Rural Carrier Teri Barrington was on her way to deliver mail in Olney, TX, when she saw a man walking along the shoulder of a highway. Barrington safely pulled over and spoke to the man, who told her he was walking to a nearby town to get help after his car broke down. The Postal […]
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion of the Women’s Army Corps made it possible for American troops to get letters from their loved ones during World War II. Some 80 years later, the story of these women is being told on the big screen. “The Six Triple Eight,” which stars Kerry Washington, was written and […]
High-deductible health plans are one of the options available to Postal Service employees during this year’s open season. Here are some facts about the plans, also called HDHPs: • HDHPs generally offer lower premiums than other plans. This means you’ll have less money taken out of your paycheck. • HDHPs offer greater flexibility. While HDHPs […]
The Postal Service will soon implement a new contractual approach with package consolidators, companies that enter large volumes of packages into various points in the USPS network. The change is a result of the organization’s refreshed product offerings and improved operational and financial strategies. Effective Jan. 1, USPS will no longer offer discounted rates through […]
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A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.34 percent during the week ending Nov. 29, down 0.47 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Dec. 4. Atlantic led the four areas with a rating of 97.65 percent, while Southern ranked last with a 97.02 percent rating. Among the […]
Read More… from Atlantic Area, MN-ND District lead in scanning
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar to learn more about health, dental and vision plan options within the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program. PSHB — which takes effect in 2025 — is a new, separate program within the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and will be administered by the U.S. […]
Last week, Link reported on the Postal Service’s preparations for this year’s holiday season. During a briefing for the news media, Joshua Colin, the organization’s chief delivery officer, and Steve Monteith, the chief customer and marketing officer, discussed the holiday efforts, which include installing new package sorting machines in postal facilities and reducing customers’ shipping […]
Rural Carrier Associate Christopher Williams was recently delivering mail in Lewisburg, KY, when he saw an older man passed out in a driveway. The customer’s pacemaker had malfunctioned, and his wife was in the house unaware of what had happened. Williams revived the man and propped him up against a car. The Postal Service employee […]
USPS has suspended acceptance of mail and packages bound for Canada as a result of an ongoing strike at Canada Post, that country’s designated postal operator. Canada Post is no longer accepting inbound mail and there is no movement of mail within Canada because of the strike, which began Nov. 15. USPS customers who have […]
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Ottawa University is offering Postal Service employees a 25 percent tuition reduction on most bachelor’s degrees. Employees are also eligible for a 12 percent tuition reduction on most graduate programs. Ottawa University, based in Ottawa, KS, offers a variety of online programs. The university’s website has more information. […]
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For those seeking the feeling of being in a Hallmark holiday movie, they can get their opportunity at the greeting card company’s inaugural Christmas Experience. The event will take place in a specially created town square next to the company’s headquarters in Kansas City, MO. One of the main activities will be a station where […]
• Jaanai Beckford was named the Southern Maine Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager. He previously served as New England Division’s processing implementation strategy manager. • Chad J. Goolsby, Colorado-Wyoming District’s consumer affairs manager, received a Chief FOIA Officer’s Award for his efforts to help USPS respond to Freedom of Information Act requests. • Anna […]
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar that will explain how high-deductible health plans work with health savings accounts. The session, “Health Savings Accounts Overview,” will be held Wednesday, Dec. 4, from noon to 2 p.m. Eastern. Representatives from the Mail Handlers Benefit Plan will lead the discussion. The plan is open to […]
The Postal Service is primed to deliver exceptional service during this year’s holiday rush, the organization’s executives said this week. “Thanks to the substantial progress we have made under the Delivering for America plan, we are ready and confident to handle the holiday surge,” said Dr. Joshua Colin, the organization’s chief retail and delivery officer. […]
The Postal Service has released Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s recent remarks to the USPS Board of Governors. The topics include preparations for this year’s holiday season, service performance and ongoing operational improvements. The message is available on the USPS Newsroom website. […]
