In the news

One of the U.S. Postal Service’s key reform initiatives is worsening service and raising costs, a recent inspector general report found, contrasting the agency’s claims about the impact of its changes. The IG said a pilot program to test USPS’ Regional Transportation Optimization plan, which requires mail to sit overnight at post offices instead of … Read more

On December 31, 2024, the UPS/USPS Negotiated Service Agreement (NSA) officially expired, marking the end of a long, mostly silent period of negotiations. Unfortunately, these talks failed to produce a resolution, leaving shippers with unexpected consequences. Starting on January 2, 2025, shippers noticed an immediate problem: SurePost labels for P.O. Boxes and APO/FPO addresses began … Read more

Federal law says the government has to deliver the mail. It would take an act of Congress to change that. Because federal law establishes the postal service as a core function of the government, privatizing USPS would require Congress to pass a new law. The U.S. Postal Service in its current form was established by … Read more

(RUSHVILLE, Mo.) A beloved United States Postal Service worker in Rushville is spending the beginning of the new year navigating a new normal after her family’s house caught fire Monday evening. 72-year-old Bobbie Smith was away from her home when the fire took her house and everything in it. The house, which has belonged to … Read more

President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law Sunday afternoon, the final step needed for nearly 3 million public sector employees, retirees, spouses and surviving spouses to begin receiving larger monthly Social Security payments. The legislation repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset — two longstanding provisions of Social Security … Read more

“It’s the first time in my life I can say I love what I do,” says Daniel Campos, a mail carrier in Hollister, CA. When Campos first transitioned from a retail job to his part-time USPS position, he said, he felt like he didn’t know what he was getting himself into. He worked his way … Read more

I saw him up ahead in the fading light of an early December evening – an older gentleman was waiting at his mailbox. Informed by no more than my one year’s experience as a mail carrier, I suspected that he was most likely impatiently waiting for his tardy newspaper. So I braced myself, prepared to … Read more

The so-called “Regional Transportation Optimization” plan will cut the number of times USPS visits rural post offices to pick up outgoing mail. This will inevitably cause even more delays for folks in rural America. I’ve written the Postmaster General to let him know this is a terrible idea. In fact, it’s downright shameful. These changes … Read more

TSP will continue its normal daily operations in the event of a lapse in appropriations. As a reminder, agencies should not submit Form TSP-41, Notification to TSP of Nonpay Status, if a participant has been furloughed (or their paychecks delayed) due to a lapse in appropriations. Participants should be referred to the tsp.gov/shutdown page for additional information in … Read more

A government shutdown will not affect the mail, meaning even if Congress does not pass a funding plan, holiday gifts still out for delivery should arrive. Congress has until midnight Saturday to avoid a government shutdown. If it misses the deadline, several agencies would not have the funds to continue operating, meaning some services would be delayed or … Read more

President-elect Donald Trump has revived talk from his previous term of moving to privatize the United States Postal System. To be sure, such a process would be complicated and would likely require an act of Congress. The Constitution in Article I, Section 8 grants Congress the ability “to establish Post Offices and post Roads,” including the power … Read more

The Senate voted 73-27 to invoke cloture on the Social Security Fairness Act, clearing the way for a final vote to pass the bill later this week. The Senate on Wednesday voted 73-27 to limit debate on legislation to repeal a controversial pair of tax provisions that impact the retirement benefits of some federal workers … Read more

Via NALC – The Senate is scheduled to begin consideration of the Social Security Fairness Act (H. R. 82) next week. The addition to the schedule comes after Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced at a labor-led rally that he would bring the bill to the floor for a vote. The Senate will begin with procedural … Read more