Posted on 04/24/2014 11:32:46 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Postal workers around the country protested in front of Staples stores on Thursday, objecting to the U.S. Postal Service’s pilot program to open counters in stores, staffed with retail employees. […]
In Washington, D.C., more than 200 people gathered at a Staples, drumming on buckets and holding signs that read: “Stop Staples. The US Mail is Not for Sale.”
One of them, postal service maintenance mechanic Robert Black, called the pilot program “a back-door way of privatizing the post office” and taking away jobs from postal workers.
“It seems as though they are doing whatever they can to break down the union,” he said. …
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
We have post offices in a number of the HyVee stores in this area, and they do an amazing job, rarely have lines. I am not sure how the costs are split, but they are staffed by HyVee employees.
...“a back-door way of privatizing the post office” ....
Seem like a front-door way to me, and it’s about time.
i see a bunch of protesters outside if staples, i’m going in and buying some stamps.
The union knows that staples will do a better job, for less cost and demonstrate once again that modern union rules are make positions less productive and are bad for consumers...
“The US Mail is Not for Sale.”
Actually, 99% of the US mail goes right into the trash; it’s not for sale, you can have it for free just for dumpster diving.
All of these things happened to me last Saturday at the local Staples store. No way do I care to go back to the limited hours (mostly when people are working) and lines at the parking deficient post office in our town.
Does anyone actually have a post office in their town that appears modern, up-to-date and staffed with uniformly pleasant, attentive and punctual human beings? Does anyone actually believe their post office could actually stay afloat if left to compete with a USPS outpost set up in a nearby Staples? Are we to preserve the luxurious jobs of about 5 people for the inconvenience of 15,000 citizens those 5 people serve?
What would happen if the Post Office was abolished? Anything?
Only occasionally do we have to mail some business letters and when we do try to go in the evening and use one of the automated machines. The last three times I have tried this, machines at three different post offices were either not able to accept debit/credit cards, were out of stamps, were undergoing maintenance, or had a notice on their screen that they were unable to fulfill our request and asked that we return later.
We now go to our small family owned postal service company for any mailing needs. Don’t even mess with the post office any more.
Arnold Maryland is the post office I use and they are perfect. The automated is always functioning and the people are pleasant.
What about all thosae little post office express shops across the country?
I believe they targeted Staples, because it has been named with Mitt Romney in the past.
A government union job-run facility that has made NO money in over 20 years, SHOULD be afraid of competition, especially in THE PRIVATE SECTOR, where they expect you to work for the pay received.
That’s great. Noticed that they are going to shut down some post offices in Houston. One of the reasons they give is “duplication of services”. Just struck me as pretty funny.
Two of them they want to close are in Black ward areas. Of course old Quanelle X is all up in arms because percentage wise, that’s more in the Black area than where white people live.
Most of the post offices in Houston have seen better days, are very shabby, parking lots need work, automated equipment does not work, etc. Ones I’ve been to have warning signs to not carry your cell phone with you, lock your car and be aware of your surroundings. And these are the ones in the “good” part of the city.
Even the local Wells Fargo Bank has gotten into the act and you can buy stamps at the ATM.
“I remember when you could use cash to buy stamps out of the machine. And get the $1 coins back as change.”
I wondered where they went; figured they were scrapped to save some gubmint workers’ jobs...
“Two of them they want to close are in Black ward areas. Of course old Quanelle X is all up in arms because percentage wise, that’s more in the Black area than where white people live.”
Guess that’s what happens when welfare benefits are simply credited electronically to a card. The problem with using a bank or post office in a ghetto (besides physical safety) is that too many of the “customers” are unemployed gibsmedats that see it as a social gathering...no rush at all, and all day to BS with the workers (regardless of how long the line is).
These days I get my stamps at my supermarket customer service desk when I'm running low.
The only reason I generally need to go to a post office is to mail a package, and I think a combined FedEx/UPS/USPS desk at a local Staples is more cost effective than separate store fronts.
They’re consolidating post offices in my area; at this point it seems they know they are a thing of the past and just want to see the last existing employee through to their retirement.
If we had a “do not send junk mail” list the way we have a “do not call” list then these conversations would have taken place decades ago; I wish the environmentalists would get all over the trees dying for the 90% of my mail that is unsolicited junk (and ends up shredded without opening).
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