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Postal News from September 2006:
September 30, 2006 -- The Washington Post has reported that "U.S. accounting rule makers yesterday adopted a standard that will force companies to disclose the future costs of retirement benefits on their balance sheets, wiping out billions of dollars of net worth. The new rule from the Financial Accounting Standards Board takes effect in December and is designed to give investors a more complete picture of the obligations on a company's balance sheet. Until now, companies listed the cost of retirement benefits in the footnotes of their financial statements. Now, an unfunded benefit will be treated as a liability and an overfunded benefit will become an asset on the balance sheet. Under the changes, companies may no longer delay recognition of pension and retiree medical plan investment gains and losses by spreading them out over several years, as is now permitted. This practice has been referred to as "smoothing."
[What this means is that the Postal Service's entire retirement-related liability must now show up on its books. Bad news for ratepayers. Enactment of postal reform would have put the Postal Service on the right path of ensuring that all unfunded liabilities would be covered on a timely and predictable basis, and would have ended the escrow that provides Congress and the Administration with a wad of cash worth raiding for something other than the payment of postal retirement obligations.]
September 30, 2006 -- The Bozeman Daily Chronicle has reported that "Bozeman's mail could be headed for a slow down - depending on whom you ask. The American Postal Workers Union this week issued a press release stating that the United States Postal Service is considering a move that could delay mail headed from Helena to Bozeman by as much as a week. The USPS, headquartered in Washington, D.C., might move some of its mail-processing operations from Helena to Great Falls."
September 30, 2006 -- As Multichannel Merchant has noted, "With the fall mailing season under way, paper prices appear to be holding steady — a relief for catalogers after a series of increases earlier this year. Good news, right? But don't get too complacent....The postage increase scheduled for next year is more likely to reduce demand."
September 30, 2006 -- It has been learned that last ditch efforts to secure enactment of postal reform have failed. Reportedly, some with the postal employee sector (National Association of Letter Carriers) and Rep. Waxman could not be convinced to lend their support, and time simply ran out.
[Quick, here's a quiz. Name the one member of Congress who is most responsible for the creation of the escrow that will bleed mailers dry. Send your answer to info@postcom.org, and we'll tell you if you got it right.]
Items posted previously as the postal reform chess match was still in play:
* PostCom has learned that UPS has said it will not stand in the way of the enactment of postal reform. While it still has concerns regarding the classification of single-piece parcels as a market-dominant rather than a competitive service, it said it will not impede enactment.
* As negotiations continue on postal reform legislation, a debate over Parcel Post rates continues to undermine a final agreement on postal reform legislation. Despite efforts to forge a compromise, United Parcel Service (UPS) continues to block a final agreement by holding out for a provision in the bill that could result in an increase of up to 40 percent in single-piece Parcel Post rates. DMA urged its members to contact UPS leadership and express their concerns. More information is available online at www.the-dma.org/postal.
September 30, 2006 -- The Gothamist has reported that "You might envy the charm of brownstone life, but apparently one pitfall is that the some mail carriers don't like to deliver the mail to them. The NY Sun examines the situation after some Brooklyn residents realized their mail wasn't coming. Mail carriers feel stoops are dangerous especially in winter weather, and lately some residents' mail has been "rained upon, blown away, and destroyed."
September 30, 2006 -- The latest issue of the
PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
September 29, 2006 -- Traffic World has reported that:
September 29, 2006 -- According to the Journal of Commerce, "Dutch mail and logistics company TNT has become the subject of renewed takeover speculation after the European Union's highest court ruled that the Netherlands is breaking the law in owning a "golden share" in the global mail and express delivery company."
September 29, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "Dutch mail firm TNT's shareholders approved on Friday the 1.48 billion euros ($1.88 billion) sale of its underperforming logistics business to U.S.-based private equity fund Apollo Management."
September 29, 2006 -- The Helena Independent Record has reported that "Postal workers are trying to raise public awareness of a U.S. Postal Service study that may shift some Helena mail operations to Great Falls. They will picket, distribute leaflets and hold a press conference Wednesday in opposition to the proposed consolidation."
September 29, 2006 -- The U.S. Postal Service has awarded air transportation contracts to seven passenger airlines effective Sept. 30, 2006. Those awarded contracts are: American Airlines, Dallas, TX; American Trans Air, Indianapolis, IN; Continental Airlines, Houston, TX; JetBlue Airways, Queens, NY; Midwest Airlines, Milwaukee, WI; Sun Country Airlines, Minneapolis, MN; and US Airways, Washington, DC. The agreements contain on-time delivery requirements and performance standards established in 2003 as part of the Postal Service’s previous three-year commercial air contract.
September 29, 2006 -- Postcomm, the independent postal services regulator (U.K.), is seeking views on Royal Mail's proposal to limit what can be sent through its Special Delivery Next Day service and be covered by its compensation arrangements. Royal Mail would like to: exclude valuable items, such as cash and jewellery from the service; reduce the additional levels of compensation that customers can buy, from a maximum £2,500 to the standard £500; and introduce a separate Special Delivery High Value service which would allow customers to post items of value and to claim compensation for lost or damaged high value items. It argues that it needs to make these changes in order to help ensure its staff are safer when delivering high value items.
September 29, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL Express in Switzerland has begun the development of its largest and most modern distribution centre. In addition to handling parcels and managing transport operations, the Swiss express operator will also manage its commercial activities and marketing from the facility through a complex of offices which can accomodate 420 employees."
September 29, 2006 -- Caribbean Net News has reported that "British Virgin Islands Finance Minister Ronnie Skelton speaking in last week's sitting of the Legislative Council said that the adoption of a postal code system will lead to more efficient mail service and will open doors for accessibility of mail to residents of the BVI. “By adopting postal codes, the postal service of the BVI will become more effective and efficient,” Minister Skelton said. “It will mean that the delivery of international mail to the Territory will be greatly improved, and that our citizens and residents will be able to more easily engage in on-line and mail-order shopping.”
September 29, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "Stamps, stickers, Curious George and competition proved to be a winning combination for the U.S. Postal Service, as national children's and professional organizations recently honored two children's games created through the USPS Licensing Program. "Patriot Challenge," a Parents' Choice Recommended award winner, recently was selected as 2006 Toy of the Year by Creative Child magazine. It previously had been named a 2004 Parent's Choice recommended award, a Best of 2004 educational product by Scholastic's Instructor magazine and was endorsed by the National Grandparents Day Council. "Curious George Wonders" a sticker/adventure book, was recognized as best in category for creative content and printing by the Printing Industries of America."
September 29, 2006 -- According to IrishDev, "The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the National Regulatory Authority for the postal industry in Ireland, today published the results of its independent second quarterly report on the Quality of Service performance of An Post." See also Irish Times.
September 29, 2006 -- Irish Times has reported that "Absence of a national post code makes the consumer side of the package delivery industry problematic. The growing number of consumers ordering goods online is proving to be a double-edged sword for parcel delivery firms. Yes - there are plenty of parcels to be delivered, but misleading private addresses and the proliferation of apartment blocks have turned this task into a logistical nightmare."
September 29, 2006 -- the Financial Times has reported that "Europe's market for postal services will be thrown open to unfettered competition from 2009, according to proposals to be presented by the European Commission as early as next month. Brussels is keen to sweep away the last remnants of an era in which postal services were dominated by state-owned monopolies, and complete the market's transformation into a competitive service sector. The Commission also hopes that full postal liberalisation will lead to lower costs for consumers and businesses." See also Euro2Day.
September 29, 2006 -- It has been reported that efforts to secure enactment of postal reform last night failed. Reportedly, disagreements over the disposition of single-piece parcels were insurmountable.
September 29, 2006 -- The American Postal Workers Union has told its members that "In accordance with a resolution adopted by delegates to the union’s 18th Biennial Convention, the APWU National Executive Board has selected Oct. 26 for a nationwide day of picketing to protest ill-advised postal consolidations. The coordinated informational picketing is intended to highlight the potentially damaging effects of the USPS consolidation plan, and to expose how Postal Service policy panders to major mailers. The Oct. 26 date was selected to give local unions the opportunity to seek support from elected officials and candidates prior to Election Day, Nov. 7."
