pofed, I believe most postal workers have been living in the real world for quite some time. Certainly we have been living with the real threat of death since the Unibomber and the Anthrax letters. I personally have been living in the real world since back before the 1970 postal strike when the average postal workers were below the minimum wage required to support a family. So now we make "middle class" wages, is that too much to ask?

Pofed, if all you have to offer for advice is "welcome to the real world", just keep it to yourself. That's like wishing ill will upon someone in my opinion.

I, and other postal employees, know all to well the fight and struggles that our fellow Union Brothers and Sisters have had. We are aware of the layoffs/downsizing in the automotive industry, the oil industry, the steel mills, etc. We have fought side by side with them to help them keep their jobs, unfortunately to no avail in some cases.

When corporations want to leave the country that helped build them because they don't want to pay a decent and fair living wage to its employees, there isn't much that can be done when the government gives them the go ahead.

I can only wish you a better life than you wish for others.

Clerk....your missing the big picture. No one is wishing ill will on you or anyone else. Your just in the proscess
of experienceing what 20 million others have aready experienced. It,s a globle plan to reduce jobs and wages of major western countries ,so that more free trade can exist in the world. People in poor countries cant buy our products and services if they cost more than they can afford
hence our pay must come down and thiers must go up,makeing a more level playing field.Its called...One world goverment
Start looking at the products you buy.The service workers are no longer safe as there are thousan,s that will take your place for half what your payed, and they are bringing them in from India,china, mexico. Not as citizens but on work visas.

This thing about you can train a monkey to do our job is
getting out of control.

I am not missing the big picture. Are saying you are in favor of one world government?

Free trade is anything but free. When you lose jobs in your own country or community, what good is having lower priced goods and services if you have no income? There is a new wave of trade agreements coming around the bend that we need to be VERY careful of, mainly FTAA, which is going to replace NAFTA. It would open trade up to all countries in the western hemisphere, with the exception of Cuba.

How many more jobs are you willing to lose? We, as a whole, need to get this country back to the premise it was built on which was "of the people, by the people, and for the people". We need to take the corporations out of the picture when it comes to citizens rights.

Clerk......No i am not in favor of a one world government..
I agree with what you say...Im just telling you and anybody else who doesnt know what is takeing place in our country,so that they know why they are loseing thier job,s and security.Its been a slow proscess and will go on for sometime.You have no choice but to go with the flow.

poofed, Well there is always another choice, and I believe that if things keep heading the way they are the working man will eventually be so fed up he will make that choice. Can you say Revolution?

Union Power: Priceless
 
Contractor Corruption

I am a union member working in Maryland. Several years ago, the mailrooms and fleet services were contracted out. We were informed that, in a couple different mailrooms, especially in New Jersey, a large quantity of laptop computers as well as other expensive items had been reported stolen. Also, expensive items turned up missing from my location, and to the best of my knowledge, Security found that it was two contracted employees in the warehouse there.


We were informed that the contracted fleet vendors were found to be double- and triple-billing the company by billing the manager sending the item, as well as the manager receiving the item, as well as billing the mailroom facility manager at our location!! And they think they're SAVING MONEY by contracting these jobs out??

I'm a union member and have belong to a union for 40yrs. But like any buisness, that is what a union is, and their first priority is to survive. Just like the post office and it's managing ideas are out dated so are the unions that represent us. I have read the commissions report and one thing I have to agree with, we have to look at the private sector and compare our contracts and change so we are competing on the same level. If we did we would gain in some areas and lose in others but we will be able to strengthen out jobs by playing on the same level.

Highlights of the Tentative Agreement - Verizon





Job Security


No movement of work for five years; the .7% restriction is maintained.
The Job Security Letter (JSL) continues for current employees. New hires are not protected by the JSL.
Job security issues may be discussed during the annual April discussions; however, the Company cannot bargain to impasse.
Term


5-year contract.
Discussions in April 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 about job security issues and wages (in addition to the guaranteed wages). All contract terms and conditions are protected and cannot be modified unless agreed by both parties.
No strikes, no lockouts, no unilateral imposition of new contract terms.

