There always have been occasional stories about somebody getting a letter or card that a long-dead relative had sent years or decades earlier. Where a piece of mail could spend such an interval was always the object of speculation: in an empty sack, stuck in an old letter case, behind a piece of post office furniture – who knows. More…
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics March 14 release of the Consumer Price Index for February supplied the final figure needed to calculate the CPI-based portion of the pricing authority that will be available to the Postal Service for its anticipated April filing: 3.406%. Part one The agency’s CPI-based rate authority resets to zero after every price filing, so the size…
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The USPS filed its latest rate case on Monday, April 10, 2023. How will this next round of rate hikes affect you and your customers? Leo Raymond will be joined by Sharon Owens, USPS VP, Pricing & Costing to expand on the changes, explain how they’ll affect you, and answer your questions. Registration is FREE to all! (Recording access available…
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Nearly three years into the reign of Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General, many in the commercial mail production business have conceded that their irrelevance to Postal Service leadership is now nearly total. Accordingly, what they think or need matters virtually not at all at L’Enfant Plaza, and, as a result, we’re all just along for the ride. Where that ride…
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In a document filed December 30 with the Postal Regulatory Commission, the Postal Service provided the calculations for its additional (over-CPI) rate authorities under the PRC’s November 2020 final rule. According to the Postal Service’s calculations, its added rate authority under the “density” provision is 1.026%, and its “retirement” rate authority is 1.036%. The “non-compensatory” rate authority is a fixed…
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When the comments of an organization’s top executive to its board of directors are published in a press release after they’ve met, it’s likely that such a statement is less intended to report on the meeting’s proceedings than to provide curated information for public and media consumption. Any candid discussions among the organization’s leadership are kept confidential. The Postal Service’s…
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As informed members of the commercial mailing community are aware, the Postal Service’s Board of Governors consists of the Postmaster General, the Deputy PMG, and nine political appointees who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The nine appointed governors serve staggered seven-year terms, and each can serve an additional holdover (or “grace”) year until a successor…
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Anyone who’s been in or around the Postal Service long enough begins to see annual cycles in service, volume and revenue, and official pronouncements for any and all of it. At this time of year, the agency usually is finishing its ramp-up to the holiday shipping season. This year, the mid-term elections are also underway, meaning the usual high level…
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In a memorandum opinion issued October 6 by the US District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Emmet Sullivan granted in part and denied in part motions related to a case that originated during the 2020 election season. Background Following the appointment of Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General in mid-2020, the politically charged pre-election period led to suspicions that…
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