To Postal Workers, No Mail Is ‘Junk’

I carried the mail. It is a thankless job. Many people go on about the wages, and often they are the ones who couldn't pass the test, or weren't able to get a job there. I would have to take a letter from a disgruntled customer who was paying his income taxes and listen to him complain that he was paying my salary. Not one dime comes from taxpayers. I can mail a letter from California to New York for a mere $.42. Maybe some feel it is unskilled labor -- just go do it for one day. I walked for years -- my footsteps were timed. I started out the day taking 130 steps a minute, and finished the day at 130 steps per minute. All the people I worked with were all hard-working, conscientious people. Management is hard to deal with. Pressure is put on them to harrass the workers to get better numbers -- more volume processed and delivered in less time with fewer employees. I took early retirement -- it isn't all that much either -- if I didn't have a husband, I couldn't make it. My check is $502.00 per month since i already have health insurance with him -- otherwise, subtract another $300.00. I had to leave early because I simply could not "run" anymore, and I did not want to get labeled a "slacker." Letter carriers and clerks work very hard -- please never doubt that.

Want to keep the PO in business, do what I do... Take the junk mail you receive from credit card companies and the like, remove your personal info and return the junk mail plus more in the postage paid envelope provided with the junk mail. The company that sent the junk mail pays to receive their own junk back!

Keep the PO in business, do what I do... Take the junk mail you receive from credit card companies, remove your personal info and return the junk mail plus more in the postage paid envelope provided with the junk mail. The company that sent the junk mail pays to receive their own junk back!

Comment: The truth is that the neocons have taken apart post office operations by outsourcing and subcontracting just like they have with everything else. So now when I mail my priority mail package via the post office, I am really mailing it via FedEx. So the post office is paying FedEx to ship my packages. It ends up costing me more, and it ends up costing the post office more, too. So why is it doing that? The post office could benefit greatly from all of the business from shipping generated by the internet, but instead some private company is sucking up the profits. Fix that and then maybe complain about not having business from junk mail.
It works the same in reverse. The Post Office deliveres for FEXEX and UPS and if not delivers, provides transport. it is about logistics and the sharing of infrastructure to save money. Wow, you should learn something

I have a very good idea on how the Post Office can genarate Millions of profitable dollars. Just need to speak with the right person,it is tough trying to get in touch with them.
If someone from the USPS sends me an e-mail at rgoodwin27 @comcast.net .I'll be glad to chat about my idea.

The truth is that the neocons have taken apart post office operations by outsourcing and subcontracting just like they have with everything else. So now when I mail my priority mail package via the post office, I am really mailing it via FedEx. So the post office is paying FedEx to ship my packages. It ends up costing me more, and it ends up costing the post office more, too. So why is it doing that? The post office could benefit greatly from all of the business from shipping generated by the internet, but instead some private company is sucking up the profits. Fix that and then maybe complain about not having business from junk mail.

I worked for the Post Office for 25 years and am recently retired. In our Post Office we still have 5 city routes where City Carriers walk anywhere from 12 to 17 miles a day; in all weather, no excuses. What many people don't know is that the Federal Government, over 20 years ago, mandated that the Postal Service keep rates ridiculously low for non-profit organizations and promised they would subsidise the Post Office for the losses they incurred. To date, the U S Government has never made a payment (subsidy) toward that mandate; which happens to be millions every single year. The Post Office delivers to every household in America that has a mail recepticle; UPS and Fed Ex will not deliver to hundreds of thousands of householes because these people happen to live too far away from the crowd; so guess who they send those packages to to be delivered; The Post Office. The NALC (National Association of Letter Carriers) has been bargaining for a 4 or 5 day work week ever since I went to work for the Post Office in 1982; your elected Government Officials won't allow it. There is "bloat" in the Post Office-any craft employee will tell you that. Overpaid management people who get paid enormous salaries to time people as they sort mail, spy on carriers to make sure they aren't spending too much time talking to their patrons, making sure you "curb" your wheels when you park, are just a couple of examples of people with nothing productive to do.

