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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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NEW VIDEO: NRLCA Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: December 8, 2025

On December 8, 2025, NRLCA National Officers had the distinct honor of participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. This meaningful ceremony allowed us to honor not only the veterans within our NRLCA family, but also all the brave men and...

Rural Carrier EMA to Decrease 0.5 Cents Per Mile 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...

USPS bets it all on critical ‘last-mile’ plan as boss warns agency will be ‘out of cash’ by early 2027

THE United States Postal Service is leaning on its critical plan relating to its “last-mile” delivery services in order to help pull the federal agency out of financial troubles. The Post Office is hoping that expanding this delivery network for major retailers and shippers will boost revenue – a move...

Postal employees to get letter with overtime tax deduction information

The Postal Service will send a letter in mid-January with information about a new temporary federal tax deduction for certain portions of federal overtime payments made to eligible employees. The letter will include the employee’s qualified overtime amount for 2025. Employees are encouraged to ensure their mailing address is up to...

NEW VIDEO: NRLCA December Holiday Message

We want to say thank you to every rural carrier for the long hours, hard work, and dedication you show during the holidays. While this season brings joy to our communities, it also brings heavy workloads, challenging conditions, and added stress—and rural carriers rise to meet it every day. You...

U.S. Postal Service Announces Bid Solicitation for Access to Last-Mile Delivery Network

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today announced that it will open up entry to its valuable last mile delivery network. Shippers large and small will be able to access the more than 18,000 USPS delivery destination units (DDUs) nationwide via a solicitation process that will begin accepting bids in late...

GAO – U.S. Postal Service: Action Needed to Fix Unsustainable Business Model

What GAO Found In 2021, the United States Postal Service (USPS) introduced a 10-year strategy designed to improve its poor financial condition while fulfilling its statutory mandates. USPS has taken many actions to try to increase revenue and reduce expenses since this strategy was introduced, such as increasing prices and...

USPS worker dies at troubled Palmetto mail facility

PALMETTO, Ga. — A United States Postal Service worker died at the Palmetto mail facility, USPS confirmed with 11Alive on Monday. It’s unclear how the employee died, but USPS said that the person was a mail handler assistant at the Palmetto Processing & Distribution Center. “The Postal Service is deeply saddened...

After 1.8 million miles of service, rural USPS mail carrier gets big surprise from a Secret Santa

A local Secret Santa is giving $1 million to deserving people in eastern Idaho this holiday season. Every day, from now until the end of the year, the East Idaho News elves will be delivering gifts from Secret Santa and we’ll be sharing the surprise videos here. Jayne has worked...

You can set aside more money in 2026

Postal Service employees can set aside more money for flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts and commuter benefits in 2026. Flexible spending accounts, or FSAs, allow employees to set aside money on a pretax basis to pay for health care and dependent care expenses. The 2026 maximum for a health...

Updated Salary Charts Reflecting Past Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) and General Wage Increase (GWI)

Below find links to Rural Carrier salary charts reflecting $957 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) effective September 7, 2024 1.3% general wage increase effective (GWI) November 16, 2024 $416 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) effective March 8, 2025

Allen Park postal worker was stuck in machine for hours before firefighters found body

ALLEN PARK, Mich. – An Allen Park postal worker was stuck in a machine for hours before firefighters found his body, they said. The discovery was made Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at a United States Postal Service facility in Allen Park. Officials said the man’s wife called police to tell them that he...

2025 Pay Dates and Leave Year

The following chart lists the 2025 pay periods. For the convenience of timekeepers, each biweekly pay period appears as two separate weeks, with the beginning and ending dates indicated for each week. The leave year always begins the first day of the first full pay period in the calendar year....

Rural Carrier EMA to Decrease 0.5 Cents Per Mile 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...

NEW VIDEO: NRLCA Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: December 8, 2025

On December 8, 2025, NRLCA National Officers had the distinct honor of participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. This meaningful ceremony allowed us to honor not only the veterans within our NRLCA family, but also all the brave men and...

‘Devoted’ postal carrier (RCA) killed in Pickens County crash

A postal carrier was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Pickens County. Alabama State Troopers identified the victim as April F. Box. She was 57 and lived in Aliceville. The wreck happened at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday on Alabama 17, about one mile north of Aliceville. Trooper Sgt. Reginal King said box was...

2025 – 2026 – New Guarantee Year provisions important to rural carriers

There are certain rural carrier provisions that happen around the new Guarantee year and the end of the year.   Pay close attention to anything highlighted, or you may end up being surprised. Guarantee Year The new Guarantee year starts on October 4th, 2025 Carriers are paid overtime for all hours actually worked...
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