Derek Terveer, St. Paul, MN
I loved the “Cycling success” article about Post Offices where letter carriers make their rounds on bikes. If I were a carrier, I’d want to deliver by bike. […]
Shawn Selby
Posts by Shawn Selby
Smart wheels
“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 vehicles are in the Postal Service fleet? a) 44,000 b) 160,000 c) 228,000 d) 470,000 2. True or false: Although ethics rules generally prohibit the acceptance of gifts, […]
Sustainability excellence
Eight facilities, teams and programs will receive Postmaster General Sustainability Excellence Awards for their efforts to help USPS achieve its sustainability goals. The honorees, announced this week, are: The Facilities team at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, which installed waste receptacles in designated smoking areas to implement a process for free recycling of cigarette butts, […]
Think before posting
The Postal Service is reminding employees to avoid taking photos or videos of their workplace to share on social media, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. During this challenging time, employees may want to post images of the inside or outside of the facility where they work, and share workplace stories with friends and family. However, […]
In the mail
The Postal Service will deliver the economic impact payments that the federal government is sending to eligible households as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic. USPS, in its role as an essential service, will accept, process and deliver an estimated 60 million checks from the U.S. Treasury Department. About 5 million to 8 […]
Cycling success
Letter carriers at the Sun City, AZ, Main Post Office are contributing to USPS sustainability efforts two wheels at a time. The office is one of only four in the Postal Service where carriers make their rounds on bike. “They’re very sturdy, and carriers have to be trained how to ride them because they are […]
COVID-19 support
The Postal Service has established a COVID-19 Supplies Command Center to ensure USPS facilities have supplies to keep employees safe and meet facilities’ cleaning needs during the coronavirus pandemic. While facilities should continue to order supplies following standard procedures and using local buying where available, the center is working closely with Supply Management and district […]
Peace of mind
Kabirul Islam is vigilant in his efforts to help keep the Merrifield, VA, Post Office safe for his colleagues and customers. The retail associate understands the importance of following the Postal Service’s new guidelines to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. “We wear masks and gloves and put hand sanitizer in the lobby area […]
Stay safe
The Postal Service is reminding employees to watch out for children and dogs whose normal routines have changed due to lockdowns prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. With many workplaces and most schools closed because of the outbreak, more customers are at home during the daytime with their kids and pets. When driving postal vehicles in […]
Fire man
Letter Carrier Christopher Giacini was recently delivering mail in a Glendale, AZ, neighborhood when he spotted smoke pouring out of a four-unit apartment building. While a bystander called 911, Giacini leapt into action, banging on the front door of each unit, shouting “fire” and guiding residents and their pets to safety. Firefighters soon arrived to […]
Shelene Costello, Geneva, NE
I enjoy Link. By reading it, I learn a lot about the Postal Service. […]
Top of the world
Toni Guist is a natural. The Postal Service retail associate has handled passport applications for less than a year, but she already has been honored for her work by the U.S. State Department. Guist, who works at Clarence B. Craft Station in Fayetteville, AR, was one of four finalists for a special recognition citation in […]
Drawn together
A new coloring page is available to celebrate the outpouring of public support that Postal Service employees are receiving during the coronavirus pandemic. The page shows a letter carrier delivering mail to a home where two children stand at a window, holding a homemade thank-you sign and a drawing of a postal worker. In the […]
Small world
The Postal Service will release a stamp Saturday, April 18, to celebrate Earth Day, which will mark its 50th anniversary next week. Earth Day, held each year on April 22, was first celebrated in 1970, when U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin inspired thousands of people to organize against pollution following a major oil spill […]
On notice
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. USPS is testing a new Informed Delivery feature that lets users know when certain mailpieces are delivered. What mailpieces are involved? a) Letter-size mail and flat-size mail b) Letter-size mail, flat-size […]
Military survey
The Postal Service is encouraging employees who are military members, veterans or spouses of veterans to complete a voluntary self-identification survey using a new application on HERO. “Completing this survey will allow the Postal Service to update its data, which can help us improve the workplace for veterans, current military members and employees who are […]
