John Lennon had a connection with the mail long before the Postal Service honored him this month with a Forever stamp in its Music Icons series. Lennon collected stamps during his childhood, amassing an assortment of more than 550 offerings from around the world. His stamp album is now owned by the National Postal Museum […]
Reminder: USPS offers My App Box, an online tool that allows employees to access more than 430 applications, including popular programs like PostalEASE and the TACS Help Desk. To access the tool from a postal computer, click the Windows icon in the lower left-hand corner of your screen and select “All Apps,” followed by “My […]
The Postal Service is responding to Hurricane Florence, which is bringing torrential rain, damaging winds and life-threatening storm surges to the Southeast. To protect employees and the public, USPS has suspended mail delivery and retail operations at several Post Offices in coastal areas, including parts of North Carolina, South Carolina and other affected states. “Our […]
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. True or false: The system that will soon become the Postal Service’s official method to measure performance relies on the U.S. Census Bureau’s definition of urban and rural areas. […]
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wants USPS and other employees to review their federal income tax withholding. Several tax law changes took effect this year. By checking your withholding now, you can avoid an unexpected bill or penalty at tax time. The IRS offers an online withholding calculator that can help you determine if you […]
Willie Clemmons, the longtime mail handler featured in “Good service,” makes me proud to be part of the Postal Service. […]
Rural Carrier Tammy Miller was recently delivering mail to a residence in Orient, OH, when she spotted flames shooting out of the garage. Miller rushed to the front door to alert the homeowners — a couple who rounded up eight children they were caring for and evacuated the house. The Postal Service employee comforted the […]
After Hurricane Irma destroyed their home last year, Sophia Pla and her husband were forced to live in their car — until her colleagues came to the couple’s rescue. The Plas received assistance from postal inspectors, co-workers and others who helped them get back on their feet. “When we lost everything, my Postal Service co-workers […]
Scanning has always been important to the Postal Service’s operations — and it’s about to take on added significance. Internal Service Performance Measurement (SPM) will soon become the organization’s official method to measure service performance. The system relies on accurate scanning by employees at Post Office Boxes and various collection and delivery points across the […]
Commercial countdown. The deadline to audition for this year’s Postal Service holiday advertising campaign is Wednesday, Sept. 19, at 5 p.m. EDT. The audition is open to all employees. No prior acting experience is required. The USPS Holiday 2018 Employee Casting site has instructions on creating and submitting audition videos. The commercials will be filmed […]
Postal Service employees accepted 71.6 million pounds of donations during this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive. These National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) branches collected the most food, in approximate pounds: 1. Los Angeles, Branch 24 (2 million) 2. Oklahoma City, Branch 458 (1.8 million) 3. San Juan, PR, Branch 869 (1.7 million) 4. […]
John Lennon was hailed as one of the world’s most-renowned musicians at the Sept. 7 stamp dedication ceremony in his honor. “It’s a privilege to commemorate the life of John Lennon — one of the most celebrated musicians and iconic personalities of the 20th century,” said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan. “The world was influenced […]
Letter Carrier Todd Bettgenhauser was recently delivering mail in a Chicopee, MA, neighborhood when he smelled a strong odor of gas outside a customer’s home. Bettgenhauser alerted the resident, who contacted the gas company. A hazardous line fracture was soon discovered and repaired. The customer later contacted the Chicopee Post Office, describing Bettgenhauser’s actions as […]
My co-workers and I enjoyed the “Heroes’ corner” article about Retail Associate Willie Jones, who leaped over the counter to catch a man who was about to collapse. Super effort, Willie. […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 98.03 percent during the week ending Aug. 31, up from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.26 percent) topped the districts, while Western (98.24 percent) led the areas. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
Willie Clemmons is celebrating a milestone few others have achieved. Last month, the 91-year-old Los Angeles Processing and Distribution Center mail handler marked 68 years as a postal employee. “I wanted to work at the Postal Service because I wanted to be of service to the people,” he said. Clemmons, who served in the Army […]
USPS will soon introduce a web-based tool that will allow employees to better handle customer service issues. Customer 360 will replace eCustomer Care, the application currently used to process and track business and residential customer inquiries. The new tool will be available in Consumer Affairs offices, Customer Care Centers and Post Offices, allowing employees in […]
Highlights from this year’s second United States Air Mail stamp dedication ceremony are featured in a new video from USPS. The stamp commemorates a 1918 flight from College Park, MD, to New York City that became the first step in establishing transcontinental routes for airmail service. “It is a testament to the tenacity and the sometimes brazen […]
I look forward to reading Link each day. It keeps employees aware of important happenings in the Postal Service. […]
Letter Carrier Christine Garcia was recently delivering mail in a Whittier, CA, neighborhood when she smelled smoke outside an older customer’s residence. As Garcia got closer, she could hear a smoke detector beeping inside the home, and she instantly grew worried that the woman could be in harm’s way. The Postal Service employee immediately started […]
Several employees were honored this month for their work with the Postal Customer Councils (PCCs), local groups that help strengthen relationships between USPS, business mailers and their mutual customers. The PCC Leadership Awards were presented during a ceremony in Washington, DC, that featured Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan and other postal leaders. In most categories, awards […]
Disasters happen. Prepare now. Learn how. This is the message the Postal Service will deliver to you and your co-workers in September, which is National Preparedness Month. Throughout the month, the organization will offer reminders and tips to help you make preparedness part of your daily lives. For example, to ensure your overall preparedness, you […]
It’s magic. To help promote a commemorative deck of cards based on The Art of Magic stamps, USPS has produced five brief videos that showcase card tricks. Each trick corresponds to one of the magic acts featured on the stamps, which the Postal Service released this month. The five videos are available on YouTube and […]
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. By what percentage has revenue from USPS passport application and photo services increased since October? a) 2.4 percent b) 3.7 percent c) 6.2 percent d) 18 percent 2. What’s […]
Letter Carrier Scott Bayer was recently delivering mail in a Carbondale, PA, neighborhood when he discovered an older customer unconscious on her porch. Bayer immediately called 911 and enlisted a neighbor to provide further assistance. Emergency responders soon arrived and took the woman to a hospital. She was treated for an accidental overdose of prescription […]
I am incredibly thankful for Sacramento, CA, Letter Carrier Ivan Crisostomo, who was highlighted in a recent “Heroes’ corner” article, and those like him who walk the streets of our communities every day with a willingness to protect the most vulnerable in our society. […]
An Oklahoma girl is receiving national media attention after her request for postcards went viral on social media. Aspen Kelly, who has leukemia, will turn 13 this weekend. She’s too sick to travel, so her mother, V Kelly, used Facebook last month to share the girl’s request for postcards from around the world. “She would […]
Cara Greene has been appointed acting controller and vice president for USPS. The appointment took effect last week. She is responsible for certifying financial filings and overseeing external reporting, corporate accounting, accounting services, international accounting and compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley law, among other duties. Greene worked as a senior manager for a large accounting firm […]
More than 700 job seekers attended a recent career fair organized by Greater Indiana District. “If we organize it, they will come,” said Acting Field Recruiter Mary Banks. Attendees included professionals interested in beginning second careers, as well as newcomers like Chandler Page, 22, a recent Ball State University graduate. “I came to the job […]
To help you get ready for Labor Day next week, here are five things you may not have known about the holiday. 1. Labor unions helped establish Labor Day. The holiday was first celebrated in New York City on the first Tuesday of September 1882 by members of the Central Labor Union, a group comprised […]