[fred42]

Mail volume is in decline. Times are tough for everyone, so it may be a bad time to make drastic job cuts. But there are things we CAN do now, w/o job cuts.

- Why not start by ending Saturday delivery ? That would end the Saturday overtime pay.

- Why not end new hiring & let attrition shrink the workforce.

Where’s the long term plan to re-size the USPS ?

- Why not have a long term goal for mail delivery every other day (M W F one week, Tu Th the next week). Double the route sizes and end junk mail. These changes would allow 1/2 the work force to deliver our mail.

[NautiNurse]

All good and reasonable ideas. How about bringing them up at the next meetings for the American Postal Workers Union, the Rural Letter Carriers Association and the National Association of Letter Carriers?

If you are healthy and unharmed following the meetings, report back to us how your suggestions were received.

[Big Giant Head]

Let me start here: Mail volume is in decline because of the economy. Cure the economy, cure the Post office. As to the things you suggest:

- Why not start by ending Saturday delivery ? That would end the Saturday overtime pay.

Whoa! I'm making overtime for saturday? Who knew? Sure ain't on my paycheck. There are Rural Carrier Associates that carry mail on the weekends with no benefits, and NO OVERTIME. The only time we're authorized to get overtime is before Christmas when they make danged sure we don't.

Why not end new hiring & let attrition shrink the workforce.

Has been happening already. In my area, offices are being squeezed including mine. We consolidated the city walking routes and now they walk 15 to 17 miles per day. Hey, how about ending every other day of delivery? Okay, so NOW we're talking overtime. These guys usually can make it back in their alloted 8 hours or whatever, but if they take twice the mail volume.... overtime.

Double the route sizes and end junk mail: Hmm. That would put some rural routes over 250 miles per day. Ending junk mail is just an attack on free market businesses desperately trying to ADVERTISE THEIR BUSINESSES! You want to hurt businesses? How about tripling their costs to advertise?

One problem I have with Free Republic is how much people spew without thinking or knowing what is involved here. I see the Post Office as a Constitutionally valid service of the Federal Government, like I see the Military. We sell a service and products, though. Supposedly self-sustaining, but getting killed due to Obamanomics.

[ichabod1]

Junk mail is the only thing keeping them afloat. And it’s been that way for 20 years.

[muawiyah]

Hmm ~ all great ideas ~ but my goodness MOST postal employees don't work as carriers. There are distribution clerks, window clerks, supervisors, specialists of all kinds (keeping the machinery working), management, etc.

Whacking the carrier craft in two would probably do two things ~ reduce the workforce by about 1/5 AND PO every blue haired old lady in the nation.

Lotsa luck.