![[PostCom logo]](../../postcom3.gif)
Postal News from March 2006:
March 31, 2006 -- The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
March 31, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "U. S. Postal Service officials have initiated several activities to ensure a smooth and efficient handling of absentee ballots cast by displaced voters across the country. "We realize that a large percentage of Louisiana voters are exercising their constitutional right to vote via absentee ballots," says Delores Killette, the Postal Service's Vice President of Consumer Affairs and Consumer Advocate. "Those ballots are being sent through the mail, and the United States Postal Service stands ready to deliver these ballots to elections officials."
March 31, 2006 -- Well, it should come as no surprise, but even Canada Post has its share of disaffected customers. Take a look at http://www.postalproblem.ca.
March 31, 2006 -- According to one writer for the Valley Morning Star, "Our semi-dysfunctional postal agency has been given a free ride to compensate for its losses by raising postal rates several times during the past few years. Rather than making serious changes to improve the quality of service, the agency is still conducting business as usual by refusing to make tough decisions that would improve its financial management and goals."
March 31, 2006 -- As Multichannel Merchant has noted, "Many merchants strive to keep mailing costs in check by decreasing overall catalog weight. But paper basis weight and finish play an integral role in how a catalog goes through the mail. If your contact center is receiving an increased number of complaints about torn or missing covers or requests for another catalog because the first was ruined, you may have a spoilage problem."
March 31, 2006 -- Looking for information on the latest Postal Service request for Postal Rate Commission approval of its most recent negotiated service agreement? Then check out the materials posted on the PRC web site. You also can use the PRC web site search function that's available on the right side of this page.
March 31, 2006 -- According to The Olympian, "It's time to let the Olympia postmark go. Even Congressman Brian Baird recognizes the futility of the fight to keep a postmark in the capital city. In a recent meeting with The Olympian's editorial board, Baird said he saw absolutely no way to reverse the U.S. Postal Service's decision to consolidate mail processing in Tacoma."
March 31, 2006 -- DMNews has reported that:
The Italian postal service has seen more cross-border and in-country mail volume as a result of a quality of service program formed by the European Union Postal Directive in 2002 and monitored by an independent organization of postal administrations. Under the quality of service program, if postal organizations meet or exceed delivery targets they receive additional funds. "Quality of service has been very good for us," said Massimo Sarmi, CEO of Poste Italiane, who spoke to reporters at a media breakfast here yesterday. "Our volumes have increased as well as the overall service quality of our mail." Sarmi also noted a rise in direct mail in the country.
March 31, 2006 -- As DM News' Deliver has noted, "A 2004 study by Canada Post found only 35 major titles in circulation. But at the end of 2005, twice that number were mailing and prospecting in Canada. Still, this figure is dwarfed by the 13,000 titles circulated in the United States. Major U.S. retailers long have known of the Canadian market's potential but have been reluctant to pursue Canadian business because of challenges in maintaining the integrity of their brand experience with foreign customers. Canadians read 74 percent of their direct mail on average, and their response to direct mail offers is 25 percent higher than their U.S. counterparts."
March 31, 2006 -- As the Salt Lake Tribune has noted, "Dogs can jump through screens and glass. They can break metal leashes and vault picket fences. Then they can bite the suspicious, the oblivious, the young, the elderly. And they go for mail carriers, who traverse their territory daily. More than 4 million people were bitten by dogs last year, half of them children and 3,475 of them mail carriers, said U.S. Postal Service spokesman Mark Saunders. The frequency of attacks increases as the weather warms. Hence, National Dog Bite Prevention Week, sponsored by the Postal Service - and this year to be observed May 21-28."
March 31, 2006 -- RIA Novosti has reported that "The Russian postal service will incur losses of $36 million in 2006, its chief executive said Friday. Speaking at the reopening after refurbishment of St. Petersburg's main post office, Igor Syrtsov admitted the company was facing losses, but said Russian Mail would be given 4.5 billion rubles ($162 million) as part of an investment program in 2006. The funds will be used to build automated sorting centers in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and modernize post offices and transport, he said. Syrtsov added that Russia would have over 20,000 postal offices offering Internet access by yearend, and that employees would receive a 30% pay raise in 2006."
March 31, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that "Royal Mail chiefs have asked the government to give postal workers a stake in the company."
March 31, 2006 -- As the Multichannel Merchant has noted, "It comes as no surprise that shipping costs are increasing. What is a surprise is the extent to which costs have climbed. The increases are forcing companies large and small to seek new ways to pare expenses."
March 31, 2006 -- Investors Business Daily has a nice piece on former UPS CEO James Casey.
March 31, 2006 -- China Morning Post has reported that "UPS consolidates delivery of multiple destination goods The innovative service does away with warehousing and multiple customs clearance for easier and cheaper delivery."
March 31, 2006 -- As Logistics Management has noted, "A new offering recently rolled out by the United States Postal Service (USPS) provides shippers a convenient and cost-effective method for returning merchandise through the mail. Dubbed Parcel Return Service (PRS), this new program will go into effect on April 2. USPS spokesperson Bob Anderson told Logistics Management that PRS is a program designed primarily for high volume shippers, such as Nordstrom or JC Penny, who experience annual return volumes of 50,000 or more parcels from their customers. He added that qualified shippers can register to be PRS participants."
March 30, 2006 -- According to GeekZone, New Zealand Post has reported that "The electronic payment service eBill will be withdrawn from 24 July 2006. The last date users will be able to receive new electronic bills via eBill will be 12 June 2006 and the last date to make any payments via eBill is 10 July 2006."
March 30, 2006 -- The Direct Marketing Association has reported that "The Consultative Committee of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) on March 28 formed a working group on Universal Service, which will provide private-sector input into the UPU debates on this issue. The Consultative Committee, which represents the interests of the non-postal and non-governmental sector of the global postal industry, is chaired by Charles Prescott, who is the US Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) vice president for international business development and government affairs."
March 30, 2006 -- The Universal Postal Union has reported that "A record number of 26 postal operators have received awards in recognition of the high level of their EMS service. Six members of the UPU's EMS Cooperative received Gold-level certification, nine Silver-level and 11 Bronze-level for their performance in 2005. Top performer Singapore Post was awarded gold for a fifth consecutive year, while Hong Kong, China received Gold-level certification for a fourth year. Three countries (Colombia, Mauritius and the Philippines) have joined the Cooperative as new members, while three others (Benin, Cuba and Mongolia) have re-joined, bringing the Cooperative's membership to 134 countries."
March 30, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "The possible initial public offering of Poste Italiane SpA is unlikely to occur before the end of this year, the postal and financial services company's chief executive officer said on Thursday."
March 30, 2006 -- Describing the nation's roads, ports, railroads and airports as the backbone of global trade, UPS's chief executive officer today warned that America was taking a chance with its future by neglecting its infrastructure. Mike Eskew, UPS CEO.
March 30, 2006 -- The
March 30, 2006 issue of DMM Update has been posted on this site.
March 30, 2006 -- Singapore will be hosting the Asia Pacific Mail and Express Congress, the first conference and exhibition of its kind, in coverage and experience for the Asia Pacific region from 3 to 5 October 2006. Among the speakers: Mr. Michael J Critelli, Chairman and CEO of Pitney Bowes and Mr. Harry Koorstra, Group Managing Director for Mail of TNT. In addition, the director for international strategy and regulatory affairs at Pitney Bowes International, Mr. Tim Walsh, will discuss postal and regulatory challenges in Asia Pacific, with a focus on pricing, product and channel strategy. Other speakers from Asian-Pacific Postal Union, Swiss Post International, ARAMEX, Pos Malaysia, Supply Chain Asia, Mailing List Asia and Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne will address major postal, express and logistics issues. A major topic to be covered is the liberalisation of the postal sector, a mammoth task for an industry which last year delivered 204 billion pieces of mail globally and employs six million people in India alone. For more information, contact Adeline Lim +65 6322 778 or email to adeline.lim@terrapinn.com for speaking, sponsorships and exhibiting opportunities. Visit www.terrapinn.com/2006/mailexp for more details.