September 29, 2006 -- The Atlanta Business Chronicle has reported that "Pitney Bowes Government Solutions will manage the U.S. Postal Service's Surface Transfer Center in Atlanta. The subsidiary of Stamford, Conn.-based Pitney Bowes Inc. said the federal contract is for four years, with two, two-year options. The potential revenue over the eight-year term is expected to be more than $53 million. Pitney Bowes will provide mail handling and sorting services, and run the overall management and operation of the Atlanta terminal, which has annual volume of 26 million mail trays, tubs and pouches."
September 29, 2006 -- Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "TNT, the Dutch mail and parcel delivery service provider, is aiming for a 10 per cent share of the German light mail delivery market by 2012, together with turnover of around 1bn euros. The German postal market is to be fully deregulated with effect from the end of 2007, when the country's former monopolist Deutsche Post will lose its remaining monopoly, in the area of light mail."
September 29, 2006 -- According to Le Monde, "In the next two weeks, the European Commission is expected to request that the French government withdraw the unlimited guarantee that it affords La Poste, which enables the national postal group to borrow."
September 29, 2006 -- The International Herald Tribune has reported that "Europe's highest court gave fresh ammunition Thursday to European Union regulators to clear away barriers to cross-border mergers, amid a wave of protectionist sentiment in countries like Germany, France and Italy. The European Commission immediately issued a new warning to EU capitals to give up the veto rights some of them hold in strategic companies, meant to shield them from unwanted - usually foreign - suitors. Judges at the European Court of Justice told the Netherlands on Thursday to give up the privileged minority stakes - so-called golden shares - in the telephone company KPN and the freight and postal company TPG."
September 28, 2006 -- The Jackson Clarion-Ledger has reported that "Local activists say talks between the U.S. Postal Service over the removal of about 250 mailboxes in the Washington Addition and Alta Woods neighborhoods have broken down. In July, postal officials acknowledged that several south Jackson homeowners had their service switched from home delivery to curbside mailboxes without their permission. The Mississippi chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now said the program targeted poor, minority-populated areas of the city, putting them at greater risk of identity theft and stolen mail. Also, in response to constituent complaints, the Jackson City Council passed a resolution opposing efforts to convert more neighborhoods to curbside delivery."
September 28, 2006 -- Multichannel Merchant has reported that "Any impending postal rate increase has catalogers scrambling for ways to minimize the financial hit, from reducing page counts and printing on lighter paper to cutting back on prospecting and looking into cost-savings strategies such as comailing and cobinding."
September 28, 2006 -- The Irish Independent has reported that "THE Government gave the go-ahead yesterday for An Post to offer banking services. In a joint venture with one of Europe's biggest finance houses, Fortis, the company will offer a wide range of services, including insurance, mortgages and credit cards."
September 28, 2006 -- As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has noted, "The mail recovery center once went by the more romantic-sounding name: Dead Letter Office. But that title, which dates from 1825, was dropped in 1994 because it gave the impression that postal employees weren't doing their darndest to deliver the mail. The mail recovery center's work still involves letters, but they don't go to auction. Only parcels do. Would-be bidders are allowed to inspect the lots of merchandise for 60 or 90 minutes before the auction. After that, the room is closed and guarded by two uniformed police officers as the auction unfolds. "You've got to have a little gambling in your blood to do it," added Jill Parker of Villa Rica, a regular bidder who on this day bought 80 pounds of children's DVDs, CDs and VHS tapes for $4,000."
September 28, 2006 -- Bloomberg has reported that "The European Union's highest court struck a blow against state control of former monopolies by ruling that the Dutch government's veto powers over TNT NV and Royal KPN NV are illegal."
September 28, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has reported:
September 28, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "As negotiations continue in developing a conference agreement on postal reform legislation, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is calling on members of the House and Senate to make sure final legislation is passed before the 109th Congress adjourns."
September 28, 2006 -- Here's a piece on "How Telcos Can Offset Postal Rate Increases" published at Xchange Online.
September 27, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42749) has announced the addition of Kuehne & Nagel: Logistics Profile 2006 to their offering. The Logistics 2006 Profiler series analyses the top competitors in the logistics sector, encompassing market shares, strategy, operations and financials. All of the areas covered in the profile are then consolidated into our unique Global Scorecard, as well as a detailed SWOT analysis and our view, which analyses the future outlook for the company."
September 27, 2006 -- Media Buyer Planner has reported that "The overall number of new magazines launching in 2006 is expected to plummet 17 percent from last year, marking the first decrease since 2001, predicts Samir Husni, a University of Mississippi journalism professor who tracks the industry, according to New York Business. The reason for the change stems from the internet, which is drawing readers away from print in dramatic fashion this year. Print is also seeing a flat advertising market, as well as increased prices in subscriber acquisition, production and postal prices. [They got THAT right.]
September 27, 2006 -- Editor's Note: We've been told that every time PostCom's President predicts the demise of postal reform, the reform measures get some legs. So...here is our last prediction: Postal reform is dead!...Now THAT ought to be enough to ENSURE enactment before Congress adjourns sine die.
September 27, 2006 -- According to PC Magazine's John Dvorak, "it's not just commercial shortwave that is over. Commercial radio itself is under the gun. It's no coincidence that the shortwave era is ending with the advent of podcasting. Podcasting is a much bigger threat to normal radio than it is to shortwave. In fact, radio is being assailed from every angle you can imagine."
September 27, 2006 -- KCCI.com has reported that "Pizza and Ice Cream Land will soon be the post office in Diamond City. The pizza place has won a contract from the U.S. Postal Service. It won't be a full-service post office, but will have mail boxes and other services. Residents of the north Arkansas town will soon be able to buy a roll of stamps and large pizza to go, all in one stop." [Let's hope the delivery of mail will be as timely as delivery of the pizza.]
September 27, 2006 -- The Jasper Newsboy has asked "What's that in your mailbox? Is it a "masquer-ad"? One story goes like this: The buyer was livid. He had received in his office mail a page ripped from a magazine with an article touting a book on public speaking. Ordinarily, he would have thrown the article away -but this one had one of those familiar yellow "stickies" attached, addressed to him by name. "Try this. It's really good!" the handwritten note said, with the signature "J." "J" happened to be the first initial of his supervisor's name, so the employee promptly ordered the materials, forking over almost $300 for what he assumed to be "obligatory" professional reading."
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September 27, 2006 -- Here are two hot ones. The President intends to nominate Thurgood Marshall, Jr. as Governor of the U.S. Postal Service, and . . . thru the grapevine . . . former House and Senate staffer, and current Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management Dan Blair as Chairman of the Postal Rate Commission.
September 27, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
The EU Commission has authorised ten-digit subsidies for Poste Italiane. At the same time, the Commission launched a subsidy inquiry into the relatively high interest rates which the post has received since last year on its deposits with the Italian Treasury.
The Argentinian government has postponed the date of the auction of Cor- reo Oficial de la Republica Argentina S.A. According to Tuesdays press reports, 31 July 2007 has been set as the new date.
Japan's new Prime Minister is set to stay on the postal market reform path.
Ceske Posta should be sold to a strategic partner rather than transformed into a public limited company, according to IT Minister Ivan Langer.
Morocco is opening its biggest public companies to private investors and intends to privatise the post as part of the scheme.
The sale of Swedish airline Falcon Air last February is casting a shadow over Posten AB. Based in Malmo, the airline had worked mainly for the post.
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.
September 27, 2006 -- EUFA has reported that "Österreichische Post AG (the Austrian Post Office) has signed an agreement to become a National Supporter of UEFA EURO 2008™. The agreement includes a licence to issue and market stamps and any other philatelic products in conjunction with the final tournament in Austria and Switzerland in two summers' time."
