Thursday, July 25, 2013

States Rights: Will states need permission from the Feds...

Article Title: Feds want Texas to clear voting-rights changes with them

Snippet of Article: "...Holder said the Obama administration will use a different section of the Voting Rights Act that allows federal authorities to ask a judge to order a state to be put under the preclearance regime. To do so the Justice Department must prove "purposeful" discrimination...."

Source: www.cnn.com States Rights

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Are women owned businesses getting their share of federal contracts?

Article Title: Women-Owned Small Businesses Snubbed by U.S. Energy Department

Snippet of Article: "...The effort hasn’t gone far at the Energy Department, which reserved six of more than 13,000 awards for such companies last year. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has also struggled, setting aside just one. ..."

Source: www.bloomberg.com 8A

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Life Event: Marrying a CSRS retiree

Article Title: Marrying a CSRS retiree

Snippet of Article: "...when he dies? Does the spouse receive any benefit?..."

Source: federaltimes.com

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Impact of furloughs begins

Article Title: Furloughs begin hitting federal workers in the wallet where it hurts; their pain will spread

Snippet of Article: "...Federal furloughs arrived for real this week, and real-world impacts will begin showing up as well. Thousands of federal workers..."

Source: www.pennlive.com

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

OSHA investigates postal worker death

Article Title: OSHA opens investigation into death of Medford postal worker who collapsed in the heat

Snippet of Article: "...A 24-year veteran of the US Postal Service, Baldassarre had complained to his wife about the heat earlier in the day. Baldassarre was a utility carrier working out of the Medford Post Office..."

Source: www.boston.com

Sunday, July 7, 2013

OPM buyouts could further slow federal employee retirement processing

Article Title: OPM pension claims processing plunged again last month

Snippet of Article: "...claims backlog could also be hindered by OPM’s decision in late May to offer buyouts and early retirements to up to almost 300 employees..."

Source: www.federaltimes.com OPM pension claims backlog

Sorry, the dismantling of your postal service must go on

Article Title: Postal Service to La Jolla: Sorry, the dismantling must go on

Snippet of Article: "...came to the same decision that he made regarding the relocation of the Bronx GPO: the objections to the relocation “do not outweigh the financial exigencies facing the Postal Service.”..."

Source: www.savethepostoffice.com

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Locality Pay Equity Act (H.R. 2450)

Article Title: Legislation Would End Wage Disparity for Hourly Federal Employees

Snippet of Article: "...The Locality Pay Equity Act (H.R. 2450) aims to solve a local labor market boundary issue that has resulted in wage computation disparity between wage scale or hourly employees and general schedule (GS) or salaried employees. ..."

Source: www.fedsmith.com Locality Pay Equity Act (H.R. 2450)

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Proposal would force the firing of any federal employee who refuses to testify before Congress after receiving a grant of immunity

Article Title: Legislation filed to FIRE federal employees who refuse to testify before Congress

Snippet of Article: "...Rep. Mo Brooks wants a law on the books to penalize federal government employees who mislead Congress, or plead the Fifth Amendment after..."

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Friday, June 21, 2013

Violent attacks on federal employees working on public lands has escalated

Article Title: Federal Employees Increasingly Under Attack on Public Lands

Snippet of Article: "...Federal employees working in the country’s outdoor areas were victims of more violent attacks in 2012 than in previous years, according to a report by an advocacy group...."

Source: www.govexec.com

Thursday, June 20, 2013

TWA Flight 800 documentary inspires calls for NTSB to reopen investigation

Article Title: NTSB urged to reopen review of TWA Flight 800 crash

Snippet of Article: "...Former investigators from the NTSB, TWA and Air Line Pilots Association suggest in a documentary that missiles caused the plane to explode near Long Island and kill 230 people aboard. The plane was flying from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris...."

Source: www.usatoday.com NTSB, TWA Flight 800,

Sunday, June 16, 2013

2014 Federal Pay Raise

Article Title: White House again calls for federal employee raise

Snippet of Article: "...“The Administration urges the Congress to provide the proposed 1.0 percent pay increase for Federal civilian employees. As the President stated in his [fiscal year] 2014 Budget, a permanent pay freeze is neither sustainable nor desirable,” the administration said in policy statements on pending bills to fund the Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs departments. ..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com 2014 Federal Pay Raise

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Postal Service is over-discounting presorted bulk mail

Article Title: PRC: USPS Presort Discount Too Generous

Snippet of Article: "...the USPS is over-discounting for presorted mail—bulk mail organized according to its destination by the mailer prior to handing it over to the USPS. The discount for presorting is supposed to result in lower costs..."

