Postal workers getting early retirement offers

WASHINGTON -- Faced with losses that could near $1.5 billion this year, the U.S. Postal Service is offering early retirement -- without incentives or bonuses -- to thousands of clerks, mail handlers and supervisors.

The push to cut costs involves retirement offers to workers 50 and older who have 20 years of service and employees of any age who have 25 years of service. The agency began the fiscal year Oct. 1 with 684,762 career employees, down from 696,138 a year earlier.

Anthony J. Vegliante, the Postal Service's vice president for human resources, said that as many as 130,000 workers may be eligible for the offers, some of which are already in the mail. He declined, however, to predict how many would accept them.

"It's not about meeting a magic number," Vegliante said. He said the strategy is more directed toward efficiency and taking advantage of new technologies and automation.

"Because of the economy," Vegliante said, "we are continuously looking at right-sizing the organization."

Besides reducing staff, the Postal Service is seeking to consolidate or close mail-handling facilities because of declining mail volume. The agency earlier proposed having a private company operate its bulk-mail centers across the country.