“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. What is the maximum amount of money that a Postal Service employee can contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan in 2025? a) $22,500 b) $23,000 c) $23,500 d) $24,000 2. True […]
My name is Chevelle Hallback and I’m a mail handler at the Tampa, FL, Processing and Distribution Center. When my day ends there, I go to the gym to train for my role as a professional boxer. When I was 5, my mother took me to see “Rocky.” While the main character and Apollo Creed […]
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed Monday, Jan. 20. King helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his landmark “I Have a Dream” speech. He also helped pave the way for the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1964, at […]
A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.43 percent during the week ending Jan. 10, down 0.04 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Jan. 15. WestPac led the four areas with a rating of 97.74 percent, while Southern ranked last with a 97.13 percent rating. Among the […]
The Postal Service dedicated its latest Lunar New Year stamp celebrating the Year of the Snake during a ceremony in Boston on Jan. 14. The Lunar New Year holiday is celebrated in many Asian cultures around the world and historically marks the arrival of spring. It has become a popular observance in the United States, […]
The Postal Service is offering an optional retirement opportunity that includes an incentive to certain employees represented by the American Postal Workers Union and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union. The incentive offer is available to the following career full-time, part-time flexible and part-time regular employees who are eligible for optional retirement or voluntary early […]
The Postal Service has announced two more stamp releases for 2025: • Goodnight Moon, based on the iconic “Goodnight Moon” picture book that revolutionized children’s publishing when it debuted in 1947. The pane of 16 stamps will feature eight images from the book, which was illustrated by Clement Hurd and written by Margaret Wise Brown. […]
The Postal Service offers several resources for employees who have made professional development one of their goals this year. Some options include: • The Learning Library, an online platform that offers more than 120,000 self-development resources, including videos, books, audiobooks, certification preparation tools and textbooks. The content is designed to offer a structured path for […]
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Last week, the life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter was front and center in Link. We told you about the national day of observance on Jan. 9, when most Postal Service functions were suspended to honor the former president, who died at 100 in his hometown of Plains, GA, on Dec. 29. We also […]
James Gray, a highway contract route driver, was arriving at the Branson Annex in Hollister, MO, recently when he noticed a departing colleague’s truck coasting into the intersection. Gray safely parked his vehicle and ran to catch up to the errant truck. He jumped into the cab, placed the truck in park and pulled out […]
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Postal Bulletin’s latest edition, published Jan. 9, details the services USPS offer customers in obtaining passports. Updates to the organization’s policies, procedures and forms are also included. Employees can go to usps.com to read and download the latest Postal Bulletin, along with past issues. […]
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Southern California and the Los Angeles area have experienced ongoing wildfires in recent days. The Postal Service will continue to deliver in affected areas where it is safe to do so. The usps.com Service Alerts and Newsroom pages have the latest updates on service disruptions and operational adjustments. […]
Postal Service employees can contribute as much as $23,500 to the Thrift Savings Plan in 2025, up from $23,000 in 2024. The Internal Revenue Service recently announced the new contribution limits for the retirement savings plan, also known as the TSP. Employees 50 and older can contribute an additional $7,500 to the plan in 2025, […]
The Postal Service is offering virtual courses for Executive and Administrative Schedule (EAS) employees through the Center for Creative Leadership, a provider of leadership development and research. The four courses are designed to elevate frontline leadership capabilities and include a mix of instructor-led, moderated and self-paced training. Here’s the lineup: • Frontline Leader Impact, available […]
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As the new year dawned last week, Link looked back at 2024 — and looked ahead. We told you how the Postal Inspection Service maintained a round-the-clock operations center to safeguard the nation’s Election Mail last fall, offered a special year-end edition of “On the Job” and took another look at some of the best […]
Letter Carrier Nathan Slentz was delivering mail recently to a variety store in Lincolnton, NC, when a robber entered. As the man pointed his rifle at a store clerk, Slentz put his hands up and stepped away from the counter. The Postal Service employee then moved into an aisle as the robber demanded the money […]
The Postal Service will resume acceptance of mail and packages bound for Canada starting Monday, Jan. 6. USPS suspended acceptance of mail and packages bound for Canada as a result of a strike at Canada Post that ended last month. In a statement, the Postal Service said Canada Post has made “significant progress in clearing […]
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USPS employees are currently receiving postcards about how the organization is modernizing its fleet as part of the Delivering for America plan. Because of a printer error, the names and addresses on some postcards are mismatched. Employees do not need to take any corrective action. […]
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A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.2 percent during the week ending Dec. 27, down 0.33 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Jan. 2. WestPac led the four areas with a rating of 97.65 percent, while Southern ranked last with a 96.39 percent rating. Among the […]
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Postal Service employees will have 26 paydays this year. The calendar that accompanies this article shows the paycheck dates. Every month will have two paydays, except for January and August, which will have three each. The 2025 federal holidays that USPS observes are also shown: New Year’s Day (Wednesday, Jan. 1), Birthday of Martin Luther […]
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The Postal Service has another big year ahead in 2025. Here’s what’s on tap: • New stamps. The organization has announced more than 15 stamp releases, beginning with Year of the Snake, the latest Lunar New Year release, on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The eagerly awaited Betty White stamp is slated for release on Thursday, March […]
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My name is Konstantin Stoyanov-Casey and I’m a USPS operations specialist in Philadelphia. When I’m not on the job, you can find me working on my latest film, “Brass Band,” a kind of Bulgarian version of “La La Land.” I wrote and directed the movie, which is a story about underdogs, friendship and the redeeming […]
As a new year begins, many Postal Service employees are focused on exercising more and eating healthier. But wellness is about more than fitness and diet — it can also mean saving more money, working on your career development or being more social at work or off the clock. To help you meet your goals […]
• Kiara Boyd was named Vashon, WA, postmaster. She previously served as the Duvall, WA, postmaster. • Kristie M. Floyd was named Hoquiam, WA, postmaster. She previously served as a McCleary, WA, retail associate. • Terence F. Flynn, grievance arbitration general counsel, retired after seven years with the Postal Service. • Chanan S. Jian was […]
All Postal Service facilities should fly the U.S. flag at half-staff to honor former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29. Flags should be flown at half-staff until sunset Wednesday, Jan. 29. To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it to the half-staff position. […]
In the runup to Election Day, the Postal Inspection Service maintained an election operations center to safeguard the nation’s Election Mail. Operating from Nov. 1-9 at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, the center was staffed around the clock by Inspection Service employees who responded to calls, emails and reports from other law enforcement agencies concerning […]
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The Postal Service entered holiday rush mode last week — and Link was there to cover it. We told you about the organization’s latest milestone deliveries, including the 6 billionth mailpiece of the holiday season, delivered by Adelio Gallucci, a New Haven, CT, letter carrier. Link also reported on other employees who did their part […]
Postal Service employees serve as the eyes and ears of their communities — as Link’s “Heroes” column demonstrated throughout 2024. Among them: Danny Lara Jr., a Waterford, CA, rural carrier who noticed a 91-year-old customer’s mail piling up and asked the local sheriff’s department to check on her. The woman’s nephew later wrote a letter […]
The Postal Service has released its Annual Report to Congress for fiscal year 2024. Highlights of the report, which covers Oct. 1, 2023-Sept. 30, 2024, include: • Total mail and package volume of nearly 112.5 billion pieces delivered to more than 168 million addresses; • A 1.5 percent increase in total revenue, including investment interest; […]
A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.09 percent during the week ending Dec. 20, down 0.29 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Dec. 26. WestPac led the four areas with a rating of 97.81 percent, while Southern ranked last with a 96.09 percent rating. Among the […]
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