Mary’s melody. The gun-toting mail pioneer known as “Stagecoach Mary” now has her own song. Mary Fields (1832-1914), the nation’s first known African-American woman mail carrier, is immortalized in a song on the new album “Songs for Extraordinary People” by Michael Hearst. Hearst’s songs are dedicated to the well-known and lesser-known people whose lives he […]
John Lawless, the USPS employee who became a viral video star, epitomizes the quote, “Dance like no one is watching.” Thanks for the smile, John. […]
Letter Carrier Charlie Bradford was recently delivering mail in New Orleans when his day was disrupted by an SUV speeding in the wrong direction on a one-way street. The SUV crashed into several parked vehicles before coming to a stop, with the driver trapped inside. The man kicked out a window but couldn’t extricate himself, […]
USPS dedicated its Alzheimer’s semipostal stamp Nov. 30 in Baltimore. “The Postal Service is proud to issue this stamp today to help raise public awareness of Alzheimer’s,” said PMG Megan J. Brennan, who led the dedication ceremony. “Proceeds from its sale will help support urgently needed medical research into this incredibly debilitating disease.” More than […]
In a new video message, PMG Megan J. Brennan and the leaders of the postal unions and management associations discuss the value of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). “Through the Combined Federal Campaign, we have the ability to reach out to thousands of charitable organizations across the country and have a positive impact on millions […]
USPS has introduced Analytics University, an educational platform designed to train employees to use existing data to solve problems and boost performance. The program, which consists of virtual courses and tutorials, is part of the Postal Service’s broader emphasis on using data to make informed business decisions and improve efficiency. “Analytics University enables employees to […]
All’s fair. USPS employees can participate in a live chat with benefits experts Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. EST. The chat is part of an online virtual benefits fair that is occurring throughout this year’s open season, which runs from Nov. 13-Dec. 11. The fair offers information about the Federal Employees Health Benefits […]
Letter Carrier Joe Dawson was delivering mail recently in a Jacksonville, FL, neighborhood, exchanging pleasantries with a longtime resident at the man’s mailbox, when a toddler nearby took off toward trouble. The child, who had been walking on the residential street with an adult, bolted onto a busy road — known for a blind curve, […]
Thanks for the recent Veterans Day coverage. My dad was a World War II vet, and I’m proud to work alongside colleagues who are military veterans. […]
Kenneth Race remembers a lot from his years working inside a Railway Post Office (RPO). Race, who served as a clerk on a Chicago-to-St. Louis route 60 years ago, has fond memories of traveling the rails. “I was happy to get a job with the Postal Service because the pay was good and I was […]
Postal Service employees can compare health plans during this year’s open season using Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans. Checkbook has information about all plans available through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The comparison tool can help you find the right health plan for you and your family. Information on prescription drugs and dental and […]
Talk about an early bird. Des Moines, IA, Postmaster Adam Griswold recently became the first employee to recruit a new business customer to attend next year’s National Postal Forum (NPF). NPF — which features educational workshops, presentations from USPS executives and networking opportunities — is the mailing industry’s largest annual conference. The 2018 meeting will […]
Your time is valuable. This year, USPS employees can pledge volunteer hours to their favorite Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charities. Employees can use the online pledge portal to donate money, as well as to pledge their time to an organization in need. To find a CFC charity that accepts pledges, visit the portal and filter […]
Flag notice. President Trump has ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the Nov. 5 mass shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX. Flags should be flown at half-staff until sunset Nov. 9. To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then […]
It was a moment 50 years in the making. Friends and co-workers recently gathered at the Hartford, CT, Processing and Distribution Center to celebrate Gene Herrington’s golden anniversary as a federal employee. Herrington served in the Air Force from 1967-1971, then began his postal career — just days after the Post Office Department became USPS. […]
Suzette Reed’s story is very inspirational. I’ve had multiple surgeries, including one that I’m still recuperating from. I was going to accept that I’ll never have the same strength that I did before the surgery, but this story gave me the motivation to at least try. […]
Rural Carrier Associate David Banning was recently delivering mail to a residence in Cowden, IL, when he spotted an unsupervised toddler heading in a dangerous direction: straight toward her family’s swimming pool. Banning rushed to pick up the girl, who was on the pool ladder by the time he reached her, and carried her to […]
President Trump has nominated three individuals to the Postal Service Board of Governors: • Calvin R. Tucker, a Pennsylvania resident, for the remainder of a term expiring Dec. 8, 2023 • Robert M. Duncan, a Kentucky resident, for the remainder of a term expiring Dec. 8, 2018, and an additional term expiring Dec. 8, 2025 […]
Open season, the annual period when Postal Service employees can change their health benefits or enroll in a new plan, begins Monday, Nov. 13. 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 (USPSHB) for non-career employees only […]
More people like Mocksville, NC, Postmaster Shane Johnston need to come forward to raise awareness about distracted driving. […]
Postal Service employees in Kansas and Michigan recently responded effectively to emergencies they encountered while delivering mail. Great Bend, KS, Letter Carrier Denise Edwards discovered a customer who had collapsed near his mailbox and was barely conscious. She called 911 and stayed with the man until emergency responders arrived. The customer is recovering. In Birmingham, […]
Read More… from Denise Edwards, Great Bend, KS; Gregory Harris, Birmingham, MI
The Postal Service will deliver more than 15 billion mailpieces this holiday season, according to projections released Oct. 25. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, USPS expects to deliver 850 million packages — an increase of more than 10 percent from the same period last year. “The Postal Service is well prepared to meet our […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.58 percent during the week ending Oct. 20, up from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.26 percent) topped the districts, while Western (98.16 percent) led the areas. To see the latest results, go to the Enterprise Analytics site and select “Scanning” on the left hand side, and then “DES […]
PO Box customers will soon be able to receive digital previews of their incoming mail through Informed Delivery. The free feature, which the Postal Service introduced nationally this year, allows users to interact with incoming mail and manage packages on a secure online dashboard. Beginning in November, USPS will send emails to PO Box residential […]
A new video highlights efforts to restore USPS service in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. The powerful storm left devastation throughout the Caribbean and southeastern portion of the United States last month. The 2-minute video shows employees working to sort and deliver mail in hard-hit communities in the Florida Keys. Among the first to re-enter […]
Oakland, CA, Letter Carrier Farid Ait Djebara recently came to the aid of a woman who was shot. The woman was in a vehicle that became caught in crossfire between two groups, with a stray bullet piercing a window and striking her in the hip. Ait Djebara was delivering mail nearby when he heard the […]
It was encouraging to read “Postal potential,” the story about USPS employees receiving yellow belt certification. […]
USPS has experienced an uptick in the number of employees who report feeling “engaged,” meaning they are involved, enthusiastic and committed to their work. According to the results of the latest Postal Pulse employee survey, 23 percent of respondents identified themselves as engaged, up from 22 percent last year and 17 percent in 2015. The […]
Joe Romano is used to taking postal vehicles apart — but never to extract an animal. The Bellmawr, NJ, lead automotive technician was recently called to the South Jersey Processing and Distribution Center to help free a kitten trapped inside a vehicle’s engine. “It had traveled to the car’s rear suspension,” said Romano. “I had […]
The History of Hockey stamps will be released Oct. 20, providing USPS customers with a new way to celebrate one of the world’s most-loved sports. Hockey dates to the 1800s, when the game began to take shape in Canada. By the late 19th century, hockey gained popularity in the United States. In 1896, Yale University […]