This is a test sponsored by the CWA in an effort to establish need for better broadband access to catch up to the rest of the world.



Speakeasy.net speed test. Link here to go directly to test.
Speedtest.net speed test - may also do windows and registry scan.
Home
South Florida Running Information and Links
Irish Sites
Pictures from Jerry Jones' Retirement Party
Free Zip Code Map - merely click "Zips" and input zip and/or address
2011 Rotating Days Off Calendar for Carriers
Andy Rooney's Take on the Postal Service as broadcast on the 3/14/10 edition of "Sixty Minutes"
FEND Article about House Committe's hosting Postal Reform website
Save America's Postal Service . Org
  • Badges page

    • NALC's Fact Sheet on HR 1351
    Saving The Postal Service website of Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

    Postal Carrier Links and Disgruntled Employee Humor

    These links relate to the Postal Service, sites that may be of general interest to Postal and Federal Govt. Workers, and disgruntled employee humor.

    Text of Section of Proposed HR7 Bill affecting Employee Retirement if Passed Feb, 2012
    Admittedly, I'm merely a carrier and this is a little over my head. Federal Employee retirement issues are included in a new Transportation Bill per report from FEDERAL DAILY. The article mentioned "Securing Annuities for Federal Employees Act (H.R. 3813)" as being part of American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012 (H.R. 7).
    Full text of H.R. 7 can be viewed here.
    Scroll down to page 913 which I suspect IS the text of the aforementioned H.R. 3813.
    I haven't scrutinized the text of H.R. 3813, but am told that they want to base our annuities on the "High 5" years versus "High 3" (presently utilized in calculating our annuities) and the change would effectively reduce our pensions. This is meerely a "heads-up".

    Increasing Number of Agencies May Offer Early Retirements and Buyout Incentives in 2012
    Feb 2012 article by "My Federal Retirement" and has information as to definitions and particulars of Federal retirement plans.

    USPS wants to end overnight delivery of local first class mail to save $3 Billion - Sun-Sentinel article.
    See similar story on FEND's Website

    Save America's Postal Service . Org
  • Badges page

    • NALC's Fact Sheet on HR 1351

    FEND Article about House Committe's hosting Postal Reform website
    Saving The Postal Service website of Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

    NALC - Check for information about the proposal to reduce eliminate saturday mail delivery etc.

    Federal Daily article - Another USPS Money-Making Scheme—Sample Boxes 4/14/10
    Sun-Sentinel - A South Florida Newspaper - Articles about Postal Downsizing
  • Postal Service argues that 5-days a week mail delivery is enough

  • Mailboxes disappearing and going the way of the pay phone

  • Andy Rooney's Take on the Postal Service as broadcast on the 3/14/10 edition of "Sixty Minutes"

  • APWU Article about Saving Saturday Delivery published 4/28/10.


    • Merely an opinion, but Service seemed financially better before hampering productivity with exponentially increased micromanagement.
    Cutting services and making it more difficult for customers to work with us would not be my response to losing customers.
    Merely an opinion

    List of Postal Facilities considered to be chopped as amended 2/26/10.

    List of "Hitler Goes Postal" videos on YouTube.
  • In humor, but realisticly portrays frustrations that rank-and-file employees typically endure on an ongoing basis.
  • These clips are from a movie called "Der Untergang", literally translated to "The Downfall"
  • It is a film about the last days of Hitler at the end of WWII. Film is in German, but web auther injects subtitles brilliantly relating to current Postal Employee Issues.


    • Some Quick Major Links:

  • U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, "liteblue" for Postal Employees and Postal Ease Log in
    . . . and USPS Retirement seminar online and Postal licensed products and USPSEverywhere.com"

  • Federal Daily - Postal Issues

  • Office of Inspector General

  • www.deliveringtrust.com - Postal Inspection Service site for the public
    . . . They offer videos to help customers avoid being scammed

  • Postal Inspectors site

  • Federal Trade Commission

  • Free Zip Code Map - Click "Zips" and input zipcode and/or address. You can then scroll around to adjacent zipcodes.

  • GovBenefits.gov general website

  • GovBenefits.gov for Postal Employees

  • Thrift Savings Plan

  • United Health Care - Flexible Spending Account info and logon. To create account, use Postal EIN with leading zero and use 141245 as the plan #.
    You MAY need to first have the credit card from them.

  • Flexible Spending Account, eligible OTC covered and link to order from UTC

  • Office of Personnel Management, Insurance Products, Long Term Care Partner site

  • Social Security Administration

  • Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation and Delta Pilots' Pension Preservation Organization, Inc.