March 30, 2006 -- Traffic World has reported that "Package shipping firm DHL Express Americas named Charles Brewer, a longtime company executive overseas, as executive vice president of U.S. air products and services in an effort to help bolster its ailing U.S. business."
March 30, 2006 -- The Daily Freeman has reported that "City Postmaster Sherry Elkind told a gathering Monday night that any property owner who did not want a curbside mailbox installed can request its removal by the U.S. Postal Service."
March 30, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "GoodStorm (http://www.goodstorm.com), a progressive e-commerce company, is helping BringThemHomeNow.com, a coalition of groups calling on President Bush to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq, to launch a tax day protest by selling an anti-war postage stamp online. Approved and licensed by the U.S. Postal Service, the $.39 cent first class stamp is available at Bring Them Home Now's online store at http://www.BringThemHomeNow.com. The stamp features the symbol of the growing movement -- a peace sign festooned with a yellow ribbon."
March 30, 2006 -- KFOX-TV has reported that it "has been trying to find out what exactly was going on with complaints that from viewers who say their mail has been arriving late. On Wednesday, we tried to contact postmaster Felix Guerra for about three weeks now, and he still hasn't returned our calls. We also went to his office to talk with him, but postal workers say he is out of town. While he still has yet to talk with KFOX, Guerra is communicating with postal customers by sending them a post card in the mail. The card says the U.S. Postal Service is changing and they will have route inspectors following letter carriers to check each route. They say it is all to better serve their customers."
March 30, 2006 -- INQ7.net has reported that "President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday announced that the state-run Philippine Postal Savings Bank (PPSB) would be converted into overseas remittance centers where Filipinos abroad could send money."
March 30, 2006 -- According to the Amherst Times, "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) announced that the Postmaster General's office had agreed to a third party medical review for Sergeant Jason Lyon. This comes after a March 22 letter to Postmaster General John Potter and phone calls to Deputy Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, requesting that the United States Postal Service (USPS) review Sergeant Lyon's case."
March 30, 2006 -- In commenting on two recent appointments to the USPS Board of Governors, DM News postal commentator Cary Baer has asked whether "these nominees help direct the USPS in solving its critical problems, or have they been nominated to resolve an unrelated political problem? The resumes for the two USPS board nominees show no involvement in postal, direct mail, printing or any industry related to the postal service. It's unfortunate that governors' seats too often are given out as a reward for political or public service endeavors with little regard to what the individual can bring to help the USPS solve its own set of difficult problems. Industry leaders should establish a panel to review the qualifications of nominees. The panel must be willing to issue its review conclusions publicly, similar to the way the American Bar Association does for judicial nominees."
March 30, 2006 -- Here's a fact for you from DM News' Deliver supplement: "In 2005, the USPS processed more than 216 billion pieces of mail. Nine billion pieces were undeliverable as addressed and did not reach the intended household or business customer."
March 30, 2006 -- As the PostalNews Blog has noted, "Postcom submitted questions to the Postal Rate Commission about the review and approval process for AMP proposals. The mailers organization also wants to know what steps the USPS takes to monitor and safeguard service during a consolidation. In another interrogatory, Postcom asked about service measurement, and whether the USPS has actual service performance data for each of the 850,000 possible 3-digit ZIP code pairs. If it does not, the group asks how the USPS will evaluate the impact of consolidations on service."
March 30, 2006 -- From the Federal Register: "The U.S. Postal Service has published a final rule that adopts new mailing standards to make Parcel Return Service a permanent classification. Parcel Return Service replaces the former Parcel Return Services experiment and is now open to all postal customers who meet the participation requirements."
March 30, 2006 -- KCAU-TV has reported that "Postal workers say the fate of the Mail Processing Center has already been decided. But the U.S. Postal Service itself says that's not so."
March 30, 2006 -- NineMSN has reported that "Commonwealth ombudsman Professor John McMillan will take on this new role of dealing with complaints about postal services under legislation which passed parliament this week. Communications Minister Helen Coonan said the new Postal Industry Ombudsman (PIO) would have the power to investigate and act on complaints about the delivery of postal services across Australia." See also the Sydney Morning Herald.
March 30, 2006 -- According to Multichannel Merchant, "The U.S. Postal Service's efforts to modernize and cut costs apparently are resulting in sluggish catalog deliveries this spring. And although some mailers say that mail to the West Coast, New Mexico, and Texas has suffered the most, "you can't really define exactly what areas are being affected," says Gary LaBarre, distribution manager for Maple Grove, MN-based printing and production services provider Banta Catalog Group. "It's like trying to hit a moving target."
March 30, 2006 -- The
U.S. Postal Service has circulated a summary of its most recent MTAC meeting.
March 29, 2006 -- According to KFOX-TV, "It is a problem that KFOX has been reporting over the last few weeks - slow mail delivery. Now, the Post Office says they are trying to do something about it. The Post Office, by way of a postcard, is telling some of its customers that they are making a serious effort to deal with the recent problems, and that is a welcome sign for many El Pasoans. Some say getting their mail has been as good as ever."
March 29, 2006 -- According to the Sioux City Journal, "Sioux City advocates who want to have input into the possible decision to move the local postal service distribution and processing center got some concessions Tuesday after a meeting that included Siouxland's congressional delegation. Fearing that a now-completed U.S. Postal Service feasibility study could recommend shifting the Sioux City center to Sioux Falls, Sioux City officials since December have sought to get some input into the postal process. With roughly 100 postal jobs in the balance, for the second time in nine weeks the congressional delegation representing Sioux City sat down with USPS senior vice president of operations Bill Galligan, and this time came away with some pleasing concessions, said U.S. Sens. Charles Grassley and Tom Harkin."
March 29, 2006 -- Europa has reported that "The Spanish postal service (Correos) has recently opened up 4000 new ‘free access' points to its virtual offices, with over 30000 terminals spread across Spain. Developed in co-operation with the state agency Red.es, this initiative is intended to further promote the information society in Spain."
March 29, 2006 -- As DMNews has noted, "Behind the sheer volume of Video Professor's mailing requirements lies a business model that requires a unique approach to meeting its mail needs. Foremost of the challenges to its shipping partner, DHL Global Mail, was the ongoing "need for speed" given unpredictable volume."
March 29, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
With 811 m CHF in profit last year, Schweizerische Post only narrowly missed its 2004 record result of 830m CHF. In view of progressing liberalisation, CEO Ulrich Gygi announced further restructuring measures and expansion into new markets.
Within five years Norwegian logistics service Tollpost Globe AS has managed to achieve one of the highest profit margins in the entire Nordic logistics sector.
The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News.
March 29, 2006 -- The Postal Rate Commission has issued a notice of inquiry to all participants in the END advisory request (Docket No. N2006-1), in which it is seeking input regarding what should be the scope of the proceeding.
March 29, 2006 -- As the Wall Street Journal has noted, "Overnite Corp., acquired in August by U.S. package-delivery king United Parcel Service Inc. to invade the trucking business, is starting to look a lot like the rest of the chocolate-brown Atlanta company. The assimilation could help UPS in its battle with rival FedEx Corp. but complicates contract talks with the Teamsters union expected to begin near the end of next year."
