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US Postal Service may cut days off their delivery

Submitted by WWAY on Thu, 01/29/2009 - 6:34pm.READ MORE: US Postal Service may cut days off their delivery
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In order to work through the economic rough patch, the US Postal Service may have to cut delivery and pick-up from 6 days a week, to 5. “I think that would be an injustice to the public because it has always been that way,” said Wilmington’s Ella Louise. Some rely on the postal service for a living. Just ask local business owner, PJ Kelly of Compass Point Developers. “It certainly would affect getting stuff out to people that we've promised in a timely manner.” A USPS spokeswoman said going to a five day work week is a last resort, and this is why. In 2006, a law was passed that says the postal service has to pay five billion dollars for the next ten years to pre-fund the cost of benefits for future retirees. That is in addition to the two billion it must pay for its current retirees. The Postmaster General asked Congress Wednesday to approve restructuring that payment to relieve the financial burden, instead of cutting a delivery day. Pat Long of Kure Beach said, “I guess we all do what we have to do during this economic strain.” A number of factors play in to the weakening USPS bottom line; declining mail volumes, last year's spike in fuel cost and the increasingly turbulent economy. It is unclear exactly how much a five day work week would save in dollars and cents, but the postal service said, "Savings would be quite tremendous". There are still many unknowns; what day of the week the USPS would stop delivering, who it will affect - residents, businesses or both, or when it would happen.

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For the Outsiders

Submitted by Rural Carrier (not verified) on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 11:27pm.

I am a RURAL CARRIER and have been for several years. First of all we are not PAID BY THE HOUR!!! The post office is counting the mail on some routes right now. The count started on February 27, 2010 - March 12, 2010. What is a mail count you ask. Well it is where the post office screws all of the rural carriers out of a salary. Some carriers know that the post office is in contact with mailers(bulk for the most part). At this time mail is held so in turn it cannot get to the carrier to be counted. Last year some routes lost 4-5hrs a week. It may not mean much to people who don't work in the rain, sleet, snow, and drive there own vehicles which get run down; but hey we work harder then most walking routes. After the post office cheats the rural carriers during this count you will see a whole load of standard mail(STD or bulk). Outsiders can help us. We need parcels, letters, flats, pick-ups, if no one helps... hundreds will be out of work in the Wilmington, NC area alone. Think about other people besides yourself. What if one day you were handed a pink slip; what would happen to you?

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Mailman's Wife

Submitted by Guestanon (not verified) on Thu, 02/26/2009 - 10:27pm.
To the mailman's wife: Hey, you CHOSE to have 5 kids, nobody forced you to. They are YOUR responsibility, not that of the taxpayers of America. The entire country has to make sacrifices right now, including YOU.
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you should know that we do

Submitted by s. (not verified) on Mon, 09/12/2011 - 6:55pm.

you should know that we do not get paid out of taxes. We get paid out of the revenue within the post office ie.. stamp sale.

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I can't believe that the

Submitted by American (not verified) on Wed, 02/18/2009 - 7:23pm.
I can't believe that the USPS still exists, competing with superior companies and with inferior services. Only the government can be this stupid. Step one split the route in half first half MWF second half THS. Step two contracted out. Step three hello free market.
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USA needs the USPS. There is

Submitted by melinda dunlap (not verified) on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 1:59pm.

USA needs the USPS. There is already much confusion on what company ( eg. UPS, FEDEX) is delivering a package let alone think about outsourcing letter mail . When you have a problem WHO would you go to??? The USPS delivers millions of mail correctly everyday..mail is secure... 5 day workweek is good , who needs mail on sat. or if you do then get a po box.

