Staples announced today that its sales are declining, its earnings are less than expectations, and it will close 225 stores in North America by the end of 2015. “This proves, more than ever,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein, “that it’s a bad idea to turn public services over to a private company that can close stores at will, with no public input and no public comment.”
Staples currently has a no-bid, sweetheart deal to operate postal counters — staffed by poorly trained, low-wage, high-turnover employees — at more than 80 of its stores. The U.S. Postmaster General has said he plans to expand this “pilot plan” to 1,500 U.S. Staples’ stores. And bills pending in Congress would make it easier to close and sell off U.S. Post Offices.
What would happen if service is moved to a Staples store, the nearby Post Office is closed and sold — and then Staples closes its store?
The U.S. mail is not for sale. Instead of using public resources to bail out a company that is not succeeding, the U.S. Postal Service should use its unmatched nationwide network of people and facilities to take advantage of new opportunities such as package delivery for e-commerce sales and offering new services — like low-cost basic banking — that meet the needs of American consumers.
Staples is suffering from almost the same problems as the postal service, i.e., internet orders of office supplies instead of in store sales, competition from other retailers, and new technology in how offices operate.(Even the postal service require customers to use the internet for change of addresses and have you heard of click and ship by the postal service).
Clearly the APWU president lacks a basic understanding of business and economics. A basic principle of business and nature is; when for example a business or tree stops growing it begins to die. Economics 101; when earnings are high its the time to save and build a reserve fund (health care funding). The postal service did not build this saving when revenue was high and is now playing catchup with revenue declining and no expectation that mail volume will return.
Now some suggest basic banking services and a host of other services, but what happens to all the carriers and mail processors in this scheme. Very sad to think that the postal service might resort to payday loans and vehicle title loans trying remain relevant. I would offer the following example; when a war ends the armies disband and soldiers go back to civilian life, mission accomplished. Well the postal service is rapidly reaching the end of its mission. I speak from the position of someone who left the service and opened our own business and we are doing well, not getting rich, but growing.
And this is going on with a Dem in the WHitehouse
That’s ok they can lay off all the part timers and we can work 70 hrs a week instead of 60. The carriers are providing horrible service right now and management cant figure out how to fix the problem.They need to hire more people and provide quality service which wont happen because they are to focused on trying to push the help they already have to the max.
And now you can’t even excess them to carrier jobs. APWU can’t see the forest for the trees. USPS can try to look at all avenues to stay afloat only to be challenged by APWU. Remove options from USPS and all this is headed in one direction…layoffs. But, of course, your steward will tell it’ll never happen. Hell…some of em might even say that it is prohibited by the contract. Silly you for believing everything your union tells you!
Any different than closing up some non performing PO’s?
I think not…
The only ones yelping about this is the Stienmeister and the clerks who are getting excessed.
There will always be a 7-11 store near by.
Photo op! Where’s Diamondstein declaring victory? Where are all those staple window jobs?
Follow the money; *guarantee* you that someone in mgmt. is getting kickbacks from this scheme.
That is how they do their business.