March 29, 2006 -- According to the Modesto Bee, "Some day, Congress will run out of post offices to rename. And then what will it do to keep busy? The lawmakers returning Monday from the "St. Patrick's Day District Work Period" are off to one of their slowest starts in years. They've been in session less, conducted fewer hearings and passed fewer bills than almost any other time in the past decade."
March 29, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "The Postal Service has been awarded the advertising industry's highest honor for research that results in high- impact marketing, a postal official said. The 2006 Grand Ogilvy Award was accepted by Postal Service representatives for the organization's "Access" campaign, which increased awareness of USPS package shipping products and services."
March 29, 2006 -- According to
Financial Times Deutschland, "Things are not going well for the chief executive of Deutsche Post, Klaus Zumwinkel. Put on the alert by chronic problems in the USA, investors are beginning to question his strategy. He has two years left to eliminate doubts about his life's work—then his contract runs out."
March 29, 2006 -- The
Mailers Council has shared with its members a backgrounder indicating its position on the key issues conferees must be resolved regaring postal legislative reform (HR 22).
March 29, 2006 -- The Daily Star has reported that "With the advent of cellphones, courier services and email, the activities of post offices have declined significantly in the recent years. The main functions of the post offices are now to deliver money orders, pensions, parcels and run some savings schemes."
March 28, 2006 -- TMCNet has reported that "DHL International GmbH, the world's leading express and logistics company, made an announcement by saying that it would release a new product to provide express delivery services for heavy goods of 50 to 150 kg."
March 28, 2006 -- According to Forbes, "Dutch postal company TNT NV wants to expand in Germany, grabbing some of Deutsche Post World Net AG's market share in mail delivery, board member Harry Koorstra told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The company wants to set up logistics centres in Munich and Berlin and is also not ruling out acquisitions."
March 28, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "French trade unions began a one-day national strike on Tuesday to try to force conservative Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to abandon a new job law that makes it easier to fire young workers. Commuters faced delays on public transport and airports were expected to be hit by stoppages. Some postal workers, teachers and media employees were among those planning to strike and hundreds of thousands were expected to attend protest rallies."
March 28, 2006 -- The Toronto Star has reported that "Christmas the past two years wasn't quite as merry for thousands of people in Huntsville. They didn't get their Christmas cards. For others, it was worse. They didn't get personal cheques or financial statements either. But what makes this story really strange is that, according to the Ontario Provincial Police, neither Canada Post nor the OPP received an unusual number of complaints from people about missing mail. It took the firing this month of a Canada Post employee to uncover the real story of why the mail went missing and how it went virtually undetected. Most of the mail was re-routed to a Jeep and a bedroom closet, the OPP allege. Now, a 26-year-old Huntsville resident is facing charges after police recovered 110 boxes of undelivered mail, some of it going back to 2004."
March 27, 2006 -- Below are recent reports posted on the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General website. If you have additional questions concerning the report, please contact Agapi Doulaveris at 703.248.2286.
March 27, 2006 -- As The Economist has noted, "THE fabled "Licence Raj", the suffocating blanket of regulatory controls that India has been steadily dismantling since 1991, had holes in it. In one of them sprouted a flourishing private courier business. Today, more than 1m people are employed in more than 2,500 firms, ranging from big multinationals such as DHL and TNT, to small local-delivery services operating fleets of bicycles. The industry is growing by 20-25% each year. Of around 16 billion items of post in India each year, private firms handle more than 7 billion. But the government, it seems, now wants to grab back a big chunk of that business for its own postal service, India Post. The couriers are up in arms."
March 27, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "Postal officials said today that the next generation of the organization's barcode technology used to sort and track mail will be featured at the mailing industry's leading trade show, National Postal Forum, in Orlando, Fla., April 2-5. Generically known as a four-state barcode, this development in technology will enable business mailers to track up to a billion pieces of mail at a time as well as to more easily request special services, such as address correction and confirmation of delivery. The new technology will also enable the Postal Service to process and deliver mail more efficiently."
March 27, 2006 -- DMNews has reported that
March 27, 2006 -- According to the Irish Times, "Isolde Goggin, the chairwoman of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) seems like a nice woman. It's hard to believe that she and her two fellow commissioners, John Doherty and Mike Byrne, are little better that fifth columnists hell bent on destroying one of the State's great institutions and generally wrecking the fabric of society. But this apparently is pretty much the ComReg game plan if one is to put much store by the sworn testimony of Donal Curtin, the chief executive of An Post, in an affidavit supporting An Post's successful application last week for a judicial review of ComReg's decision not to approve an increase in the price of sending a letter."
March 27, 2006 -- International Freighting Weekly has reported that "Logistics companies are seeing staff turnover rates in China of up to 40%, according to research by the Eyefortransport (EFT) group (see Briefing, page 6). With a continuing shortage of experienced logistics and supply chain managers leading to such a high turnover, the EFT research study concluded: "This imposes continuous training overheads on the logistics suppliers. "Sourcing and retaining skilled staff in China will be an ongoing issue for the foreseeable future." The report also highlighted shortcomings in the Chinese educational system, saying it did not emphasise initiative, innovation or personal advancement."
March 27, 2006 -- icLiverpool has reported that "LIVERPOOL has been named and shamed as having one of the worst postal services in the country - with one in 10 letters delivered late. Just 89.2% of first-class post sent to the city's sorting office reached its destination the following day, according to the National Audit Office (NAO) study."
March 26, 2006 -- INQ7.net has reported that "A BODY representing various government agencies has approved the 3.3 billion-peso modernization project of the Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost), more than three years after it was first proposed."
March 26, 2006 -- According to the Shanghai Daily, "CHINA will accelerate plans to reorganize the State Post Bureau, which involves splitting off its banking component and creating the nation's fifth-biggest lender by deposits."
March 26, 2006 -- The Atlanta Business Journal has reported that "UPS rival FedEx announced Friday it now has the rights to operate three additional weekly flights to China, bringing the total to 26. FedEx Express, the largest subsidiary of Memphis, Tenn.-based FedEx Corp., will operate these frequencies, which were awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. FedEx Express says it will maintain its leadership position with more all-cargo flights to and from China than any other U.S. cargo airline."
March 26, 2006 -- USPS Newslink has reported that "Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer Pat Donahoe today announced an organizational realignment that will transfer administration of the Arizona and Nevada-Sierra Districts from the Pacific Area to the Western Area and the Carolinas from the Eastern Area to Capital Metro. The change will be effective April 1."
March 26, 2006 -- As the Miami Herald has noted, "Gone are the days when students ran to the mailbox to look for the proverbial thick envelope. In the age of the Internet, high school seniors' hearts race as they go online to learn if they were admitted to college."
March 26, 2006 -- NDTV Profit has reported that "The UPA government has allowed Department of Posts (DoP) to deploy funds from its two insurance schemes in the stock markets through mutual funds for better returns. The DoP will soon appoint asset management companies (AMCs) through a bidding process and both private and public sector companies would be allowed to bid."
March 26, 2006 -- AMEInfo has reported that "Empost, the UAEs national courier service, has announced the appointment of Mark McCormack as its new Operational Consultant. McCormack will be responsible for increasing productivity and efficiency of Emposts operations and will also contribute in developing innovative products and services."
March 26, 2006 -- Strategiy has reported that "Emirates Post has announced the launch of "Direct2Door", a speedy parcel and document service to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, in collaboration with major courier companies in the respective countries, backed by a money-back guarantee and track-and-trace facility."