Wages and Compensation
Over the term of the contract, with the guaranteed annual increases and expected cost of living adjustments, the wage increase will equal 10.6%. Elements of the wage increase are:


3% lump sum upon ratification, payable in October.
2% guaranteed minimum annual increase in August 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, applied to all steps of the wage schedules.
A Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) payable in 2006 and 2007. The 2006 payment equals one-half the change in the CPI from May 2004 to May 2006, minus 4%. The 2007 payment equals one-half the change in the CPI from May 2006 to May 2007, minus 2%.
Additional wage increases will be discussed in April 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Click here for an online wage calculator to see how the guaranteed increases and potential changes to inflation will affect you.
Corporate Profit-Sharing
The Corporate Profit Sharing Plan (CPS) is continued with minimum distribution (subject to prorating for partial years), as follows:


2004: $500 minimum
2005: $550 minimum
2006: $600 minimum
2007: $650 minimum
2008: $700 minimum
Pension
The lump sum cash out option is preserved. Between October 1, 2003, and December 31, 2003, there will be a special incentive window when pension bands will be increased 5%. At the end of the period, the incentive increase will end. The lump sum cashout will be available during the incentive window. Cashouts will be available again on November 1, 2004, and will remain in effect thereafter, through the term of the contract. Between November 1, 2003, and August 2, 2008, pension bands will increase 11.46% on a compounded basis. Annual pension band increases are as follows:


10/1/03: 5% incentive window; expires 12/31/03
11/1/04: 2% permanent pension band increase
10/1/05: 3% permanent pension band increase
10/1/06: 3% permanent pension band increase
10/1/07: 3% permanent pension band increase
Voluntary Termination Bonus


Employees who leave voluntarily pursuant to IPP/ISP or Enhanced IPP/ISP offering during the term of the agreement, are eligible for a lump sum payment of $10,000 in addition to any amount for which the employee is otherwise eligible, plus six months of medical coverage if not otherwise eligible.
Health Care and Other Benefits


No premium sharing for actives or retirees.
Premium surcharge of $40 per month is imposed for spouses or partners of active employees who have access to health insurance coverage through their employers. If the spouse's income is less than $25,000 or if their premium is more than $900 annually ($75 a month), then the employee is exempted from paying the surcharge. This is to encourage workers to have their spouses' employer pick up a portion of the total medical costs for their families.
A new PPO arrangement will be integrated with the current MEP indemnity plan. Co-pays will replace 80/20 cost sharing when a PPO doctor is used. This new benefit is a result of the work of the joint Advisory Committees on Health Care, a successful union-management team that developed a win-win approach to health care cost control while assuring quality care.
New preventive care benefits will be included in the MEP plan for the first time in the NY/NE contract and are updated in the Mid-Atlantic, as well as updated in the HCN and MCN plans. The new benefits include coverage of one physical exam annually for individuals over age 50, and coverage of one complete regimen of immunizations and flu vaccine annually for children and adults.

Postal Service rejects ‘right to strike’ proposal for unions


http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0403/043003w1.htm

Remember the saying," A monkey can do this job". Well the Post Office went to a local zoo in Washington DC and purchased (Leased) 12 monkeys and sent them to school. After 12 months of intense training they were placed on 4 DBCS's next to the top human producers or mail processers. After 4 months the monkeys started to overtake their human mail processers in processing the mail. Then all of a sudden the monkeys started to lose interest in their jobs. Production fell, they spent more and more time in the tree provided by the PO for their quiet time. Banana peels were thrown on the floor creating a safety hazard. And to top it off, they were fornicating between the machines with their human conterparts. The experiment came to a complete halt and the monkeys were returned to their cages at the local zoo.
When returned to the zoo, the monkeys filed EEO's claiming that they were discriminated against by postal officials, including their postal superviser who they claim mimincked and belittled them in front of their human counterparts. They also filed class action Workmans Comp. Claims because of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, not of their arms but their toes! The Postal Service is examining their claims.
Whats the moral of this story?

"A Monkey is a Monkey, even if he acts like a human, at least as long as he works for the PO"!!!!! Pass the Banana's!

