As part of its strategy to enhance its shipping offerings, USPS has notified the Postal Regulatory Commission of plans to replace First-Class Package Service with USPS Ground Advantage. According to the Feb. 10 filing with the commission, the improved ground product, which is expected to launch in the summer, will feature service standards of 2-5 […]
A sales lead from a letter carrier in Connecticut has resulted in an advertising deal worth more than $1,900 for the Postal Service. Kristine Scocozza, who works at the Windsor Post Office, spoke with Zenna Bell, a customer on her route who was looking for a way to grow her home-based business. Scocozza told Bell […]
Postal Service employees can once again change net-to-bank and allotment settings through PostalEASE on LiteBlue. The organization recently added multifactor authentication (MFA) as an additional security layer for access to LiteBlue. The Postal Service had disabled employees’ ability to change their net-to-bank and other allotment settings through PostalEASE on the site in January until MFA […]
Letter Carrier Maria Cordova was recently delivering mail in a Boca Raton, FL, neighborhood when she came upon a toddler wandering alone in the middle of a busy street. Cordova immediately got the girl out of harm’s way and called 911. Responding police officers were able to locate the child’s family, who had not noticed […]
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the Postal Service leadership ranks: • Miami Postmaster Keith A. Pierle and Hollywood, FL, Postmaster Alejandro Sepulveda resumed their regular duties after completing special assignments in Southern Area. • Angie D. Radcliffe, Illinois 1 District’s consumer affairs manager, received a Chief FOIA Officer’s Award for helping USPS […]
The Postal Regulatory Commission released its Annual Report to the President and Congress on Jan. 31. The commission, also known as the PRC, is an independent federal agency providing transparency and accountability for USPS operations. The 98-page report outlines the agency’s work to regulate rates and classes for USPS products and services and provides an […]
Contribution limits have increased for the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) in 2023. Participants may now set aside up to $22,500 in traditional tax-deferred or Roth contributions, up from a limit of $20,500 in 2022. Those 50 and older may set aside up to an additional $7,500 in “catch-up” contributions, up from $6,500 in 2022. The […]
Paul Felger, a letter carrier in Princeton, WV, was recently delivering mail when he came upon a customer who was in medical distress. Felger immediately called 911 for the man, who thought he was having a heart attack, and comforted him until emergency responders arrived. The customer was hospitalized for treatment of a ministroke. He […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar on the causes of heart disease. The session, “It’s a Matter of the Heart,” will be held Monday, Feb. 13, at noon EST. Laurie Annis, a nurse consultant for GEHA, a not-for-profit provider of health plans for federal employees, and other members of the organization’s medical […]
A sales lead from a letter carrier in Utah has resulted in a shipping deal worth more than $291,000 for the Postal Service. Daniel Platt, who works at the Orem Post Office, spoke with an employee of a business on his route who expressed a desire to save on shipping. Platt asked the customer for […]
Social media posts from Postal Service employees participating a program to promote the organization’s products and services received more than 53 million views in 2022. The voluntary program, USPS Zone, began in 2021 and now has nearly 1,300 employees sharing approved content with their personal social media networks. Posts about Postal Service facts, mail love, […]
Julie Gould, a rural carrier in Charlotte, VT, was recently delivering mail when she noticed a car parked alongside a road. She grew concerned when she saw that the driver was slumped over the steering wheel, so she immediately stopped to check on the woman. Gould found the driver to be in medical distress, bleeding […]
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • Maged S. Aziz, field operations support director, was named Georgia District’s acting manager. Connecticut District Manager Carissa A. Laino was named acting field operations support director, while Boston Postmaster David C. Guiney was named Connecticut District’s acting manager. Joshua S. Balcunas, […]
The Postal Service will observe African American History Month in February. USPS traditionally commemorates the month by releasing the latest stamp in its Black Heritage series. This year’s honoree — the 46th in the series — is author Ernest J. Gaines, who explored the lives of African Americans in the post-Civil War and Jim Crow […]
The Postal Service wants employees to drive safely during winter, a time of year that presents unique challenges. Wet and icy road surfaces; longer periods of darkness; and poor visibility from snow, rain and fog create driving hazards during winter. To stay safe, here are some tips: • Maintain your vehicle and tune up the […]