March 26, 2006 -- According to IEEE Spectrum, "A newly marketed anthrax detector that originated in the U.S. space program promises to halve the detection time of the system currently used by the U.S. Postal Service. It was devised by Universal Detection Technology Inc., in Beverly Hills, Calif., building on work done by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at the California Institute of Technology, in Pasadena. If it proves its worth in the field, the system may offer the Postal Service a cheaper and more effective way of countering bioterrorist attacks."
March 25, 2006 -- The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
March 25, 2006 -- The latest issue of PostCom's
PostOps Update has been posted on this site. In this issue:
March 25, 2006 -- From the Postal Rate Commission's Docket No. N2006-1 prehearing conference:
In Friday's prehearing conference in N2006-1. Commissioner Tisdale indicated that neither the Postal Service's proposed schedule, nor the shortening of the response times they requested in order to expedite the schedule in this proceeding would apply. He indicated that the Commission appreciated that the Postal Service had requested their advice, and that their advice would be more valuable if based on a fully developed record. He also admonished the Postal Service for requesting expedition while it nonetheless needed to file several motions to accept late responses to interrogatories.
Counsel for APWU argued at some length that the END program was a continuation of the NIA program that began in 2001-2 and that it want the Commission to make observations and findings regarding the scope of its authority to examine the Postal Service's decisions in this area, and the scope of permissible discovery in this proceeding. He argued that they don't know how to proceed without knowing the scope of permitted interrogatories. They are attempting to discover whose decision it was to conduct the Area Mail Processing reviews that have been initiated thus far (whether the requests originated at headquarters or in the field), and have thus far been stymied. Also, they are inquiring regarding what role the public plays -- they anticipate arguing that they observe no real role for citizen input to be considered in the Postal Service's process.
Commissioner Tisdale stated that the PRC intends to issue a Notice of Inquiry to ask all participants to comment on the scope of the proceeding, and asking participants to make comments that will be useful to him for evaluating the proper scope of discovery in this case. He said a Procedural Schedule will be issued shortly.
March 25, 2006 --
Paul Vogel, USPS VP Network Operations Management, has contacted MTAC members concerning Mail Transport Equipment (pallet) shortages.
March 25, 2006 -- Business Mailers Review has reported that:
Business Mailer's Review is an award-winning, independent biweekly newsletter covering issues of importance to the business mailer. It is regularly cited as among the best sources of postal information. For subscription information, check the BMR web site.
March 25, 2006 -- The U.S. Postal Service's Office of the Inspector General has issues two reports (http://www.uspsoig.gov/foia_files/CA-MA-06-001.pdf and http://www.uspsoig.gov/foia_files/HM-AR-06-002.pdf) on the Postal Service's handling of issues subsequent to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
March 25, 2006 -- PMG Jack Potter has named Susan Bronwell as vice president, Supply Management. She will manage more than $12 billion in annual supply management expenditures. Bronwell was most recently manager of the Mail Equipment Portfolio.
March 25, 2006 -- The Associated Press has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service unveiled its new set of 39-cent stamps honoring four of baseball's biggest hitters. The stamps will be issued July 15 in ceremonies at Yankee Stadium."
March 25, 2006 -- The Kodiak Daily Mirror has reported that "A proposed post office to be located on Near Island is on hold due to changes in postal service technology."
March 25, 2006 --
Peter Moore Software has introduced The 3600 Generator XP for Standard Mail to join its sister programs, the 3541 Generator XP for Periodicals and the 3602 Generator XP for Standard mailings. The 3600 Generator XP is a Windows-based program that makes it a snap to create USPS 3600-R postage statements from keyed input. In order to simplify entry of data for repeat jobs, the program maintains a database of customers, permits, jobs, and postage statements.
March 25, 2006 -- From Web Wire: "The hurricanes that battered the Gulf Coast last fall displaced literally thousands of Louisiana residents, many of whom may still be eligible to vote in upcoming primary and general elections in their home state."
March 25, 2006 -- Rediffhas reported that "Besides selling postal stamps and envelopes and despatching money orders, your neighbourhood post office will be hawking cellphones and airtime, if an idea by Motorola takes wings. The US-based global telecommunications major is mulling selling of telecom products and services through a wide network of 135,000 post offices to target even the remotest locales in the country."
March 25, 2006 -- Neue Zurcher Zeitung has reported that "The Swiss Post Office said on Friday that it made a profit of SFr811 million ($616 million) in 2005."
March 25, 2006 -- Armenia Now has reported that "Armenian journalists are sounding the alarm over legislation that requires newspaper delivery companies for the first time to apply for licenses. Local activists say that the legislation, introduced by Armenia's parliament last year in the form of an amendment to existing laws on mail service and tax regulations, is in fact a hidden form of state censorship."
March 25, 2006 -- The Guernsey Weekly Press has reported that "Guernsey Post's dividend could be used to subsidise its rural retail outlets."
March 25, 2006 -- AllAfrica.com has reported that "Several employees have been caught in theft of mails and smuggling at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. At a press conference yesterday, Posts and Telecommunications Minister, Jackson E. Doe said the four employees caught in mails theft and smuggling would be turned over to the Justice Ministry for prosecution. He asserted that under the laws of Liberia, mail theft is a serious crime."
March 25, 2006 -- The New Mexico Channel has reported that "The Santa Fe post office is hiring part-time rural mail carriers. The Santa Fe post office has been under fire for slow deliveries."
March 25, 2006 -- NDTV Profit has reported that "The government has reportedly dropped its plan to change the Post and Telegraph Act which would have stopped courier companies from carrying any package that weighs less than 500 g. But courier companies may now have to pay a certain amount to subsidise the postal department. The govt says the postal department should have a complete monopoly over lightweight packages and letters so that the profits made on them can be used to subsidise postal services for the poor and underprivileged. But the Planning Commission has apparently said this is a wrong way to go about it at a time when reforms are being pushed forward in every other sphere."
March 25, 2006 --
March 25, 2006 -- The Rising Nepal has reported that "International Express Mail Service (EMS) is to be expanded to Turkey from April 1 as per the agreement reached between the Department of Postal Services. This means that letters and merchandise goods can be sent to Turkey from Nepal with the start of the EMS. Nepal now has EMS link with 36 countries including Turkey, according to the Department of Postal Services."
March 25, 2006 -- Air Cargo World has reported that "The abrupt bankruptcy of APX Logistics left a lot of packages stranded. The consolidator normally picked up a million packages a day and routed them through the USPS for delivery. The Postal Service expects to have all of them on their way to customers by the end of the week. USPS is adding resources and increasing the number of drop-ship appointments at Bulk Mail Centers to deal with packages accepted by APX prior to the company's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection March 16."
March 25, 2006 -- The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.
March 24, 2006 -- Handelsblatt has reported that "Deutsche Post, the German national postal services provider, has announced plans to reduce postage for parcels for private customers at DHL, its express and logistics subsidiary. Klaus Zumwinkel, head of Deutsche Post, said that more attractive products would be offered at lower prices. The group also plans to streamline organisational structures at DHL, improve quality and service and also increase profitability in general." Competition....You gotta love it.
March 24, 2006 -- Hoovers has reported that "Package delivery giant UPS will move fewer parcels via railroads as it embarks on a plan to reduce ground delivery times. What's being taken from the trains is going to trucks, which offer UPS faster transit speeds on certain routes, company spokesman Norman Black said."