September 27, 2006 -- As the Wall Street Journal has noted, "The health-care premiums of employers and their workers have climbed twice as fast as wages and inflation in 2006 -- to nearly double their cost in 2000 -- and they look to rise at a similar clip next year, two nationwide surveys show. That said, the pace of increase is about half what it was just a few years ago."
September 27, 2006 -- "Complaints that 1c stamps to top up 7c stamps, since the postal tariff increase, are not readily available have been quashed by Maltapost, which told The Times retail outlets were being provided with adequate stocks."
September 27, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that "Royal Mail has announced a shake-up of its operations in Northampton and Coventry as part of a £70m investment. It is planning a new combined mail centre for the two places, likely to be in the Northamptonshire area, to replace the two existing sites. Two new localised sorting offices in Coventry would replace the facility at Bishop Street in the city. Royal Mail said any job losses "will be through natural wastage and without the need for redundancy".
September 27, 2006 -- "Royal Mail Group, one of the UK's largest consumers of transport services with a fleet of some 30,000 vehicles today published its third annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report for 2005-2006, in which the organisation continues to give a high priority to minimising harmful emissions and reports on its ongoing programme of reducing its CO2 greenhouse gas pollution levels and fossil fuel consumption. However the environmental record of Royal Mail is not as good as it seems says the Communication Workers Union in their comments on the report!"
September 27, 2006 -- IrishDev News has reported that "The Commission for Communications Regulation has today published its consultation paper on access points for Bulk Mail services. This consultation paper specifically concerns bulk mail access to the postal network."
September 27, 2006 -- From PR Web: "Document Command, Inc., the company that invented Remote Control Mail™, the world’s first fully online service for management of postal mail, disclosed today unprecedented data about the behavior of postal mail recipients. Advances in Internet and television technology had previously enabled companies to track consumer behavior among users of the Internet and services like TiVo, but until today no equivalent data was available to describe the on-the-spot decisions of people who receive postal mail. Remote Control Mail’s online postal mail service allows users, such as corporate employees or people who would otherwise use an offline mail forwarding or P.O. Box service, to have selected mail sent instead to addresses provided by Document Command."
September 27, 2006 -- According to the Hartford Courant, "Postmaster General John E. Potter is right about one thing: His agency's former public affairs chief, Azeezaly S. Jaffer, has left quite a legacy. In June, the U.S. Postal Service's inspector general issued a report accusing Mr. Jaffer of, among other things, drinking so much at a work-related function that he passed out, charging the agency for exorbitant dinners and hotel bills, and sexually harassing a female employee. For the record, Mr. Jaffer's lawyers deny, deny, deny. Mr. Jaffer's summer vacation may have been the last straw, however. Shortly after the inspector general released its report, Mr. Jaffer took a two-month paid vacation until Sept. 1. (His lawyer says Mr. Jaffer is in line for two more months' paid vacation.) Considering Mr. Jaffer's $160,000 salary, that's about $50,000 of vacation time on the taxpayers' dime."
September 27, 2006 -- From the Federal Register: "On May 3, 2006, the Postal Service filed a request with the Postal Rate Commission to change prices for virtually all domestic mailing services. The Commission designated the filing as Docket No. R2006-1. This proposed rule provides the mailing standards that would accompany the new prices if the R2006-1 price change proposal is adopted."
September 27, 2006 -- According to NewIndPress, "The cash registers of Postal Department have been ringing ever since TRAI made it mandatory for mobile service providers to ensure that an address furnished by applicants were authentic."
September 27, 2006 -- According to CBS4 Denver, "The U.S. Postal Service said it's confident that no more threatening letters will be delivered in Denver after four state offices had to be evacuated on Monday." See also the Denver Post.
September 27, 2006 -- According to Bloomberg, "SkyPostal, which delivers mail in the Caribbean for clients including Deutsche Post AG and American Express Co., plans to sell shares in London to raise money to complete its satellite mail-tracking system. The Miami-based company aims to raise $10 million in the sale, giving it a market value of $27 million, according to an e-mailed statement today. SkyPostal will be listed on London's Alternative Investment Market." See also the Financial Times.
September 27, 2006 -- The New Zealand Herald has reported that "New Zealand Post has asked some of its customers to modify or shift their letterboxes for what it says is safety reasons. But a lobby group claims it is a cost-cutting exercise." See also Stuff.co.nz
September 27, 2006 -- According to Trading Markets, "General Motors Corporation has introduced a GM HydroGen3 fuel cell minivan that will be added to the U.S. Postal Service's Irvine, California, fleet -- marking the first time a fuel cell vehicle will be used for mail delivery on the West Coast. The new vehicle is part of an extended agreement between GM and the U.S. Postal Service to continue to test and validate the hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system in real world driving conditions."
September 27, 2006 -- As Business Week has noted, "The European Commission is set to propose a full liberalisation of postal services by 2009, which will force member states to stop protecting public operators from national or cross-border competition. Brussels expects the move may spark "quite a polarised political debate" across Europe, according to one official, as a number of jobs in the public sector are at stake in several countries."
September 27, 2006 -- According to InTheNews.co.uk, "The continued closure of rural post offices across Britain is denying older people access to the most basic financial and informative facilities, a charity has claimed. Age Concern says that more than nine in ten people aged over 60 in the countryside describe their local post office as a "lifeline", allowing them to take out their pension and benefits, as well as pay bills and receive advice and information. There are about 8,000 post offices remaining in rural areas, with 144 closed during the last 12 months. The fact that 90 per cent are run at a loss means most are under pressure to close."
September 27, 2006 -- The
U.S. Postal Service is proposing to revise its mailing standards to encourage mail preparation that is compatible with the Postal Service’s improved processing capabilities. When implemented, the standards would accompany the proposed price changes planned to take effect next spring. The new standards give customers more choices in terms of shape, sorting, packaging and containers that encourage more efficient mail preparation. The proposal also increases worksharing opportunities for mailers, allows them to qualify for lower prices by permitting multiple classes of mail to be combined, and reduces the number of bundles, sacks, or trays in a mailing through scheme sorting for letters, flats, and parcels, when appropriate.
September 26, 2006 -- PostCom Members! The latest
PostCom Postal Issues Brief, this one dealing with Flat Sequence Sorting (FSS), has been posted on this site.
September 26, 2006 -- The
National Association of Postal Supervisors has told its members that "With only four days remaining before Congress departs Washington for the upcoming mid-term elections, the chances for pre-election action on a final postal overhaul bill have sunk to nearly zero. Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, deciding that House and Senate attention during the final week of the regular session should be devoted solely to high-profile issues like homeland security and defense spending, have shelved postal overhaul work, at least for the time being."
September 26, 2006 -- Air Cargo World has reported that:
September 26, 2006 -- From the U.S. Postal Service: "The mailing standards to support our current pricing proposal will be published in tomorrow’s Federal Register. A DMM Advisory will be sent first thing in the morning with a link to the Federal Register."
September 26, 2006 -- Dubai City Guide has reported that "Members of the Dubai Street Naming and Numbering Committee held a meeting with officials of Emirates Post to discuss application of the proposed street naming and numbering system which will help implement a unified postal code system throughout the country."
September 26, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "Continental Airlines has signed a $258 million, five-year mail contract with the U.S. Postal Service, making it the second-largest U.S. passenger airline carrying mail. The contract, effective Sept. 30, includes priority, first class and express mail products within the United States and Puerto Rico."
September 26, 2006 -- As the Arizona Daily Star has noted, "The U.S. House of Representative has passed a resolution renaming the Cherrybell Post Office in Tucson in honor of the late Congressman Morris K. Udall. It was Udall who steered the Postal Reorganization Act of 1971 and thus laid the foundation for an independent post office."
September 26, 2006 -- The International Herald Tribune has reported that "The European Commission opened an investigation Tuesday into the interest rates the Italian Treasury gives the country's postal service, saying it may be paying it too much. Poste Italiane deposits funds it collects from customers' current accounts into the Italian Treasury which pays the postal service interest. The European Commission said it was concerned that new Italian budget rules mean the Treasury pays the post office interest that is higher than the rates at private lenders. These extra payments could be an illegal state subsidy, it said." See also Noticias.info
September 26, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "PSI Group, the nation's leading provider of mail presort services, has been certified at its Los Angeles, California facility as a Quality Mail Partner under the United States Postal Service (USPS) Mail Preparation Total Quality Management (MPTQM) Program. MPTQM certification is a prevention-based quality system designed to help the USPS ensure the output of consistent, high-quality mail."
