Tag: North America

New U.S Postal Regulatory Commission Chairman issues message

Posted by | Mar 28, 2007 | |

The Postal Regulatory Commission is hoping to expedite its reconsideration of certain rates based on the U.S. Postal Service Governors’ rate decision announced March 19.

This was a key message from Dan Blair, the new chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, who spoke at the annual Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers’ early morning breakfast at the National Postal Forum.

“The [USPS] will be filing a document outlining possible proposals for how they would like us to look at [the reconsidered rates], and from there we will establish a process,” Mr. Blair said. “We expect that to happen soon — even this week. This will be intended to make the process move quickly and efficiently so we can get back to what is on our plate, which is establishing a new system.”

The USPS Governors approved the PRC’s proposed 7.6 percent rate average increase and set May 14 as the date for the implementation of these changes.
However, the Governors requested reconsideration of the PRC’s rate recommendations for Standard mail flats, the Non-Machinable Surcharge for First-Class mail letters and the Priority Mail Flat-Rate Box.

Mailers, specifically catalogers, are anxious to hear the schedule, especially since they were hit with 20 percent to 40 percent rate increases. Catalogers are hoping the PRC lowers the rate and that the change takes place before the May 14 implementation date.

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USPS to build on USD 1.9 billion share of international shipping market

Posted by | Mar 27, 2007 | |

The U.S. Postal Service has launched a new Global Business group to help mailers expand their international reach through customized, flexible international shipping solutions — and increase the Postal Service’s USD 1.9 billion annual share of the international shipping market at the same time.

Paul Vogel, USPS Global Business Managing Director and Senior Vice President said the time is right for international expansion. In addition to extensive market analysis, the new team consulted with customers, integrators, consolidators and national posts around the world, and built the Global Business group to be responsive.

Vogel said the Postal Service will build on its domestic successes in work sharing, discounts and outsourcing and apply them to the international market.

The new Global Business team consolidates all postal international efforts into one unit — operations, transportation, finance, planning, information technology, account management and postal relations — making it easier for customers to work with the Postal Service for both inbound and outbound international shipping.

Last year the Postal Service collected, processed and delivered more than 793 million pieces of international mail, generating USD 1.9 billion in revenue.

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Postal Workers Get a Raw Deal

Posted by | Mar 27, 2007 | |

With the introduction of R2-D2 mailboxes and the directive to remove all clocks from Post Offices nationwide, the U.S. Postal Service has certainly provided some lighthearted news stories of late.
But there’s a much larger news item that’s been ignored — the Postal Service’s recent contract negotiations with its labor unions. These negotiations have an enormous impact on the financial health of the USD 73 billion government agency — as well as on rank-and-file postal workers.
It’s a shame that these negotiations fly under the media’s radar. By staying out of the headlines, union leaders have avoided scrutiny as they pursue an agenda devoted to preserving membership numbers first, a strategy which can run counter to the interests of both the current membership and the Postal Service itself.
Most USPS labor contracts now include guaranteed annual raises, either in the form of a traditional pay raise or a cost-of-living adjustment. The latest mail handlers’ contract stipulates an average annual raise of 1.1%, while the contract of the American Postal Workers Union, which represents clerks and support staff, includes two similarly small raises over the four-year life of the contract.
In addition, most contracts limit postal management’s labor flexibility, meaning that workers cannot be laid off, even if there’s nothing for them to do. This labor inflexibility also includes strict limits on the number of temporary workers, who tend not to be union members.
USPS management has generally obliged its unions’ demands without much of a fight. But despite the success of the postal unions in securing small but guaranteed raises, it’s actually the union leadership that benefits the most, while postal workers get a raw deal.

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USPS to build on USD1.9 billion share of international shipping market

Posted by | Mar 27, 2007 | |

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has launched a new Global Business group to help mailers expand their international reach through customized, flexible international shipping solutions — and increase the Postal Service’s USD1.9 billion annual share of the international shipping market at the same time.

Vogel said the time is right for international expansion. In addition to extensive market analysis, the new team consulted with customers, integrators, consolidators and national posts around the world, and built the Global Business group to be responsive.

Vogel said the Postal Service will build on its domestic successes in work sharing, discounts and outsourcing and apply them to the international market.

The new Global Business team consolidates all postal international efforts into one unit — operations, transportation, finance, planning, information technology, account management and postal relations — making it easier for customers to work with the Postal Service for both inbound and outbound international shipping.

Last year the Postal Service collected, processed and delivered more than 793 million pieces of international mail, generating USD1.9 billion in revenue.

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Canada Post enhances unaddressed admail

Posted by | Mar 27, 2007 | |

The National Association of Major Mail Users (NAMMU) has reported that “Canada Post is introducing enhancements to the Unaddressed Admail order creation process based on customer feedback, effective April 16. Designed to enhance flexibility, these changes include the ability to create a new mailing plan from a previous order; access improved functionality to import and export mailing information from one system to another; print Admail Delivery Slips and Container Labels before the order is transmitted to Canada Post. Full descriptions of changes and enhancements are in a brochure mailed to clients this month.”

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