Does anyone really feel sorry for the US Postal service?"

[weebiscuit]

So they are maybe going to "go under." When over 80% of the operating costs of an enterprise go simply to pay employee's wages, is it any wonder? I don't mean to upset anyone here who happens to work for the postal service, but as a taxpayer I just see red when I consider the salaries these people make. I mean, how much skill does it take to stick a letter in a slot, or put a package on a scale?

This is typical governmental boondoggle. The postal workers' salaries are phenomenal, they get more paid holidays than even school teachers do, and their retirement plans and benefit packages are pure gravy. Wouldn't the nation be better served by totally eliminating this money-sucking entity and letting private carriers take over? Even if we had to pay the same amount for stamps and per-pound packages, we, the taxpayers, would save millions. Probably billions!

 

[kaykay]

I have a lot of family that have or retired from the post office. The walking routes are a lot of hard physical work but they are very over paid. Especially in the old way they used to do time off. My sister in law just retired at 45 and had 2 years of "vacation" time before her retirement even kicks in. Seriously? 2 years of vacation time? This was her surplus because believe me she took vacation days every year. I have been told they dont give that excessive amount off paid time off anymore, but the damage is already done.

Our local post offices here are a joke. You have to insure everything and track everything because chances are it will be lost.

I sent a package to Germany and one to Canada. The one for Germany made it in a week with no issues. The one to Canada got lost for a month even with a tracking number. Pathetic.

 

[weebiscuit]

I don't know about the walking in your area, unless you live in the mountains, but every time I've been in town and seen the postal people walking to stick a few letters in the slot, I always wished I'd had that job instead of teaching! I would have LOVED that daily exercise, instead of being stuck in a classroom!

That story about your sister in law illustrates what is wrong with ALL government jobs. Very little work for very big pay!

Our post office has two windows, and only one is ever open. Usually there are no more than two people in line in front of me so it's not so bad, and I can't really complain about stuff getting lost. But I sure do complain about the salaries they get!

 

[SampleMM]

I absolutely do not feel sorry for them! Don't even get me started with the Postal Service. I am so MAD at them I could scream. I'm not even going to get into the whole situation but lets put it this way, our local Post Office is the most unprofessional group of people I've ever encountered in one building. They do not want to do their work......they want you to do their work. Heaven forbid they find out where my package is. I need to come back and try to track down my carrier. Hey, what's wrong with them leaving a note for my carrier, isn't that part of their job duties.......CUSTOMER SERVICE? I asked to speak with the Post Master and was told that he would call. It's been over a month and you guessed it, my phone hasn't rung yet.

You reap what you sow....... Bye-Bye US Postal Service

 

[CKC]

My Dad works for the post office and is an extremely hard worker. He walked a daily 19 mile mail route for about 30 years(some days he would deliver additional routes). We do not live in the mountains. He now drives a mail truck(he's 64) in a different county that requires driving. The county is too big and too rural for walking. When I was younger I can remember him always having to walk. Even in snow, ice, storms, etc. The mail had to be delivered. oh and dogs.. He has had his fair share of dog encounters. He delivered in an area that the mail boxes are attached to the homes. A lot of these homes had steep stairs. Most of the home owners do not clear their steps during the winter. He was always getting hurt.

If I had wanted what others are considering an over paid job with exceptional benefits I could have applied there. However, after seeing the toll it's taken on my Dad it's not a job for me.

I'm fortunate to have two wonderful post offices around me.

 

[bevann]

In my town there is not enough help-you have to wait forever for service at the window.There is a small office in a little town actually closer to me-better service, less wait time.It will probably close since it has smaller population but many people are using it.My rural carrier is a SAINT.She brings all my packages to the door so I don't have to go into town for them and even brought my mail in the house when I had surgery.I make her candy at Christmas and she takes good care of me.I think cutting Sat delivery would be ok.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I don't pretend to understand all the economics of the postal system. But I am very pleased with my local PO. My rural mail carriers go above and beyond. My postmaster works really hard to help me resolve postal issues.

I took the test to be substitute rural mail carrier (did not get the job). It is a lot more involved than putting a letter on a scale to weigh it. Substitutes do not receive any benefits, but frequently they work every day, working muliple routes. (I understand that Rural mail carriers' pay is based on how many mail boxes on their route.) How many people do you know would drive EVERY DAY in some of the weather and conditions they do?