September 26, 2006 -- Land o'Goshen! The American Bankers Association ("ABA") and the National Association of Presort Mailers ("NAPM") have withdrawn the direct testimony of James A. Clifton (ABA/NAPM-T-1) filed by the two parties on September 6, 2006. Withdrawal of the testimony was required by a divergence between the interests of ABA/NAPM and Dr. Clifton's other client in this proceeding, the Greeting Card Association ("GCA").
September 26, 2006 --
Rainer Hengst, a recognized expert with over 30 years experience on international postal affairs, has joined Mail Services, Inc. as Vice President of Marketing & Public Affairs.
September 26, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that "A postman suspended for telling customers how to ban junk mail deliveries has been told he can keep his job, the Royal Mail has confirmed."
September 26, 2006 -- Heard it through the grapevine.... Word has it that Jan Caldwell will be retiring from the Postal Service after the next National Postal Forum. She currently serves as the Postal Service's Manager, Address Management.
September 26, 2006 -- According to the Wall Street Journal, "Email, heralded as one of the greatest productivity tools of our time, is terrific for mass mailing, trading files, getting a word in edgewise, and providing evidentiary manna for plaintiff's lawyers. But with an estimated 84 billion messages sent world-wide each day, according to research consultancy IDC, it's sometimes hard to put your finger on the efficiency of email while digging out from a pile of it. Like bad advice, self-importance and ugly carpeting, there's just too much of it in the office. Email Backlash 2.0's features include an overtendency to send it, an inability to respond to it, and a conversation slower than smoke signals. That's why the telephone is looking ever better these days."
September 26, 2006 -- The Society of Procurement Officers has noted that "UNISON is challenging government claims that NHS Logistics staff will keep their pay and conditions if outsourcing to parcel giant DHL goes ahead in November."
September 26, 2006 -- The Financial Times has reported that "Skypostal is expected to join Aim next month and will use the $10m (£5.4m) it hopes to raise on expanding the business and paying down loans. The company specialises in hand delivering mail to countries in Latin America, offering an alternative to the largely state-run postal services. It has been in business since 2001 and already has contracts with the Economist and the Guardian to deliver their publications overseas. Albert Hernandez, chief executive, said: "We are planning to spend the money we raise on developing a GPS-based technology which will enable post to be delivered more accurately." He said that seven out of 20 countries in Latin America currently have no post codes for addresses and this often leads to post being delivered to the wrong address."
September 26, 2006 -- International Business Times has reported that "Yamato Transport Co. will start its own international delivery service as a replacement for a service deal with United Parcel Service starting on Oct. 1, the company said on Monday. Yamato, the leading private parcel delivery service company in Japan, is ready to launch its own service, which it says will be up to 60 percent cheaper than UPS."
September 26, 2006 -- As Federal News Radio has reported, "Postal employees, the most unionized folks in the federal family, will continue to pay lower health insurance premiums than white collar civil servants next year. In some cases the postal employees who belong (as in pay dues) to unions will pay half the premium that is charged white collar and blue collar feds."
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September 26, 2006 -- American Postal Workers Union president William Burrus told his members that "After 15 years of fighting excessive postage discounts for large mailers, the APWU succeeded in 2004 in persuading key legislators, mailers, and other interested parties to include specific restrictions on discounts in pending postal reform legislation. The principle that guided us was simple: Discounts should not exceed the costs the Postal Service avoids when mailers presort their mail or engage in other "worksharing" activities. While mailing-industry spokesmen wage a constant propaganda tirade against the salary and benefits received by hard-working postal employees, behind closed doors these phonies demand continued excessive discounts in order to pad their own profits. This is hypocrisy at the highest level."
September 26, 2006 -- The Tribune-Democrat has reported that "The postal service has denied a request from U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, to bring curbside mail delivery to about 115 families living in a mobile-home park here. But the U.S. Postal Service has given approval for Leisure Village's owner, Robert McKool, to install a "neighborhood collection box" unit at a centralized location on Warrior Street inside the park."
September 26, 2006 -- From SourceWire: "L-Mail.com is an online post office that accepts letters in an electronic format from its clients, either through its web site or via its automated integration account (an API for the more computer literate). The innovative service then prints and posts the letters on behalf of its clients via 23 global locations."
September 26, 2006 -- It's a sign of the times: this year's World Postal Business Forum, organized by the Universal Postal Union during Post-Expo 2006 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, will focus largely on how postal operators are using evolving technologies to grasp new business opportunities and be more efficient, progressively moving towards a merger of the physical and electronic postal network to deliver enhanced products and services. Top postal executives gathering for the Forum on 10 and 11 October 2006 will explore the changing face of the postal business, while some 150 leading companies showcase the latest in postal equipment, technology and vehicles at the Amsterdam RAI.
September 26, 2006 -- As the House and Senate move closer to enacting postal reform legislation, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is calling for cooperation among key mailing industry stakeholders in order to maintain the momentum for this much-needed legislation. As Congressional leaders work to resolve differences in the House and Senate versions of postal reform legislation, a debate has surfaced over Parcel Post rates that is threatening to undermine the postal reform efforts. Some representatives of the private-sector parcel delivery industry are pushing language in the House bill that could result in an increase of up to 40 percent in Parcel Post rates – the benchmark that many private carriers use for setting their own delivery fees. See also the report in Multichannel Merchant.
September 26, 2006 -- "Star Press readers showered Kathy Bland with cards, $10 checks and boxes of dog bones after a recent article revealed the 21-year mail carrier had saved close to 800 neglected and abandoned animals along her route, paying with her own money for them to be rehabilitated and placed in loving homes. The United States Postal Service had a less positive reaction. It sent one district-level and one regional official to discuss "safety issues" with Bland on Monday morning in Yorktown. The verdict of the two-hour meeting, said Bland: no more media interviews in her post-office uniform, no more candy for the neighborhood children, no more temporarily stashing needy strays in the office break room."
September 26, 2006 -- According to the New York Times, "A Congress derided as do-nothing has a week to do something, and the prospects are cloudy. Skip to next paragraph Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The Senate, led by Senator Bill Frist, above, and the House have a week to do something, and the prospects are cloudy. Multimedia Graphic Unfinished Politics Blog News, updates and insights on the midterm elections, the race for 2008 and everything in-between. Procrastination, power struggles and partisanship have left Congress with substantial work to finish before breaking for the elections. The fast-approaching recess and the Republican focus on national security legislation make it inevitable that much of the remainder will fall by the wayside."
September 26, 2006 -- UC Berkeley News has reported that "Four months after making an unusual pitch to the U.S. postmaster general, UC Berkeley freshman Gideon Sofer is making progress in his campaign for a stamp highlighting inflammatory bowel disease, and in spreading awareness of the disorder. Last May, New Jersey's Make-a-Wish Foundation made arrangements for Sofer, 22, an avid stamp collector, to meet with Postmaster General John Potter to discuss Sofer's idea for an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) stamp. Sofer has Crohn's disease, a chronic intestinal disorder and member of the IBD constellation, which has landed him in the hospital for months at a time since he was 12 and led to the removal of nearly half his gut."
September 26, 2006 -- PostCom Members! The latest issue of the
PostCom Postal Policy Report has been posted on this site.
September 25, 2006 -- One of our usually reliable sources has informed PostCom that long-time governmental postal guru Nye Stevens has retired and that Kevin Kosar is now the CRS specialist on postal matters.