The Postal Service recently received a gold rating for international express mail customer service from the EMS Cooperative. Part of the Switzerland-based Universal Postal Union, the EMS Cooperative promotes the delivery of international express mail between national postal services. The International Research Group, which is part of the USPS Customer Care Center in Wichita, KS, […]
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar to learn more about health, dental and vision plan options within the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program. PSHB — which takes effect in 2025 — is a new, separate program within the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and will be administered by the U.S. […]
Last week, Link got down to business: We offered a look at a Postal Service retail modernization prototype recently unveiled in Athens, GA. The new space offers upgraded retail counters, expanded self-service options, USPS Smart Lockers, fingerprinting and identity verification. More retail prototypes are planned in Waco, TX; Fort Lauderdale, FL; and nine other locations. […]
Letter Carrier Michael Pentico was recently delivering mail in Perry, IA, when he heard a faint noise. As he listened closely, he determined that the alarm clock-like sound was coming from a home on the other side of the road. Pentico walked toward the residence and smelled smoke. Realizing the sound was a smoke alarm, […]
My name is Charlitha Arney — people call me “Charlie” — and I am a customer service operations manager in Minneapolis. I just got my Professional Association of Diving Instructors open water scuba certification this year at age 47. For a long time, my biggest fear was the water. At some point, I realized that […]
The Postal Service wants employees to understand the four types of health plans available during this year’s open season. The plan types are: • Health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, which provide care from in-network physicians and hospitals located in particular geographic or service areas; • Preferred provider organizations, or PPOs, which offer fee-for-service plans that […]
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A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.34 percent during the week ending Nov. 15, down 0.18 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Nov. 20. WestPac led the four areas with a rating of 97.66 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with a 97.08 percent rating. Among the […]
Read More… from WestPac Area, Pennsylvania 1 District lead in scanning
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar to learn more about health, dental and vision plan options within the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program. PSHB — which takes effect in 2025 — is a new, separate program within the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and will be administered by the U.S. […]
Drumroll, please: The curtain has lifted on this year’s much-anticipated open season, and Link was there with the basics employees need to know. We also explored the many changes in store, including a new flexible spending account (FSA) administrator and higher FSA and Thrift Savings Plan contribution limits. And we advised on how to use […]
Letter Carrier Matthew Civiok was recently delivering mail in Baldwinsville, NY, when he saw a motorcycle lying in the middle of the road. The bike appeared to be mangled from an accident. Civiok then spotted a man nearby who looked to be badly injured. The Postal Service employee approached the man, who told him that […]
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The Postal Service has announced shipping services price changes to take effect Sunday, Jan. 19. The USPS governors approved the proposed adjustments this week. The changes would raise shipping services prices approximately 3.2 percent for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express, 3.9 percent for USPS Ground Advantage and 9.2 percent for Parcel Select. Federal law […]
Amber F. McReynolds was elected chair of the USPS Board of Governors on Nov. 14. The governors also elected Derek Kan as vice chair. McReynolds joined the board in May 2021 and is serving the remainder of a seven-year term that expires in December 2026. She previously served as vice chair and also chairs the […]
The latest entry on Postal Posts, the USPS blog, looks at some of the Washington, DC, buildings that have served as the nation’s postal headquarters through the years. Benjamin Kuo, the Postal Service’s facilities vice president, wrote the post, which was published Nov. 7. […]
The Postal Service has announced many of the stamps it will release in 2025: • Allen Toussaint, the 48th entry in the Black Heritage series will honor the virtuoso pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer; • American Vistas, two presorted standard stamps depicting stylized, minimalist scenes of mountains and a beach for use on […]
The Postal Service has reported its financial results for fiscal year 2024 (Oct. 1, 2023-Sept. 30, 2024). Here are the highlights: • Revenue. Total operating revenue was $79.5 billion, an increase of 1.7 percent compared with the previous fiscal year. First-Class Mail revenue increased 3.4 percent, while Marketing Mail revenue increased 1.9 percent. Shipping and […]