundreds of extra miles to be sorted in the closest facilities that are still open.
The Oregonian cheers the Postal Service’s decision to reduce hours by 25 percent to 75 percent in half of our post offices, eliminating full-time postmaster positions in 13,000 mostly rural offices (more than 100 in Oregon), to “keep overhead in line with revenues.” But, according to Title 39 of the U.S. code, rural post offices are not expected to make money, and the USPS “shall provide a maximum degree of effective and regular Postal Services” to small communities. A post office open two hours a day is not an “effective and regular” service.
Further degrading the delivery system, such as eliminating Saturday delivery or at-the-door delivery, as proposed by The Oregonian editorial board, would send the USPS into a death spiral.
Congress has manufactured a postal financial crisis. Since 2006, the USPS has been forced to spend nearly 10 percent of its budget pre-funding retiree health benefits 75 years in advance. No other U.S. agency or private business faces such a crushing financial burden. Although the USPS has claimed a “loss” every year since 2006, due primarily to the pre-fund mandate, the Postal Service has not made an actual payment toward prefunding since 2011. The USPS has generated an operating profit for the last six quarters.
The Postal Service is our national treasure, enshrined in the Constitution. It belongs to us. The operations of the USPS are funded solely by postage and no tax dollars. The Postal Service serves more than 150 million households and businesses six days a week and provides equal universal mail services for all the people at reasonable, uniform rates. Good postal jobs help build strong communities. We, of course, welcome innovation — reviving postal banking and turning post offices into one-stop government service centers, would be a good start.
What can we do? Ask Congress to oppose all closures and cuts, save six-day and at-the-door delivery, repeal the pre-funding mandate and support H.R. 630, H.R. 711 and S.316 to fix the finances.
Jim Falvey is president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 82 (Portland area).
its funny how all the unions talks about is the pre funding mandate…. we haven’t made the payment since 2011 I believe and yet there are no consequences because of it…. the unions claim we are fully funded there anyway so why is this such an issue?? the PO owes $18 billion on an operating note to the US Treasury which they are maxed out on and the PO needs $10 billion for new vehicles in the next couple of years…. even if congress agrees to change the pre funding mandate the PO is still going to be required to pay something to it every year…. the PO currently has about a $ billion net operating profit…. you do the math- is a $ billion or maybe even 2$ billion going to make all the payments needed including a smaller pre funding $ amount??? more changes need to be made no matter what BS the unions all speak… if Saturday is so important then why is the window at my office only open from 8:00-10:30 a.m and we don’t pick up some of the collection boxes that day…… the unions say we will lose business…. where is it going to go? going to give it to Fed Ex or UPS for a premium on Saturdays or just wait until Monday or mail it earlier? hmmmm- I know what I would do…. ask your national union leaders this and ask for examples…. I have and he spoke to me in typical union circles- about needing to stand together….. bla bla bla….. its all about the union dues and membership people…… its common sense
why not get rid of door to door delivery,curbside and clusterbox routes would take the the burden off the carrier,everytime we pivot everyone wants a curbside or clusterbox section,no wants to do park and loop.
As usual, major newspapers and the media are fed information primarily from the USPS spokespeople themselves, so naturally their positions are made from lies and distortions. Papers like the Oregonian don’t apparently consult with unions and other sources to present a well rounded viewpoint. Nobody in journalism does any more – it’s all prepared texts for spin machines too lazy to do any true investigative journalism. Yes, the prefunding is a primary culprit for USPS woes, but so is closing plants and offices, making our services harder to access and pushing for more employee cuts. Five day delivery is not an immediate concern right now, but Pat Donahoe will do his best to continue to sabotage and cripple the Service, as he’s being paid behind the scenes particularly by the GOP and Darryl Issa to do so in exchange for a monumental golden parachute.
The media across the board needs to investigate and report the malfeasance and deliberate damage being committed by the worst PMG in the history of the Post Office/Postal Service.
First, The USPS delivers more than just 3rd class mail on Saturday’s. Saturday is the second busiest day of the week in mail volume. PMG Donahoe lied about Saturday being the slowest day of the week. Tuesday has the lowest mail volume followed by Wednesday and Thursday. Second, Yes, it may be true that some of the profit is due to some of the cost cutting done by the USPS but the main reason for the profit shown is because of the increase in parcels, 3rd class mail and the every door direct mail program. People must also remember that the pre funding for health benefits is over in 2016 so if the USPS is showing operating profits now it is a good sign for the future once these payments are done. You can find all of this information on the postal reporter website. It is public information.
Perhaps as the article reads without paying for PAEA the PO has generated a operating profit for six quarters. Could it be due to plant closing and a RIF that the PO has made this profit, I think so. Enshrined in the Constitution, basically it says the government is to provide PO’s which they have done by the thousands. But it does not mandate it. Also says nothing of plants, and delivery which was started by some Postmaster General 90 years after the Constitution was written.
Well said!
Would someone please explain to me how not delivering 3rd class on Saturday will send the Post Office into a death spiral?????
While it may not have been their idea(PAEA)
it did have two democrat cosponsors and
certainly does not abdicate the democrats
from their votes for it. This is the same
group of clowns(D’s & R’S) that don’t read
the bills they pass that become law, so I
can’t believe that they actually read the
commission’s report. The NALC also thought it
was a good idea at the time because they
supported it..
Public Law 109-435(PAEA) went from committee
on Dec 7, 2006, passed the House on Dec, 8
2006, then- passed the senate on Dec 9, 2006
and was signed by Bush on Dec.20, 2006. It
passed unanimously( for the slow people out
there that means very few people voted
against it) in both chambers, it was voice
voted and no records were kept as to how each
members voted isn’t that convenient?
The genesis of the PAEA actually started with
PubllC Law 108-18(postal Civil Service
Retirement System Funding Reform Act of
2003), which also had two democrat
cosponsors. It mandated a future congress to
revisit the Health Benefit Funding question.
The PAEA is an amendment bill to Public Law
108-18.
It is amazing to me that this PAEA has been
laid at the feet of Congress when thee NALC is
every blt as culpable!
A M E N < Mr. Jim !
Mr. Jim Falvey, You pointed out that the prefunding of health care is the main cause of the”deficit” in Postal operations. The prefunding was a political decision designed to destroy the Postal Service! The pro business, anti government people think that not only can they take over the Postal operations, they can steal our retirement and health care funds! We can thank ex president Forrest Gump and the Ratpublicans. They can go to Hell! Fight back,the meek will inherit nothing.