September 25, 2006 -- Air Cargo World has reported that "The three main package carriers operating in the United States all took their fuel surcharges down a peg on air shipments in October, but they all pushed their ground package fuel fees higher. FedEx Express and UPS both dropped their air surcharges by half a point to 16.5 percent for the coming month, but moved the ground shipment fees up half a point to 5.25 percent. DHL is dropping its air package fuel surcharge to 18.5 percent from the 19 percent it charged in September, and raising its ground fee to 5.3 percent from 4.8 percent. Although fuel costs have fallen sharply in recent weeks, the carriers all set their fees based on prices two months in the past - in this case using August prices."
September 25, 2006 -- According to the Financial Times, "Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of Kazakhstan, has sacked the head of the state telephone company who is accused of drawing an excessive salary. The president also threatened to take legal action against other overpaid leaders of government-owned companies. He also ordered executives at Kazpochta, the state postal service, Kazakhstan's development bank, and Samruk, a holding company that oversees state monopolies, to repay their excessive earnings or face investigation. Samruk was set up last year to improve corporate governance in the state sector."
September 25, 2006 -- AllAfrica.com has reported that "An agreement to speed up the recovery of millions of dollars in outstanding student loan debts was on Friday signed between the Ministry of Education and Nampost."
September 25, 2006 -- The NIS News has reported that "Competitors are permitted to break TPG's monopoly for postal deliveries of up to 50 grams by making ordinary letters heavier. The district court in The Hague yesterday rejected a case brought by TPG against postal company Sandd."
September 25, 2006 -- So, how do all the postal, express, and package shipping competitors stack up? Fortune has a nice chart showing who's on first.
September 25, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Newgistics Inc., the leader in returns management solutions for direct retailers, today introduced enhancements to the Returns Resource Team, a group of highly experienced client service professionals that provides personalized consulting services to support effective returns management. To ensure maximum operational efficiency, the Returns Resource Team works in close partnership with customers to ensure a rapid and seamless end-to-end implementation of Newgistics' intelligent returns management solution."
September 25, 2006 -- Domain-B has reported that "Continuing its thrust to utilise the vast network of post offices in the state, the Tamil Nadu postal department has signed an agreement with Veta, an English training academy to sell its home study course books."
September 25, 2006 -- Trinidad and Tobago Newsday has reported that "THE Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTPost) has launched its new website ttpost.net. The website is a joint venture of TTPost and the Ministry of Public Utilities and the Environment."
September 25, 2006 -- From Market Wise: "Regulus, the nation's largest independent provider of bill presentment and payment processing solutions, announced today that, as a member of the Major Mailers Association's (MMA) Rate Committee, the company is taking a leadership role to provide the Postal Rate Commission (PRC) with important data to impact the outcome of the U.S. Postal Service's current rate case. The information, which is being supplied as testimony to the PRC, quantifies the efforts made by large First-Class mailers such as Regulus to provide preliminary address cleansing and electronic sorting that speeds up mail processing and decreases required handling by the USPS."
September 25, 2006 -- According to the Federal Times, "The U.S. Postal Service is steadily becoming a safer place to work. Last year, slightly fewer than 64,200 injuries were reported by Postal Service workers, down from 71,433 in 2004 and 79,514 in 2003. Workers' compensation payments for 2005 injuries also fell to about $60 million, about half the amount of payments for new injuries of the previous year, and down to a level not seen since 2003, according to Labor Department statistics."
September 25, 2006 -- The EUobserver has reported that "The European Commission is set to propose a full liberalisation of postal services by 2009, which will force member states to stop protecting public operators from national or cross-border competition. Brussels expects the move may spark "quite a polarised political debate" across Europe, according to one official, as a number of jobs in the public sector are at stake in several countries. According to a draft proposal seen by EUobserver, the EU executive will suggest a scrapping of the concept of "reservable areas" to which member states can currently restrict access to certain operators. But it will stick to the existing rule of "universal service obligation" which means that a certain list of services must be provided to citizens - like delivery of letters and parcels within a certain time, with a certain frequency and standard."
September 25, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that "A brand new multi-million pound Royal Mail postal sorting office has opened in Suffolk."
September 25, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "Japanese retailer Aeon Co. and Japan Post [JP.UL] said on Monday they would expand their cooperation in delivery services and postcard sales, a move that could grow into an alliance in financial operations. Aeon, the country's second-biggest retail conglomerate after Seven & I Holdings , and Japan Post had already joined forces in some areas, including handling of the national postal service provider's Yu-Pack parcel post at the retailer's Ministop convenience store chain outlets."
September 25, 2006 -- The Washington Post has reported that "Five years after the anthrax attacks that killed five people, the FBI is now convinced that the lethal powder sent to the Senate was far less sophisticated than originally believed, widening the pool of possible suspects in a frustratingly slow investigation."
September 25, 2006 -- From the Federal Register: The U.S. Postal Service has published a "notice that sets forth the changes to the Domestic Mail Classification Schedule to be implemented as a result of the Decision of the Governors of the United States Postal Service on the Opinion and Recommended Decision of the Postal Rate Commission on Extension of Capital One NSA, Docket No. MC2006-6."
September 24, 2006 -- According to Stuff.co.nz, "NZ Post's general manager of stamps, Ivor Master, says NZ Post looked at introducing a similar service to the U.K., "but after consideration decided to offer some other, equally innovative services instead". He says Royal Mail's online service can be quite cumbersome for customers. "While our back-end systems would be up to offering such a service, we decided at this stage it is not practical and wouldn't necessarily add any value to the online products we provide." NZ Post might reconsider if it saw strong market demand but would probably "streamline" any similar offering, he says. "It may be something we could look at trialling with some smaller customers in future." NZ Post customers can go online to design and pay for booklets of their own personalised stamps that are then posted to them."
September 24, 2006 -- Check this out from PostalNews.com.
September 24, 2006 -- CBS News has asked: "Five years ago next week, American officials began to suspect that someone was sending anthrax-tainted letters through the mail. Five people eventually died and 17 other became ill as a result. The attacks remain unsolved, but there have been some security upgrades to the nation's postal system. The question remains: are we any safer?"
September 23, 2006 -- According to Business Week, "Spending on Internet ads is growing faster than any other sector of the advertising industry and is expected to surge from $12.5 billion last year to $29 billion in 2010 in the U.S. alone, according to researcher eMarketer Inc. About half of these dollars are going into deals requiring advertisers to pay by the click. Most academics and consultants who study online advertising estimate that 10% to 15% of ad clicks are fake, representing roughly $1 billion in annual billings. A cybercrime unit led by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service just last month assigned two analysts to examine whether federal laws are being violated."
September 23, 2006 -- The Cumberland Times-News has reported that "Protesters, mostly postal workers, marched up and down Park Street in front of the U.S. Post Office Friday afternoon in opposition to the consolidation of mail-sorting operations from Cumberland to Frederick — nearly 90 miles away. The demonstration was timed to coincide with a conference at Rocky Gap attended by postal workers from Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and West Virginia. Two busloads of these fellow workers arrived on the scene in support of the Cumberland area objectives."
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September 23, 2006 -- You can read about the new president of the National League of Postmasters at Federal Times.
September 23, 2006 -- According to postal commentator
Gene Del Polito, "There are lots of things in life over which you may have little or no control. The sureness of death and taxes, the need for electricity to run an information-based business, the need for water and sewage to handle daily human needs. Unlike death and taxes, those in the mailing business can actually exercise substantial control over the postal outcomes that shape their businesses' destinies. Many, however, suffer from the "Scarlet O'Hara Syndrome." Talk about postal, and they'll quickly want to put it off until "tomorrow." Tomorrow, of course, never comes."
September 23, 2006 -- The Olympian has reported that "The [Washington] state capital said goodbye to its own postmark for stamped letters and postcards sent from a zip code beginning with 985 this week after the U.S. Postal Service launched a joint Tacoma-Olympia postmark. The decision to offer a joint postmark comes as the result of a five-month effort to transfer mail processing duties to Tacoma that had previously been done at a Tumwater mail plant. Last November, the Postal Service said the move was necessary to cut costs and create production efficiencies, estimating it would save about $1.2 million annually. South Sound politicians and members of the state's congressional delegation, along with postal worker union officials, have challenged the need for such a consolidation."
