http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?s=9247633 SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - "We lost 2 billion dollars and like any other business we have to stay afloat." And to keep from sinking, the United States Postal Service is considering cutting thousands of jobs nationwide. Lavelle Pepper with the post office in Shreveport says they too are feeling the affects of the same disease hitting the country... a struggling economy. "We employ about 685,000 people. If we do layoffs it would include clerks, carriers, mail handlers across all crafts." Pepper says the postal service is looking to eliminate 40,000 jobs nationwide. There's not an exact number on how many of those could be from the Ark-La-Tex. Pepper says workers who are not part of union with six or less years of service would likely be the first on the chopping block. "We've identified 16 thousand people that are not covered under contract. We'll see what those numbers add up to." The postal service is also offering early retirement packages to workers over the age of 50 who have more than 20 years on the job. But according to pepper it may not be enough. "The preliminary numbers look like it's not going to be enough and we may have to do something else." But despite what may happen, Pepper says customers will not feel the pain they're going through. "The general public when it takes place won't se any decrease in service.. They largely won't know about it."
Who needs mail everyday now. I check my mail once every 2 weeks. It got so full last time that there was a note in there for me to pick up my mail from the post office.
Yes, First thing is to stop Saturday deliverys. Then delivery only every other day. Big problem are the UNIONS, it is killing them. $25 hr to deliver letters is crazy. It could be done for$15hr
Yeah, I agree. They can save on salaries and gas. I get 99% of my bills electronicaly and the only thing in my box is a ton of junk mail.
This argument is now about 40 years old that I remember. It will never change; it's the government. I know a supervisor. He figures his guys work 2 to 3 hours a day in real time. And he's powerless to do anything about it.
Almost 700,000 employees? Holy crap! I had no idea. Looking it up they are the 4th largest (by employees) "business" in the world. And oh yeah, if they can lay of 40,000 people with no change in service to the customer, what does that tell you?
You can't stop Saturday deliveries. There is no way you can tack on Sat mail onto monday. Can't be sorted or carried and delivered by one mail carrier on Monday. Carriers routes are paid (a portion) by the piece of mail so there is no labor savings.
the irony is that, at my local PO, the lines are ALWAYS out the door, all day long, and, that 90% of the customers are there to do, can be done at their electronic kiosks. I have suggested to them they increase the kiosks from the present one, to three or four, and station an 'attendant', to 'train' the regular postal customers, as that would eliminate the wait times, as well as postal workflow. they are the functional equivalent to self-checks at the grocery stores. no doubt this may be the case on a nationwide basis. if they do reduce the employee count, they better be prepared to 'make up the spread' by agressively rolling out more kiosks, pronto.
i get the bulk stuff mostley on tuesday. the mailman said i cant stop it; he says it keeps the postal service going. i have to go to my bix P.O. Box every 7-10 days just to clean out teh crap.