March 24, 2006 -- According to Federal News Radio's Mike Causey, "Not so long ago the best way to get the attention of an elected official was to flood his or her office with mail. Snail mail. A handwritten letter to show sincerity and that it's from a real person, with a postage stamp on it. But gone are the days. In fact snail mail, at least to members of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, is the equivalent of a courier running through the woods with a note wedged into a cleft stick. Now instead of a small army of letter-opening, subject-sorting clerks, most congressional offices get much of their grass-roots input via e-mail. In addition to being quick and easy, e-mail only has to pass through a spam blocker. For security reasons (can you say anthrax?) real mail, that is snail mail, addressed to Capitol Hill often goes to a remote site where it is checked, maybe run through an X-ray, irradiated, and/or sniffed by a machine with lots of blinking lights. The bottom line is that it takes awhile and sometimes the letters arrive looking like your dog chewed on them, or did something on them."
March 24, 2006 -- The Postalnews blog has summarized some of the salient information obtained from the Postal Service's February 2006 financial statement.
March 24, 2006 -- DMNews has reported that "Only 4.8 percent of Britons respond to direct mail while the average consumer gets 8.5 pieces of direct mail a week, according to the new TouchPoints survey released yesterday by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising."
March 24, 2006 -- The latest issue of the
National Association of Major Mail Users eView has been posted on this site.
March 24, 2006 -- The Standard has reported that "Postal corporation chief executive, Dan Ameyo, has been sacked. His place has been taken over by Kenneth Oluoch on acting capacity. Until his elevation, Oluoch was the general manager, customer service. Sources said Ameyo was forced to quit, over allegations of abuse of office. His dismisal came just a day before the end of his contract." Nairobi, Kenya is the planned site for the 2008 Congress of the Universal Postal Union.
March 24, 2006 -- From the U.S. Postal Service: "Customers and merchants looking for an easy and economical way to return merchandise through the mail can now rely on Parcel Return Service (PRS) to handle their needs on a permanent basis. By approving a recommendation from the Postal Rate Commission, the U.S. Postal Service Governors on Wednesday made PRS a permanent mailing option. The Board of Governors voted to make the change effective on April 2, 2006."
March 24, 2006 -- According to The Olympian, "Current and retired postal workers picketed the main Olympia post office Wednesday afternoon to draw attention to the U.S. Postal Service's plans to transfer some mail operations from Tumwater to Tacoma."
March 24, 2006 -- According to the Jackson Sun, "South Jackson residents have renewed their efforts to save the Bemis post office as another threat to close it has resurfaced." See also the Jackson Sun editorial.
March 24, 2006 -- From dBusiness News: "With the cost of different postage payment methods a hot topic among high-volume mailers, attendees of the 2006 National Postal Forum at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, April 2 to April 5 in Kissimmee, Fla., will be looking for solutions to help them save time and money in a meter-less environment. To help mailers fully realize the benefits of alternative postage payment options, BÖWE BELL + HOWELL will feature its new WayMarkTM weight verification and management system, along with a full line of postal solutions products and services."
March 24, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Verticalnet, Inc., a leading provider of on-demand supply management solutions, today announced that the French national mail and financial services company, La Poste, has successfully deployed the Verticalnet(R) XE Supply Management Solution Suite as its enterprise-wide sourcing platform. La Poste is the third largest postal service in the world, generating revenues of over 18 billion euros per year. La Poste and its workforce of over 300,000 deliver more than 27 billion letters and parcels each year and offer financial services via more than 17,000 postal outlets in France. La Poste manages over 3.6 billion euros annually in spend."
March 24, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "Participants in this year's leading trade show for advertisers and mailers -- the National Postal Forum -- will be treated to keynote speeches by leaders in the industry, as well as by a legend in the world of baseball."
March 24, 2006 -- InTheNews.co.uk has reported that "Britain's public sector is overspending on postal services to the tune of £31 million, it has been claimed. A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) showed that average spending per item of 28p compared poorly to the financial and utilities sectors, who spent 22p and 20.4p respectively. Four main areas of savings were identified by the report, including £9 million by sending mail through second rather than first class, £9 million by making civil servants sort and prepare their own mail and £4.5 million by cutting down on poorly addressed "undeliverable" mail." See also The Times.
March 24, 2006 -- The Mumbai Mirror has reported that "The Department of Post (DoP) will be submitting a report to the Ministry of Finance asking the latter to continue certain subsidies if DoP is to be made profitable. This is a fallout of the Ministry's decision of asking the DoP to invest Postal Life Insurance (PLI) money in the stock market. PLI is DoP's life insurance policy which is available only to government and semi-government employees."
March 24, 2006 -- The Jerusalem Post has reported that "The Israel Postal Company has acceded to the suggestion of the Supreme Court to negotiate quickly with 65 contractors who run postal agencies around the country. The state postal company has presented this same proposal to the Tel Aviv District Court 10 days ago, but it was rejected by the postal agents."
March 23, 2006 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "Fedex Corp, helped by a surprisingly strong holiday shipping season and continued economic strength, reported a 35% jump in fiscal third-quarter profit and nudged higher its profit target for the current fiscal year. Overall delivery volume of air and ground packages increased 4%, led by a 9.9% jump in international shipments by air, partly reflecting surging deliveries to and from China. FedEx's bottom line should get an even bigger jolt from China once the company completes a buyout of its joint venture there, which will help FedEx expand into smaller cities."
March 23, 2006 -- According to Les Echos, "The French post office, La Poste, has entered into talks with PlaNet Finance, the French NGO specialising in microfinance. The discussions concern the programme 'Entreprendre en Banlieues' which PlaNet Finance launched yesterday to facilitate the creation of small businesses in the deprived suburbs of French cities via microcredit and micro venture-capital."
March 23, 2006 -- According to Asia Pulse, "Japan Post Corp. is considering purchasing a core computer system from a major bank for the banking unit that will be created when postal services are privatized in October 2007."
March 23, 2006 -- The Aberdeen News has reported that "A major printing company, a blood-collection agency and a private mail-sorting firm are among the Aberdeen organizations that would feel a pinch if mail service out of Aberdeen takes another hit."
March 23, 2006 -- From Transport Intelligence: "The number of mergers and acquisitions undertaken by the largest players in the worldwide express, mail and logistics sectors has reached its highest level since its peak at the height of the ‘dotcom' boom. This was just one of the findings of Transport Intelligence's latest report ‘Global Logistics Strategies 2006'."
March 23, 2006 -- The Amherst Times has reported that "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) sent a letter to Postmaster General John E. Potter requesting that the United States Postal Service (USPS) review the case of Sergeant Jason Lyon, a member of the National Guard who served in Iraq for the U.S. Army. Sergeant Lyon has been denied an appointment to serve as a Mail Carrier in Western New York, because of a sprained ankle received while serving in Iraq and which has subsequently healed. While the U.S. military has deemed him fit for service, the USPS has not."
March 23, 2006 -- CRM Today has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service Accounting Help Desk in St. Louis, MO, has earned highly coveted recognition as a Certified Center of Excellence by Purdue University. The Center for Customer-Driven Quality™ at Purdue University benchmarks the performance of over 20,000 customer service call centers in 43 different industries in North America. The Postal Service's Accounting Help Desk is operating in the top 10 percent of call centers in the consumer products industry."
March 22, 2006 -- The U.S. Postal Service has announced that Robert Pedersen has been named Acting Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, succeeding Richard Strasser, who is retiring April 3, according to PMG Jack Potter, who made the announcement this morning. Pedersen will head the Postal Service's Finance, Treasury, Information Technology, and Supply Management activities. He will serve as a member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of its corporate Capital Investment Committee. The PMG said that over the next several weeks, Pedersen and Strasser will be working together to implement a smooth succession.