September 23, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42557) has announced the addition of DHL: Logistics Profile 2006 to their offering. The Logistics 2006 Profiler series analyses the top competitors in the logistics sector, encompassing market shares, strategy, operations and financials."
September 23, 2006 -- The Hindu has reported that "There has been a big fall in the volume of personal mail, the Postal Department has acknowledged. Radhika Doraiswamy, Chief Postmaster-General of Tamil Nadu Circle, speaking to presspersons on Friday, attributed it to the advent of technological innovations such as mobile phones and Internet."
September 23, 2006 -- ABC7Chicago has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service wants to know what it can do to improve its service in the Chicago area. It has asked for customer feedback -- following a rash of complaints about poor mail delivery in some of the city's neighborhoods and in one suburb."
September 23, 2006 -- WXYZNews has reported that "Friday, a quick thinking postal worker was being hailed as a hero after spotting and saving a disoriented man while delivering mail. As Tracy Birdsall delivered mail in a South Lyon neighborhood she noticed a man stumbling near his car. When she crossed the street she saw he was trying to open his medication. "He was trying to get his medication open and he couldn't and he said everything was spinning," she said. Tracy helped the man, Roger Miller, with his medication and then jumped in his car and drove him home. Miller's family called an ambulance because he was having a heart attack."
September 23, 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. In this issue, NAPUS said that "One of the key remaining H.R. 22 issues is the classification of single-piece parcels. These parcels are an integral part of the universal postal system. Postmasters know that UPS is intent on killing H.R. 22 if this product is categorized as market dominant. The Senate bill correctly classifies single price parcels as market dominant."
September 22, 2006 -- The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
September 22, 2006 -- FE News has reported that "Royal Mail Learning Services has signed up for the prestigious British Learning Association Quality Mark to meet the business learning needs of some 200,000 employees."
September 22, 2006 -- Kyodo news service has reported that "Japan Post said Friday it will partially discontinue the early morning collection of mail from letter boxes, effective Oct. 16, as a step to reduce costs." See also International Business Times.
September 22, 2006 -- From the Canada NewsWire: "Symbol Technologies, Inc., The Enterprise Mobility Company(TM), today introduced the DS6707 handheld digital imager scanner designed for bar code scanning and image capture in a multitude of environments. The DS6707 builds on Symbol's legacy of innovation by creating a handheld scanner with a 1.3 Megapixel imager capable of capturing and transferring images up to 8.5 x 11 inches (21.59 cm x 27.94 cm). Pharmacies, retailers and manufacturers can use the device to scan bar codes and capture, store and instantly recover documents and images for increased employee productivity and streamlined business operations."
September 22, 2006 -- According to the Tribune-Democrat, "Jackson Township supervisors have appealed to U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, to intervene with the postal service so 115 families living at a mobile-home park can receive mail near their homes."
September 22, 2006 -- Gulf Times has reported that "Two "letter bombs" exploded and two others were diffused at a post office here, hours ahead of President A P J Abdul Kalam's visit to the city. No one was injured in the blasts, police said. The first bomb exploded at the Manacaud post office in the heart of the capital city when the postal officials were sorting letters for delivery. Jacob Punnoose, additional director general of police said the explosives contained potassium chlorate and aluminium powder. "This is not a letter bomb in its true sense but something like a firecracker," he said."
September 22, 2006 -- Business Day has reported that "MAANDA Manyatshe, former CEO of the South African Post Office (Sapo) and now MD of cellphone group MTN, failed yesterday in his bid to stop the Mail & Guardian (M&G) from publishing allegations of possible fraud and misconduct while he was the postal chief."
September 22, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "Stamps.com(R), the leading provider of Internet-based postage services, today announced the launch of PhotoStamps(R) featuring the entire NFL line-up of teams. The new PhotoStamps, created under a license with the NFL, are now available with designs featuring the team logos and helmet designs for all 32 NFL teams. Customers that order the NFL PhotoStamps by October 4, 2006 will also receive a unique collectible first release insignia on their sheet to mark the first ever release of postage featuring NFL logos."
September 22, 2006 -- Multichannel Merchant has reported that "Speaking in Arlington, TX, at a conference of business mailers on Sept. 20, Postmaster General Jack Potter, said that he expects the new postal rates to take effect on May 6, 2007. But some observers say that, given the complexity of the pending rate case, a summertime implementation is more likely."
September 22, 2006 -- According to the Durham Region News, "We all knew postal carriers had an aversion to dogs but it appears a canine's worst enemy is also a key foe at Canada Post. Reports that a postal carrier suffered flea bites in a south Oshawa neighbourhood resulted in the suspension of mail deliver to 173 homes in the area on Sept. 7. Canada Post put up notices around the townhouse complex instructing people to pick up their mail at Canada Post's Simcoe Street office. Who knows for sure where the carrier in question received the flea bites, but apparently the grass around the townhouse complex was deemed to be the trouble spot. So mail delivery resumed Monday after the Region, which owns and manages the complex, sprayed lawns in the area."
September 22, 2006 -- American Postal Workers Union President William Burrus told his members that "In a letter sent to every member of Congress, APWU President William Burrus asked legislators to support citizens' efforts to be part of the debate about plans to realign the nation's mail-processing network. "The Postal Service has failed to consider the concerns of the American people, denied them the information necessary to determine if the revised network will meet their needs, and excluded them from having real input in the decision-making process," Burrus wrote. Those who defend efforts to consolidate mail sorting facilities without proper public input have chosen to ignore the intent of federal law that governs the Postal Service, Burrus said in the Sept. 12 letter [PDF]. Their "disdain for the needs and wishes of ordinary citizens — your constituents," he wrote, "is evident in a recent editorial in the newsletter of the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association, an association of large mailers."
September 22, 2006 -- According to Human Events, "For the first time ever, the U.S. Postal Service is now negotiating new contracts with all four of its unions at the same time. This is an extraordinary opportunity for USPS to get its costs under control -- especially considering that stamp prices just climbed to 39 cents, and USPS has already requested another increase to 42 cents, which will probably take effect next year. So what, exactly, is driving prices upward? Labor. Labor is -- by far -- the Postal Service's largest expense. Labor costs account for about 80% of USPS costs -- compared to about 50% at private delivery companies. That's because unionized postal workers receive much higher wages than their private-sector counterparts."
September 22, 2006 -- At its most recent meeting, the Continuity Shippers Association presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to former Postal Rate Commission chairman Edward Gleiman. Congratulations, Ed.
September 22, 2006 -- At its annual HR Innovations Summit today the
Performance Institute presented the United States Postal Service (USPS) with the 2006 Excellence in Human Capital Management Award. The annual award recognizes departments and agencies for striving to meet challenges in the area of human resources and that demonstrate results for those efforts.
September 22, 2006 -- Rarely do scholars of postal organizations and systems meet and discuss their ideas and research with scholars of philately. In an attempt to bridge this gap, the National Postal Museum and the American Philatelic Society will host a national conference to bring together these two research groups. The first Winton M. Blount Symposium on Postal History aims to integrate the history of postal operations and philately within the broader context of American history. The Smithsonian National Postal Museum and the American Philatelic Society invite submission of individual papers and panels for the symposium. The opening plenary panel will discuss "What is postal history?" Featured speakers include Richard R. John, professor, University of Illinois at Chicago; John Willis, historian, Canadian Postal Museum; Michael Laurence, executive director, Philatelic Foundation; and Maynard H. Benjamin, president, Envelope Manufacturers Association.
September 22, 2006 -- According to information gleaned by the CEP News, Deutsche Post is due to announce a reshuffle of board members as well as radical changes to the company structure at the beginning of next week. The German post will discontinue and break up the 'Express Europe' division. Land transport will be transferred to 'Logistics' (under John Allan), while the 'Express' division (John Mullen) takes over responsibility for European express services and thus for the entire Express division. Peter E Kruse, currently in charge of the division about to be dissolved, will in future work directly under CEO Klaus Zumwinkel as special commissioner for the Deutsche Post group. According to market observers, Mr Zumwinkel has thus set a clear structure for his company's future development. The move will certainly be followed by further changes in terms of personnel and organisation at second and third company level. However, the succession of Mr Mullen ('America, Asia-Pacific and Emerging Markets") remains unclear at present, and the same goes for the European express division. See also Air Cargo World.