  • PBGC.ORG site with info on employee benefits

  • My Federal Retirement and their Federal Retirement Software site

  • a second MyFederalRetirement.Com

  • NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS, Latest News, National Agreement, Letter Carrier Payscale and contractual raise info

  • Florida State Association of Letter Carriers

  • Letter Carriers 2011 Rotating Days Off Calendar download site. Thanks California State Assn.

  • Postal Employee Network, Great reference! Links to various Postal Manuals etc.

  • Letter Carrier Network

  • PostalReporter.Com

  • Postal News.Com

  • The Carrier Connection

  • Letter Carrier Connection.Com

  • Rural Letter Carriers

  • APWU Homepage

  • National Postal Mail Handlers Union

  • AFL-CIO's Home Page , UnionPlus.Org - Benefits & discounts for members, and AFL-CIO's Paywatch Search for CEO compensation

  • National League of Postmasters

  • NARFE (Retired Fed. Employees)

  • ACLU: American Civil Liberties Union

  • Welcome to the UAW Home Page

  • THOMAS - Library of Congress" In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, legislative information from the Library of Congress

  • Harris Federal Law Firm for injured federal employees

  • USAJOBS.Gov Federal Jobs posted on internet
  • Job Applications.Com online apps for major retail and food companies. Good for Seniors


    • There are many more topics and detailed links that can be found by exploring below.

    Other Stuff:

    Rotating Days Off Calendar Download Page
    Page to download rotating days-off calendar hosted by California State Association of Letter Carriers

    THOMAS - Library of Congress
    In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, this site gives legislative information from the Library of Congress. It's everything you ever wanted to know about Congressional resources and pending legislation.

    New USPS Retirement Video Site
    New USPS website just passed on to me. Links within the site are to video presentations and it probably helps if you have high-speed internet access.
    You do have the opportunity to select internet connection type (example, high-speed, dial up...).

    Snow Cap Agency Inc.
    They provide retirement seminars specializing in the USPS and Federal Government. Their website has info about retirement and they offer online courses.

    Federal Employee Benefit Services. Com
    Providing Retirement Couseling Services. Site is coming soon.
  • American Equity, recommended at seminar hosted by site linked above.


    • Communications Workers of America Blog Promoting taking Speedtest
    CWA feels that USA is behind other countries in broadband performance and is encouraging everyone to take their speed test so that CWA can provide data and help the FCC craft and develop a new broadband strategy.
    A widget for taking the test is at the top of this page.

    41pounds.org
    Organization concerned with saving the trees and saving the planet and that can enable you to stop unwanted junk mail. Costs $41 and lasts 5 years.
    Half goes to charity.

    LifeLock Identity Theft Protection
    Identity theft protection and also eliminates some unwanted junk mail and solicitations for unwanted credit cards.

    Pitney Bowes "AddressRightNow" Service
    Online address verification and correction service from Pitney Bowes

    Social Security Administration
    Calculate Social Security Benefits, etc.

    Office of Personnel Management
    For retirement information.

    THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN Website
    The TSP website has been updated to allow us to create a custom user ID so that we don't have to log in the present difficult way of entering segments of your ID number in blocks.
    Once you log in, you have to go to "All Account Transactions" where creating a custom ID is a menu item.
  • Suggestion as to logging in if you haven't yet created custom user ID:
    In MSIE (Microsoft Internet Explorer), click on [File], then [New], then [Window] (or [ctrl]+[n]).
    Then toggle back and forth between the MSIE windows where you have your account number and where you're inputting number to the TSP website at where you eventually log in.
    On the TSP page, you have to UNMASK your account access info. I could not get into my account in the default 'masked' position, but had no problems if I entered it 'unmasked'.

  • Link to TSP Forms

  • New Interfund Transfer Rule

  • FRTIB Home Page

    • In-service Withdrawals from TSP - IMPORTANT!!

    This is a form you REALLY need to look at if you're planning to make a pre-retirement WITHDRAWAL (versus loan). It really has a dramatic permanent harmful effect on your TSP Account!
    It can be a "life changing" experience. Please read the publication before you make any withdrawal (versus 'loan') from the TSP, as ramifications are irreversable.
  • In particular, once you make a "withrawal" (either age-based or hardship), you forfeit ability to make partial withdrawals from the TSP and account must be totally transfered to an IRA account upon retirement. Is important, as normally, once you're in retirment status (even earlier than age 59-1/2, you can start an annuity and make withdrawals without tax penalty as long as you're in a retirement status. Should you forfeit this right by making a hardship withdrawal, you lose this flexibility.
    Furthermore, you cannot make any contributions to the TSP nor benefit from the Government (Postal) contribution if FERS (there is none) during the six months following your withdrawal from the TSP.


