http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/01/08/usps-pours-nearly-29m-into-energy-efficiency/ Environmental Leader Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:25:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/01/08/usps-pours-nearly-29m-into-energy-efficiency/comment-page-1/#comment-173376 Perfecto Mangual Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:00:26 +0000 http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=29874#comment-173376 With so much talk of saving energy, I am reminded of another way the USPS wastes energy. Several years ago, the Postal service decided that it would contract the bulk delivery of mail to outside carriers. This was supposed to cut back on the hours the regular MVS drivers for the post office would work. The contracts were awarded and the regular postal drivers did not make the long distance runs. But, the Postal Union filed a grievance and guess what? The MVS drivers were awarded money to make up for what they supposedly lost to the outside contractors. Some MVS drivers received checks upward of $5,000. dollars each. The money award was based on how much seniority the driver had. Yes, upwards of $5,000 dollars. I know this because I was there as Christmas help for transportation. Another big waste is the way the Postal Service sends out empty outside contractor 18 wheelers. These runs are usually two to four hundred miles in length, and you go out empty, and return empty. Not all of the time, but I remember going from Portland to Pendleton, Oregon, and three out of five days my drive out and home was just driving an empty truck. Or sometimes you would have a bag of mail so small, that it can fit under the seat of a scooter. As they say, "Our tax dollars at work". Someone really needs to look at this. With so much talk of saving energy, I am reminded of another way the USPS wastes energy. Several years ago, the Postal service decided that it would contract the bulk delivery of mail to outside carriers. This was supposed to cut back on the hours the regular MVS drivers for the post office would work. The contracts were awarded and the regular postal drivers did not make the long distance runs. But, the Postal Union filed a grievance and guess what? The MVS drivers were awarded money to make up for what they supposedly lost to the outside contractors. Some MVS drivers received checks upward of $5,000. dollars each. The money award was based on how much seniority the driver had. Yes, upwards of $5,000 dollars. I know this because I was there as Christmas help for transportation. Another big waste is the way the Postal Service sends out empty outside contractor 18 wheelers. These runs are usually two to four hundred miles in length, and you go out empty, and return empty. Not all of the time, but I remember going from Portland to Pendleton, Oregon, and three out of five days my drive out and home was just driving an empty truck. Or sometimes you would have a bag of mail so small, that it can fit under the seat of a scooter. As they say, “Our tax dollars at work”. Someone really needs to look at this.

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