US Post Office is prototypical for a future bankrupt America

Discussion in 'Economics' started by zdreg, May 28, 2011.

is the Post office pointing to a future bankrupt America

  1. yes

    20 vote(s)
    64.5%
  2. No

    4 vote(s)
    12.9%
  3. Maybe

    7 vote(s)
    22.6%
  1. zdreg

    zdreg

    http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_23/b4231060885070.htm

    "The USPS has historically placed the interests of its unions first. That hasn't changed. In March it reached a four-and-a-half-year agreement with the 250,000-member American Postal Workers Union, which represents mail clerks, drivers, mechanics, and custodians. The pact extends the no-layoff provision and provides a 3.5 percent raise for APWU members over the period of the contract, along with seven upcapped cost-of-living increases"

    this is the kind of formula used in Argentina which lead to runaway inflation as the government printed ever more money to pay off government workers.

    counter arguments it can't happen here because the Fed is independent doesn't work because the Fed is independent in name only.
     
  2. shfly

    shfly


    The union is there for the membership, no?

    Easy (on paper at least) fix, privitize the USPS...let them use the public market for funds, and things will change...or they'll be gone...

    Republicians have had controll, likewise the democrats, over the last 30 years...and what have they done? And I believe both have talked about privitizing etc. etc.

    Who did President Obama send to kill Bin Laden, newly enlisted, or the pros? Would you not expect the membership to send in the pros, asking for pay increases, more vacation etc. etc.? Surely you are not suggesting that the membership should be asking for less pay, fewer benefits etc. etc.?

    That just isn't the American Way, now is it?

    :D
     
  3. US Govt should just sell USPS. Have an IPO and let UPS or FedEx take it over it it goes into Chapter 11.
     
  4. TGregg

    TGregg

    I went out with a Postal Babe a couple times. She had absolutely zero interest in any sort of merit based anything. It was all about seniority and having the union stand up against the little evil (Government) and Big Evil (management). To hear her tell it, postal workers were basically living in poverty, while the suits were living large and doing nothing. When she talked about this stuff it was all straight from the union propaganda (or maybe an old copy of Pravda) with absolutely no individual nuance. I mean, it was verbatim.

    Sad stuff.
     
  5. nkhoi

    nkhoi

    I went to a post office to complain about a ruined package I asked for a form to file my complaint, none of them can find any form because it seems like there is no need for one.
     
  6. zdreg

    zdreg

    "I went out with a Postal Babe a couple times."
    hedging your bets against volatile trading income?
     
  7. EXACTLY. Break the union if thats even possible - fire half of the staff. Condense the delivery days to every second day. Cut Saturdays.
     
  8. Pekelo

    Pekelo

    Union protects workers, lobbyist protects corporation.

    If you don't see the problem with one, you shouldn't have a problem with the other either...
     
  9. Unions protect the people who are in them and nobody else. Corporations employ people at market values which promotes economic growth and competitiveness.

    Delivering mail is non skilled labor which everyone else gets paid $10 an hour for likely with no benefits. Why should taxpayers finance some jackass to make 80k a year plus benefits to deliver the mail and work 4 hours a day?
     
  10. dtan1e

    dtan1e

    80k is a lot for low skilled job
     
    #10     May 29, 2011