Source: www.dmnews.com USPS Presort Discount

Federal Worker Shortage Coming With Mass Retirement Wave Possible

Article Title: Wave of federal retirees to hit government

Snippet of Article: "...30% of the federal workforce will be eligible to retire in the next three years, according to a Government Accountability Office report. That means the government could be hit by a wave of retirements at a time when it is already dealing with inadequate staffing..."

Source: cnn.com

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

OPM buyouts and early outs

Article Title: OPM to offer buyouts, early outs

Snippet of Article: "...Office of Personnel Management is planning to offer buyouts and early retirements to nearly 300 employees — and some of those buyouts are likely to..."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Federal Worker Furlough Notices Sent Out

Article Title: Furlough notices sent to WSMR employees, other federal workers

Snippet of Article: "...Notices to federal government civilian employees and government contractor employees, letting them know they will be placed on mandatory one-day-a-week job furloughs for 11 weeks, began going out Tuesday. The process will continue through June 5...."

Source: www.lcsun-news.com

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

U.S. Department of the Treasury temporarily stopping investment into Civil Service Retirement

Article Title: Treasury will temporarily stop investing in retirement to free up money for federal debt, Lew Says

Snippet of Article: "...Stopping investment into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund and the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund will free up about another $79 billion...."

Source: www.fiercegovernment.com

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Postal Shooting: Killer believed his mail was being diverted to his estranged wife

Article Title: Complaint outlines alleged plot to kill letter carrier

Snippet of Article: "...With a rifle, extra ammunition and lighter fluid, he hid in a treeline like a sniper to wait for the letter carrier to make her delivery. As she pulled away in her Jeep Cherokee, he shot ..."

Source: www.news.ruralinfo.net

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Postal carrier found in burned vehicle, shot

Article Title: Inspectors continue search for suspect in postal carrier slaying

Snippet of Article: "...Postal inspectors said he is the lead suspect in the investigation into the slaying of 52-year-old Marie Youngblood. She was a U.S. Postal carrier who had been on her rural delivery route in her personal car on Friday in San Jacinto County. Youngblood worked out of the Coldspring branch...."

Source: www.khou.com

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Federal workers keep our country running

Article Title: Federal workers keep the country running

Snippet of Article: "...Our borders are secure because of Homeland Security. Our airways are safe because of the TSA. Planes take off in an orderly fashion because of air-traffic controllers. Farmers have the latest technology to produce our food through the USDA. Health and Human Services makes sure we get the healthcare we need. The FBI protects us from criminals. The Secret Service protects..."

Source: www.miamiherald.com

Monday, May 13, 2013

Is your federal pension accurate?

Article Title: Pension accuracy slips as OPM picks up pace

Snippet of Article: "...The accuracy of the Office of Personnel Management’s calculation of new federal pensions has slipped as it has worked to speed up its retirement processes, the agency’s inspector general is set to testify Thursday...."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Postal carrier speaks of delivery in crime-infested areas

Article Title: The postman doesn't always ring twice: tales from a ghetto postal worker

Snippet of Article: "...There were blocks I worked on that I dreaded because you’d see dudes smoking weed, prostitution. There could be weapons involved, gangs. Sterling Place, all the way from Utica Avenue to Buffalo Avenue in Crown Heights — bad, bad, bad. It’s the gauntlet. Two of the worst blocks in Brooklyn for a letter carrier — no question...."

Source: www.nypost.com

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Postal Union Food Drive: 21st annual NALC National Food Drive is Saturday, May 11

Article Title: 21st annual NALC National Food Drive is Saturday, May 11

Snippet of Article: "...The 21st annual drive is Saturday, May 11, and more than 1,400 NALC branches in just about every city, state and territory will have letter carriers, family members and thousands of volunteers out and about to help collect, sort and distribute the cans, boxes and jars of non-perishable food items left in bags next to customers’ mailboxes...."

Source: www.nalc.org

Monday, May 6, 2013

Postal Workers fear for safety in crime-infested area

Article Title: Postal workers too scared to deliver mail in crime-ridden Brownsville, Brooklyn

Snippet of Article: "...“The neighborhood is bad,” the worker said outside the Brownsville Station Post Office on Bristol Street. “I wouldn’t want to go into those buildings.”..."

Source: www.nypost.com