postal service, union wrangle over staples outlets

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POSTAL_SERVICE_UNION_FIGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-01-19-04-59-34

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The opening of Postal Service retail centers in dozens of Staples stores around the country is being met with threats of protests and boycotts by the agency's unions.

The new outlets are staffed by Staples employees, not postal workers, and labor officials say that move replaces good-paying union jobs with low-wage, nonunion workers.

"It's a direct assault on our jobs and on public postal services," said Mark Dimondstein, president of the 200,000-member American Postal Workers Union.

The dispute comes as the financially struggling Postal Service continues to form partnerships with private companies, and looks to cut costs and boost revenues.

[Hugin]

1. K&R

[WinkyDink]

2. How can people work for the USPS without going through the same employment procedures?

[djean111]

3. Exactly. It does not make sense.

Especially since stores like, say, Costco, have areas that are staffed by non-employees, like cell phones.
Plus - bad precedent. IMO.

[progressoid]

4. I saw the same thing at a drug store in South Dakota.

It was like a mini post office at their customer service counter.

[Scuba]

5. "Financially struggling"? No, not at all ....

[hack89]

11. They defaulted on that payment in 2013 - the third time since 2006.

Because there was no money. They are still massively in debt without the prepayment.

[Scuba]

12. Not correct. Without the unprecedented requirement to fund pensions 75 years in advance ...

... they are in the black.

[hack89]

13. They didn't pay the prepayment last year - and were still in the red

My only point.

[Triana]

6. I don't blame the workers. Bytheway, the Postal Workers Union is despised...

...by the GOP. That's the primary reason behind the poison bill that required them to fund their retirement 75 yrs in advance - it was done to break the agency. It CAN BE UNDONE and it should. But GOP and corprat friends want USPS privatized - one reason is they HATE the powerful union.

"Financially struggling" Postal Service. Notice the article doesn't mention WHY the USPS is "struggling" (it's really not, if you take the damn money in the retirement fund that they were required to overpay and put it back in their general fund, they'd be well in the black).

The whole goddamned thing STINKS.

[jsr]

7. +1.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Staples tends to side with Repub concepts, doesn't it?

Frankly, I wouldn't allow them to take my letters.

You need people who consider it a professional job.

[Omaha Steve]

9. Considering the way Staples employees are hard to find

Complaints might end the experiment.

[druidity33]

10. Staples still suffers from Mitt taint...

you can't trust that company.

[El_Johns]

14. KR