Thursday, October 20, 2011

Burrus Responds: Not Giving Up on 6-Day Delivery

Long-time postal union leader William Burrus objected today to a Dead Tree Edition article that indicated he might be giving up on trying to preserve Saturday delivery.

Burrus' blog post, Pick Your Fight, was clearly a response to my article Sunday called Throwing in the Towel on 5-Day Delivery?. In the interest of fairness, Dead Tree Edition is republishing his entire commentary below, along with some comments [in brackets].


One of the web sites that focuses on postal issues [that would be Dead Tree Edition] recently suggests that I favor "throwing in the towel" on 5 day delivery by supporting the Obama plan for postal reform. [The "throwing in the towel" phrase was in a rhetorical question, not a statement.] This analysis misinterprets my suggested course for addressing the USPS’ dilemma. The choices offered in this political struggle are:

1. Issa/Ross - Carper/McCain
a. A Republican controlled House and
b. A Democratic Chairman in the Senate who accepts the GAO report [which says the federal government didn't overcharge the U.S. Postal Service for pensions, contrary to most expert views]
2. Obama proposal that includes 5 day delivery
3. HR 1351 which has major obstacles in the House and Senate. The path to passage would require a miracle and even then you would be only half way there, requiring Senate confirmation

Each of these options is unacceptable in their present form but the Obama fight is much more targeted and would be among friends

I do not suggest "throwing in the towel on 5 day delivery” but settling on a specific target and directing all the guns in one direction. It gives you a better chance of hitting something you want to eat. [I think he's saying that the Obama plan, though flawed, is the best hope for stopping the Issa/Ross "FEATPO" (Fire Everyone at the Post Office) plan; stopping five-day delivery is a future battle.]

And to the blogger [not I] who continues to write about the timing of my retirement, I suggest that when he reaches 53 years of service at the age of 75 he will be qualified to question my decision. [That may refer to an anonymous commenter on the "throwing in the towel" article who said, "I loved that Burris (sic) retires before the most critical time in APWU history since 1970" and added, "He knew it was crunch time and he got off the ship first like a rat or cowardly captain of the ship." My question to Anonymous: If Burrus was supposed to wait until APWU and USPS were not in crisis, how old would he be upon retirement?]

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Burris you are retired BUT OUT!!! anything you have to say is dead air and means nothing.

Mary said...

Yes, Mr. Burrus is retired. As an experienced leader retired or not, I will always read his comments. I look forward to hearing from him more in the future.

Anonymous said...

Give it up on losing Saturday mail. Im a rural carrier and 45% of the mail I deliver on Saturday is still in their boxes on Monday when I deliver, and that includes parcels ,meds etc. I see no major impact on losing it. If it will help with the crisis we are in Im all for it.

Frankie said...

Burrus would have handled this better than Guffey, in my opinion. However, Burrus' time was up ... 53 YEARS! Come on man, we couldn't ask him to stay any longer. Its his life and he deserves to live the rest of it for himself ... not others.

sydarm said...

Ooooh, somebody outed Burrus....tsk tsk tsk.

Anonymous said...

Bill, thanks for your candor - something that seems to be missing in DC these days. Thank you for your service and good luck in your retirement.

Anonymous said...

I am a city carrier and saturday delivery is done! There is not enough volume to justify 6 days a week. When I first started only 6 years ago we had mail stacked 5 feet high after a sunday. Now after a holiday (2 days off) we have next to nothing. Its time to go to 5 day. We are spoiled in the US Canada has 4 day delivery and has for years.

Anonymous said...

We can't even get employees to show up on Saturday. Shut it down!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Let's see a rural carrier wants to see thousands of rca's lose their jobs and a city carrier wants to have a two day weekend. I guess we are not done with the me generation yet, now get back to work.

Anonymous said...

Everyone who says we should cut down to 5 day delivery does not truly understand our business or the effect it would have on rural america.

Take a look around rural america with the millions of people who count on the USPS to get there mail, VA medications and who fought and served our great nation, along with all of the other Postal Services Rural Carriers make available, not to mention those that don't have access to computers, or technology what about those americans.

Are we a nation to say forget those people they are not important they can die without there meds, checks and whatever else they receive in the mail on Saturday.

Also, to the ignorant person who said there is not enough mail after a holiday that is just absurd. I would like to see you work 3 days of mail after a holiday falls on a Mon and you have SAT, MON, TUE mail all to get out the same day!! (with advos on TUE)!

GOOD LUCK that is not happening! Also, if you cut Sat delivery you would have 2 days of mail every week with no RCA support so I would like to see any regular get out 2 days of mail every week and then after a holiday get 3days of mail out in a 5 day work week with NO RCA support or relief and try to stay under your 2080 hrs - that is simply just not GOING TO HAPPEN!

So, in the end before someone else comes on here to make a statement about this and has no idea what they are saying lets try to keep your thoughts to yourself if you can't look at things logically!

Have a great Day!

Anonymous said...

How will RCA's lose their jobs. Regulars can't make it week without needing a day off.I'm an RCA I work 3 or 4 days during the week covering sick calls, union meetings, and vacation... How does the Union justify 6 day delivery when the volume isnt there? I dont understand this argument for 6 day delivery.

Anonymous said...

Stop crying everyone. Like it or not 5 days are coming. But I dont think its going to be Sat delivery, it will a nother day. Watch and see. And yes this will reduce large number of positions in the carrier craft.Burris give it up once and for all. You never cared about the clerks you aonly cared what you got. So go away

Melody Ann said...

You are so wrong about Mr. Burris! And I hope he keeps giving us his opinion.

Melody Ann said...

Mr. Burris pays his union dues and I value his advise!

Benjamin F. said...

Fifty years? I'll take that bet.