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5 day delivery

Submitted by tom (not verified) on Mon, 02/16/2009 - 5:07pm.
it only makes sense to go to 5 day delivery... you would only have one carrier which would mean less mistakes. less gas would be used jobs could be cut... but tuesday would make no sense what so ever so im sure thats what the post office will do... they have the worst managers in the world!!!
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I have been a mailman 11

Submitted by Guest67676767 (not verified) on Wed, 02/11/2009 - 11:36am.
I have been a mailman 11 years and know what goes on at the posy office. They cut overtime by hiring Temp employees whom they threaten with their job if they dont run their but off. Yes this is why you get mail that does not belong to you. I hope they cut the work week to 5 days. Only if they cut Saturday delivery. It would be nice to be home Saturday like many of the people I deliver mail to. Yes people will lose their jobs starting with the temporary employees and then the junior employees. The layoff clause protects employees with over 6 years. So the new hirees with no experience will be the first to go. Also they should offer early retirement. I have to work until im 57 which will mean I will have 34 years of service. I would take less of a pension if they cut the 30 year requirement to 20 or 25 years. My body hurts now everyday when I get home. I cant wait to see how it will be when Im in my 50s walking ten miles a day. Many people dont know but we are sometimes ( everyday) forced to work 10 hours and 6 days a week because management will properly plan a schedule.It would also make since for the post office to pay me a salary to carry my mail at my own pace and not worry about hours. They pay postmasters $90,000 a year to look at numbers and harrass carriers to go faster. Do away with highly paid managers and pay me fairly to do the job and there will be no problem
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11 YR MAILMAN

Submitted by HOLD ON (not verified) on Thu, 03/25/2010 - 10:16pm.

WHILE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR SAYING I GET KIND OF TICKED OFF TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT THE REASON THE CUSTOMERS ARE GETTING THE WRONG MAIL IS BECAUSE OF TE AND PTF'S. YOUR ARE CORRECT THAT THEY GET US RUNNING LIKE THERE IS NO TOMARROW AND TREAT US LIKE CRAP BUT DONT KID YOURSELF, I'M A TE AND HAVE TAKEN MANY A LETTER BACK OR DELIVERED SOMEPLACE BECAUSE THE UTILITY OR THE REGULAR HAVE SCREWED UP. I KNOW YOU LIKE THE IDEA OF A 5 DAY WEEK FOR OBVIOUS REASONS BUT YOU NEW WHAT YOU WERE GETTING INTO WHEN YOU GOT THE JOB. 5 DAYS A WEEK AND ALL TE'S AND ALL PTS'S CAN START TO LOOK FOR A NEW JOB NOT TO MENTION ANYONE WHITH LESS THAN SIX YEARS. REMEMBER AS BIG OF JERKS AS THEY ARE TO US, A 5 DAY WEEK IT WILL BE YOU THEY GET TO PUSH AND PUSH AND PUSH. BUT THAN AGAIN I DON'T SEE THE USPS BEING AROUND IN 7-8 YEARS ANYWAY.

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I agree I have been with to

Submitted by Postal Mania (not verified) on Fri, 01/01/2010 - 2:01am.
I agree I have been with to Postal Service for 8 years and we are sooooo over micomanaged and every last move evaluated. Customer Service has been eliminated by our management that our customers have chosen different delivery services that tend to there needs. 5 days a week would be better than losing all our jobs because of the retards that manage us.
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Mailman

Submitted by Guest555 (not verified) on Sat, 02/28/2009 - 9:25am.
How much do you get paid? How many paid holidays do you recieve? What insurance company do you have? You could have simply found another jon but looks like it was worth your stay...hum?
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5 day work week

