Labor Unions destroying yet another American institution: Congrats NALC & APWU

[2Manboobs]

Since you didn't answer my question, I'm going to assume that you do indeed have a pension. Why is it ok for non-union people to have pensions and not for union people?

Isn't it more of a mismanagement situation when a company spends more than it can afford?

Pensions are fine.. Its the mandatory contributions, early retirement ages, and guarantees that are the issue

[2Manboobs]

100 years ago blacksmiths stopped shoeing horses when cars came along.

And relax, I'm sure the Chinese will be happy to give them jobs in a few years.

"Those Who Refuse To Change Will Be Left Behind"

[gwartney]

Pensions are fine.. Its the mandatory contributions, early retirement ages, and guarantees that are the issue

I freely admit I'm no expert on labor. But somewhere along the line, whole floors worth of management have chosen to agree to those contract terms. Apparently, nobody did the math and said, "Hey, in 20 years, we're gonna be bankrupt if we agree to this."

I've seen some pretty fucked up union people but they never deserve 100% of the blame imo.

[MatthewT]

Junk mail has to pay postage dues, how is that a bad thing (for the post office, personally I hate junk mail)?

because it's so damn cheap to do; idk the actual cost, but let's say $0.01 per house. you got a dude walking a route of 200 houses to deliver each one a piece of junk mail, and he has made you $2 on that run.

[newcastlefan]

from what I've seen, UPS employees like their jobs and try to do it better every time they go to work. Fedex employees like their jobs and try to maintain an excellent standard. USPS workers resent having to be conscious while on the job and try to avoid it whenever possible. Is there any wonder USPS keeps losing market share?

[newcastlefan]

I freely admit I'm no expert on labor. But somewhere along the line, whole floors worth of management have chosen to agree to those contract terms. Apparently, nobody did the math and said, "Hey, in 20 years, we're gonna be bankrupt if we agree to this."

I've seen some pretty fucked up union people but they never deserve 100% of the blame imo.

but UPS has great benefits, a good pension plan, profit-sharing, and an early retirement with benefits deal, yet they don't seem to be suffering like the post office and USPS. perhaps its their merit pay and evaluation policies: UPS can fire you for not working; USPS seems to consider not working to be the acceptable standard.

[waltermelon]

[waltermelon]

because it's so damn cheap to do; idk the actual cost, but let's say $0.01 per house. you got a dude walking a route of 200 houses to deliver each one a piece of junk mail, and he has made you $2 on that run.

Then the USPS is fucking stupid.

[gwartney]

but UPS has great benefits, a good pension plan, profit-sharing, and an early retirement with benefits deal, yet they don't seem to be suffering like the post office and USPS. perhaps its their merit pay and evaluation policies: UPS can fire you for not working; USPS seems to consider not working to be the acceptable standard.

You want me to ruin your day? Think of all of the other government departments that are operated the same way as USPS, burning through our money and not managing their people at all. We just don't hear about them because they are 100% subsidized by the people and not required to try to make money like the USPS is. I'm not joking in the least. It's the way our government is run. I'm going to go out and hang myself now.

[hockeygrl]

I'm a union employee!

[gwartney]

I'm a union employee!

But we know that Iowans are a fine, hardworking, salt of the earth type of people.

[racerx]

labor unions are fine. they should try to get every penny they can from the corps

corps are fine too. they should try to pay at least as possible.

99.9% of the time capitalism works.

we dont need mail on saturdays.
schmoopy can wait until monday for his comic book

[2Manboobs]

Do you have a pension 2man?

I have a 401k through my employer, and a separate retirement fund that I've set up through my financial planner

[P-B]

LOOK OUT! INCOMING FACTS!!!!

The agency's biggest problem – and the majority of the red ink in 2012 – was not due to reduced mail flow but rather to mounting mandatory costs for future retiree health benefits, which made up $11.1 billion of the losses. Without that and other related labor expenses, the mail agency sustained an operating loss of $2.4 billion, lower than the previous year.

The health payments are a requirement imposed by Congress in 2006 that the post office set aside $55 billion in an account to cover future medical costs for retirees. The idea was to put $5.5 billion a year into the account for 10 years. That's $5.5 billion the post office doesn't have.

No other government agency is required to make such a payment for future medical benefits. Postal authorities wanted Congress to address the issue last year, but lawmakers finished their session without getting it done. So officials are moving ahead to accelerate their own plan for cost-cutting.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2629373.html

[2Manboobs]

because it's so damn cheap to do; idk the actual cost, but let's say $0.01 per house. you got a dude walking a route of 200 houses to deliver each one a piece of junk mail, and he has made you $2 on that run.

The "house to house" delivery system does seen to be outdated... when I bought my new home, they built a block of mailboxes on about every 3rd or 4th street... So the mailman only had to deliver our neigborhhoods mail to a few locations instead of having to go from house to house... That was far more efficient for them, and not much of an inconvenience for us..

[MatthewT]

pretty soon, people will have to "drive into town" to get their mail

[Stew Nod]

LOL, that's a pretty funny pic

Lifetime Pensions & exorbitant salaries for unskilled workers strike yet another blow to American common sense.





Eighty percent of the Postal Service's annual budget goes toward employee salaries and benefits.
By contrast, 61% of the United Parcel Service's budget goes to employee-related expenses. FedEx spends 43% of its annual budget on personnel costs.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicate the average hourly compensation for postal union members is $41 versus $28 for the private sector.
"Perhaps it's not surprising that the postal service's two primary rivals are more nimble," Leonard writes. "According to SJ Consulting Group, the USPS has more than a 15 percent share of the American express and ground-shipping market. FedEx has 32 percent, UPS 53 percent."


...Despite the agency's economic woes, the 250,000-member American Postal Workers Union negotiated a cushy labor deal with the USPS in March.....


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/thing...#ixzz2K8qqho3c

[MatthewT]

yeah it is; it's also a cautionary tale. there's no money for people's pensions and benefits; it's all gone. it's just that the Post Office had to front the money, and they can't.

[Stew Nod]

I freely admit I'm no expert on labor. But somewhere along the line, whole floors worth of management have chosen to agree to those contract terms. Apparently, nobody did the math and said, "Hey, in 20 years, we're gonna be bankrupt if we agree to this."

I've seen some pretty fucked up union people but they never deserve 100% of the blame imo.

See, this is the problem with gubmint unions...the negotiating is done by politicians and often arbitrators who have no stake in the payout...it's insane

[MatthewT]

but see, the guys that retired this year that were in that conversation 20 years ago, they made out. it worked for them. that's what kicking the can does for ya; it's like a ponzi scheme. if you're in early enough, you make out great.