Tag: North America

Union criticizes US Postal Service's outsourcing plans

Posted by | Aug 7, 2008 | |

UNI’s US Affiliate the NPMHU National President John Hegarty appeared before the US Congress Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, to provide the views of the NPMHU on the recently-issued USPS Network Realignment Plan. He told the committee that the union believed that the USPS recently made an ill-advised foray into subcontracting, which involves proposals to outsource work from the Bulk Mail Centers.

He said that for many years, the Mail Handlers Union has tried to work with the Postal Service towards a better, more efficient and more economical operation. However, we have problems with this latest proposal which want to give away mail volume to the private sector, when the nearby postal plants, as is well documented, are suffering from a major loss of mail volume themselves. John Hegarty also commented on the plan by the USPS to offer voluntary retirement to a number of permanent employees, he said, “NPHMU do not believe it makes business sense to ask employees to retire voluntarily while also proposing to outsource postal work to private contractors.”

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BCC Software Announces Release of Mail Manager Full Service

Posted by | Aug 7, 2008 | |

BCC Software, a BÖWE BELL + HOWELL announced the creation of a new upper tier of its mailing technology software products. With the release of Mail Manager Full Service, a comprehensive offering designed to deliver a complete suite of mail-processing functionality in a single powerful package, the highest-level mailing operations and document-processing giants now have an alternative in their search for an in-house solution.

Inspired by recent USPS announcements regarding different levels of Intelligent Mail barcode functionality-in which Full Service and Basic Service IM barcode categories have been announced-Mail Manager Full Service represents BCC’s commitment to serving all tiers of the mailing community with unique and distinctive product configurations. “As its name implies, our Full Service solution provides the optimal combination of product development and premiere-level services with the unlimited, best-in-class support that every BCC customer has always received,” said Chris Lien, BCC Executive Vice President.

Mail Manager Full Service uses as its foundation the USPS CASS/PAVE certified core technology that has made BCC’s Mail Manager 2010 presorting and list-management software a mailing-industry mainstay for the past decade.

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With Junk Mail Bill Stalled, New Report Details Effects

Posted by | Aug 7, 2008 | |

A bill to stop the delivery of unwanted mail has stalled for now in New York State, a development welcomed by the U.S. Postal Service, which has opposed the legislation since its introduction in 2007.

Meanwhile, an environmental nonprofit organization, ForestEthics, published a report yesterday detailing the detrimental environmental impact of junk mail and a petition signed by about 60,000 people who support a “do not mail” registry. The report also cites a 2007 Zogby poll that found that 89 pct of Americans support the idea of a registry.

Since 2007, 19 states have introduced legislation that would create a “do not mail” registry similar to the “do not call” list that prevents telemarketers from calling people who prefer not to receive such calls. The “do not mail” legislation, however, was not discussed on the floor in most of the states in which the bills were introduced this year. The “do not call” bill became law nationwide in 2003.

State Senator Carl Kruger, a Democrat of Brooklyn, said the bill he introduced in 2007 has been tabled, but that he will continue to pursue the legislation.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service, Joanne Veto, said the bill has not yet passed in any state because people realize the economic impact of what she called the “USD billion” mailing industry.

Only a fraction of mail ends up in landfills, she said, and the postal service lets recipients choose, to a certain extent, the mail they want to receive.

Unsolicited mail is different from unwanted phone calls, Ms. Veto said. “Mail doesn’t interrupt your dinner,” she said.

The largest postal union, which represents about 300,000 workers, also opposes the registry.

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USPS reports third quarter loss (U.S)

Posted by | Aug 6, 2008 | |

The U.S. Postal Service ended its third fiscal year quarter (April 1 – June 30) with a greater-than-expected net loss of USD 1.1 billion. The national economic slowdown reduced mail volume at an accelerated pace and continued inflation in fuel prices produced rapidly escalating transportation costs. Despite these financial challenges, Postal Service employees delivered record-breaking service performance in the third quarter.
For the third quarter ending June 30:
• Operating revenue was USD 17.9 billion, a decrease of USD 437 million, or 2.4 percent, compared to the same period last year.
• Operating expenses totaled USD19.0 billion, an increase of only USD 178 million, or 1.0 percent, from the third quarter last year, despite substantial increases in fuel prices.
• Expenses include USD 1.4 billion of the USD 5.6 billion payment to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund that the Postal Service is required to make by Sept. 30, 2008, under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006.
• Mail volume was 48.5 billion pieces, a 5.5 percent drop from the same period last year. First-Class Mail and Standard Mail volume were each down 5.5 percent in the third quarter, reflecting the challenging economic environment.
The fiscal 2008 year-to-date net loss totals USD 1.13 billion. The Postal Service had essentially broken even in the first half of the fiscal year. With no economic recovery in sight, the Postal Service expects an end-of-year, economy-driven net loss.

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FedEx Express introduces fuel efficient Boeing 757 to aircraft fleet

Posted by | Aug 6, 2008 | |

FedEx Express has launched its inaugural revenue flight using a Boeing 757 freighter. The new route provides reliable cargo service between the Memphis International Airport (MEM) and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) eight times per week.

This FedEx Boeing 757 flight into DCA also serves a new airport for FedEx, further extending the reliability, connectivity and quality of FedEx service throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

In addition to customer benefits, the introduction of the Boeing 757 to the FedEx fleet continues the company’s commitment to growth in an efficient, environmentally-conscious way. The Boeing 757 is known for its improved fuel efficiency and reduced noise levels, and will be phased in over time as the less fuel-efficient Boeing 727 aircraft are retired from service.

The introduction of the Boeing 757 model into the company’s fleet offers measurable cost benefits for FedEx during a period of unprecedented energy prices. The aircraft has significantly improved fuel-burn efficiencies, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing fuel consumption up to 36 percent while providing 20 percent more capacity per flight, when compared to the Boeing 727 it replaces. FedEx Express plans to introduce an additional 11 Boeing 757s into service over the next year.

Efforts at FedEx Express to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions extend across the operation.

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