All senders of email questions pertaining to POStPlan, will receive an acknowledgement that their email was received at the NAPUS national office, and they will be told where to look for the response.   This process should provide NAPUS members with timely and consistent answers to their questions. 

NAPUS members are encouraged to visit the NAPUS POStPlan page on the website to view currently posted FAQs and other POStlplan information prior to submitting questions.    

Charlie Moser
May 16, 2012

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Answers to all POStPlan related questions will appear on the website only. In the interest of responding to questions that were submitted by email, those questions and answers will be posted on the website and the sender will receive notification to go to the website for the response to their questions.

In order to provide accurate answers, some questions will be forwarded to USPS Headquarters for a response, and those Q&As will be listed on the same FAQ link.  The volume of question is high, and your patience is appreciated.

Charlie Moser
May 11, 2014

Here’s what it means to impacted Postmasters;

Of the more than 17,000 offices under review, more than 4,500 offices will be upgraded, with approximately 13,000 offices being part-time.  Of the nearly 13,000 part-time offices, approximately 9,000 will be staffed by non-career Postmasters, and more than 4,000 will be staffed by part-time career Postmasters.

Administrative Post Offices (APOs) are Level 18 and above offices where the Postmaster will assume administrative responsibility for between  one to ten RMPOs.  All level 18 and above office are leveled by Work Service Credits (WSCs.)

Remotely Managed Post Offices (RMPOs) are current EAS 16 and below offices that will be reclassified as levels 2, 4 and 6 offices .  Reclassification of these offices will be based on FY 2011 adjusted earned hours in SOV/CSV.

NAPUS will have a representative who will head an SOV/CSV focus group and he is currently working with USPS Headquarters reviewing SOV formulas.  Additional information on SOV can be found here SOV Overview, SOV Tracking Log for Delivery Admin Pick Box, SOV Delivery Admin Earned Workhours How To

POStPlan Implementation

Level 18 – 5.75 hours adjusted earned workload/day and will be staffed by a full time career Postmaster 

1)  Classification of Offices: The POStPlan involves a review of Post Offices with the option of offering remotely managed Post Offices (RMPOs), which are part-time Post Offices and evaluated according to earned workload through Small Office Variance (SOV) or Customer Service Variance (CSV) systems, and not Workload Service Credits (WSCs).  Part-time RMPOs with 6 hours per weekday of window staffing will be staffed by career employees (EPM Postmasters), and part time RMPOs with window staffing at less than 6 hours per day will be staffed with noncareer employees (Postmaster Reliefs (PMRs)).  In both cases, if a unit currently designated as a Post Office is converted to a RMPO, the employees staffing the office will report to an administrative Post Office, and not the district office, and any such RMPO will be listed under the lead finance number of the Administrative Post Office. 

2) Evaluation:  For the purpose of evaluation of level of Post Offices, level 18 and above offices will remain with a Workload Service Credit (WSC/PS Form 150) evaluation.  RMPOs will be subject to evaluation by a modified SOV/CSV process, and reviewed annually to determine appropriate service levels for these offices.  The SOV/CSV ranking for each office will be determined by the then current annual completed fiscal year (FY) SOV/CSV results multiplied by a factor of 1.1, updated with actual scans when available.  Earned workload corresponds with window service hours as follows: 

 * The denominator to determine earned workhours for window service only is 5.5 days in a week.

 Total anticipated operating time is included in hours and hundredths and minutes as follows: 

• 2 hour RPMOs = 2.17 (2 hours and 10 min.)
• 4 hour RPMOs = 4.33 (4 hours and15min)
• 6 hour EDM = 6.50 (6.00 hours and 30 min.) 

Exceptionally, RMPOs that are more than 25 driving miles from the next nearest postal operated retail facility will be staffed for 6 hours of window service each weekday regardless of actual earned value (5.74 or below), and will be subject to pay and benefits of the applicable EPM, but will report to district offices in lieu of the Administrative Post Office.  Post Offices earning 5.75 or above of earned workload using the 1.1 multiplier will be categorized as Level 18 or above. 

