With six months to go, the Postal Service’s Race for a $Billion campaign has brought in more than $500 million, despite the COVID-19 national health emergency. The initiative, which began last fall, aims to raise $1 billion through employee-provided sales leads before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30. Through the end of March, the campaign […]
Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other places that care for older people are asking the public to send cards and letters to their residents so they don’t feel forgotten in the new era of social distancing. In a Facebook post last month, St. Anthony’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rock Island, IL, issued a […]
Great Lakes Area Vice President Erica Brix will retire April 30 after a 33-year career with the Postal Service. Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan, who announced Brix’s retirement in a memo last week, praised her as an “indispensable part of executing the Postal Service’s strategic initiatives.” Brix has led Great Lakes Area since January 2019, […]
Hallmark is giving away 2 million greeting cards that customers can mail to friends and family to spread encouragement as the nation grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. The company is offering a free three-card pack to help people maintain connections in a time of social distancing and self-isolation. In addition to mailing cards to loved […]
Talk about perfect timing. The Postal Service designated March 9-13 as Clerks Care Week to spotlight the lead-sharing program — and, as it turned out, there was plenty to celebrate. Clerks Care crossed the $1 billion threshold during the week, meaning the program has generated more than $1 billion in estimated annualized revenue for the […]
Jerry Kennedy is still going strong. The Indianapolis resident has been sending homemade St. Patrick’s Day cards to friends and family since 1951. His mailing list grew two years ago after he was profiled in Link and began receiving notes of appreciation from Postal Service employees who were charmed by his devotion to the mail. […]
The Postal Service has introduced Blue and LiteBlue pages with resources to help educate employees about the coronavirus pandemic. Both pages feature videos and Link articles on the topic, as well as workplace posters and information sheets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Blue page also has mandatory stand-up talks. The […]
Ann Mailloux and Michael Saint met each other on the day they began their Postal Service careers in 1985. Little did they know how long those careers — and their relationship — would last. Mailloux and Saint were both hired as part-time distribution clerks at the Providence, RI, Processing and Distribution Center. At their new […]
Link wants to hear your thoughts about “Love above,” “All the write moves” and other recent stories. Email your feedback to uspslink@usps.gov. Your comments could be featured in “Mailbag.” […]
The Postal Service has reported its financial results for fiscal year 2020’s first quarter (Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2019). Here are some highlights: • Revenue. Total revenue was $19.4 billion, down 1.8 percent from the same period one year earlier. First-Class Mail revenue declined 2.5 percent, while Marketing Mail revenue fell 5.4 percent. Shipping and packages […]
The Postal Service price changes that were announced last fall will take effect Jan. 26. The changes include adjustments to Mailing Services and Shipping Services products. Here are the current and new prices: First-Class Mail letters (1 ounce): 55 cents (no change from current price) First-Class Mail letters (additional ounces): 15 cents (no change) First-Class […]
The Postal Service and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union have reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract that covers more than 43,000 employees represented by the union. “This agreement is balanced. It addresses both parties’ bargaining objectives in a financially responsible manner,” said USPS Labor Relations Vice President Doug Tulino. The tentative agreement […]
The Postal Service Board of Governors is in the process of conducting a thorough, nationwide search for a successor to Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan, who recently announced her intent to retire on Jan. 31. To facilitate the search and transition process, the governors announced Jan. 6 that the Postmaster General has agreed to delay […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees that collection boxes should not be donated to outside organizations. Nonprofit groups and other outside organizations often request the donation of old collection boxes for use in a variety of ways, such as the collection of gifts during the holidays, or as a receptacle for the gathering of worn […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that tests your recall of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Which of these stamps is slated to be the first released by USPS in 2020? a) Big Bend b) Black Heritage: Gwen Ifill c) Grand Island Ice Caves d) Lunar New Year: Year […]
Postal Service employees will accept, process and deliver tens of millions of mailpieces and packages during the final stretch of this year’s holiday season. The organization is on track to deliver about 13 billion mailpieces and 800 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Many employees said they are working to provide excellent service, […]
Postal Service facilities are required to fly the POW-MIA flag year-round under a new federal law. The law, which took effect in November, requires prominent federal buildings, national war memorials and Post Offices to fly the flag every day that the U.S. flag is flown. Although the law only requires Post Offices to fly the […]
Here’s Link’s latest “News Quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Link reported last week that Informed Delivery has approximately how many subscribers? a) 20.2 million b) 20.4 million c) 20.6 million d) 20.8 million 2. True or false: Gieti Mojadidi, […]
“Touching” is the only word to describe “Best buddies,” the article about Springfield, PA, Letter Carrier Bette Stewart and her friendship with Michael Brady, an 11-year-old boy who has autism. […]
Rural Carrier Associate Byron Johnson was delivering mail on a June day in Lumberton, NC, when he came upon a boy being mauled by a dog while a family member was trying in vain to stop the attack. Johnson safely intervened and repelled the dog, and emergency responders were dispatched to the scene. The victim […]
Open season, the annual period when Postal Service employees can change their health benefits or enroll in a new plan, begins Monday, Nov. 11. A variety of health, vision and dental coverage is available through the following plans and programs: Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) USPS Health Benefits Plan (USPSHBP) for non-career employees only […]
My name is Shaunda Tanksley and I’m a business mail entry unit technician at the St. Louis Network Distribution Center. I serve customers who have large mailings. My job varies from day to day. I help a lot of different customers — from churches that send 500-piece mailings to government agencies that send 10,000 pieces […]
The Postal Service will release a Drug Free USA stamp in October 2020 to focus attention on the nation’s drug abuse crisis. USPS announced the stamp Oct. 31 in conjunction with Red Ribbon Week, the nation’s oldest and largest drug abuse prevention campaign. The planned release next year will coincide with National Substance Abuse Prevention […]
The Postal Service has announced some of its planned 2020 stamp releases. Here’s what’s coming: Year of the Rat, the first of 12 stamps in the Postal Service’s third Lunar New Year series Made of Hearts, a continuation of the Postal Service’s tradition of stamps that celebrate love Gwen Ifill, the 43rd stamp in the […]
Postal Service facilities should fly the U.S. flag at half-staff to honor U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, who has died. Cummings served as chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Flags should be flown at half-staff until sunset Friday, Oct. 18. To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak […]
The Postal Service has announced that Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan is retiring, effective Jan. 31, 2020. “Megan Brennan is a devoted public servant who has helped lead the United States Postal Service through some very challenging circumstances. The governors greatly appreciate her leadership and devotion to the Postal Service,” said Robert M. Duncan, chairman […]
The Postal Service is a government agency that operates like a business. The organization provides a vital delivery service that fosters commerce, serves every address in the United States and binds the nation. USPS receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. […]
The Postal Service is working with business customers to drive changes in the way mail is used, the organization’s top executives told industry leaders last week. Two examples are Informed Delivery, a free feature that provides consumers with a digital preview of their incoming mail, and Informed Visibility, a platform that allows businesses to use […]
Callers to the 800-ASK-USPS help line are being offered more ways to receive assistance, part of the organization’s efforts to improve customers’ experiences. All calls go to one of four Customer Care Centers that the Postal Service operates nationwide. Under changes that took effect recently, callers can now choose to receive text-based assistance through an […]
Charities and nonprofit groups are using Informed Delivery to expand their fundraising capabilities. The free feature allows users to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages from computers, tablets and other mobile devices. The Informed Delivery email digest and dashboard displays “grayscale” images of recipients’ incoming mail. Nonprofits conducting direct mail campaigns can […]