Submitted by denisembuffy (not verified) on Tue, 02/10/2009 - 8:44pm.
I am writing as a wife of a rural mail carrier, so I do have knowledge of this firsthand. My husband has been a carrier for 26 years. He was not interested in school and so after graduation, he focused on turning his part time job as a sub into a full time job. He suceeded at this and has stuck with it and enjoyed his occupation for the most part. We have raised 5 children and are still raising the last 2 on this salary. I am a stay at home mom, and I work hard to keep the house, the bills, and the kids in tact while he delivers the mail every day. I would love to have a normal life with a 5 day work week for my husband; weekends off like other people. However, this is not a good economic move for us and I am sure it would wreak havoc in the families of other carriers as well. We budget carefully, and it is still tough to make ends meet sometimes. If you cut my husbands' pay, our family suffers. This may not be a big deal to you, but to us, it is a big deal. As it is, we don't go out to eat much, and movies are pretty much out of the question. I shop at thrift stores, yard sales and clearance racks for most of our needs. We are very careful. How much are we expected to cut back? The management, however, is another story. When are they going to have to make a cut in their lifestyle? As with all companies, why do all the cuts always begin with the hard working people who make up the core of the company? Why are those of us barely struggling expected to tighten our belts even more, while management continues to get bonuses for cutting our pay???? And yes, that is how it works. When the count comes each year, the "big-wigs" do find ways to alter the volume of mail in hopes that the count will be low, so that route hours are cut, and they in the end are rewarded for their efforts, while we figure out how to do without a few more "luxeries" such as food, clothing, utilities! HA! Such irony! Take a trip for us on that bonus check! Enjoy your "Olive Garden" dinner for us too, please. Someone mentioned fuel costs! What a joke. My husband gets an allowance that is intended to cover maintenance costs, tires, insurance and fuel. The cost of all these items skyrocketed, but guess what! It took months before there was an increase in his benefit! And it did not even begin to come close to covering it. Thank goodness we don't owe anything for his delivery vehicle. I doubt we could have covered the fuel and the payment during that time. For those who don't have to experience this first hand, maybe you should get to know your mailcarrier and learn first hand that he is not taken care of by the government by any means. He/she is a hard working American who is trying to pay the bills and work toward a decent retirement. We are the core of this country. Families trying to make a living by honest work, honest values and trying to raise our kids by these same examples!
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Your Fault

Submitted by WilmingtonMAJ on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 10:49am.
It is YOUR fault you had that many children on a small salary. You should have stopped after 1 or 2 and budgeted yourself. It's people like you who have too many children that cause issues in society and overpopulate our planet then complain when you lose your job that..."ohhh how are we going to survive with all these children."
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exactly

Submitted by Das Weibstück on Sat, 02/28/2009 - 1:07pm.
Too many kids. I had 1 because I could do more for 1 and I did well. When I see people with loads of kids I wonder what they were thinking bringing that many more humans into this screwed up world. Why do you all want to do that?
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Possible reason.

Submitted by anon. (not verified) on Sat, 03/21/2009 - 1:47pm.
The reason why I think people have lots of kids is because they don't have common sense OR, now this is why I would, it's because they want to bring children into this world and raise them correctly, provide all that they need to be successful, and ingrain a set of values in them to make this " screwed up world" a better world.
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Personally,

Submitted by Guest123456 (not verified) on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 1:26am.
it makes no difference to me. I barely get my mail as it is. There are days I get a bunch of mail and there are days I don't get any at all. In fact, there are days I don't even see the postal worker in our neighborhood. However, I do know people who work for the USPS and losing the pay would hurt them, not cripple them but it could hurt them financially. I hate to see anyone lose their jobs or have their hours cut because of governmental fiscal irresponsibility. But I also understand that this 'downturn' is because most people are paying their bills online or over the phone with their debit/credit cards. That is how we pay our bills. I rarely use a checkbook anymore. I balance my account with my online statement. The best thing about that is I can see immediately if there is an irregularity and can correct it right then. Times they are a changin' and it's not necessarily for the better either!
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More

Submitted by WilmingtonMAJ on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 2:07pm.
It should be taken down to maybe 3 or 4 days a week. So much is going paperless and via internet it would seem to be a wise choice in our declining economy. Of course then it will only be a matter of time before e-mails are taxed
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Sixth day cut means no job for me

Submitted by Kelly (not verified) on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 10:50am.
I am a substitute carrier. I work every Saturday. I also work part time as a substitute teacher in 2 school districts. If the USPS cut the 6th day of delivery it will have a huge affect on substitute mail carriers. The majority of what I make a year comes from working for the USPS. I will essentially lose my job, along with thousands, if not more, other substitute mail carriers. That will definitely affect the economy. For example, if this happens, I will have to seek state aid. I will apply for free school lunches for my children, medicaid for my children, food stamps, and possibly unemployment. If I can't find another job, (which considering the fact that everyday more of my friends and relatives are losing jobs),will we be forced to move in with a relative and possibly lose our meager $50,000 home. We obviously will not be able to purchase any little extras, such as a new pair of shoes for one of our children, or a dinner out once a month, just the little things that our barely helping someone else keep their job.
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Really

Submitted by guesty on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 3:58pm.

If the majority of what you make in a year comes from only working 52 days a year it shows how overpaid USPS workers are.

