US Post Office is prototypical for a future bankrupt America

[zdreg]

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_23/b4231060885070.htm

"The USPS has historically placed the interests of its unions first. That hasn't changed. In March it reached a four-and-a-half-year agreement with the 250,000-member American Postal Workers Union, which represents mail clerks, drivers, mechanics, and custodians. The pact extends the no-layoff provision and provides a 3.5 percent raise for APWU members over the period of the contract, along with seven upcapped cost-of-living increases"

this is the kind of formula used in Argentina which lead to runaway inflation as the government printed ever more money to pay off government workers.

counter arguments it can't happen here because the Fed is independent doesn't work because the Fed is independent in name only.

 

[shfly]

Quote from zdreg:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_23/b4231060885070.htm

"The USPS has historically placed the interests of its unions first. That hasn't changed. In March it reached a four-and-a-half-year agreement with the 250,000-member American Postal Workers Union, which represents mail clerks, drivers, mechanics, and custodians. The pact extends the no-layoff provision and provides a 3.5 percent raise for APWU members over the period of the contract, along with seven upcapped cost-of-living increases"

this is the kind of formula used in Argentina which lead to runaway inflation as the government printed ever more money to pay off government workers.

counter arguments it can't happen here because the Fed is independent doesn't work because the Fed is independent in name only.

The union is there for the membership, no?

Easy (on paper at least) fix, privitize the USPS...let them use the public market for funds, and things will change...or they'll be gone...

Republicians have had controll, likewise the democrats, over the last 30 years...and what have they done? And I believe both have talked about privitizing etc. etc.

Who did President Obama send to kill Bin Laden, newly enlisted, or the pros? Would you not expect the membership to send in the pros, asking for pay increases, more vacation etc. etc.? Surely you are not suggesting that the membership should be asking for less pay, fewer benefits etc. etc.?

That just isn't the American Way, now is it?

 

[bond_trad3r]

US Govt should just sell USPS. Have an IPO and let UPS or FedEx take it over it it goes into Chapter 11.

 

[TGregg]

I went out with a Postal Babe a couple times. She had absolutely zero interest in any sort of merit based anything. It was all about seniority and having the union stand up against the little evil (Government) and Big Evil (management). To hear her tell it, postal workers were basically living in poverty, while the suits were living large and doing nothing. When she talked about this stuff it was all straight from the union propaganda (or maybe an old copy of Pravda) with absolutely no individual nuance. I mean, it was verbatim.

Sad stuff.

 

[nkhoi]

I went to a post office to complain about a ruined package I asked for a form to file my complaint, none of them can find any form because it seems like there is no need for one.

 

[zdreg]

Quote from TGregg:

I went out with a Postal Babe a couple times. She had absolutely zero interest in any sort of merit based anything. It was all about seniority and having the union stand up against the little evil (Government) and Big Evil (management). To hear her tell it, postal workers were basically living in poverty, while the suits were living large and doing nothing. When she talked about this stuff it was all straight from the union propaganda (or maybe an old copy of Pravda) with absolutely no individual nuance. I mean, it was verbatim.

Sad stuff.

"I went out with a Postal Babe a couple times."
hedging your bets against volatile trading income?

 

[niceneasy]

Quote from bond_trad3r:

US Govt should just sell USPS. Have an IPO and let UPS or FedEx take it over it it goes into Chapter 11.

EXACTLY. Break the union if thats even possible - fire half of the staff. Condense the delivery days to every second day. Cut Saturdays.

 

[Pekelo]

Union protects workers, lobbyist protects corporation.

If you don't see the problem with one, you shouldn't have a problem with the other either...

 

[niceneasy]

Quote from Pekelo:

Union protects workers, lobbyist protects corporation.

If you don't see the problem with one, you shouldn't have a problem with the other either...

Unions protect the people who are in them and nobody else. Corporations employ people at market values which promotes economic growth and competitiveness.

Delivering mail is non skilled labor which everyone else gets paid $10 an hour for likely with no benefits. Why should taxpayers finance some jackass to make 80k a year plus benefits to deliver the mail and work 4 hours a day?

 

[dtan1e]

Quote from niceneasy:

Unions protect the people who are in them and nobody else. Corporations employ people at market values which promotes economic growth and competitiveness.

Delivering mail is non skilled labor which everyone else gets paid $10 an hour for likely with no benefits. Why should taxpayers finance some jackass to make 80k a year plus benefits to deliver the mail and work 4 hours a day?

80k is a lot for low skilled job