    • Rep. Ron Klein's site

    Florida State Association of Letter Carriers
    Great Links!
  • Florida Politics Blogspot Links to consumer and concerned citizens' organizations

  • Sayfier Review Blog


    • TSP OPEN SEASON and POSTAL EASE CHANGES:


    Postal Ease has changed it's login to where we now use our 8-digit I.D. Number on our paystubs instead of our Social Security Number. My own PIN was reset and your's may also have been.

    You can now also use PostalEase online via http://www.liteblue.usps.gov. Doesn't seem to let you use it for bidding purposes or to call in an unscheduled absence.
    Also found a second Postal Ease access portal at https://ewss.usps.gov/esymain.htm, courtesy of www.nalcbranch38.com.
    Suggestion: Call the Postal Ease line NOW to either make sure your PIN works or to get the new one mailed to you in case it doesn't. You need 8-digit EIN number on paystub and PIN whether using phone or internet.
    Number is 1-877-477-3273 (or 1-877-4PS-EASE).
    This way, you won't be caught short if your PIN doesn't work when you want to make TSP changes or submit bids.

    Read Story of the Barefoot Mailmen
    excerpted from an older Sun-Sentinel article. They were major fixtures in South Florida history.
    James "Ed" Hamilton is the best-known, as he lost his life in the line of duty in October, 1887.
    Hamilton Station in Pompano Beach was named after him.
    Read a separate account from the website of the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society.

    Read Story of John "Snowshoe" Thompson
    Considered "Father of California Skiing", but his story is very similar to South Florida's "Barefoot Mailman". He carried mail for 20 winters between Placerville, CA and Genoa, NV and later Virginia City (as in "Bonanza" TV fame). Johnny Horton ("Battle of New Orleans" and "North To Alaska") wrote and performed a song about "Snowshoe Thompson. He delivered the first piece of silver from the "Comstock Lode". He typically made his eastward trip in 3 days and returned in 2 days. Other links:
  • SnowShoe Thompson Website

  • Postal Museum Website Article

  • From Lawzone.com

  • Tahoe Country website

  • Yahoo Search Results


    • Carrier Thank-You Cards (seasonal)

    YAHOO! Postal Information Resources

    THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN Website
  • FRTIB Home Page


    • U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
  • POSTAL JOBS



    • PostalEase access for employees via "liteblue"
    Requires 8-digit ID # on paystub plus 4-digit PIN
    Here's a second Postal Ease access portal at https://ewss.usps.gov/esymain.htm, courtesy of www.NALC Branch38.
  • eReassign, Bargaining Unit Reassignment allows employees to submit a reassignment request online.
    You need 8-digit emp. ID and PIN. Thanks for "heads-up" to Sue, BR 916
  • http://mymoney.gov, Govt's site about helping to understand, save, invest and manage your money to meet financial goals

  • http://choosetosave.org has alot of calculators to help in financial planning for retirement.

  • Mail Tracking


    • Office of Personnel Management
    For retiremnent information.

    Social Security Administration
    For Social Security aspect of retirment and figuring Social Security benefits.

    New USPS Retirement Video Site
    Videos referencing USPS Retirement. High-speed connection helpful, but not essential.

    NALC Site National
    Jim's "Black Book" PDF file.
    Site was formerly hosted by former NBA Region 2 (now EVP of NALC National) Jim Williams. Page is apparently defunct.
    Excellent Q & A with references for each article of the Agreement.
    Florida State Association of Letter Carriers
  • They DO provide an email contact to Mark Travers.

    • NATIONAL AGREEMENT from NALC Site
    Postal Service Uniforms Has Links To All The National Agreements.

    POSTAL EMPLOYEE NETWORK GREAT reference source.
  • The Belden Factor, by Denny Belden, Br. 1091, Orlando. Great Resources!