March 22, 2006 -- UPS has announced it had completed the rollout of UPS Trade DirectSM Air and Ocean services to facilitate export shipments from the United States and Canada to Europe.
March 22, 2006 -- Bloomberg has reported that "FedEx Corp., the No. 2 U.S. package shipping company, said fiscal third-quarter profit rose 35 percent, more than analysts expected, as a strong U.S. economy increased shipments and allowed it to raise prices."
March 22, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
The Dutch mail market may be completely opened to competition by April next year. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Economics confirmed on Tuesday that a government commission had adopted the corresponding bill and had demanded only minor amendments from the Ministry.
Sweden's Posten AB has made a takeover bid to shareholders of Swedish firm Stralfors AB (2004 turnover: 330m euros, profit: 7.5m euros). Posten intends to pay over 190m euros for the company, which specialises in printed forms and comprehensive information transfer solutions.
Last week every Belgian household received a letter from La Poste. With the help of the letter, CEO Johnny Thijs aims to calm all those customers who fear that pending changes to the post's company structure will lead to poorer service performance.
The string of bad news in connection with Osterreichische Poses planned IPO continues. Last Thursday an Austrian mail market expert established that the post's increase in result in 2005 was due chiefly to drastic job-cutting measures. Last Friday, Austria's Supreme Court ruled that the post had abused its market dominating position in the field of newspaper distribution.
A spokesperson for the Hungarian oppositional party MDF (Magyar Democratic Forum) has made a declaration in favour of part privatisation of state enterprises.
The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News.
March 22, 2006 -- According to The Register, "The organization which runs the bar code systems has backed the extension of EU privacy rules to cover RFID technologies."
March 22, 2006 -- According to the Asian Journal, "UNITED Parcel Service or UPS Philippines is hoping to further grow its intra-Asia hub in the country depending on the growth of UPS's Shanghai operations as well as securing an additional port in Nagoya, Japan."
March 22, 2006 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "At the beginning of this year, Britain ended the Royal Mail's 370-year-old monopoly on letter delivery, becoming the fourth and largest European economy to embrace an open postal market. Many European governments, though, are dragging their feet on postal liberalization, despite an EU directive calling for members to open the industry to competition by 2009. The laggards are not doing their citizens any favors. Opening up industries to competition, whether they are state-run monopolies or close-knit oligarchies, tends to benefit consumers."
March 22, 2006 -- The Mirror has reported that "POSTAL deliveries should be opened up to competition, an official report recommended yesterday. This would be the best way to improve the service described in some areas as "chaotic", it said. At present Royal Mail is regulated by Postcomm. But the National Audit Office said investigations by the watchdog often became bogged down. NAO head Sir John Bourn said: "Competition is a less costly and burdensome way of protecting consumers." Royal Mail said: "We agree with the thrust of the report urging less regulation." See also InTheNews.co.uk
March 22, 2006 -- WCBSTV has reported that "There were less than a hundred, walking the picket line. But they were loud: "Hell no, we won't go!" Black, white, Latino, male and female. Some in their 20s. Many in their 50s. About three-fourths, by my unscientific estimate, were postal workers. The rest were folks from the Bronx, who use the post office. They were marching in the cold at the landmark building that stands like a fortress on the Grand Concourse and 149th. The Bronx General Post Office. And they were there because, they say, a study that's being done by the Postal Service on efficiency is really a done deal, aimed at closing three facilities that process mail in the Bronx."
March 21, 2006 -- According to Les Echos, "La Poste, the French postal service operator, was found guilty of misleading advertising by the commercial court of Paris on February 10 and has been ordered to pay around 50,000 euros in damages in total. The advertising related to Benefic, a fund in which 300,000 customers invested in 1999 and 2000."
March 21, 2006 -- The Associated Press has reported that "Deutsche Post AG said Tuesday it will sell a courier company that it acquired when it took over British rival Exel PLC last year."
March 21, 2006 -- WCAX-TV has reported that "He's cleared for combat duty with the U-S military but not fit enough to deliver the U-S mail. Jason Lyon of Hamburg, near Buffalo, has been turned down for a postal carrier job because of the ankle injury he suffered after jumping off an Army Humvee while serving with the Army in Baghdad two years ago. After a few weeks, military doctors certified the 28-year-old sergeant physically fit and he returned to combat duty. Lyon was later wounded by a roadside bomb that killed three of his comrades. A doctor for the U-S Postal Service ruled that Lyon's ankle injury makes him unfit to be hired as a mail carrier. The doctor said the injury would make it difficult for the National Guardsman to walk or stand for long periods of time. Post office officials say Lyon could still seek a job as a mail clerk or custodian."
March 21, 2006 -- The USPS has published a sources sought notice through FBO seeking information on available technology and supply sources that can provide a "Track & Trace Scanner (TATS)" solution to read and process special services (e.g., Delivery Confirmation/Signature Confirmation) barcodes on its SPBS equipment. PostCom suggests that parcel mailers review the barcode specifications the USPS is considering for this technology enhancement. Please forward any questions or concerns to Kathy Siviter at kathys@postalconsulting.com. The USPS in its notice includes specifications as to the barcode symbologies, parcel sizes, read rate requirements, accuracy levels, and more. The USPS will use the information gained from the notice to prequalify sources for a competitive product evaluation at the USPS and the opportunity to submit a proposal. Interested vendors must respond to the USPS solicitation for information by March 31, 2006. A copy of the full announcement can be seen on the FBO web site at http://www.fbo.gov/spg/USPS/SSP/APHQ/Reference%2DNumber%2D030706/SynopsisR.html.
March 21, 2006 -- The Postal Rate Commission has issued a recommended decision in the matter of Docket No. MC2006-2 concerning repositionable notes. And in the matter of the Bookspan NSA???
March 21, 2006 -- The National Association of Major Mail Users has told its members that:
NAMMU members and their business interests are well represented by the Quebec City chapter and Montreal chapter membership and their national Board directors. They have presented and continue to present any significant drawbacks from the user perspective through these chapters, and where possible, describe positive alternatives. Without interfering in the sensitive discussions between Canada Post and its employees on this topic, NAMMU has nevertheless introduced the business stakeholder perspective to the equation.
NAMMU has every reason to believe the Corporation and its employees have the business maturity to resolve these difficulties in a constructive and appropriate forum. The credibility of the mail channel with the public as a stable, viable communication medium is at stake, as are all our livelihoods. Together, we need to tell the positive story about the mail channel, work together to increase volumes and attract new customers to this vital medium. Today we have invited the parties to consider the significant business risk of continued media involvement, and emphasized the potential for a more positive outcome possibly lies in direct discussion and negotiation. Members with additional questions/comments are welcome to contact the NAMMU executive: executive@nammu.org
March 21, 2006 -- The Philippine Daily Inquirer has reported that "A Japan-based company is set to infuse P3.3 billion into state-owned Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost) to help modernize postal services in the country."
March 21, 2006 -- The PostalNewsBlog has quoted one APWU official as saying: "The United States Postal Service is reducing service to many communities by consolidating mail canceling and sorting operations into just a few large hubs. The proposal to discontinue canceling mail in Olympia, and to move many mail operations to Tacoma on April 3rd, is part of a larger national restructuring where as many as 250 mail processing facilities may be closed and consolidated. These consolidation plans will benefit the big mailers at the expense of citizens, non-profit organizations, small businesses, and businesses of any size that require fast mail service to and from their customers." How did "big mailers" get to be the enemy in all of this???
