Letter carriers union denounces move to five-day mail delivery

Comment

Federal Drive Interviews -- Feb. 6, 2013

Forrest Morgeson, director of research at the American Customer Satisfaction Index, has some good news for some agencies. Agriculture Department official Kevin Concannon says USDA is claiming victory in its battle against fraud. Jordy Yager of The Hill newspaper explains why some on Capitol Hill are talking about Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) Tom Day, USPS' chief sustainability officer, shares news of the Postal Service's successful conservation efforts.

Comment

King Solomon maybe, Judge Judy not so much...

How does a recent contract arbitration between the U.S. Postal Service and the National Association of Letter Carriers take a page from King Solomon? Read Senior Correspondent Mike Causey column for more.

13

Federal Drive Interviews -- Jan. 17, 2013

Michael Daniel, White house cybersecurity coordinator, talks about the new national strategy for information sharing and safeguarding. Brian Friel of Bloomberg Government examines what new regulations mean to the bottom line of some contractors. Charles Crum of the Postal Service's IG office discusses how USPS is embracing the Internet. Michael Nugent of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office talks about a new language program of feds going overseas.

Comment

Government shutdown, furloughs, and more

Janet Kopenhaver from Federally Employed Woman and Federal Times Senior Writer Sean Reilly, join host Mike Causey to talk about what would happen if the federal government were to shut down.
January 16, 2013

1

USPS aims to boost revenue with special projects, but losses loom large

The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service can't only cut its way to financial viability. In an increasingly digital world of declining mail volume, it also must find ways to increase revenue, the Government Accountability Office stated in a new report. Currently, USPS is pursuing 55 new initiatives designed to boost revenue.

1

Cloud is the next chapter in the government's identity management saga

The Postal Service issued a draft solicitation for the Federal Cloud Credential Exchange. The goal is to create a cloud-based service to perform identity authentication and verification. Agencies could plug into the service, integrating it with any application that adheres to the standards.

Comment

Lawmakers 'committed' to postal reform in new Congress

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said they were committed to working together to pass postal reform legislation in the new Congress. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe renewed his call for congressional action, saying the agency faces an "unsustainable" financial path.

1

FEHBP open season

Walton Francis, author of the Consumer's Checkbook Guide to Federal Health Plans, will provide tips on what to look for when choosing your health benefits.
November 28, 2012

Comment

Postal chief lays out plan for agency survival

The head of the financially struggling U.S. Postal Service says the agency must be allowed to ease the terms of prepayments into a retiree health care fund and eliminate general mail delivery on Saturday.

Comment

New technologies key to Postal Service revitalization

From digitization of mail to GPS tracking, the Postal Service is investing in new technologies to help it grow revenue. Ellis Burgoyne, the agency's chief information officer, says his department is concentrating on five main projects in 2013 that will help the Postal Service cut costs while improving efficiency and customer service. USPS ended fiscal 2012 with $15.9 billion of debt.

7

Postal Service pension surplus shrinks as Donahoe renews call for legislation

Surplus payments the Postal Service made to the Federal Employee Retirement System are much smaller than once thought. Last year, the surplus was estimated to be $11.4 billion. But because of a reduction in projected long-term interest rates, OPM estimated the surplus would drop to $2.6 billion. SPS had wanted to use those overpayments to pay down some of its debts

Comment

Post office reports record loss of $15.9B for year

The struggling U.S. Postal Service on Thursday reported an annual loss of a record $15.9 billion and forecast more red ink in 2013, capping a tumultuous year in which it was forced to default on billions in payments to avert bankruptcy.

13

Open season, Medicare part B, Petraeus, & sequestration

Federal health benefits expert Walton Francis will talk about FEHBP open season, and Federal Times reporter Sean Reilly will discuss sequestration and other issues affecting federal workers.
November 14, 2012

Comment

New marketing chief helps USPS practice what it preaches

Nagisa Manabe hasn't spent her entire career with the Postal Service but, after just six short months, she's making her presence known. Under her direction, the agency has committed to spending 15-20 percent of its marketing dollars on direct mail — the same amount it recommends to its own customers. Her goal — getting the Postal Service out of the red through the development of new innovative products and the use of effective marketing techniques. The new chief marketing and sales officer brings with her a career's worth of experience from the private sector — including jobs with powerhouse companies like Coca-Cola, Campbell's Soup and the liquor industry.

3

Medicare Part B and the presidential election

NARFE's David Snell joins host Mike Causey to talk about best health care buys for federal retirees. Sean Reilly from the Federal Times will discuss the presidential election and its impact on feds.
November 7, 2012

1

No new buyouts on Postal Service horizon

The U.S. Postal Service will not be offering any new buyouts in the near future, according to Anthony Vegliante, the agency's chief human resources officer. USPS offered three different buyouts in 2012. In an exclusive interview with Federal News Radio, Vegliante said the Postal Service will drop to around 500,000 employees by the end of January due to multiple consolidation efforts at the agency.

Comment

USPS countersues Northrop Grumman for contract overruns

Nearly six months ago, Northrop Grumman filed a $179 million lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service, alleging the agency delayed and disrupted its work on a multimillion-dollar contract to create and install high-tech mail sorters. Now, USPS has countered those claims, alleging the company actually owes it millions of dollars because the contract ran over schedule, according to documents obtained by Federal News Radio.

6

Postal workers take 'extraordinary measures' to deliver mail after Sandy

Thousands of postal workers in New York and New Jersey are still doing their jobs in the face of flooding, power outages and fuel shortages after the superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast this week.

Comment

Postmaster General urges quick action in lame duck session

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe says his number one priority is seeing legislation passed in the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress that will help the U.S. Postal Service get out of debt. In an exclusive interview with Federal News Radio, Donahoe details the latest on the agency's financial situation, buyouts, the consolidation of mail processing centers, and its plan to cut window hours at half of its post offices across the country.

1