Saturday hours and collection times will remain the same as before POStPlan was implemented.

 Postmasters currently in EAS 16 and below offices will not be impacted by the new structure plan until 2014.

Vacancy Announcements for Postmasters Only

In the near future, there will be two limited competition postings of vacant offices, including the newly upgraded EAS 18 offices, which will be posted for Postmasters only. 

The Postal Service has also announced a Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) and incentive offer for non-PCES Postmasters.  The one-time cash incentive of $20,000, will be payable to all full time Postmasters in two installments (December, 2012 and December 2013.)  Part-time Postmasters will receive pro-rated payments on the same dates. All eligible Postmasters will receive a retirement kit and a retirement annuity payment estimate from the Postal Service next week. Additional information on the VER and incentive guidelines will be posted as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Workforce Connection , on LiteBlue, at www.LiteBlue.usps.gov.

For a list of offices impacted by POStPlan, go to POST PLAN DATA.xls

Additonal information on POStplan will be provided as NAPUS continues to work through the process with USPS Headquarters.  Please check the usps.gov website for POStPlan FAQs. If you still have questions, please forward them through your NAPUS National Vice President, by going to the NAPUS website and click on Contact Us, Executive Board.

For more information on POStPlan, please check the President’s Update on the NAPUS website.

Charlie Moser
May 9, 2012

The Post Office Structure Plan (POStPlan), according to the Postal Service’s May 9 news release, would keep an existing post office in place, but with modified retail window hours to match customer use. Access to the retail lobby and to PO Boxes would remain unchanged. And the town’s ZIP code and community identity would be retained.

The Postal Service will provide an opportunity for the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to review this plan before making any changes. The agency intends to file a request for an advisory opinion with the PRC later this month. The PRC has up to 90 days to render an opinion.

NAPUS always has been in the forefront of the effort to save post offices and protect universal service, especially in rural areas. We have done a great job and may have accomplished our goal. In doing so, though, we now find ourselves in uncharted waters having to protect Postmaster jobs as we face a major shift from full-time to part-time post offices in many rural areas.

We have been in consultation with the Postal Service ever since it changed two rules under CFR 241 regulations in December 2011. One revised rule changed part of the definition of a Postmaster from “manages a post office” to “may be responsible for the management of more than one post office and the Postmaster may assign duties to subordinate personnel, including when the Postmaster is not physically present.”

Following the implementation of the rules changes, the Postal Service informed the Postmaster organizations of its intent to review the operating hours of all Level-16-and-below post offices (17,728 post offices); those earning less than six hours daily would be reduced to part-time offices.

If we chose to do nothing and react later, we faced a possibility of the closure of more than 10,000 post offices beginning May 15, 2012, or the potential loss of 17,728 Postmaster positions with no opportunity to gain any of back. This, in addition to the possibility of an immediate impact on encumbered positions.

With the unanimous approval of NAPUS’ Executive Board at our Leadership Conference in March, a concerted effort was made by your National Office to continue to move forward and work through the consultative process with the League and Postal Service Headquarters on the POStPlan.

We worked simultaneously toward saving not only post offices, but also saving Postmaster positions. While NAPUS Director of Government Relations Bob Levi and NAPUS state legislative chairs continued to work with Congress on S. 1789 to preserve post offices, Executive Director Charlie Moser and I engaged in the consultative process with the League and Postal Service Headquarters to preserve Postmasters.

We focused on protecting encumbered Postmasters by ensuring that impacted Postmasters have opportunities for soft landings. We now have approval for a VER incentive offer of $20,000 to approximately 21,000 Postmasters only. Let me repeat: This VER is for Postmasters only.