Rural Carrier Darla O’Brien was recently delivering mail in Hennessey, OK, when she spotted a grass fire that threatened a barn and a tractor. Seeing no one else around, O’Brien immediately called 911 and safely stamped out part of the blaze to prevent it from destroying the structure and equipment. Firefighters soon arrived on the […]
A sales lead from a letter carrier in Texas has resulted in a marketing campaign deal worth more than $96,000 for the Postal Service. Tiffani Holmes, who works at the Irving Post Office, assisted a customer whose small business needed a way to compete with larger competitors. Holmes asked the customer for contact information and […]
When Unity, ME, Retail Associate Barb Henkle greeted customer Leonard Lazure recently, she noticed his cap indicated he is a veteran of the Vietnam War. She thanked him for his service and showed him a missing-in-action bracelet she purchased 50 years ago. These bracelets are metal cuffs that were created in the 1970s in support […]
Letter Carrier Malynda Schabel was recently delivering mail in a Lansing, MI, neighborhood when she spotted four toddlers playing close to a busy street near a residence. Concerned that the children appeared to be unsupervised, Schabel kept an eye on them while she worked. She was alarmed to see them walking toward the street and […]
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • Eddie L. Banner completed a special assignment in Illinois 1 District and resumed his duties as Kansas-Missouri District manager. • Paola R. Bonham, senior mail and package information systems specialist, was named to a special assignment working in sorting and delivery […]
The Postal Service wants employees to understand their role in administering federal laws that regulate the mailing of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery systems. The Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act regulates the mailing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, while the Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act (POSECCA) regulates the delivery […]
Postal Service employees who have dental or vision insurance through BENEFEDS did not receive a payroll deduction during the Dec. 31, 2022-Jan. 13, 2023, pay period. Benefits are still active and deductions will resume during the Jan. 14-27 pay period. Employees do not need to take any action or pay a catch-up deduction to account […]
“Going home” was an excellent story about Perry, ME, Post Office employees who discovered a trove of old letters to Santa. I cried sentimental tears. It was definitely a Christmas story to share. […]
Erica Finch, a letter carrier in Marshalltown, IA, was recently delivering mail when a customer in a parked car asked for aid. The woman’s husband was unconscious in the vehicle with her, so Finch immediately called 911 and comforted the customer until emergency responders arrived to assist the man, who had suffered a seizure. The […]
A sales lead from a mail processing clerk in Maine has resulted in a marketing campaign deal worth more than $390,000 for the Postal Service. Joshua Tupper, who works at the Eastern Maine Processing and Distribution Center in Hampden, heard that a customer who worked at a nearby university had a marketing problem that USPS […]
The Postal Service will release Ernest J. Gaines, the 46th stamp in the Black Heritage series, on Jan. 23. Gaines (1933-2019) mined his childhood in rural southern Louisiana to write several acclaimed novels, including “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” and “A Lesson Before Dying,” which won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1993. […]
The Postal Service has delayed a previously announced plan to update a legacy label and several forms that don’t comply with current Intelligent Mail package barcode (IMpb) requirements. The plan was delayed because the updated, IMpb-compliant inventory is not available yet in eBuy Plus. Post Offices should continue to use: • Label 400, USPS Tracking […]
Retail Associate Kayla Page was recently on duty in Speculator, NY, when she learned that a customer had fallen beside his vehicle in the parking lot. Page, who has emergency medical technician training, rushed outside and found that the man had sustained a head wound and wasn’t breathing. She immediately called 911 and safely moved […]
Postal Service employees can learn about three wellness topics in an upcoming webinar. The 45-minute session, “3 Short Webinars in One,” will be held Jan. 24 at noon EST. A five-minute fitness hack, a five-minute wellness hack and the value of membership in professional organizations will be the focus of the webinar. Ron Johnson, an […]
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the Postal Service leadership ranks: • Bonnie M. Badilla, senior budget development analyst, was named Western Region’s acting finance and budget executive manager. • Lisa M. Jackson, finance and budget executive manager, retired Dec. 30 after 37 years with USPS. • Fresno, CA, Postmaster Douglas S. Smith […]