USPS: Cutting 40,000 jobs

[NoStateofMind]

Well it seems that hard times have caught up to even government services. Surprising really, I didn't ever think jobs would be cut at the government level.

Postal Service Looks To Cut 40,000 Jobs In First Layoff In History

By Jonathan McCall - bio | email

SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - "We lost 2 billion dollars and like any other business we have to stay afloat." And to keep from sinking, the United States Postal Service is considering cutting thousands of jobs nationwide. Lavelle Pepper with the post office in Shreveport says they too are feeling the affects of the same disease hitting the country... a struggling economy. "We employ about 685,000 people. If we do layoffs it would include clerks, carriers, mail handlers across all crafts."

Pepper says the postal service is looking to eliminate 40,000 jobs nationwide. There's not an exact number on how many of those could be from the Ark-La-Tex. Pepper says workers who are not part of union with six or less years of service would likely be the first on the chopping block. "We've identified 16 thousand people that are not covered under contract. We'll see what those numbers add up to."

The postal service is also offering early retirement packages to workers over the age of 50 who have more than 20 years on the job. But according to pepper it may not be enough. "The preliminary numbers look like it's not going to be enough and we may have to do something else." But despite what may happen, Pepper says customers will not feel the pain they're going through. "The general public when it takes place won't se any decrease in service.. They largely won't know about it."

EDIT: The bold portion makes me think they are cutting the fat. We won't see any decrease? Geez, wtf were these people doing then?

 

[jpeyton]

Just in time for the holiday shipping season?

 

[RU482]

I have an uncle who is ~73 and still works as a mechanic for the USPS. He hasn't retired because the benefits are so good (tons of vacation)

 

[Farang]

I love how you can cut 40,000 jobs at a government service agency and not see any change in service.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: redly1
I have an uncle who is ~73 and still works as a mechanic for the USPS. He hasn't retired because the benefits are so good (tons of vacation)

They have a little different system then the rest of the Fed. But after so many years your benifits will not grow. I can;t remember the exact number but after X years your pension will not get any bigger. A lot of older people stay on more for the company and also lack of anything else to do. it has become their life. To quit is to die. But that is a good thing as well. With so many leaving Fed work we have a lot of new people that need good training, and these older workers can help in that sometimes.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Farang
I love how you can cut 40,000 jobs at a government service agency and not see any change in service.

A lot of that may be because other shipping places and e-mail has taken business away from them. So they had these people who were there when it was really bust stay on as they could not see if they would pick up old business since they worked with companies more and upgraded some to compete. I bet a lot of larger private companies have the same thing sometimes.

So they did not add these people on just that they were here from before.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Farang
I love how you can cut 40,000 jobs at a government service agency and not see any change in service.

Even longer lines at the counter.

They will just use the same excuse as DMV offices, hey with budget cuts this is what you get.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Farang
I love how you can cut 40,000 jobs at a government service agency and not see any change in service.

Even longer lines at the counter.

They will just use the same excuse as DMV offices, hey with budget cuts this is what you get.

I think you're mistaking head count for efficiency...

 

[Aimster]

USPS is a private company. In other words, the U.S doesn't give the post office money from the treasury.

 

[Juddog]

USPS workers have some of the roughest jobs of anybody I personally know. I feel bad for them, mainly there has been a decrease in mail due to e-mail and instant messaging.

 

[tk149]

Hopefully, they'll trim the most inefficient (ie. lazy/stupid) workers.

A number of years ago, I worked at a company that was highly dependent on timely mail. We had several conversations with the local Postmaster because we weren't getting our own mail on time. At one point, he stated that he could NOT fire two workers (or take any real measures against) who were known drug addicts who didn't do any work.

There was also somebody at the counter who literally moved very slowly. We could see nothing physically wrong with her, she just moved slow, and we figured it was just because she was darn lazy. We'd show up at the post office, ask for our mail, and it would take her 5-10 minutes just to get it. Other counter employees could get our mail in one minute. She always took a long time.

Unfortunately, even the bad union workers will be protected.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I wonder if they'll cut back on mail delivery to three times per week? I could live with that. It does seem pretty inefficient, to me, for them to come to my residence six days a week when three times or even twice per week would do.

 

[TridenT]

Woot, way to go USPS! Biggest cutting of jobs I have ever seen! Kick ass. Tell those 40,000 workers to get real jobs.

 

[sactoking]

Originally posted by: tk149
Hopefully, they'll trim the most inefficient (ie. lazy/stupid) workers.

