Government efficiency!

[Lady's Human]

Yes, the US Government is so efficient....

There are about 342 mail processing plants in the US.

The government is allowing the USPS to close or reduce operations in:

New Castle, PA........#1 in cancellation operations nationwide in 2009

Watertown, NY........#7 in cancellation operations nationwide in 2009

Binghamton, NY.......#9 in cancellation operations

Wilkes Barre, Pa.....which is also a very efficient plant

They are considering closing:

Dulles, VA.......which is where USPS Engineering tests a lot of equipment prior to full fielding, and which has a $100 million machine which was just installed.

However,

Albany, NY, which is a perennially poor performing plant, is getting more mail.

Hard to get into specifics without violating the"loyalty clause".........but people wonder why USPS employees are in a bad mood?


Employees in Binghamton were told about plant consolidation after the early retirement window had closed.

Employees have been told they will be able to transfer to other locations.......but there are no other jobs to move to in other locations.

Wonder why your mail is late or lost? Look at the plant consolidations. Somehow moving mail 150 extra miles for processing is more efficient, and will have no impact on the delivery time. Somehow closing efficient plants and moving more mail to poorly performing plants will create efficiency.

By the way, we deliver prescription drugs, and do so for a large number of people. Sorry your drugs were late, but we had to close the plant to make operations more efficient.

[Grace]

I know that Postal Service was authorized in the Constitution, but I'm confused about its status in the here and now.

It's considered a government agency, but gets no taxpayer dollars. So in a way it's independent of the rest of the U.S. Government. The Post Master General is not re-appointed every time a new President takes office - sort of like the Chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Does Congress have any input into the day-to-day operation?

[Edwina's Secretary]

Just wait until they ship all the USPS jobs to India!

[Grace]

Just wait until they ship all the USPS jobs to India!

Don't even think that

[Lady's Human]

Congress has oversight of the USPS, however the USPS is considered a private business running under congressional authorization, but the employees are federal employees, with oversight by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), except for the ones who are contract employees, like the USPS Shared Services (HR) which is in NC........which is entirely contracted out......


It's a byzantine mess.

While speaking to a congressional staffer, he asked me what I wanted Congress to do? Investigate one small postal plant being closed?

As I've managed to get a decent quasi-working relationship with some of the politicians in the area, I bit my tongue, because the reply which immediately came to mind was:

You fools investigate whether or not Roger Clemens shot himself in the butt with steroids, but you won't hold hearing on something you have CONSTITUTIONAL oversight on?

(see Karen, my temper has improved in the last 25 years)

[Nomilynn]

As a result of this, will delivery standards change? It's my understanding that depending on the service, there is a time limit in which mail must be delivered... I used to have to do up USPS postal statements at my old job, mostly bulk mail but sometimes first class.

Perhaps to make things run more efficiently, USPS should relax some of their mail peice regulations.. I worked in that industry for 3 years and STILL never caught on to all the ins and outs of USPS restrictions and regulations!!!