How to make thousands of $$$$ doing nothing at all
1.
Keep in mind that everything stated below is 100% legal as stated by
the U.S. Post Office (1-800-725-2161).
A little while back, I was browsing through newsgroups, just like you
are now, and came across an article similar to this that said you
could make thousands of dollars within weeks with only an initial
investment of $6.00! : So I thought,' Yeah, right, this must be a
scam', but like most of us, I was curious, so I kept reading. Anyway it
said that you have to send $1.00 to each of the following names on the
list, stated at the end of this article using Moneybookers (our new form of
transferring money safely and securely). You don’t have to be preferred
or verified to transfer and receive money, so you lose no money
through transfers. Now honestly, what is six dollars, especially out
of a Moneybookers account. In exchange you will make thousands in the first
few months. You then place your own name and email address (registered
for Moneybookers transfers) in the bottom of the list at #3, and post the
article in at least 200 newsgroups. (There are thousands of
newsgroups) No catch, that was it. So after thinking it over, and
talking to a few people first, I thought about trying it. I sent out
my measly 6.00 to the three people on the list. Well GUESS WHAT!!...
Within 7 days, I started: getting $$$$$ in my account! I was shocked!
I figured it would end soon, but the CASH just kept coming in. In my
first week, I made about $25.00. By the end of the second week I had
made a total of over $500.00! In the third week I had over
$800.00 and it's still growing. This is now my fourth week and I
have made a total of just over $1,200.00 and it's still coming in
rapidly. It's certainly worth $6.00 and 5 minutes to send it out. This
program WORKS, all you have to do is try it, and waste some pocket
change. You could find six dollars laying around the house. There is
absolutely nothing you could lose. Just follow the 4 basic steps below
to make thousands in just a few days, weeks, or months, it all depends
on how many posts of this letter you put in message boards.
Here’s how it works:
When you post 200 messages all over the internet, it is estimated that
at least 15 people will respond and send you a $2.00. ($30.00) Those
15 will Post 200 Posts each and 225 people send you $2.00 ($450.00)
Those 225 people Post 200 Posts each and 3,375 people send you $2.00
($6,750.00) Those 3,375 post 200 posts each and 759,375 people send
you $2.00 ($1,518,750.00) At this point your name drops off the list,
but so far you have received $1,518,750.00. Note: I'm not saying this is
going to make everyone 1000's of grands, but lets say even 1 person out of
200 tries this program, you are still going to make 50,000 dollars in
anywhere from 1 month to 6 months max!!!!!
SO SAVE THIS MESSAGE NOW IF YOUR INTERESTED IN CHANGING YOUR LIFE!!!
And go to the instructions below to get started immediately. You must
send out 6 dollars to the people at the end of the letter before
swapping your name in, or else those 3 people will not add you to
their list, therefore you will not make any money.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Immediately send $2.00 to each of the 3 people on the list using
Moneybookers, and in the comment section type "Please add me to your list".
Here are the emails that you transfer the money into:
#1) prashantdhyani84@yahoo.co.in
#2) anilkapoor44@yahoo.co.in
#3) sandeep7548@yahoo.co.in
2. Now Copy this letter. All you have to do is save this whole article
along with instructions, etc in a word file/note pad on your computer.
3. After sending the money to the 3 people on the list, you can
remove the name next to the #1 on the list and move the rest of the
names up one position (#2 becomes #1, #3 becomes #2) Then place
your name in the #3 position. Then save it.
4. When you have completed the instructions, take this letter and then
go to (Google, Yahoo,...) and type in (Making Money Message board,
Money Message Board, Money Forum, Free money Forum, or anything along
those lines that are forums) and start posting your copy of this
message at lease 200 times, to as many unique message boards as you
can, or more. The more times you post this at a unique board, the more
money you will make. The more copies you send the better the results.
Keep a copy of this letter so you can use it a second time. Post it
out again in six months, but Post it with the addresses you receive
with each dollar. It will work better the second time. NOTE: This
service is 100% legal - (Refer to title 18 section 1302 of the U.S.
Postal & lottery laws)
P.S. There is no possible way to cheat this program. If you do not
follow the instructions exactly, you will not make any money,
GUARANTEED.


REMEMBER AGAIN- After you've mailed 2 dollar to each of these people,
then you can add your name to the 3rd position, and move the
rest up one spot.

Check Out PostalReporter.com's updated Forums
The new forums will be announced on the frontpage very soon

Postal Workers Injured on Duty
Postal EEO Forum
Postal Clerks
Postal Letter Carriers

     We specialize in manufacturing and wholesaling Howo Truck Spare Parts and Howo, Steyr, Steyr King, AUMAN trucks and Parts and Turbochargers of the above trucks ,which are of high quality .telephone:0086-0531-80688517,e-mail:cindysoft@sina.com