We also have an agreement that limited competition for “Postmasters only” will be announced for vacant Postmaster positions on two occasions in the near future. We also wanted to ensure that impacted Postmasters who chose not to opt into the VER would have sufficient time during the transition process to find landing spots. No encumbered Postmaster will be affected until summer 2014.

Protecting the title of Postmaster and upward mobility for Postmasters—now and in the future, when workloads increase—also is a priority and was discussed at length during the consultative process. All post offices affected by the plan will continue to be post offices—not stations or branches. The employees operating these offices will have the title of Postmaster Relief (PMR) or Postmaster.

These offices may be overseen by a Postmaster of a larger office. In addition, all POStPlan offices will be re-evaluated on an annual basis using the SOV Plan. NAPUS has established a SOV/CSV focus group headed by Curt Artery, Postmaster of Guernsey, WY. Curt currently is working with Postal Service Headquarters reviewing the formulas in the SOV and CSV programs.

This move by itself will not resolve the Postal Service’s serious financial situation. However, it will not unravel the current structure of an institution that has been a part of this great country of ours for more than 200 years, as would have the wholesale closings of post offices.

I want to emphasize that no encumbered Postmasters will be affected until summer 2014. During the interim, I urge impacted Postmasters to be cognizant of the events happening around you and your post office. Your National Executive Board members have been briefed on the implementation of POStPlan and are readily available to respond to any inquiries you may have.

At the national level, we will continue to consult with Postal Headquarters as we work closely with the impacted encumbered Postmasters to ensure they have landing spots. Updated information will be posted on the NAPUS website as we work through this unprecedented time in our postal careers.

Bob Rapoza
NAPUS National President

Today, the Postal Service announced a final Postmaster Pay Package for FY- 2011-2015.  After spending more time consulting on the extended pay talks than was spent on the original consultation process, improvements to the previously announced package were achieved.  While the original pay package offered no assurances for PFP rating applications to salaries, the new package provides assurances for PFP rating applications to salaries in Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015.  PFP rating applications to salaries in FY 2013 will be subject to the Postal Service’s review of compensation practices throughout the United States economy.

The revised pay package provides for a 9% increase in contributions towards the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHP) plan over a 3 year period, as opposed to a 9% increase over a two year period in the original package.  Details on the pay package can be found here FINAL DECISION REVISED 8MAY12.

An important nationwide announcement will be made to all Postmasters this evening, with details to be provided tomorrow. Please check Breaking News on the NAPUS website for information as it becomes available tomorrow.  Please check the NAPUS website on the Breaking News link.

Charlie Moser
May 8, 2012

Postal officials reported that service performance scores reached record high levels in some categories and all Customer Experience Measurement indicators reflected improvement.  First Class and Standard mail volume was down, but there was good news as parcel post volume increased at a better rate than those at UPS and FedEx.

Board Chairman, Thurgood Marshall said that in coming weeks, the Postal Service will provide detailed plans describing the steps it intends to take regarding rural Post Offices.  He said “We are committed to pursuing cost reduction strategies in a thoughtful way, and we believe these announcements will lay to rest many of the concerns about our path going forward.” Chairman Marshall further stated “The Board of Governors is committed to serving rural America and to preserving the role of the Postal Service in every American community.”

Postmaster General, Pat Donahoe said that the Postal Service will inform customers and employees of what the Postal Service’s plans are and allow them time to prepare, by proceeding in a methodical and measured manner. He also said that he would ensure that employees were provided with the information they need so they can make informed decisions about their options within the Postal Service.

NAPUS President Bob Rapoza will be meeting with high level postal officials at USPS headquarters next week.  Postmasters are urged to check the NAPUS website on a daily basis, concerning detailed plans regarding rural Post Offices.

Charlie Moser
May 4, 2012

Also, NAPUS posted its most recent issue of the eNAPUS Legislative and Political Bulletin. The issue discusses Senate consideration of S. 1789. House Committee-approved postal and federal employee benefits cuts. Click here to view latest edition of the eNAPUS Bulletin.