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RCAs (substitutes) who are

Submitted by Guest12 (not verified) on Sun, 09/16/2012 - 9:43pm.

RCAs (substitutes) who are also substitute teachers can make more at th post office because they don't work everyday as a substitute teacher. They can work as an RCA carrier every Saturday,when school is out during the school year and during the summer. So...they can get more hours as an RCA Sub. They are not overpaid.

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We can live with 5 days

Submitted by Opinionated (not verified) on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 9:02am.
We can live with only having mail 5 days a week. It would not hurt people to not have mail on Saturday afternoon. If it is something that can save money and help the economy then I say go for it. Most of the mail that you get on Saturday does no good until Monday morning anyway. If it is medicine that is being delivered I say mail it out a day early and they wouldnt be affected. We all have to start working together if we want to see this country get in better shape.
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Let's hope

Submitted by SurfCityTom on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 8:35am.
they use a little common sense in this and choose a mid-week day for closure. Some people work during their short weekly hours and are unable to get to the P. O. I'm not certain what they would suspend in Surf City. M-F 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM with an hour closure for linch. Saturday 10:00 AM to Noon.
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USPS

Submitted by RSmith on Thu, 01/29/2009 - 8:40pm.
About 5 years ago I had my mail returned for insufficient postage. The price of a stamp had risen a penny and I didn't know about it. I think everyone here knows what happens when you have a late pay on your credit card. (Fortunately my CC company was understanding and I didn't incur their wrath) Since then I have been paying my bills online and only receive junk mail, so much that I can't believe that the conservationists aren't foaming at the mouth. Good bye USPS, it can't happen soon enough for me.
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usps

Submitted by Das Weibstück on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 12:19pm.
We pay all ours through bill pay with our bank. Cant beat it. We used to have to buy stamps once a month now we buy them maybe twice a year.....I am sure this is one reason the USPS is struggling, a lot of folks pay online now.
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stupidity

Submitted by rob (not verified) on Sat, 03/14/2009 - 10:07pm.
This is why the usps is hurting is because people like you they dont think of what they are doing what if i quit using whatever company you work for then what would happen to you.
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Hate to inform ya.

Submitted by Ozzy (not verified) on Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:41pm.
I hate to inform you there buddy, but your online banking bill payment still use the USPS. If they are unable to do an ACH debit to pay your bill, they cut a check and mail it in to the payee.
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As a mailcarrier I am

Submitted by Kelly (not verified) on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 10:59am.
As a mailcarrier I am surprised your mail was returned to you. I can't tell you how many times I have used my own money to help someone out with postage in your situation. I myself have sent mail to credit card companies with short postage. Most of the time, especially during a recent postage rise, the companies you are sending checks to want their money and will absorb the postage. I believe the rule is that if you send something short of postage it is still delivered and it is left to the recipient to pay the postage due. Everyday I work I pay the postage due items that I am delivering to the recipients and they in turn reimburse me. Sometimes I get stiffed. I also have the option of going to their door and requesting the postage due. The recipient has the option to refuse and the mail is then returned to the sender.
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5 day delivery