September 22, 2006 -- A copy of the Postmaster General's remarks delivered at National Postal Customer Council Day has been posted on the USPS web site.
September 21, 2006 -- According to the Guernsey Press, "Guernsey Post needs to sort out its losses."
September 21, 2006 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "FedEx Corp. said fiscal first-quarter net income jumped 40% but lowered its near-term guidance due to the impact of a new pilot contract. FedEx Corp. estimated that U.S. gross domestic product growth for the remainder of the company's fiscal year will be about 2.7%"
September 21, 2006 -- According to Market Day, "Paper will always exist. Some people prefer paper the feel of paper. Others doubt the legitimacy of electronic documents. Some remain uncomfortable using a computer, while others are apprehensive about the security of personal information online. Technology and security continues to progress and improve, more companies will use the internet to reduce paper cost. It seems however, that as much as we hated the time consumption and filing problems of the paper days, we are dealing with an ever-growing workload. Years back and still today, we are sifting through the mail we receive from the post office to discard junk mail. That doesn't even come close when compared to spam, viruses, and pop-ups that litter our workplace."
September 21, 2006 -- Here you go. Word has it that the USPS Office of the Inspector General is slated to get a 31.6% increase in its budget from 2006 to 2007. Must be a whole lotta shakin' goin' on.
September 21, 2006 -- Uni-Postal has reported that "UNI postal affiliates in Mauritius have formed a common front as a way of addressing their challenges together. The front is called The Common Front of Trade Unions of the Mauritius Post Limited."
September 21, 2006 -- The Financial Times has reported that "FedEx is best known for its fleet of nearly 700 aircraft, shuttling parcels across oceans and continents. Over recent years, however, the US group's fastest growth has come at a much lower altitude. FedEx is building an increasingly powerful presence in the US road freight market, expanding its delivery capabilities beyond parcels into a broader range of cargo."
September 21, 2006 -- From the Federal Register: "Commission rules include five sets of rules with sunset provisions. The Commission proposes to reissue four of these sets of rules with limited revisions. These include shortening and standardizing the intervention period (where applicable); eliminating the sunset provisions and, in one set, redesignating provisions to conform to Office of Federal Register style and making minor editorial revisions. Reissuance of these sets of rules, as revised, will allow the Service to have continued flexibility and will enhance administrative efficiency. The Commission seeks comments on whether the other set of rules (for certain Express Mail requests) should be reissued. Initial comments are due October 13, 2006; reply comments due October 20, 2006."
September 21, 2006 -- The Dallas Business Journal has reported that "American Airlines is one of seven airlines that have signed a five-year mail delivery contract with the U.S. Postal Service. The contract is potentially worth $500 million in revenue for American over the next five years. The other carriers that will participate in the five-year contract are Houston-based Continental Airlines; Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways; Forest Hills, N.Y.-based JetBlue Airways; Oak Creek, Wis.-based Midwest Express; Indianapolis-based ATA Airlines; and Mendota Heights, Minn.-based Sun Country Airlines."
September 21, 2006 -- According to its sponsors, "the RFID & Printing Electronic Conference is important because it will put you ahead of the curve on this technology and give you a competitive edge. The event is being held on October 3-5th in Cherry Hill New Jersey and it should be of interest to those looking for business opportunities, partnerships or a better understanding of this rapidly emerging field. Program brochure and registration can be found at www.gaa.org"
September 21, 2006 -- The following reports have been posted on the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General website. Questions concerning these reports should be directed to Agapi Doulaveris at 703.248.2286.
September 20, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "The Postmaster General of the United States announced expanded support and new publications for the nation's 200 Postal Customer Councils during a national satellite broadcast today. Postmaster General John E. Potter addressed more than 15,000 mailing partners and customers across the country during a coast-to-coast broadcast from the Arlington Convention Center, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the work of the Postal Service with Postal Customer Councils (PCCs). Potter pledged the support of district managers, plant managers and executive-level postmasters and marketing managers at future PCC meetings. A new, monthly electronic newsletter will debut. The "PCC Insider" will keep members updated on issues affecting the Postal Service and mailing industry partners. Taking another lead from the focus groups, Potter announced a new publication, "Mail Pro," combining the best features of two existing hard-copy publications, "Memo to Mailers" and "Mailer's Companion," and adding new content."
September 20, 2006 -- Speaking before a nationwide audience from Dallas, Texas (in observance of National PCC Day), Postmaster General Jack Potter said that mailers should expect to see the Postal Service's proposed R2006 implementing rules published in the Federal Register next week. He said that while the anticipated decision will come some time in early March, the Postal Service must prepare for a possible implementation on May 6. He said he knows that many have asked to push off the actual implementation date beyond 60-days, but, he said, such a decision will be up to the Governors and would most likely be tempered by the state of USPS finances. [If past is prologue, brace yourself for a May 6 implementation. Don't bank on the milk of human kindness flowing from postal veins.]
September 20, 2006 -- WJACtv.com has reported that "Neither rain nor sleet nor snow may keep the mail from getting through, but in one local community, a damaged building is making it harder for residents to pick it up. The Johnstown post office is refusing to deliver mail to the residents of Leisure Village in Mundy's Corner because workers said their mail house is simply unfit for postal workers. The mail house was damaged in July when a car drove into in, breaking through one of the walls. Since then, the post office has refused to deliver residents' mail, telling them they need to instead drive into Johnstown to pick it up at the post office. Many residents said they work long hours and don't have time to drive into the city until the weekend. Further, other residents are handicapped or don't have vehicles."
September 20, 2006 -- ABC7 Chicago has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service says the lieutenant governor's suggestion that unhappy Illinoisans mail tea bags with their utility bill payments is steeped with concerns."
September 20, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "FlyDoc was chosen today to become a member of the U.S. Microsoft Office Marketplace, an online directory of third-party tools, services and add-ins that enhance the Office customer experience. FlyDoc is an online mail and fax service available directly from Microsoft Office applications. To be included in the Marketplace, products and services must prove they help customers improve their business productivity. FlyDoc provides a solution for all types of business offering the benefits of a fax server and a mailroom without the normally associated capital investment. With FlyDoc, electronic documents are sent directly from the user's desktop applications such as Microsoft Office. The documents enter FlyDoc's worldwide network of mail and fax facilities, where they are transformed into postal mail and faxes and sent automatically. Users can monitor progress via a web interface available 24/7/365 and can call upon live technical support at no additional charge."
September 20, 2006 -- According to ThisIsLondon, "Thousands of struggling postmasters fear a new system of buying electronic 'stamps' over the internet will drive a final nail into the coffin of their businesses. Sub-postmasters across the UK have seen a slump in trade following the abolition of pension books and a move to pay benefits direct into bank accounts. The number of people visiting their shops, often vital community stores selling groceries and other goods, has fallen dramatically. Now the launch of a new system by the Royal Mail allowing people to buy an electronic stamp over the internet, which can be printed by a home computer, threatens to take away even more trade."
September 20, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
In future, Belgian companies looking for facility management can turn to the post. According to "De Tijd" (13.09.) daily, La Poste intends to offer its maintenance service to other firms, too. A pilot project begun last year will now be extended, the paper reports.
The French GeoPost, a subsidiary of La Poste, has strengthened its position in the Spanish CEP market through an acquisition. Last week saw the announcement that the joint venture GeoPost-Seur has taken over franchisee Osvalma S.A., which operates in the Barcelona area, employs 60 members of staff and achieved a turnover of around 20m euros.
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.
September 20, 2006 -- Gulf Times has reported that "The Queen's head has been banished from a new hi-tech version of the stamp that was launched by the Royal Mail yesterday. The decision ends a tradition dating back more than 160 years. In future, the public will be able to download a ‘stamp' from the Internet which can be printed directly on to an envelope or label. However, this new era stamp will be a barcode, rather than the traditional image. Currently, all paper stamps have an image of the Queen on them, even if it is miniaturised and placed in the corner. However, there is no place for the reigning monarch on the new barcodes."