A number of years ago, I worked at a company that was highly dependent on timely mail. We had several conversations with the local Postmaster because we weren't getting our own mail on time. At one point, he stated that he could NOT fire two workers (or take any real measures against) who were known drug addicts who didn't do any work.

There was also somebody at the counter who literally moved very slowly. We could see nothing physically wrong with her, she just moved slow, and we figured it was just because she was darn lazy. We'd show up at the post office, ask for our mail, and it would take her 5-10 minutes just to get it. Other counter employees could get our mail in one minute. She always took a long time.

Unfortunately, even the bad union workers will be protected.

To hell with the unions, you can blame this on the ADA.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: tk149
Hopefully, they'll trim the most inefficient (ie. lazy/stupid) workers.

A number of years ago, I worked at a company that was highly dependent on timely mail. We had several conversations with the local Postmaster because we weren't getting our own mail on time. At one point, he stated that he could NOT fire two workers (or take any real measures against) who were known drug addicts who didn't do any work.

There was also somebody at the counter who literally moved very slowly. We could see nothing physically wrong with her, she just moved slow, and we figured it was just because she was darn lazy. We'd show up at the post office, ask for our mail, and it would take her 5-10 minutes just to get it. Other counter employees could get our mail in one minute. She always took a long time.

Unfortunately, even the bad union workers will be protected.

Of course the truth is that is not true at all. people in the Fed. Gov get fired all the time. And we, MGT/HR, win 80%+ of appeals. The problem is some MGT is lazy and/or does not know what to do so they just let it happen.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper
I wonder if they'll cut back on mail delivery to three times per week? I could live with that. It does seem pretty inefficient, to me, for them to come to my residence six days a week when three times or even twice per week would do.

That's actually not a bad idea for residential service. Especially Saturday delivery. Seriously...I can wait until Monday if it means a couple thousand people can keep a job. A Monday/Thursday delivery would be perfectly acceptable. Are residential and commercial deliveries seperated? Or are they all done by the same carriers in that area? If it's the same carrier it'd be hard to split out the two without a true service designation - residential only vs commercial only.

 

[First]

FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc. have been out-dueling them for years. Not surprised at all.

 

[SpunkyJones]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper
I wonder if they'll cut back on mail delivery to three times per week? I could live with that. It does seem pretty inefficient, to me, for them to come to my residence six days a week when three times or even twice per week would do.

I was thinking something similar, just do a M-F schedule for the bulk of the mail. I don't need my addds and bills delivered on Saturday.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper
I wonder if they'll cut back on mail delivery to three times per week? I could live with that. It does seem pretty inefficient, to me, for them to come to my residence six days a week when three times or even twice per week would do.

That's actually not a bad idea for residential service. Especially Saturday delivery. Seriously...I can wait until Monday if it means a couple thousand people can keep a job. A Monday/Thursday delivery would be perfectly acceptable. Are residential and commercial deliveries seperated? Or are they all done by the same carriers in that area? If it's the same carrier it'd be hard to split out the two without a true service designation - residential only vs commercial only.

I think they talked about getting rid of Sat delivery several years ago. I forgot why they did not do it?

 

[Gand1]

Originally posted by: sactoking

Originally posted by: tk149
Hopefully, they'll trim the most inefficient (ie. lazy/stupid) workers.

A number of years ago, I worked at a company that was highly dependent on timely mail. We had several conversations with the local Postmaster because we weren't getting our own mail on time. At one point, he stated that he could NOT fire two workers (or take any real measures against) who were known drug addicts who didn't do any work.

There was also somebody at the counter who literally moved very slowly. We could see nothing physically wrong with her, she just moved slow, and we figured it was just because she was darn lazy. We'd show up at the post office, ask for our mail, and it would take her 5-10 minutes just to get it. Other counter employees could get our mail in one minute. She always took a long time.

Unfortunately, even the bad union workers will be protected.

To hell with the unions, you can blame this on the ADA.

The American Dental Association?

 

[Vette73]

old story about cutting Sat delivery


USPS has 800,000 employees so 40,000 is not really that much. So that is why they can cut 40k and not affect service

 

[Thump553]

40,000 postal workers laid off. Record gun sales.

Be very, very worried.

 

[Dissipate]

Originally posted by: Thump553
40,000 postal workers laid off. Record gun sales.

Be very, very worried.

Why are you worried? Your dear leader Obama is in office.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: Evan
FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc. have been out-dueling them for years. Not surprised at all.

DHL is folding up residential service, closing it's hubs and laying off 9,500 people.

 

[Ozoned]

Originally posted by: Thump553
40,000 postal workers laid off. Record gun sales.

Be very, very worried.

That's funny!