March 21, 2006 -- NY1 News has reported that "Bronx mail could be rerouted to Manhattan after a U.S. Postal Service study, but union members say the study is flawed. The consolidation study could result in mail from major Bronx distribution and processing centers, including the one at the main Bronx post office on the Grand Concourse, being sent to Morgan Station in Manhattan for sorting, then trucked back to customers in the Bronx."
March 21, 2006 -- The Irish Independent has reported that "A REFUSAL to allow a 12c increase on the price of a stamp could lead to €70m losses for An Post in four years time, it has been claimed. Communications Regulator ComReg's block on a stamp price hike from 48c to 60c for a standard letter threatens the financial recovery of An Post, the High Court has heard. The High Court yesterday granted An Post leave to challenge the regulator's decision. ComReg has effectively imposed a price freeze on the obligatory and loss-making letter post service of An Post, a company which is at risk and whose entire recovery plan is dependent on a price increase."
March 21, 2006 -- According to the Montgomery Advertiser, "In small, rural towns like Emelle in Sumter County, the post office is more than a place to retrieve mail. It's often the heart of the community. And the postmasters are much more than government employees. "The main social function of small town post offices is as a social gathering point," said Conner Bailey, professor of rural sociology at Auburn University. "People come to pick up their mail, talk with friends and the postmaster and exchange information. It's kind of like sitting around the cracker barrel in the country store."
March 21, 2006 -- As New Orleans City Business put it, "To say we have ongoing issues with mail delivery is a huge understatement. The storm didn't make us miss any print cycles but the lack of a working postal system has interrupted service for way too many readers. We had no choice but to expand our coverage to the Internet and through e-mail updates. The complementary, electronic distribution enabled us to deliver business news to our readers in spite of the obstacles presented by the U.S. Postal Service."
March 21, 2006 -- The New York Daily News has reported that "The newspaper industry has been kicked around for a long time and it's not going to take it anymore. Starting today, the trade group Newspaper Association of America will fight back with an ad campaign valued at $50 million. Retro-looking print ads will run today in 700 daily newspapers and in trade magazines, such as Advertising Age and online. The campaign tagline reads: "Newspaper advertising, a destination, not a distraction." The campaign marks an aggressive effort to promote newspapers to advertisers in the face of declining circulation and shrinking market share." So, what are those whose livelihoods are tied to mail-based advertising willing to spend?
March 21, 2006 -- The Atlanta Business Journal has reported that "United Parcel Service Inc.'s profit went up 16 percent in 2005, but executive bonuses were lower due to a shift from immediate compensation to long-term compensation for annual bonuses, according to a proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Half of the annual bonus the Atlanta-based package shipper awards is now paid in restricted stock units that vest over a five-year period, UPS said. UPS Chairman and CEO Mike Eskew made a base salary of $979,500 and a bonus of $229,100, plus other compensation of $13,537, for $1.22 million in total compensation in 2005. This marks an 11 percent drop over the $1.37 million in compensation he got in 2004. However, his base salary rose 5.6 percent compared with his base salary of $927,500 in 2004. Eskew's bonus in 2004 was $435,000. Eskew's long-term compensation awards (restricted stock units and restricted performance units) jumped to $1.25 million in 2005, compared with $973,680 in 2004. He also received options for 34,993 shares."
March 21, 2006 -- Reporter.gr has reported that "The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCTI) puts up for sale the technical requirements for the investment banks shortlisted for consultant in the restructuring of the Romanian Post, declared Minister of Communications and Information Technology Zsolt Nagy, ACT Media news agency reports."
March 21, 2006 -- Ireland Online has reported that "The High Court has allowed An Post to seek a Judicial Review of a refusal by ComReg to increase the price for standard domestic letter stamp. An Post's application to raise price from 48 cent to 60 cent was dismissed and the company is now asking the High Court to quash ComReg's decision and to order it to approve the price increase. An Post has predicted losses in excess of €20m in 2006 following the ComReg decision not to allow the hike." See also the Irish Examiner
March 21, 2006 -- The Association for Postal Commerce welcomes its newest members:
Campbell-Ewald, 30400 Van Dyke Avenue Warren, MI 48093-2316, represented by Anthony J. Hopp Chairman, CEO Campbell-Ewald is the Postal Service's advertising agency of record. (Thanks to David Hendel, Wickwire-Gavin, for introducting this company to PostCom.)
CognitiveDATA, Inc., 900 s. Shackleford Road, Ste. 610 Little Rock, AR 72211-3898, represented by Rodney A. Ford CEO. CognitiveDATA is the thought leader of data quality technology, focusing on building response driven solutions taht enable direct marketers to optimize marketing expenditures. (Thanks to Bob Gillen, Acxiom, for introducting this company to PostCom.)
March 20, 2006 -- PaperandPrint.com has reported that "The Logistics World Alliance (LWA), launched at SITL in Paris, unites five of Europe's major logistics companies, who will offer intelligent and integrated approaches to international supply chains. The UK is represented by Bibby Distribution, with the other partners from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal. The companies in the alliance are Bibby Distribution (UK), Azkar (Spain and Portugal), Bartolini (Italy), MGF Logistique (France) and the Rhenus group (Germany)."
March 20, 2006 -- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has reported that "German postal services provider Deutsche Post has been given approval by the European Commission to take over Williams Lea, the UK business services company. The Commission said that the takeover, which was announced one month ago, did not present any problems."
March 20, 2006 -- According to DMNews, "News that third-party logistics provider APX Logistics had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection left parcel consolidators scrambling to sign up clients."
March 20, 2006 -- FedBizOpps.gov has noted that "The United States Postal Service is seeking information from suppliers with capabilities to implement and manage Janitorial Services in U. S. Postal Service facilities for as many as 48 states (does not include Hawaii or Alaska). The INITIAL need will be for custodial services in the states of Illinois, California, and Texas, although near future needs for custodial services could include as many as 2,500 postal facilities or more in the 48 states. Distant future needs may include additional locations for cleaning, landscape, snow removal and misc. building services." Kudos to PostalNews.com for catching this one.
March 20, 2006 -- The Financial Express has reported that "The department of post, for a change, will play the role of match-maker. To begin with, in the Maharashtra circle, the department proposes to join hands with online marriage portals, including shaadi.com for this purpose. AP Shrivastava, the post master general of the Maharashtra circle, told FE that the department proposes to collect photographs and details of prospective brides and bridegrooms and upload the information with the marriage portal."
March 20, 2006 -- AMEInfo has reported that "Empost, the UAE's national courier company, has entered into a strategic partnership with National Bonds Corporation (NBC), the national saving scheme for the UAE. Empost will be the official courier service provider for NBC."
March 20, 2006 -- According to the Associated Press, "If you ever pick up a magazine, you already know the work of Brown Printing. For half a century, the Waseca company has printed catalogs and magazines from Time to the New England Journal of Medicine. Now the big plant, along Highway 14 on the west side of the city, is getting bigger as the company puts $56 million into expansion and new equipment."
March 20, 2006 -- The Express and Star has reported that "Internet retailers today warned they would refuse to deliver to areas where packages regularly go missing, as it emerged Wolverhampton is in a national top 10 of the most unreliable postcode areas. Web sellers are currently compiling a list of the biggest hotspots in the country for lost or stolen mail in a bid to combat theft. Online shopping is expected to grow by some £7 billion this year alone. But the increased num-ber of purchases on the web inevitably leads to a higher number of items in the postal system, which are vulnerable to opportunist thieves and organised gangs."