Why do you resent postal workers earning a decent living wage?? Holidays and vacations?? Look at all the times banks are closed--I think we should do away with banks!

kaykay, the package to Canada was probably not the fault of the USA. Canada is notorious for their terrible postal system. The norm for mail travel in Canada is at least 4 weeks.

Mail delivery is crucial to a civilized nation. No way should private companies do it. We might end up with another Federal Reserve...

 

[chandab]

I don't pretend to understand all the economics of the postal system. But I am very pleased with my local PO. My rural mail carriers go above and beyond. My postmaster works really hard to help me resolve postal issues.

I took the test to be substitute rural mail carrier (did not get the job). It is a lot more involved than putting a letter on a scale to weigh it. Substitutes do not receive any benefits, but frequently they work every day, working muliple routes. (I understand that Rural mail carriers' pay is based on how many mail boxes on their route.) How many people do you know would drive EVERY DAY in some of the weather and conditions they do?

Why do you resent postal workers earning a decent living wage?? Holidays and vacations?? Look at all the times banks are closed--I think we should do away with banks!

kaykay, the package to Canada was probably not the fault of the USA. Canada is notorious for their terrible postal system. The norm for mail travel in Canada is at least 4 weeks.

Mail delivery is crucial to a civilized nation. No way should private companies do it. We might end up with another Federal Reserve...

I think we are in the same postal boat. I don't know their wages, but the local post mistress goes above and beyond to help customers. Our rural carrier does a good job. And, I'd absolutely hate it if the PO closed, as my business would probably go under (I have an online business).

 

[susanne]

.

I agree there is no reason to resent those who do an often difficult job and are fairly compensated for it.

The postal carriers in our very hilly, rural community do a great job, even with often treacherous roads. Our carrier frequently brings fragile and oversized packages up our long, dead-end gravel road to our house, rather than cramming everything into the box, as the Portland carriers did.

However, this has nothing to do with whether they "deserve it" -- the US Postal Service is a dinosaur. The world is changing -- computers, electronic bill-paying, email and internet have all but made the US Mail obsolete.

In my work, I frequently use Fed Ex and the like for getting materials to and from clients. They do what they do faster and better, so I tend to agree that the US Mail monopoly should give way to commercial services. I just hope those in remote areas are not left high and dry because these customers are not profitable.

.

 

[SampleMM]

I don't pretend to understand all the economics of the postal system. But I am very pleased with my local PO. My rural mail carriers go above and beyond. My postmaster works really hard to help me resolve postal issues.

I took the test to be substitute rural mail carrier (did not get the job). It is a lot more involved than putting a letter on a scale to weigh it. Substitutes do not receive any benefits, but frequently they work every day, working muliple routes. (I understand that Rural mail carriers' pay is based on how many mail boxes on their route.) How many people do you know would drive EVERY DAY in some of the weather and conditions they do?

Why do you resent postal workers earning a decent living wage?? Holidays and vacations?? Look at all the times banks are closed--I think we should do away with banks!

kaykay, the package to Canada was probably not the fault of the USA. Canada is notorious for their terrible postal system. The norm for mail travel in Canada is at least 4 weeks.

Mail delivery is crucial to a civilized nation. No way should private companies do it. We might end up with another Federal Reserve...

We have employees who deliver our newspapers in all kinds of horrible weather. Some drive, some walk, some ride bikes 5 days a week for a heck of a lot less pay than the US Postal Service. I'm glad you are happy with yours but I personally feel they are way overpaid for the type of duties they perform.

 

[Matt73]

That's not true that the norm is 4 weeks for postal service in Canada... Coming from the U.S., maybe (but is that the fault of your postal system or ours?...keep telling yourself it's ours

) I ordered something from across the country and it got here in 5 days. I ordered fly masks from Texas (won't do that again) on May 9th and they got here on August 20th (great for fly season, huh? lol).

 

[kaykay]

The issue with my Canadian package is even though I had a tracking number no one could tell me where it was for weeks and weeks. It showed it left Thornville, went to Columbus Ohio and then nothing. And of course they blamed Canada.

Another time someone sent me a package and Thornville insisted they didnt have it. Columbus Ohio insisted they did. Finally I went up to the PO and low and behold there sat my box that had been there for weeks in a corner. Ughhh.

For months we have been getting the wrong mail. I call and call and yesterday we again got the wrong mail. Who knows where my mail goes.

I do agree that walking routes are hard having had so many family members work them. But the excessive amounts of vacation and sick pay is probably what did the PO in.