  • Links to the ELM and downloadable M-39 and M-41 manuals.(GOOD PAGE)

    •
  • Denny's Steward and Employee Discs

  • NALC Branch 1091

  • Postal Pete's RHD Jeeps for Rural Carrier Use


    • WWW.Righthanddrivepostaljeeps.com Another page for RHD vehicles
    WWW.Righthanddrivejeeps.com
    Autoelf RHD Jeeps

    Postal Exams.Com training materials for taking Postal Exam
    Postal Exam resources from an affiliate of amazon.com. Just don't get overcharged for courses worth well under $100

    M41 Manual - doesn't require downloading.
    Yahoo search results - Postal Software
    Netters Intranet by Steve, BR 5, Omaha. Requires Password. Great resource.
    The Carrier Connection great reference material
    Manny's Guide to Grievances
  • What Happened

  • What Rule page for grievances

  • What Remedy (under construction)

    • FedWorkersComp.Net , formerly Fedupfeds.Org - helping injured workers.
    Union Software Systems, Inc.
     I'm advised that address on the order form is wrong.
    Mail-in orders should be sent to 8901 Sheldon Chase Circle, Tampa, FL 33633
    Ed's Mailbag (Bayridge, Brooklyn NY).
    Mailman Stuff - Gary Mills, BR 343, Rolla, MO
    NALC Branch 908, New Jersey Brilliant Site!
  • Maureen, a sister seriously injured on the job

  • Sign a petion to get Maureen on ABC's Extreme Home Makeover

  • NALC Branch NALC Branch 466 Letter Carriers' Home Pages
  • NALC Links Branch 466, Lafayette IN****
    Carrier Relay, Branch 2086, NALC
    Thanks for marquee idea Washington State Association of Letter Carriers
  • Sunriver Regional Assemblin, Nov 1999, Contract Interpretation Seminar, credits to Jim Williams. Think alot is in his Jim's "Black Book" PDF file.

  • Article 19 - re: 3rd bundling of addressed pieces on P&L Routes

    • TSALC - Texas State Association of Letter Carriers Good political action site and resources
    Branch 2291, Starkville-West Point-Europa (Golden Triangle) MS
    NALC Branch 116, Summit City Mailbag Fort Wayne, IN.
    NALC Branch 38 ,New Jersey
    Links to NALC Branches and contact where there is no online presence.
    City Carrier Web Site Links courtesy of Link Rat
    Search Individual Postal Employees A littl TMI - gives salaries, year of hire, installation and zip info


    U.S. Postal Service
    Post Office - Ireland
    Stamps.com - Internet Postage.
    Decoding a Postnet Barcode

    Federal Employees News Digest - www.federaldaily.com There are links within the site in addition to what is listed below.
  • FEND Postal Page

  • Finance and Retirement Planning

  • Directory of Financial Planners

  • "Marketplace", links to lodging, car rentals, etc.

    • Fed Force - On Line Source for Federal Employees
    FedWeek.com Federal Employees online publication.
    PostalMag.Com
    PostalVoice.Com
    Postal News.Com
    Federal Soup.Com
    PolitiFact.Com presented by St. Petersburg Times
    US Post Office Jobs.Com
    Snow Cap Agency profides retirement seminars for Federal Employees and offer online courses.


    Atlanta Postal Credit Union GREAT Regional Credit Union
    Priority-1 Postal & Professional CU in Ft. Lauderdale

    WWW.Firstgov.gov Government Directory
    CIA World Factbook Almanac material.

    Thrift Savings Plan Website
  • FRTIB Home Page


    • CSRS Employees Info Re: Retirement or Buyouts
    Office of Personnel Management
  • Retirement Information
    ESA/WHD: Family & Medical Leave Act
    GOALWATCHER Federal Retirement Software

    AFL-CIO's Home Page
  • UnionPlus.Org - Benefits available through this AFL-CIO offshoot.

  • AFL-CIO's Paywatch Search for CEO compensation


    • Workers for One Postal Union
    APWU Homepage
    National Postal Mail Handlers Union
  • Mail Handlers Pay Scale

  • Mail Handler Links

  • Other MH Unions, Locals, and Related Sites

    • Rural Letter Carriers
  • Postal Pete's RHD Jeeps for Rural Carrier Use

  • WWW.Righthanddrivepostaljeeps.com Another page for RHD vehicles

  • WWW.Righthanddrivejeeps.com

  • Autoelf RHD Jeeps


    • National League of Postmasters
    NARFE (Retired Fed. Employees)
    ACLU: American Civil Liberties Union
    Welcome to the UAW Home Page
    Delta Pilots' Pension Preservation Organization, Inc.

    Disgruntled Employee Humor

    Disgruntledzone.com Barbie Post Office is gone
    DILBERT
    TECH SUPPORT TALES from Yahoo! search. Regretfully, my favorite site at Auricular is no longer there. It was brilliant!
    My Boss (Humor)

    Oddball Links

    Segway Human Transporter
    Budweiser Catalog Sales 3 Stooges Catalog Sales

    Email me