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RURAL CARRIER NEWS

2025 Rural Carrier Year in Review

A look back at the rural carrier universe in 2025

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Interested in a supervisory job at USPS?

The Postal Service will offer three virtual job fairs for supervisory positions this year, starting in February. Topics to be covered during the fairs include: • The supervisory role, including responsibilities, potential career paths and how to find and apply for positions; • How to effectively respond to knowledge, skills and abilities...

US Postal Service sent essential services letter to employees. Here’s what to know

The letter was real and sent to postal workers, but it didn’t signal a new policy or departure from normal practices. In January 2026, social media posts circulated an image of a letter allegedly sent to U.S. Postal Service workers. The letter stated it could serve as proof that the postal worker was classified as an essential...

The Postal Service’s ‘Next Generation’ Electric Delivery Vehicles Cost $22,000 More Than Other Electric Vans

With commercial off-the-shelf vehicles readily available, cheaper, and already used in its fleet, why did the USPS decide to commission its new trucks from Oshkosh Defense? Oshkosh Defense, which produces rather mean-looking tactical vehicles for the American military (and has never before produced a delivery van), was awarded a multibillion-dollar contract in February 2021...

Do you have Post Office photos from the past?

The USPS historical preservation architect would like to hear from you When Noel Roman recently visited the Postal Service’s Pilsen Station in Chicago, he was handed a folder filled with photos from the building’s construction in 1936. Grateful for the trove, the USPS historical preservation architect scanned and saved them as...

From Rural Carrier to USPS Supervisor

Leading USPS Employees with Experience and Respect   Years as a carrier helped shape this USPS supervisor’s approach to leadership. As a Supervisor of Customer Service at the U.S. Postal Service, my responsibility is to make sure every route is covered, every vehicle is ready and every carrier has what they need...

The USPS Tells Contractors No More Immigrant CDL Drivers. Here’s How We Got Here.

The U.S. Postal Service announced this week that it will begin phasing out non-domiciled commercial driver’s license holders from its contractor network, requiring trucking providers to either thoroughly vet these drivers through the Postal Inspection Service or stop using them entirely. The move aligns with the Trump administration’s aggressive...

This business was hoarding more than $10,000 worth of USPS pallets

Postal inspectors and employees at the Wilmington, DE, Processing and Distribution Center have recovered more than $10,000 worth of USPS pallets at one business in Delaware. The Postal Service provides mail transport equipment — including pallets, boxes, trays and tubs — to businesses to facilitate shipping. The businesses are expected to...

US Postal Service sent essential services letter to employees. Here’s what to know

The letter was real and sent to postal workers, but it didn’t signal a new policy or departure from normal practices. In January 2026, social media posts circulated an image of a letter allegedly sent to U.S. Postal Service workers. The letter stated it could serve as proof that the postal worker was classified as an essential...

Here comes UPS – Back Again

UPS has reached a tentative agreement with the U.S. Postal Service to provide last-mile parcel delivery for its low-cost Ground Saver shipping service, company officials disclosed on Tuesday, patching up a relationship that ruptured in late 2024 over rate hikes.

The USPS Tells Contractors No More Immigrant CDL Drivers. Here’s How We Got Here.

The U.S. Postal Service announced this week that it will begin phasing out non-domiciled commercial driver’s license holders from its contractor network, requiring trucking providers to either thoroughly vet these drivers through the Postal Inspection Service or stop using them entirely. The move aligns with the Trump administration’s aggressive...

This business was hoarding more than $10,000 worth of USPS pallets

Postal inspectors and employees at the Wilmington, DE, Processing and Distribution Center have recovered more than $10,000 worth of USPS pallets at one business in Delaware. The Postal Service provides mail transport equipment — including pallets, boxes, trays and tubs — to businesses to facilitate shipping. The businesses are expected to...

USPS releases EMA Charts effective January 10, 2026

On December 18, 2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the November 2025 Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Based on the release, the Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for rural carriers will decrease 0.5¢ to 97.0¢ per mile. This EMA rate will be effective...

Interested in a supervisory job at USPS?

The Postal Service will offer three virtual job fairs for supervisory positions this year, starting in February. Topics to be covered during the fairs include: • The supervisory role, including responsibilities, potential career paths and how to find and apply for positions; • How to effectively respond to knowledge, skills and abilities...

The Postal Service’s ‘Next Generation’ Electric Delivery Vehicles Cost $22,000 More Than Other Electric Vans

With commercial off-the-shelf vehicles readily available, cheaper, and already used in its fleet, why did the USPS decide to commission its new trucks from Oshkosh Defense? Oshkosh Defense, which produces rather mean-looking tactical vehicles for the American military (and has never before produced a delivery van), was awarded a multibillion-dollar contract in February 2021...

There’s a new Thrift Savings Plan benefit

The Thrift Savings Plan will allow participants to convert traditional funds to Roth funds within their TSP account beginning Wednesday, Jan. 28. This is known as a Roth in-plan conversion. Traditional retirement contributions are those that are taken from employee paychecks on a pretax basis, which can lower your taxable income...

Federal retirement inventory reaches another new high

The federal retirement inventory has reached yet another new high. The Office of Personnel Management now has over 50,000 applications still awaiting a finalized annuity. The increase comes after more than 13,000 retirement applications entered OPM’s systems in December. It’s taking OPM about 67 days to process a...

A union member’s Bill of Rights

A union member's Bill of Rights, primarily defined by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), guarantees members equal participation in union activities, freedom of speech and assembly, a say in dues, the right to sue, and protection from unfair discipline, ensuring democratic governance through rights like secret ballots for elections,...
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2024-2027 National Contract
Handbook PO-603
Employee and Labor Relations Manual

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SALARY AND EMA

EMA Charts (01/2026)
Salary Charts (11/2025)
RCA wage (11/2025)

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