Submitted by Guest 2 (not verified) on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 5:03pm.
I have been a regular carrier for the Postal Service for over 18 years and I believe this is a terrible idea. The Postal Service employs almost 1 million people. This suggestion is suppose to help boost the economy? How? By cutting employees pay from 5,000 to 10,000 dollars per year? If they cut one day from my pay, my pay is cut 20%. Myself, along with about 300,000 other carriers will not be spending, because we won't have the money to spend, so is this going to boost the economy? How would any of you like to have your pay or retirement cut 20%? Yes, it will help the Postal Service's bottom line because the same amount of mail will be delivered, just in 5 days and not in 6. Every Monday will be just like the day after a holiday. On Monday we will in turn have to deliver Saturday, Sunday, and Monday's mail all on one day. Sunday you say? Yes, the mail is still sorted and transported on Sunday just like the other 6 days, it is just not delivered. Now on Monday we deliver the mail that arrives at our Post Office on Sunday, and the mail that arrives on Monday, after a delivery day is cut we will then have to deliver the mail for Saturday on Monday too. And get this, On Monday we are expected to deliver 2 or 3 days of mail within the evaluated time allowance for our route and be back in the office before the last truck back to Fayetteville leaves at 5:00 pm. Let's say you make footballs, and you are suppose to make 100 per day, but now your boss cuts Saturday from your work week. Now on Monday your boss tells you, you have to make 200 footballs (100 for Saturday, and 100 for Monday) in the same time period you were making 100 footballs before, but he was also going to cut your pay for the day out of work, but the weekly quota could not drop. This is how it is with the carriers. The weekly mail quota (volume) would remain the same but we now have 1 less day to case and deliver it, and the extra bonus is we do it and not get paid for it. I believe this is a terrible idea. Not only will the regular carriers lose 5 to 10 thousand dollars per year in salary, but the substitute carriers will more than likely lose their jobs. I heard the Post Office would still be open 6 days, and that the clerks would still work 6 days, but the mail would only be delivered 5 days. I guess the PO expects the carriers to foot the entire bill to be able to help the business and boost the economy. If you ask me the "mail count" already cuts our pay enough every year to to cover the carriers part in the scheme of things, now it is time to make cuts in clerks and management salaries to make up the rest. Oh, I also pay postage due for my customers, and most of them reimburse me the money, but I get stiffed sometimes too. AND did you know the Postal Service delivers MANY packages for UPS? UPS makes a delivery to our office every day and we have to deliver them. Bet you didn't know that, did you? It is called a trade off.
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5 day delivery by guest 2

Submitted by RR33 (not verified) on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 5:29pm.
Your letter is 100% accurate. People have unbelievably short memories about what they receive in their mailbox. They forget that all their critical mail from Fed, State, and Local Gov't is delivered though us. Banking, Credit, Legal, Personal mail, Magazine subscriptions, and even bulk rate mail that influences their buying decisions and saves them money. They probably credit all the parcels we deliver to other carriers. But... as soon as we are unable to deliver mail to their box in 12 inches of snow they are the first to call in to complain. By the way, I went from a 42K to a 43H In the last 2 counts. Thanks again for your letter, it was perfect. Thanks, Mark
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reply

Submitted by stinky (not verified) on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 8:07pm.
on your comments about clerks not absorbing our part, where have you been for the last few years? in our office alone our jobs have been cut from 7 ft and 5 ptf's to 3 ft clerks and 1 ptf. WE HAVE ONLY LOST ONE PTF CARRIER POSITION! just in case you wonder i carried mail for 11 years before i switched crafts so unless you have clerked before don't judge work loads because i have done both and i can tell you that clerks work just as hard as carriers for less pay and longer hours. as far as management cuts, i have seen none nor heard of any . thats wher the FAT should be cut if you ask me.
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Carriers and Clerks

Submitted by Guest 2 (not verified) on Wed, 02/04/2009 - 7:31pm.
FYI, I was a clerk for 5 years before becoming a carrier. What happened to the days when a clerk had to work a certain amount of letters or flats in a certain amount of time and were held to it? If that still stands, I wish someone would tell our management. I could go on and on about talking, laughing, eating, walking around, going outside while on the clock, making carriers wait on the mail, but I won't. I could add in the faults of carriers too, but I am sure every clerk and carrier is already aware of this. Isn't it weird how management overlooks these things, especially when they are so concerned with percent-to-standard? Maybe you misunderstood what I said earlier. From what we have heard the PO will still be open 6 days per week, and the mail will be worked as usual 6 days a week, but the carriers will be cut out of a delivery day which will cut our pay. If this is true, clerks will not be affected. I agree, management need their part in these cuts too. We have a supervisor that racks up about 900 extra dollars pay per month to run packages up and down the road so they can be delivered that day. How does paying a TRC to drive 300 miles or more and earn 6 hours pay in one day to deliver a 10 dollar package make any sense? Yes, the PO is wasteful, but I am thankful to have a job. UPS, Fed-Ex and almost every other employer in this nation seem to be just as wasteful if you look down deep in their operation. As for some other posters, our benefits are not provided to us 100% for a lifetime. We are charged for a portion of these benefits and these charges keep going up year after year. Our retirement is based on age and years worked and we get a percent of our highest 3 year salary, and believe me, it is only a small percentage. We are NOT included in the benefit package our congressmen and senators get.
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