Postal Service facilities should return U.S. flags to full-staff, effective April 23 at sunset. On April 20, President Joe Biden ordered flags to fly at half-staff to honor Walter Mondale, the former vice president who died the previous day. According to the order, flags should be flown at half-staff until sunset on the day of […]
When it comes to keeping workplaces safe, WestPac Area believes no one does it better than employees. “When you involve the people doing the work, it is a powerful force,” said Eduardo Ruiz, the area’s acting vice president. WestPac, also known as Western Pacific, was created last year. It includes the former Western Area — […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Approximately how many stimulus checks will be sent through the mail under the American Rescue Plan? a) 2 million b) 20 million c) 200 million d) None of the above 2. […]
I applaud Marlton, NJ, Letter Carrier Nancy Torres for her commitment to training city carrier assistants. You can tell that she really loves her job. […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar on preparing for retirement. The session, “Retirement 101,” will be held Thursday, April 22, at noon EDT. A representative from Aetna will conduct the webinar, which will provide a better understanding of how your health benefits might work nationwide and overseas. You’ll also learn about tools […]
Want to stay on top of the latest Postal Service news? Link mobile can help. The mobile-friendly version of the Link website offers news reports, feature stories and informational videos, including coverage of Delivering for America, the organization’s new 10-year plan, and the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic. The site is particularly helpful to […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees to follow its ethics rules when considering supplemental employment with other organizations. For instance, employees are prohibited from taking a second job with any company that manufactures uniforms or other products for USPS. Employees also cannot serve as a consultant on postal operations, programs or procedures, and they may […]
The Postal Service will discontinue one of its two mobile applications that offer Informed Delivery, the free feature that allows customers to preview their incoming mail. The app that is being discontinued is a standalone application that only offers users access to their Informed Delivery information. Among Informed Delivery’s 38 million users, about 750,000 use […]
Every U.S. worker and person who is age 16 or older will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination, beginning April 19. The Postal Service is reminding employees to not delay pursuing access to these vaccines if they want to be vaccinated. The organization’s goal is for everyone to be able to get a COVID-19 vaccination as […]
Letter Carrier Jason Crabtree was recently picking up pharmacy packages from a CVS in Wilmington, OH, when disaster struck: A fast-traveling SUV crashed through the store’s front entrance, hurting multiple individuals, including a customer and her two children. While 911 was called, Crabtree rushed to assist the woman, who sustained a serious leg injury when […]
Jacob Cramer knows that receiving a handwritten letter can help someone feel connected, especially if they’re lonely. Cramer is the founder and executive director of Love for Our Elders, a nonprofit organization that seeks to combat isolation in senior communities through letters, videos and stories. “Letters have such a big impact,” he said. “I was […]
The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) won’t hold its annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive as planned this year, but it isn’t giving up on the cause. Rather than leaving bags of food by their mailboxes on the second Saturday in May, postal customers will be urged to visit a dedicated page on the […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Fill in the blank: The Postal Service recently mailed employees a postcard to promote (blank). a) The organization’s new delivery vehicles b) The organization’s new 10-year plan c) All of the […]
I commend Rural Carrier Abby Puckett for saving the life of a young woman who was being attacked by five dogs in Corinth MS. I hope the owners of the dogs have been held accountable. […]
The Postal Service will soon introduce an online portal to help expedite service inquiries sent by consumers to U.S. lawmakers and their staffers. The Congressional Inquiry Portal, slated to debut in May, will feature a user-friendly interface that streamlines the process for resolving inquires, while replacing the need for follow-up phone calls and emails. Here’s […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees about a new Click-N-Ship label design that features an updated marking in the upper right-hand corner. Customers can bring mailpieces with these labels, which debuted last summer, to Post Offices and other sites. The labels are legitimate and should be handled in the same manner as other Click-N-Ship labels. […]
Starting April 9, Postal Service employees who use government-issued Citibank GSA SmartPay 3 travel cards will automatically receive a contactless version when their current ones expire. Contactless payment cards allow purchasers to pay for items by tapping — rather than swiping or inserting — cards on a merchant’s contactless-enabled card reader. The contactless feature helps […]
The Postal Service is seeking nominations for its refreshed USPS Sustainability Excellence Awards, which honor areas, districts, facilities and teams that help foster sustainable workplaces. This year, one winner will be selected from each of the eight organizations overseen by the Postal Service’s executive leadership team: • Chief Retail and Delivery Officer Kristin Seaver • […]
Rural Carrier Associate Abby Puckett was recently delivering mail in Corinth, MS, when she came upon an 18-year-old customer being attacked by five dogs. Puckett used repellent spray to safely end the attack, then called 911 after carrying the teenager to the postal vehicle to get out of harm’s way. Emergency responders rushed to the […]
“Lifesaving letters,” the article about how thoughtful letters can reduce the likelihood of suicide among military veterans, hit home for me. I did five tours in the Middle East and I can tell you: Mail was hugely important. It was a connection to home, country and sometimes a lifeline from lonely feelings. […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. The Postal Service wants to change the guaranteed delivery time for Priority Mail Express products to that time on the committed delivery day? a) 10:30 a.m. b) Noon c) 3 p.m. […]
The Postal Service will celebrate the nation’s love of coffee when it releases its Espresso Drinks stamps on April 9. The 20-stamp booklet features four designs that each illustrate a different drink — espresso, cappuccino, caffe latte and caffe mocha. The stamps, announced last fall, aim to capitalize on the popularity of espresso beverages. The […]
“Drum solo” was a great story about Chris DeLisa, a Los Angeles mail handler who also has a musical career. It showed how postal workers positively touch the lives of others, both in and out of the workplace. […]
When Gary Thompson hung up his satchel last week, it marked the end of an era. His rural route in the village of Savona, NY, has been carried by a Thompson for 75 years. His late father, Warren, began his postal career on his return from World War II, and Gary took over after his […]
You’re about to use your ACE computer to begin working when programs in Office 365 inexplicably freeze. This usually occurs when the programs start to load before they have a network connection. Before you call the IT Service Desk, there’s a faster solution: Turn off your startup applications. To do this, type “startup” in the […]
The Postal Service is mailing employees a postcard with information to help them learn more about the organization’s new 10-year plan. The plan, called Delivering for America, aims to modernize the organization while increasing its role and relevance. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced the key components March 23. The postcard has a QR code that […]
April is Stress Awareness Month, a time to learn about how stress affects our health. Everyone experiences some level of stress, which refers to how the body and brain respond to demands and challenges. For instance, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has caused many people to stress about their health, as well as the health of […]
I absolutely loved “Shadow partner,” the profile of Pittston, PA, Letter Carrier Tom Tomsak and his friendship with Andy Cooper, a 40-year-old with a cognitive disability. Their story brightened my day. […]
Letter Carrier Viktor Luna was delivering mail on a stormy day last summer in Colorado Springs, CO, when he spotted a boy in trouble. The lad had been riding his bicycle on a neighborhood street when he got caught in a downpour, falling into a gutter and struggling against rushing rainwater. Luna hurried to the […]
Chris DeLisa has always drummed to his own beat. The Los Angeles Processing and Distribution Center mail handler, 62, grew up in White Plains, NY, where he remembers creating music wherever he could. “I was always banging on pots, pans and anything to pound,” DeLisa said. His father, Aldo, a 35-year letter carrier, noticed his […]