Letter Carrier Marcus Merrell was recently delivering mail in Hubbard, OH, when he encountered a life-threatening emergency: A customer’s shed was on fire and flames were spreading to the house on the property. Merrell immediately called 911 and banged on the customer’s door to alert him to the danger. With the Postal Service employee’s help, […]
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield became the new administrator of the USPS Health Benefits Plan on Jan. 1. USPS Health Benefits Plan participants who were enrolled during 2021 and made no changes during open season were automatically transferred to the new plan. Member ID cards were mailed to participants, beginning Jan. 2. To register for online account […]
The latest in the Postal Service’s popular Love series of stamps will be released Jan. 14. The stamp comes in two designs inspired by European folk art and features the word “love” surrounded by digitally illustrated flowers and vines. Each stamp has either a pink or blue background with vibrant accents of complementary colors. The […]
The Postal Service joined more than 2,000 other companies and organizations that exhibited at the 2022 CES in Las Vegas last week. Formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, CES is one of the largest trade shows in the world. It returned to an in-person format after taking place as a virtual show last year […]
A scholarship to nurture and support new Postal Service leaders is accepting applications. The Centralized Funding for Development Scholarship is designed to financially support nonbargaining employees who seek to enroll in training, individual college courses, degree programs or professional certifications to hone their leadership skills. The scholarship helps pay for tuition and educational expenses incurred […]
Three hundred sixty-three USPS workplaces have qualified for the title of “certified engaged team” — a special status extended to groups that create positive, supportive environments. The recognition is based on responses to the Postal Pulse employee survey, and the celebrated teams represent every function within USPS: large and small delivery units, retail operations, plants […]
The Postal Service released two new stamps Jan. 9. The first, U.S. Flags, is a new Forever stamp that features a trio of Stars and Stripes waving in the wind, a change from the single flag on the current Forever stamp. The stamp was illustrated and designed by Laura Stutzman. Ethel Kessler was the art […]
Rural Carrier William Goddard was recently delivering mail in Martins Ferry, OH, when he saw a car swerve on a four-lane highway to avoid hitting a 5-year-old boy darting in and out of traffic. Goddard immediately stopped and waved at an oncoming truck to alert the driver to the presence of the child, who was […]
Rural carriers like Steve Slinkard — who rendered aid to an injured customer who had been trying to get someone’s attention for nearly an hour — are the best. Because they deliver in remote areas, rural carriers are often the first people to help during emergencies. […]
The Postal Service and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association have reached a tentative negotiated agreement on a 36-month contract. Upon ratification by the union’s membership, a process that will take several weeks, the agreement will run through May 20, 2024. “This agreement is economically responsible, fair to our employees and serves the best interests […]
Postal Service employees can participate in “It’s Go Time,” a webinar on lifestyle changes that can help reduce the risk of colon cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer. A representative from GEHA, a not-for-profit provider of health plans for federal employees, will lead the session, which will be held Monday, Jan. 10, at noon EST. […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees about a matter that could affect their state tax bill. Employees who opted to telework in a different state than their assigned duty station because of the coronavirus pandemic could be subject to different tax requirements this year. These employees should contact a qualified tax professional when filing their […]
“His three sons” was a great story about Kevin Buxton, a letter carrier who works with his three sons at the Fond du Lac, WI Post Office. Similarly, there are five in my family, including me, who work for USPS. […]
Rural Carrier Steve Slinkard was recently delivering mail in Paragould, AR, when he heard someone yelling for help behind a residence. Slinkard stopped to render aid and soon found a customer facedown on the back porch. The man said he’d fallen after mowing his lawn and had been trying to get someone’s attention for nearly […]
The Postal Service is seeking temporary relief from an emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Nov. 5. The ETS requires that employees in organizations with more than 100 workers either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly and subjected to stricter face covering requirements. USPS is […]
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • De Priest G. Christon, a senior distribution operations manager at the Santa Clarita, CA, Processing and Distribution Center, was named the Los Angeles International Service Center’s acting plant manager. • Karlett E. Gilbert, WestPac Region’s logistics operations director, was named Southern […]
The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week is medical research. If ever there were a time that demonstrated the vital importance of medical research, this is it. The race to develop a coronavirus vaccine was one of breathtaking speed. What historically had taken years, took months. Even in the middle of this dazzling medical […]
Employees have an opportunity to provide feedback about the Postal Service’s new advertising campaign. To participate, employees can complete an online survey. It will take approximately 10 minutes to review the new advertising materials and provide feedback. The deadline to complete the survey is Jan. 14. The data that USPS collects will be shared in […]
Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the 10 most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 1 is “‘I can’t die,’” the story of Richard Henderson. The Canton, OH, letter carrier was delivering mail last winter when he thought he heard a car backfire. Henderson turned around and saw […]
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy rang the opening bell at the Nasdaq stock exchange Dec. 27. During brief remarks, DeJoy discussed the Postal Service’s work to deliver holiday mail and packages, as well as USPS Operation Santa, the annual program that allows people to “adopt” letters to help Santa Claus fulfill the holiday wish lists of […]
There are few places in America without a postal presence, so it is little wonder that USPS workers cross paths with members of the animal kingdom from time to time. What is a little unusual is when the animals come looking for USPS, as was the case with an alligator in Florida. The 7-foot-long specimen […]
The continuing coronavirus pandemic brought new levels of appreciation for Postal Service workers and even whole new streams of revenue for USPS this year, with many customers turning to the organization for their newly launched businesses. Case in point: Deysigns, a home-based business in Chevy Chase, MD, that sells face masks and accessories. It is […]
The Postal Service wants employees and contractors to remember they’re prohibited from speaking on behalf of the organization on websites, blogs and other forms of social media without permission. Under the organization’s policy, employees must receive written permission from the USPS social media and legal teams and the appropriate vice president before establishing online accounts […]
Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the 10 most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 2 is “Fearsome fivesome,” the story of Abby Puckett. The Corinth, MS, rural carrier associate was delivering mail when she came upon an 18-year-old customer being attacked by five dogs. Puckett used repellent […]
The “Courageous countdown” series, which highlights the 10 most-viewed “Heroes’ Corner” columns of 2021, reminds us how special our employees are. […]
Link is taking a look back at the Postal Service in 2021. From Dec. 23-30, we’ll publish a four-part review of major headlines, as well as stories about employees and customers who made news, and a special year-end edition of “News Quiz.” Additionally, we’ll conclude our countdown of the top 10 “Heroes’ Corner” stories of […]
Postal Service employees are a dedicated bunch, so it’s no surprise that many carry that dedication over to personal projects after clocking out. Among those profiled in Link this year were: • William “Butch” Lyle, a Mary Esther, FL, postmaster and world-class power lifter. The former letter carrier’s 341-pound bench press broke a world record […]
You can now keep track of the number of mailpieces being handled by the Postal Service this holiday season. The organization has introduced an online counter that shows the number of letters, cards and packages that USPS has accepted since Thanksgiving. By Dec. 20 at 12:01 p.m. EST, the number exceeded more than 9 billion. […]
One day a year, Sean Fleming forgoes postal blue for a red suit. Fleming, a rural carrier, dresses as Santa Claus every Christmas Eve to make deliveries along his route in Herndon, VA, a suburb of Washington, DC. “The faces of the kids have a look of, ‘I can’t believe I just saw Santa Claus.’ […]
Online criminals are pros at developing new cons to steal information — and “vishing” might be one of the most sophisticated schemes yet. Vishing — a term that combines the words of “voice” and “phishing” — involves callers who use spoofed phone numbers to make it appear as if the calls originate from legitimate numbers […]