March 20, 2006 -- According to the DM Bulletin, "Royal Mail has said it is 'minded to accept' the 2006-2010 price control proposals from Postcomm and expects to inform customers next week of pricing changes in early April. Its acceptance depends on it reaching agreement with Postcomm on the formal amendment to its licence, according to a statement issued by the company. A Postcomm spokesman was unavailable to provide a reaction at the time of publication. If it accepts, the agreement is subject to 28 days' statutory consultation before the changes can be incorporated into Royal Mail's licence and take legal effect. The changes can be backdated to April 3 once the 28 days are over."
March 19, 2006 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's biggest postal service, expects the loss of its domestic mail monopoly in 2008 won't reduce the company's total profit, mail division chief Hans-Dieter Petram told Focus."
March 19, 2006 -- The IT Wire has reported that "Australian electronic document delivery specialist, ConnXion Limited, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Singaporean postal services provider, Singapore Post (SingPost). Under the MOU, which was formalised this week, SingPost will operate the hosted service for electronic email, fax and postal delivery of business documents such as invoices, statements and reports to its customers in Singapore and across Asia, using ConnXion's technology. The service aims to give SingPost's customers a seamless option for both paper and electronic document delivery."
March 19, 2006 -- According to the Transport News Network, "Newspaper distribution has been given a boost as the latest fleet upgrade of TNT Newsfast has just been completed with vehicles equipped with technology to keep everyone informed within the time conscious delivery chain."
March 19, 2006 -- ITP Technology has reported that "Q-Post, Qatar's postal service, is examining an ambitious plan to provide information on incoming and outgoing mail to other postal services over an extranet portal. Executives said the implementation of the system will lead to both significant time and cost savings. The portal will be one of two Q-Post is planning to create, with the other being an intranet to allow company management better access to financial data."
March 19, 2006 -- The Tri-City News has reported that "Coquitlam RCMP aren't saying whether an organized crime ring is responsible for the huge cache of stolen goods — including weapons, keys, mail and pieces of ID — recovered from a Port Coquitlam home recently. And at a police press conference Friday, Canada Post's Robert Taylor dodged questions about whether the thefts were an inside job aided by a postal service employee. Canada Post uniforms and mailbox keys were among the stolen items recovered, leading some to question the integrity of the postal system."
March 19, 2006 -- The Jerusalem Post has reported that "Tel Aviv District Court president Judge Yehuda Zaft rejected Thursday the striking postal agents' request to cancel a temporary restraining order against them. The judge said that the postal contractors, who are not Israel Postal Company employees, must return to work immediately and return mail, cash and equipment that they had taken to protest against what they called the "unfair" cancellation of contracts in Bnei Brak and Tel Aviv."
March 18, 2006 -- The Financial Times has reported that "Royal Mail said yesterday it was "minded to accept" the final version of a four-year price control to 2010 that was proposed by its regulator this week. The state-owned postal operator said it would inform customers next week of price changes taking effect next month. The move represents a softening of the negotiating stance adopted by Royal Mail, which had earlier signalled it would reject the price control unless the government first agreed to its request for £2bn of state money. Negotiations with ministers over this funding are still continuing."
March 18, 2006 -- Forbes has reported that "The global airfreight business is returning to the growth that sustained the industry before the bottom fell out during the dot-com bubble of 2000 and the impact of Sept. 11, 2001. The watchword is no longer "west," but "global."
March 18, 2006 -- Kuensel Online has reported that "Six remote gewogs of Lunana, Shingkhar Lauri, Merak, Laya, Menjiwong and Serthi have been connected to the rest of the country using VSAT terminals. The VSAT/e-post project jointly implemented by the International Telecommunications Union, Universal Postal Union, the government of India, and the government will be formally launched on Monday, March 20."
March 18, 2006 -- The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
March 17, 2006 -- In
a letter to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chairman Susan Collins, the leadership of all the postal employee organizations asked the senator and her conference colleagues to: (1) repeal the CSRS escrow fund, (2) return the Postal Service's military retirement obligation back to the Treasury, (3) adopt the looser House language that permits the Postal Service to exceed the inflation-based rate cap, and (4) adopt the Senate language that would permit the USPS to "bank" unused rate setting authority.
March 17, 2006 -- From Canada NewsWire: "Canada Post responded today to a recent media campaign by its largest union, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), by suggesting it rename its "Operation Transparency" campaign "Operation Honesty" and be honest about Canada Post's communications efforts as they relate to the Quebec City Letter Processing Plant."
March 17, 2006 -- Hawaii has introduced 3 resolutions (HCR 310, HR 244, and SCR 228) urging the U.S. Congress to approve legislation requiring the US Postal Service to provide mail recipients the option of being included on a list of those not wishing to receive any unsolicited commercial mail. So, where are all the catalogers? And why aren't they up in arms? Many don't consider themselves in the "postal business," and if these sorts of resolutions get legs in Congress...they won't be.
March 17, 2006 -- During the week of March 20, over 1,000 postmasters will ascend Capitol Hill to urge Congress to support postal reform, which safeguards postal services for all Americans and ensures a viable U.S. Postal Service. The effort is being promoted by the 41,000-member National Association of Postmasters of the United States (NAPUS). The conference will include an address by senior House Ways and Means member Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and a joint appearance by key congressional postal staff members at a legislative rally at the Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel, in Arlington, on Wednesday morning, March 22. Among the dignitaries who will address the Monday, March 20 General Session are Postmaster General John Potter, Chairman of Postal Board of Governors James Miller, and former Chairman of the Postal Rate Commission Edward Gleiman.
March 17, 2006 -- As the New York Times has noted, "While etiquette books still extol the practice, and no one denies that finding a handwritten letter amid the bills and solicitations is — well, practically heart-thumping — the reality is that the coming generation communicates almost exclusively by cellphone and e-mail, text or instant messages. It is not far-fetched to predict that today's young people, after the low-tech summer-camp years are over, may never again in their lives put pen to paper to write a personal letter. While there are pockets of revival where thank-you notes are alive and well, the Postal Service acknowledges that the personal letter appears to be going the way of the telegram."
March 17, 2006 -- The Postal Rate Commission has posted on its site the Postal Service's Periodic Reports/Data Reports for Docket No. IM2006-1. Among the documents
posted:
March 17, 2006 -- The Liberian Daily Observer has reported that "Several officials and employees of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications are currently being investigated for their alleged involvement in mail theft. Several packages of mail have allegedly been stolen."
March 17, 2006 -- According to the BBC Monitoring Service, "Western Union Financial Services Inc, a worldwide leader in money transfer services, and Vanuatu Post have signed an agreement to offer the Western Union Money Transfer service in Vanuatu."
March 17, 2006 -- The Irish Times has reported that "The communications regulator ComReg has asked An Post for a report on the lack of postal deliveries in parts of south Co Dublin over the past weeks."
March 17, 2006 -- Air Cargo World has reported that "APX Logistics, the country's largest parcel consolidator, ceased operations on Thursday and the United States Postal Service was moving to take on large numbers of shipments caught in transit. Officials at APX, a California-based provider that claims $700 million in annual revenue, gave no reason for the shutdown. One senior executive said majority owner Heritage Partners had decided the business should file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Calls to Heritage, a private equity firm in Boston, were not immediately returned. Heritage formed APX in 2004 when it acquired the small package division of RR Donnelley Logistics and combined it with American Package Express."
March 17, 2006 -- The Belfast Telegraph has reported that "The Royal Mail in Northern Ireland is experiencing turbulent times with postal competition hotting up and ongoing threats of industrial action, a watchdog warned today. The independent regulator for the postal market, Postcomm, said the past few months - which witnessed major postal disruption in Belfast following an unofficial walkout - had affected the delivery of mail. However, Postcomm chairman, Nigel Stapleton, told the Belfast Telegraph that the problems facing the company were just a "