U.S. Postal Service Announces New Prices for 2014

Price increases expected to generate $2 billion in new revenue to improve financial situation

WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service today announced proposed price changes, including an increase in the price of a First-Class Mail single-piece letter from 46 cents to 49 cents. The proposed changes, which would go into effect in January 2014, are intended to generate $2 billion in incremental annual revenue for the Postal Service.

Highlights of the new single-piece First-Class Mail pricing, effective Jan. 26, 2014 include:

•    Letters (1 oz.) — 3-cent increase to 49 cents
•    Letters additional ounces —  1-cent increase to 21 cents
•    Letters to all international destinations (1 oz.) — $1.15
•    Postcards — 1-cent increase to 34 cents

Stamp prices have stayed consistent with the average annual rate of inflation of 4.2 percent since the Postal Service was formed in 1971.
Pricing for Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services and Extra Services also will be adjusted as part of a filing to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) scheduled to take place Sept. 26.

The Governors of the Postal Service voted Sept. 24 to seek price increases above the typical annual increases associated with changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

In a letter disseminated to customers today, Board of Governors Chairman Mickey Barnett described the “precarious financial condition” of the Postal Service and the “uncertain path toward enactment of postal reform legislation” as primary reasons for seeking price changes above the CPI increase. He also indicated that the price adjustment above the CPI increase is necessary in order to ensure that the Postal Service will be able to maintain and continue the development of postal services of the type and quality which America needs.

“Of the options currently available to the Postal Service to align costs and revenues, increasing postage prices is a last resort that reflects extreme financial challenges,” said Barnett in the letter. “However, if these financial challenges were alleviated by the timely enactment of laws that close a $20 billion budget gap, the Postal Service would reconsider its pricing strategy. We are encouraged by the recent introduction of comprehensive postal reform legislation in Congress, and despite an uncertain legislative process, we are hopeful that legislation can be enacted this year.”

Except in exceptional or extraordinary circumstances, postage price increases are capped at the rate of inflation as measured by the CPI-U. The Postal Service is filing a price increase above CPI-U due to extraordinary and exceptional circumstances which have contributed to continued financial losses. The Postal Service recorded a $15.9 billion net loss last fiscal year and expects to record a loss of roughly $6 billion in the current fiscal year, and has an intolerably low level of available liquidity even after defaulting on its obligation to make prefunding payments for retiree health benefits.

The PRC will review the prices before they become effective Jan. 26, 2014, and must agree the prices are consistent with applicable law. The new price proposals are scheduled to be filed Sept. 26 and will be available on the PRC website at www.prc.gov and also will be available at http://pe.usps.com.

The full text of the Board chairman’s letter sent to postal customers about the pricing decision will be available later today at the following link:
http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2013/pr13_chairman-letter.htm.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations

Gulf Breeze FL Post Office thanked for delivering World War II letter

(Reprinted from Pensacola News Journal)

The Gulf Breeze FL Post Office at 100 Northcliff Drive received thanks recently for delivering a letter from World War II veteral Lyman Edgar in an envelope with a mangled address to friends in Pensacola Beach.
“My husband and I are amazed that you managed to deliver an envelope with a mangled address written by a 98-year-old Colorado World War II veteran with ties to this area,” said Ann Boone Johnson and Bill Johnson in letter to Gulf Breeze postal employees.

The Johnsons added, “Lyman can no longer hear or see well and lives alone, so he addressed the envelope the best that he could.”

They described Edgar as “an old cowhand and my husband’s uncle, only missing Colorado’s Arkansas Valley Fair once in his long life – in 1945 when he was in the Navy and stationed in Panama City, Fla., during the war.”

The envelope with Edgar’s letter also contained a newspaper article about his being named the honorary parade marshal at this year’s Arkansas Valley Fair.
“Thank you so much for your attention to detail and to the spirit of the U.S. Postal Service who won’t let anything stop them,” wrote the Johnsons to their Gulf Breeze mail handlers.

Augusta GA carriers honored for million safe miles of driving

Four more Gulf Atlantic District letter carriers in the Augusta GA have been recognized for their long-standing safe driving records.