September 20, 2006 -- WJLA has reported that "7 ON YOUR SIDE exposes how mail is getting stolen right out of the post office and it appears to be an inside job but as Ross McLaughlin discovered the post office has been slow to respond.
September 20, 2006 -- According to Forbes, "The State Postal Bureau (SPB), or China Post, plans to sell hotel assets as part of its restructuring."
September 20, 2006 -- Cosmetics in Russia has reported that "Although Russia hasn't made it into the global list of Top 20 countries with the highest incidence of Internet purchases, a sound 63 % local people regularly using Internet, admit having ever shopped online. Most of them tend to place an online order once in two to six months, buying mainly books, music, videos or games – 2-3 items at a time. Men seem to be more inclined to online shopping than women. In Russia, 67.5% of male Internet users have ever placed an online order, while only 58% of female respondents have done so. A similar situation is observed worldwide. In 38 countries, 80% of male respondents said they have purchased online, while among female respondents, 74% did so. In Russia, only 2% of Internet users say they buy groceries online; only 8% buy clothes, shoes or accessories; 15% buy cosmetics or nutrition supplements."
September 20, 2006 -- According to the Palm Beach Post, "The U.S. Postal Service has notified 4,500 businesses across the Southeast, including the city of Port St. Lucie, that a laptop holding their account information was discovered missing in August and may have fallen into the wrong hands."
September 20, 2006 -- The Federal Times has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service has set strict guidelines for meal and alcohol expenses, three months after an inspector general report accused one former vice president of excessive spending on entertainment. Azeezaly Jaffer, who on June 30 resigned from his post running the Postal Service's public affairs office, spent tens of thousands of agency dollars on meals and drinks for himself, other postal workers, friends, family and business associates, according to the IG. Also, Congress wants to know more about Jaffer's departure, which Postmaster General John Potter said was to explore other career opportunities. House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., and ranking Democrat Henry Waxman of California sent Potter a letter Sept. 15 seeking all records related to Jaffer's resignation."
September 20, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) wants you to be on the lookout for and know what to do if you encounter mail or a package that appears suspicious in nature. In an effort to help people identify suspicious mail or packages, ATF along with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Services, U.S. Postal Service and the FBI produced a new workplace poster, "Suspicious Mail and Packages."
September 19, 2006 -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and UPS have opened negotiations on a new contract to replace a six-year pact that expires July 31, 2008.
September 19, 2006 -- From the
U.S. Postal Service: "One of the fastest growing Internet-based companies in the country has fashioned an arrangement with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver all international online sales. eFashionSolutions will use the Postal Service's Global Shipping Solution (GSS) exclusively for all orders placed through its 26 websites destined overseas. GSS software allows companies like eFashionSolutions to create online customs forms, print labels and track packages door-to-door. The process is easy for customers and helps simplify the customs clearance process, shortening delivery times."
September 19, 2006 -- According to Vanguard Nigeria, "Irregular house numbering and huge debts owed Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) by ministries, parastatals and government agencies are said to militate against the smooth management and delivery of mail."
September 19, 2006 -- And then there's this from ThinkProgress. "U.S. Postal Service executive Azeezaly Jaffer was found "drinking at a work function until he passed out; running up $8,000 in extra hotel room charges so he could qualify for a suite with a bathtub for two; and following a female colleague into her hotel room, propositioning her, then passing out." His punishment? Four months of paid vacation." As former NALC President Vincent Sombrotto once put it: "I guess this means if you screw up enough you'll eventually get to be postmaster general." Vince had a way with words.
September 19, 2006 -- And then, of course, there's this from WNBC. "There will be no trial for an Ohio postal worker accused of urinating in his co-workers' coffee. Thomas Shaheen admitted Monday that he put urine in the break room coffee pot at the Wolf Ledges, Ohio, post office branch earlier this year. Shaheen was sentenced to six months in a jail work release program. He was also ordered to pay his co-workers $1,200 to reimburse them for the video camera they rented to help capture him in the act."
September 19, 2006 -- According to the Washington Post, "This week's award for Laziest Public Servant goes to postal employee Charles Fred Miller, of Grayson, Kentucky. On Friday, the 32-year-old, ex-mail carrier pleaded guilty to stuffing more than 500 items of undelivered mail into garbage bags in a storage shed behind his house because he "just got lazy." Prosecutors acknowledged that there was no evidence his crime was committed for personal gain, or any other reason other than sloth. Besides a felony for obstructing correspondence and possible jail time, Miller also earns an automatic bid in OFF/beat's Idiot of the Year Awards, held December 20th."
September 19, 2006 -- From the Government of Canada News Room: "Canada Post has introduced a new way to save a penny with the launch of the PERMANENT stamp. The PERMANENT stamp will always be worth the going rate, eliminating the need for Canadians to purchase 1¢ stamps to match postal increases. No more searching under the couch in order to find your hidden cache of pennies!"
September 19, 2006 -- The Cambridge News has reported that "BUSINESS leaders warn postcode changes in the Cambridge area will hit them hard in the pocket. More than 50,000 homes and businesses will start finding out their new postcodes by the end of the month. Royal Mail said the changes are necessary because of the growth in development in the city and surrounding area - and it expects new addresses to rise in the next few years by an estimated 50,000."
September 19, 2006 --
Windowbook has announced that its postal shipping software, Postal Package Partner™ has been upgraded to offer Delivery Confirmation to most APO/FPO and Pacific Island Destinations."
September 19, 2006 -- According to the Orange County Register, "The U.S. Postal Service will revive its free "How to Sell on eBay" seminars."
September 19, 2006 -- DMNews has reported that "DHL Global Mail has expanded its Mail Terminal network in an effort to increase volume and customer demand. Weston, FL-based DHL Global Mail said its new Phoenix Mail Terminal is expected to handle more than 25,000 mail parcels daily with capacity to quickly double its output. Due to the expanding market needs DHL Global Mail recently opened a state of the art Mail Terminal in Kansas City, Kansas, to service increasing volumes of mail to the Midwest region. The Phoenix Mail Terminal offers technologically advanced, full-service domestic processing for mail and mail parcels, including Smartmail Parcel residential package delivery service for shipments that are less than one pound. The new facility has approximately 25,000 square feet and is about 20 minutes west of the Phoenix International Airport."
September 19, 2006 -- Here's a factoid for you. KSDK NewsChannel 5 has reported that "according to researchers, if, instead of email, you got the equivalent mail through the United States Postal Service, it would amount to 133 pieces of mail every day!
September 19, 2006 -- Il Sole 24 Ore has reported that "Italian post office Poste Italiane is set to face fresh competition this autumn in handling mail for businesses. A new company, Uniposta, will begin operating in the corporate postal business around the end of October or beginning of November."
September 19, 2006 -- CityLimits.org has reported that "Life just got a little easier for some residents of public housing on Staten Island. That's because United Parcel Service (UPS) last Monday agreed to deliver packages into the lobbies of two housing complexes, instead of following their current procedure of parking somewhere outside the development during set hours, necessitating that tenants come to UPS trucks to get their packages."
September 19, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that:
September 18, 2006 -- The Bucharest Daily News has reported that "The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCTI) will resume the selection process in the search for a consultant on the privatization of the National Postal Company (CNPR), after the first attempt to select a consultant failed, as the institution received only a single offer."
September 18, 2006 -- The Philippine News Agency has reported that "In its efforts to continuously give quality service to the public, the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) has its "Express Pouch" next day delivery service which guarantees a next day door-to-door delivery of pouches sent by any individual."
September 18, 2006 -- From the Army News Service: "The 700,000 current employees of the USPS were honored for their unwavering service and dedication to troops through Freedom Team Salute. The program, which began in 2005, gives Soldiers the opportunity to recognize those who have shown their support and encouragement."
September 18, 2006 --