The Public Postal Service and Rural America
Introduction
Unlike for-profit carriers, USPS has a universal service obligation requiring the agency to provide affordable deliveries to every U.S. address. Since it does not rely on taxpayer support, USPS covers the cost of this obligation with revenue from more profitable parts of the system. Rural communities benefit enormously from this...
Lower flags for Pearl Harbor Day
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, an annual commemoration of the 1941 attack, will be observed Sunday, Dec. 7.
Postal Service facilities are required to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff this day.
To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it...
Know the difference between an HMO and a PPO?
The Postal Service wants employees to understand the four types of health plans available during this year’s open season.
The plan types are:
• Health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, that provide care from in-network physicians and hospitals located in particular geographic or service areas;
• Preferred provider organizations, or PPOs, that offer...
USPS is delivering its new fleet
The Postal Service’s $9.6 billion upgrade of its delivery fleet is proceeding apace.
The organization plans to roll out 106,000 new vehicles by 2028, including 45,000 battery-electric next-generation delivery vehicles and 21,000 commercial-off-the-shelf battery-electric vehicles.
Additionally, USPS is upgrading infrastructure at its facilities with the addition of charging stations for the...
Step 4 – RCAs working over 12 hours
On several occasions, the most recent being September 24, 2025, the parties discussed the above-captioned grievance at the fourth step of our contractual grievance procedure.
The issue in this grievance concerns whether Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM), section 432.32 was violated when leave replacements worked in excess of 12...
Step 4 – RCAs delivering parcels on the city side
On several occasions, the parties discussed the above-captioned grievance at the fourth step of our contractual grievance procedure. he issue in this grievance concerns Rural Carrier Associates (RCAs) delivering parcels to addresses regularly served by the city carrier craft.
