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             USPS pilot program being tested
                      at the Chicago NDC
 This test is a six month evaluation where as the USPS signed a contract with UPS. 
   Currently the USPS delivers a large share of the UPS residential packages
under the title "SurePost" which is dropped off at deliver units or destination
plants when not in the UPS servicing area.
   In exchange for the UPS residential automated residential packages the UPS
under the pilot program will be handling the large non-automated parcels from
the USPS. (Only packages with dimensions greater than 27 inches will be
segregated).
  NMO’s will be trucked to a UPS facility in Willow Springs IL 60480 who will
sort the parcels (along with the consolidated parcels from South Suburban and
the NDC) on their large parcel sorting machines. The NMO’s will be sent out to
the world and their destinations.
  On the USPS destinating side, NMO’s coming from the world to the larger 601 towns will come thru the UPS facility and go directly to the AO’s bypassing the plant. The smaller 601 towns will come to the plant from UPS to be dock transferred. UPS will be providing the middle mile"  processing for the identified NMO‘s. The USPS will continue to provide the  "first mile" collection and acceptance and the "last mile" delivery through our  delivery units. Bottom line: Yes this is an outsourcing test to see if it is  more cost effective to have UPS process this type of mail for the USPS than for  us to do it ourselves. Process Operations, Service Talk, pilot Test for Handling  Irregular and Non Machineable Outside Parcels...
  The NPMHU and APWU have been  notified on a national and local level."... Scans will be made as acceptance and  delivery, Expediters will sign for parcels from UPS. 
   Under the test program, the greatest impact will be to the Mail Handler craft
but there will be some effect on the APWU Clerk Craft based on RL-399 during the
pilot testing phase. 
SOURCE: APWU Northwest Illinois Local #7140, President Jackie Engelhart