The latest episode of the USPS video series “Engage” highlights a postal plant where supervisors and employees have learned to work better together. The Dominick V. Daniels Processing and Distribution Center in Kearny, NJ, faced a morale problem when Jacqueline Thomas became plant manager in 2017. “When I first got here, people didn’t want to […]
If you work for the Postal Service, chances are you’ve heard a lot about Informed Delivery in recent years. That’s because the free feature is an important part of the organization’s future. Informed Delivery bridges digital and physical communications by allowing consumers to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages from computers, smartphones […]
To help prepare for this week’s release of Year of the Rat, the first stamp in the latest Lunar New Year series, here are five facts about the creatures and their role in the holiday. 1. The rat is the first of the 12 zodiac animal signs associated with the Chinese lunar calendar. Many ancient […]
I really enjoy reading Link. We receive so many emails. Link is always the first one that I open. It’s positive, encouraging and brightens my day. […]
A USPS employee who served in the military during Desert Storm recently received a medal of recognition that was 29 years overdue — thanks to his postal supervisor, who worked behind the scenes to ensure the oversight was corrected. Brad Albright, a tool and parts clerk at the Grand Rapids, MI, Vehicle Maintenance Facility, was […]
The new year will bring stamp releases, annual events and other Postal Service activities you should know about. USPS has announced several planned stamp releases for 2020, beginning with Year of the Rat, the first stamp in the latest Lunar New Year series, on Jan. 11. Other releases include Big Bend, a new Priority Mail […]
It’s now easier for Postal Service employees to sign up for life insurance or make changes to their coverage. USPS has added a Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) module to PostalEASE that’s similar to the platform’s health insurance, tax and banking modules. The new module allows current employees to reduce their current FEGLI elections, […]
The nation’s postal system has a long history of embracing new technology and processes in its never-ending quest to better serve customers. These efforts have included the creation of the ZIP Code, which revolutionized the way mail is sorted and delivered in the 1960s, and Intelligent Mail barcodes and Intelligent Mail package barcodes, two more […]
The year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott began 64 years ago this month. Here are seven facts about the protest and how it shaped the civil rights movement. 1. Discriminatory laws were at the heart of the boycott. African Americans in Montgomery, AL, were required by city ordinance to sit in a separate section on city buses […]
Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the five most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 2 is “‘He is my son,’” the story of Meredith Taylor. The Kenna, WV, retail associate and her husband took in teenager Jason Thomas, who had been secretly living on his high school […]
I loved “Celebrating Mr. Rogers,” the article about Theodore Rogers, the Chicago mail handler equipment operator who recently marked 65 years of federal service. He’s a shining example of the beauty of tenure. […]
The Postal Service kept the mail moving during the summer, despite weather-related challenges across the nation. The organization responded to wildfires in the west as well as Hurricane Dorian, which left a wide path of destruction in parts of the Bahamas before proceeding along the Southeastern U.S. coast. After temporarily suspending service in areas affected […]
Postal Service employees made headlines for all the right reasons in 2019. Ronald Murphy Jr., a Tacoma, WA, letter carrier, was dubbed the “Good Guy Mailman” after a viral video showed him going out of his way to keep a package safe for a customer. “I took an oath and I’m going to do my […]
Postal Service employees aren’t the only people who made news in 2019. Customers captured headlines, too. Nikki Howard and Jaqi Wright, two Maryland sisters who started a cheesecake business after they were furloughed from their federal government jobs, relied on Priority Mail to serve their customers. “The Postal Service is invested in us and wants […]
Employees from every corner of the Postal Service make valuable contributions to the organization, as Link’s “On the Job” column demonstrated again this year. Several employees discussed the value of good customer service, including Linda Anderson, a Merrifield, VA, mail handler who said she knows members of the public rely on her, even if they […]
“‘I love it,’” the article about Cross River, NY, Postmaster Clarence “Thomas” Carson’s journey from homelessness and drug addiction, was very touching. It truly gives you a sense of hope and love during this holiday season. […]
Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the five most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 4 is “Life line,” the story of Heather Adams. The Portland, ME, financial programs compliance manager responded to a kidney donation plea in her community without knowing that the 31-year-old woman in desperate […]
Link is reviewing this year’s most memorable stories during the final days of December. Here are 10 more favorites. 1. “In his shoes.” In April, a group of New Jersey postal workers honored a late colleague by hosting his 14-year-old daughter, Elaina Ficarra, on Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day — another touching […]
“About the Business,” a Link column that began in the fall, aims to educate employees on the business of USPS. Here are some of the most interesting facts that have been covered so far: • USPS receives more than 40,000 stamp suggestions from the public annually. These ideas are submitted to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory […]
Postal Service employees worked throughout 2019 to strengthen the organization’s community ties. The Minneapolis Main Post Office gave tours to thousands of customers through a citywide initiative that gives the public behind-the-scenes access to unique venues, while the Davis, IL, Post Office — which serves ZIP Code 61019 — held a “date meets ZIP” event […]
The Postal Service began 2019 by continuing to deliver for its customers, despite extreme winter weather in much of the nation. In her first “Business Focus” video of the year, Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan thanked employees for their efforts and reminded them to stay safe throughout the winter. “Please remember to wear proper footwear, […]
Acting Customer Services Supervisor Jintal Patel and Letter Carrier Tonya Rutledge were on duty recently at the Canton, MI, Post Office when a colleague experienced symptoms of a heart attack. Rutledge immediately called 911, then she and Patel rendered first aid to their co-worker. Paramedics soon arrived to provide further assistance. The ill employee recovered […]
For the past 20 years, I have given my family members stamp sheets for Christmas, as suggested in the article “Stocking stuffers.” My family stays connected through cards and letters year-round. Stamps are gifts that keep giving, long after Christmas has come and gone. […]
Here’s Link’s latest “News Quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Fill in the blank: Holiday greeting cards represented about (blank) of all U.S. household personal correspondence in 2018. a) 3.8 percent b) 8.3 percent c) 34 percent d) 43 […]
Board update. President Trump has announced his intention to nominate William Zollars, a Kansas resident, to be a member of the USPS Board of Governors. The nomination will be for the remainder of a seven-year term expiring Dec. 8, 2022. The U.S. Senate must confirm nominees before they join the board. The governors are the […]
Some wishes come true. Just ask Donna Stires. The Bellmawr, NJ, labor relations secretary was devastated in 1986 when she learned that her 3-year-old daughter, Jennifer, had leukemia. Hospital staffers put Stires in touch with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a charity that fulfills wishes for children with critical illnesses. The foundation is one of more than […]
Several Postal Service employees are getting 15 minutes of fame this holiday season, thanks to the organization’s latest advertising campaign. Every year, real-life postal workers audition to appear in the campaign, which includes television, online and print ads, as well as direct mailings. “I was grateful for this opportunity,” said Raymond Edison, a Clayton, MO, […]
Letter Carrier Terry Helsel was recently delivering mail in a Youngstown, OH, neighborhood when he exchanged pleasantries with a customer who was having lunch at home. Suddenly, the woman started choking on a piece of food. Helsel rushed to her aid and performed the Heimlich maneuver until the obstruction was dislodged. The customer recovered from […]
Congratulations to Mail Handler Equipment Operator Theodore Rogers on celebrating 65 years of federal service. I agree with his “everything is your job” philosophy. It should be one of our mantras. […]
To help you get in the holiday spirit, here are five facts about the first U.S. Christmas stamp, issued in 1962. 1. The 4-cent stamp was issued in panes of 100. The image by Jim Crawford, a postal artist, depicted two lit candles near a green holiday wreath tied with a red bow. 2. The […]