Comment: Having been wrongfully terminated by the USPS in 2000 when, as a manager, I defended a woman who had been sexually harassed by a subordinate supervisor only to watch him get promoted for his vile behavior, nothing pleases me more than to see the USPS go through tough times. Frankly, they are the epitomy of what is wrong in our economy. Managers at the highest level are rewarded for running the agency into the ground, much like CEO's who get golden parachutes after running their companies into the ground. It is high time the USPS fail and get privatized. Those who will lose their jobs, especially management, deserve to lose their jobs. And for the record, I settled the case, quite favorably, in 2004 and am now reitred, so these are not the words of someone disgruntled. I could not be happier, for me, but feel the pain of those stuck working there. Enough already!

Well, at least you have a non biased objective opinion based on good reasoning and facts. Oh, wait, nevermind.

If we get rid of the Postal Service, we will add 800,000 to the unemployment lines. That figure is just for the employees of the Postal Service. Many more that the Postal Services employs indirectly will loose their jobs. The Postal Service also uses the commercial airline to move the mail. This would be a cut to them as well. The Postal Service has much cheaper shipping costs then FEDEX and UPS who by the way raise there surcharges to make up for the high price ofgasolind.

Quit worrying about saving trees! Trees are a renewable resource, unlike that gas you used this morning. Trees provide many jobs to our economy, so please stop thinking that you can't use them anymore. They can be replanted!

As fas as the USPS, they need to recognize that you have to be able to keep up with the changes if you are going to stay in business. Every business has to. I wouldn't mind if they only delivered mail a couple times a week, they could still offer their premium services everyday.

I arrived one day right at closing, trying to make it in time to mail my brother's birthday card. The USPS worker was very adamant about NOT letting me in to mail the card. Every other business has to work at giving good customer service, that is why a little competition would serve them right. They have no competition yet, thus the lack of customer service we sometimes get, because the know you aren't going to go to the ABC postal service instead.

Having been wrongfully terminated by the USPS in 2000 when, as a manager, I defended a woman who had been sexually harassed by a subordinate supervisor only to watch him get promoted for his vile behavior, nothing pleases me more than to see the USPS go through tough times. Frankly, they are the epitomy of what is wrong in our economy. Managers at the highest level are rewarded for running the agency into the ground, much like CEO's who get golden parachutes after running their companies into the ground. It is high time the USPS fail and get privatized. Those who will lose their jobs, especially management, deserve to lose their jobs. And for the record, I settled the case, quite favorably, in 2004 and am now reitred, so these are not the words of someone disgruntled. I could not be happier, for me, but feel the pain of those stuck working there. Enough already!

Um, Captain Run On Sentence (AKA madtaxman), if I understand you correctly, are you saying that we should ALL pay for Postal Service to our house?

Comment: The best thing to do with the PO is give it to FEDEX or UPS and they would have it turning a profit in 6 months time, with lower rates !!!!!!

Not true. The Post Office can offer the rates they do because legally they cannot make a profit over time. If they were managed by a for profit organization, guess what will happen to the price of all your mail and stamps? They would go up for the sake of profit. In time the Post Office may be proven to bee unnecessary or may exist in a different form, but they provide consumers one of the best values in the world for mail. Go to UPS or FexEx and see how much it costs you to send a letter across the country.

Take your packages to Fedex, ups and the post office. It will surprise you who has the lowest rates. I carried the identical pkg. to all 3 asking for the same service and delivery date. Ha. The post office now has our business. (the mail carrier who delivers our mail is not lazy and always has a smile despite the weather and pack she is carrying!)

Comment: The best thing to do with the PO is give it to FEDEX or UPS and they would have it turning a profit in 6 months time, with lower rates !!!!!!

Not true. The Post Office can offer the rates they do because legally they cannot make a profit over time. If they were managed by a for profit organization, guess what will happen to the price of all your mail and stamps? They would go up for the sake of profit. In time the Post Office may be proven to bee unnecessary or may exist in a different form, but they provide consumers one of the best values in the world for mail. Go to UPS or FexEx and see how much it costs you to send a letter across the country.

Comment: The best thing to do with the PO is give it to FEDEX or UPS and they would have it turning a profit in 6 months time, with lower rates !!!!!!

Not true. The Post Office can offer the rates they do because legally they cannot make a profit over time. If they were managed by a for profit organization, guess what will happen to the price of all your mail and stamps? They would go up for the sake of profit. In time the Post Office may be proven to bee unnecessary or may exist in a different form, but they provide consumers one of the best values in the world for mail. Go to UPS or FexEx and see how much it costs you to send a letter across the country.