I hope all had a happy 4th of July.

I would like to take a few minutes of your time to address a issue that will be affecting us all soon.
This is the issue of downsizing.

I'm sure by now that most of you are aware of the fact that I like to gather information from all over the Internet.
Not always is this information as factual as  could be, as some times it has opinions of the author and those can be construed in alternative ways. I would like to use myself as a perfect example I have my opinions and that is what I've tried to express to you. Never would I expect that you would take my opinion and believe it to be the truth as my hope is that you would take the time to investigate for yourself.

Now on to downsizing, I would like to give you snippets of articles from http://wwwpostalnews.com/  I've also attached an article from the National League of Postmasters of the U.S.A. and a e-mail not verified from S. Ford from, Organization Change Management to VER Authorities.
Friday June 27, House Appropriations Committee authorizes USPS "to study the cost effectiveness and fuel consumption of a 5 day delivery system and consumer demand of Saturday Delivery."
June 30," Key Organizational Changes, new Shipping and Mailing Services, Customer Relations Groups Created."
July 1, "Time-Definite Surface Network".

July 3, I've separated this one as I will highlight more of this Article. This was taken from the Federal Times and there are several quotes that I will use. " The Postal Service plans to close dozens of facilities' this of course is referencing AMCs (Airport mail facilities) which will affect mail handlers and clerk crafts. But this is only a part of the phase as the intention of consolidating mail facilities. these are some of the impacts that we are beginning to see, another quote ' The final wave will be 21 Bulk Mail Centers, BMCs are in major metropolitan areas, ideal locations to deploy new technology like the Flat Sequencing System" FSS flats that would be Phase II

The quote that impacted me most was " But the plan is certain to spark a fresh round of bickering with the Agency's strong labor unions" yes the Mailhandlers and the APWU have already sounded off. Yet I wonder if it was the authors job that was at stake would it be bickering if his Union was trying to save his job? Our Unions are in a war that we are losing to lack of mail and outsourcing and most importantly automation. Of course there are many other factors for those losses at the plants like mailers bringing the mail right to your office but the message is clear. The Postal Service is eliminating our jobs. I say our as we have got to support the other Unions in this bid as  we are not to far off.

Let's look at how. Lack of mail volume has already impacted us, just look at the 2008 mail count. I realize some benefited but your time will come, also we must believe that the forecasts for mail volume is declining and will continue and with the threatened impact of FSS are we not on the endangered species list. The handwriting is on the wall, all crafts in the USPS are going to be impacted by theses losses.

I want to focus a little more on just the Rural craft, we know the study of 5 day delivery will be a tragic event for RCAs and on top of that, the continued loss of mail volume, most importantly flats and supposed impact of FSS we have a lot to be concerned about. Our positions are secured if we are regular yet I want to highlight the National Agreement in the expansion in Art. 9 concerning excessing. Why was this expanded if there was no idea that we will be negatively impacted by mail counts and mechanization, confounded by Memorandums of understanding.

Our craft will be downsized in the not to distant future to accommodate the decline of our business. This could very well start at the next mail count and the consolidation of routes. I ask how come the preparations were made and we continue to be left out of the loop without information from the National Office. We have to keep informed by watching multiple websites for release of information.  Our Association is not well, our power base is unable to keep up with what will be our diminishing membership. So again I ask is a merger or affiliation with another Labor Organization such a bad thing?

Lastly I want to address early outs. I was around when the last time these were offered and I'm sorry to say the Rural Craft was not included, as we are the mules of this Corporation. There could only be one way that they could offer early outs to us, and that would be because we were excessed due to consolidation. So albeit our future is murky, there will be some that will continue to work, and those that will be retired, and even those that will not know of their future.

I fear that those of you without a couple of decades of employment in the USPS have a very bleak future indeed!

And Thats The Way Jay Sees It