 

[Minimor]

Canada is notorious for their terrible postal system. The norm for mail travel in Canada is at least 4 weeks.

HOGWASH!
We've been getting letters from Toronto (Brandon Manitoba here) in 4 days. I have mailed a letter to Calgary--dropped it in the box on Friday and the recipient picked it up in their mail box on Monday--that is faster than usual, I would have expected it to arrive at the Calgary address on Wednesday or Thursday.

Kay, it's very possible that your package was held up at customs. A lot of times packages go right through; we normally expect a package from the US to arrive in 10 to 14 days. However, if the package happens to get put into the pile to be opened by customs it can take 6 weeks to get here. I order quite a bit of stuff from the US & have had that happen only once in the past 8 years, but it can happen.

Our local mail (as in anything that is being mailed to destinations within Manitoba, other than Winnipeg) usually has next day delivery. If it's going to Winnipeg or one of the eastern towns that has mail routed through Winnipeg then it is likely 2 day delivery.

Mail travel time in Canada most certainly is not 4 weeks.

 

[2minis4us]

I think it's scary to hear the talk of the Postal Service going bankrupt !! We need it ! Maybe it can be re-structured, or has to be. I don't like paying bills by computer. I shop on the internet and get most of my things via the Post Office. We live in a rural area and have a PO Box for our mail, it's safer.

 

[anoki]

I think it's scary to hear the talk of the Postal Service going bankrupt !! We need it !

That's what all of us in Canada thought too....until Canada Post went on strike a few months ago!

Now many people have figured out how to do most business without it....don't think it did Canada Post much good.

And as much as I get super frustrated with Canada Post, I don't complain often about their delivery. Our mailman brings packages to our door so we don't have to drive into town to pick it up. And *most* times delivery is VERY good! I get letters from BC all the time that arrive here in 3 or 4 days! Even packages coming from the US....very rarely have they been over 10 days!

~kathryn

 

[Sonya]

One thing to consider is the USPS used to be self sufficient, the cost of sending letters/packages paid all their expenses...now that is not the case though with online bill pays, email, etc.

 

[chandab]

I think it's scary to hear the talk of the Postal Service going bankrupt !! We need it ! Maybe it can be re-structured, or has to be. I don't like paying bills by computer. I shop on the internet and get most of my things via the Post Office. We live in a rural area and have a PO Box for our mail, it's safer.

Me, too. Although we do have a mailbox out on the road, and its fine where we are. I have a small internet business and I'd be out of business without USPS. While we do get UPS deliveries, pick-ups are more difficult; same with FedEx; and other carriers don't come out here, they do the last leg via USPS.

 

[weebiscuit]

Why do you resent postal workers earning a decent living wage?? Holidays and vacations?? Look at all the times banks are closed--I think we should do away with banks!

Mail delivery is crucial to a civilized nation. No way should private companies do it. We might end up with another Federal Reserve...

I don't pay bank worker's salaries through my taxes, (unless, of course, it's Bush or Obama bailing them out with taxpayer money).

I get a lot of packages from Fed Ex or UPS because I do a lot of internet shopping. They deliver to my door, in rain, sleet, hail, high winds, and snow, and I don't pay for that service through my taxes. If these companies can provide a high-quality delivery service at NO expense to taxpayers, then the USPS should be able to do the same.

I have no beef with my local small-town post office. In fact, our rural mail carrier is constantly driving all the way up our long, 800' driveway to bring me a package that won't fit in my mailbox. He's a peach and we always remember him at Christmas. But then again, Fed Ex brings packages up my long driveway and they are not tax-payer subsidized.

 

[Pepipony]

The bad thing is these companies do not save for a rainy day. They dont really put much back for future expenses, ie: employee retirements, healthcare costs etc. They worry about how much money they can make and then how much they can give each other in bonuses. Then a crisis comes along and they gripe about all their expenses and blame it on employee expenses. I am beginning to think that a lot of these companies/states problems while real, are somewhat manufactured so they can go after unions and end collective bargaining rights.

Its the same problem with social security, Presidents have used the money put back for SS. So now there isnt enough money and instead of stating the fact that they have used it as a piggy bank, they claim that the program itself is bancrupt.

Anytime a company has problems meeting retirements etc of employees. Think about how many millions that have given them selves in bonuses , golden parachutes etc over the decades.

 

[Jill]

The private sector would do it better and more efficiently than this quasi government agency. I'm ready to see the free market solve this problem.