Use Mail

When was the last time you put a stamp on an envelope to pay a bill or just to communicate with someone else? As a postal worker this is your lifeline to a successful career. Think about it, if we in the Postal service alone used the mails instead of the computer we would be in much better shape today.

I fault the Postal Unions, Management Associations and the USPS also for not using the mails when communicating. Recently I was speaking to an NALC official who was requesting some information from me about a Letter Carrier. He said Tommy just fax it to me, I informed him that I was putting the information in the mail. We are our own worst enemies. Another incident was when some Management official in the Postal Service decided to give our in house Fax numbers to private law firms requesting information. They were faxing all their requests for information instead of using the mails. I solved that at my station by calling the law firm, instructing them to use the mails for their requests and to address all inquires to me. I would not honor any fax requests for information. Case closed. A few years ago a local management association president sent out a private email to anyone who would listen to stop the Postal Service from introducing a bill to tax users of the computer who send emails rather then sending letters through the mail. Just think about that for a minute, if enacted it would subsidize the postal service for loss of revenue, ensure that our jobs were safe, etc. To the best of my knowledge this bill was never enacted but like I said we are our own worst enemies When customer service reps from private industry try to get me to sign up for bill pay online, I notify them that I work for the USPS and will put a stamp on all my mailings .They immediately back off.

It is Labor Day 2011 as I write this article and difficult to see what the future holds for USPS and its employees. My thoughts run the gamut of over 40 plus Labor Days with this company be it as a carrier, supervisor or manager. Tomorrow was always the start of the Fall Mailing List and we knew we would get hit hard with mail. This year September 6th is significant for another reason, Senator Lieberman Chair of the Senate Government Affairs will hold a full emergency hearing on the Post Office. Let us hope that by the time (November) you are reading this, our beloved Post Office Ship has been righted and we are sailing full speed ahead (Navy Man).

A web site of interest is Savethepostoffice.com. Great timely articles of interest, plus a Legislative Action Page called “Send The Love”. Our own New Naps Web Page is another great resource. Please become familiar with Legislative tab and utilize same to contact your Representatives. You can still write your reps using the mail, remember the time lapse due to the radiation of hard copy. So do both!

Spac has never been more important so my Yogi Berra story is still available for anyone especially Yankee fans who make a donation to Spac. If all our members donated just $10.00 we would have another $300,000. Think about it. Money always talks in the world of Politics so please donate today.

It seems like only yesterday that my late partner and friend Andy Sozzi re-enacted some memories of 9-11 on stage in D.C. We will observe the 10th anniversary of that dreadful day this coming week. WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

Stressed out? Seek professional health care, EAP is still an excellent resource for referrals.

Stay Strong