Aug. 19, 2014—Last week, half of the Senate sent a letter urging Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-AL), Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Chairman Tom Udall (D-NM) and FSGG Ranking Member Mike Johanns (R-NE) to embrace a one-year moratorium on the closure and consolidation of any additional mail processing facilities and to maintain July 2012 service standards.
The letter comes on the heels of the announcement by the postmaster general that the USPS plans to close or consolidate 82 more mail processing facilities around the country (see the list here) shedding an additional 15,000 jobs in 2015. The closures will eliminate First Class overnight delivery in areas serviced by these facilities and slow mail processing throughout the nation.
NALC is spearheading an effort to generate support for the moratorium in the House, which is being led by Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH), Ron Kind (D-WI), Pete King (R-NY), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Frank LoBiondo (R-NY), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Michael Grimm (R-NY), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Matt Cartwright (D-PA). The House letter, which is identical to the Senate letter, is also directed to House Appropriators including Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY), Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), FSGG Subcommittee Chairman Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) and FSGG Ranking Member Jose Serrano (D-NY).
“This ill-conceived idea will do nothing but disrupt residential and business customers from receiving timely deliveries — ultimately leading to more late deliveries and driving away business,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “Instead of embracing bad idea after bad idea in an attempt to ‘save the Postal Service,’ the PMG should look at new and innovative ways to serve the public and businesses through expanded partnerships and work toward the elimination of the pre-funding mandate that continues to cripple the Postal Service. Until this realization is made, we will continue to see more of the same from the PMG and we will work against these needless service cuts.”
When Congress returns on Sept. 9, it has little time to complete legislative business before its expected adjournment for the elections by month’s end. Therefore, Congress is expected to take up a comprehensive omnibus spending package for FY 2015 instead of individual appropriations measures, which could enshrine the moratorium in law.
With a clear recognition of the contentious plan, the USPS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is now soliciting for opinions on whether the closure and consolidation plan is a good one. Click here to offer your opinion.
2015 USPS Plant Consolidation Schedule Updated August 13
TSP here you go again….Always MGMT. fault….wake up people, there is no mail volume anymore….Stop blaming Republicans when the Senate has been in Democrats control for over 6 years and for 2 years they had the house, senate and the Presedency and still nothing happend to save the USPS….There has to be changes people wake up, I want my job for many more years not more people working…Stop trying to save BS jobs when you all know the cuts can be made….Wake up
No question,no lies-Get real! The Republican Congress,with Darrell Issa,chairman of the committee that oversees the Postal Service are pulling the strings and Donawhore is their puppet.And Obama has the BOG stacked with republican privatizers like James Miller who wants back on the BOG to see through it’s demise.
About time NALC got on board.APWU has been out front about closers. Glad to see that light has dawned on Marblehead
hey, All Your TSP Belong To Us !
Why don’t bring it to the House and Senate? They might have big interesting to hear it.
If the Postal Service wanted to cut costs, they would eliminate many of the jesters that “work” in Washington, eliminate the limousines, close the executive only gym, and have drones follow management all day to make sure that they don’t goof of like carriers do! Next step, consolidate the 27 vice presidents into 1. The 1 vice president should have enough time to hunt down the doughnuts, while he does his work!
Hey Pat, if we’re so broke, how come:
– mgmt. bonuses are in effect.
– yours and your staff’s private gym hasn’t been shut down.
– your staff, the highest paid positions in the USPS, has grown over 8%.
Ya crook.
More needs to be done besides a moratorium. The NALC and Congress need to investigate why PMG Donahoe is so hell bent on reducing service and making the USPS more inaccessible to the public. We all know the answer – he wants it to go belly up, get a private company CEO style position with lots more money, or just take bribes from interested parties like Darryl Issa who hate the USPS for whatever psychosomatic reasons with a promise of a huge golden parachute when he retires and no doubt gives himself a huge career ending bonus for the wonderful job he thinks he’s doing.
NOW GET OUT THERE AND SAY IT!!!! Quit mommy coddling this crook and demand his removal. Get President Obama’s attention and try to convince him that Donahoe needs replaced yesterday. Time to quit dancing around the head of a pin and go for the throat. Hundreds of thousands of jobs depend on it, and union members are paying you, NALC, to protect our careers.
Nalc’s headline does not fit the article.
One more year extension of consolidation?
close headquarters toss those 7,000 deadbeats on the curb
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