Eye cue
The Postal Service is making it easier to identify external mails to prevent employees and contractors from clicking on malicious links or downloading attachments that could pose a cyberthreat to the organization. Starting April 13, all emails from non-USPS senders will display the following banner at the top of the email: “CAUTION: This email originated […]
Retirement planning
To help mark Financial Literacy Month in April, the USPS Wellness team will offer a retirement planning webinar for Postal Service employees. Aetna will host the webinar, which will focus on the following topics: Medicare, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB), the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and the Thrift Savings […]
Pro tips
Link is seeking suggestions for “Best Practices,” a regular column that allows Postal Service employees to share tips on a variety of workplace topics. In recent months, “Best Practices” has featured Malik Jackson, a retail associate who offered advice on promoting USPS products and services; Tom Cappaert, a letter carrier who shared tips on delivering mail in […]
Curbside comfort
City Carrier Assistant Michael Jordan was recently delivering mail in Chillicothe, OH, when he spotted an older motorist in distress. The man had pulled over alongside a road, opened his car door and yelled for help as he slumped out of the driver’s seat. Jordan rushed to the man’s side, called 911, guided him to […]
Labor deal ratified
The National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) membership has ratified a new three-year labor contract with the Postal Service. The contract covers approximately 43,000 employees represented by the union. Highlights of the agreement include annual general wage increases, a reduction in the employer share of health premiums, increased flexibility to use non-career mail handler assistant […]
You have mail
The Postal Service is testing a new Informed Delivery feature that lets users know when their mail has been delivered. Informed Delivery, which has more than 23.5 million subscribers, allows users to receive digital previews of their incoming mail and manage their packages from smartphones, tablets and other devices. During the test, users receive email notices […]
Back to school
The Postal Service employee who helped integrate New Orleans public schools as a child returned to her alma mater last month to mark a new beginning for the historic site. Gail Etienne-Stripling was one of three African American first-grade students known as the McDonogh Three who integrated McDonogh 19 Elementary School in 1960. The Tulsa, […]
What’s new?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Which stamps were released April 2? a) American Gardens, Contemporary Boutonniere b) Contemporary Boutonniere, Garden Corsage c) Garden Corsage, Earth Day d) All of the above 2. True or false: Under […]
Safety first
The Postal Service is sharing guidance from public health organizations and other authorities that have stated there’s no evidence the coronavirus is spread through the mail. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus is spread through respiratory droplets, and there is currently no evidence to support the transmission of COVID-19 […]
Strictly confidential
The Postal Service wants employees to know that the organization keeps their health information confidential. This includes employees who contract COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The Rehabilitation Act and the Privacy Act, two federal laws, require agencies to keep specific employee medical information confidential and to share it only in very limited […]
Growing the business
Ashley Ortiz never misses an opportunity to help USPS grow its business. The Derry, NH, letter carrier particularly enjoys finding sales leads, which she submits through the Customer Connect program. “I have just enough life experience that I can connect with a lot of people,” she says. The Postal Service wants all employees to follow […]
Beautiful and strange
The Postal Service shares highlights from the recent Wild Orchids stamp dedication ceremony in a new video. “Orchids are beautiful but strange critters,” Jim Fowler, the photographer whose images appear on the stamps, says in the video, explaining how some orchids require fungi to germinate. Part of the largest family of plants on Earth, wild […]
Employee honored
Purchasing power. The General Services Administration (GSA) recently recognized Nancy Croteau-Westcott, a purchase card coordinator in the Postal Service’s Purchasing Shared Service Center, for her efforts to help USPS save money. During the previous fiscal year, the Postal Service had 323 purchase card convenience check accounts and issued more than 950 checks to suppliers, resulting […]
What do you think?
Link wants to hear your thoughts about “Steadfast service” and other stories about the coronavirus pandemic. Email your feedback to uspslink@usps.gov. Your comments could be featured in “Mailbag.” […]