Letter carriers Tom Brewster, Steven Delginio, Ernie Hammond and Mark Swain are now members of the Million Mile Club which is the National Safety Council’s highest safety honor among professional drivers and recognizes drivers who have driven more than one million miles or more than 30 years without a preventable accident.

The United States Postal Service and the National Safety Council have teamed up to promote and ensure the safety and health of the USPS workforce nationwide.

As a long-standing member of the National Safety Council, USPS has established an agreement with the Council that entitles all facilities to take advantage of member benefits in an effort to prevent unintentional injury and illness.

Eligible Postal employee participants of the Safe Driver Award Program include those who have a normal daily assignment that involves the driving of a motor vehicle for official business use, and who have not had their driving privilege revoked or suspended.

Letter Carrier, Tom Brewster

Letter Carrier, Steven Delginio

Letter Carrier, Ernie Hammond (left) & Mark Swain

South Jacksonville reaches 10 perfect scores mark

Pictured from left to right are Marketing Manager Lucious Sumlar, Jackonville Officer-in-Charge Debra Gornik, Sales & Service Associates Kim Oswald, Lotti Armstrong, Carlos Williams, Rick Grace, Anita Kaashis, Lawence Benton, Supervisor Customer Services Betty Christmas, and Acting Manager Customer Services Bill Spangler.

The South Jacksonville station team recently reached their 10th straight Retail Customer Experience (RCE) perfect score.

According to Manager Customer Services Albert Diaz,  "Commitment has been the driving force to our success here at South Jacksonville."

RCE gives the Postal Service an objective view of our retail locations.

It can be used as a real-time snapshot of a customer interaction. It is not just about the score.

It is even more important that the results drive changes in behavior that will result in improved customer satisfaction and increased retail revenue.

The attributes measured in the Mystery Shopper program should become so commonplace to our everyday performance that if the program were to end tomorrow, it would not change the customer's retail experience in any way.
Mystery shoppers record how long they spent in line, how the retail unit looked, how courteous the retail associates were, and other details about their visit. 

Live Oak FL carrier comes to stroke victim's rescue

Live Oak FL Postmaster Blair Beaty recently received a call from customer Nannette Estep thanking one of our carriers for saving her cousin’s life. 

On Wednesday 9/11/2013, customer Billy Fennell had a stroke early that morning.  

When City Carrier Jacqueline Starke arrived at her normal time, Fennell was not at the door or visible which was not normal. 

According to Starke, Fennell always comes to the door and speaks with her. The carrier knocked on the door and then looked through an open window and called out to him. 

Starke could hear the customer and tell that he was in distress, but could not see him,  so she entered through a window to find  Fennell on the floor where he had been since the stroke. 

She called 9 - 1 - 1 and stayed with him until the ambulance arrived. He had been on the floor for nine hours  until  Starke came to his rescue.

 "Starke’s quick actions that day demonstrates the concern Postal letter carriers have for their customers," said Beaty.

JAX employees alert to money order scam; two customers arrested

Sales and Service Associate Lilly Kirkland at the Jacksonville General Mail Facility main office window sold a money order to a customer in the amount of $1000 last month.

The customer left the premises, but returned less than 10 minutes later.

He claimed his wife stated they did not need the money order because she had paid one of their bills and he now wanted to cash the money order.

Kirkland remembered an email that her Supervisor Customer Services Wanda McKinney had shared with all SSAs about a scam that was being run the same way that this customer tried with his money order.Kirkland called Manager Customer Services Alvin Walker to her counter.

After talking with customer, Walker called the Postal Inspection Service that resulted in the arrest of two suspects.

The scam goes like this: a customer buys a money order, goes outside, and uses a cell phone app to scan the money order into his bank account. 

The customer comes back into the Post Office with excuse that wife stated he didn’t need to purchase money order because she paid the bill (mortgage).


The customer now would have $1,000 in bank and USPS employee gives him the $1,000 cash back. 

The U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service play leading roles in increasing public awareness of identity theft and fraudulent mailing schemes.


The organizations state that, according to the FTC, as little as 2 percent of all victims reported that the identity crimes they experienced were through the U.S. Mail. 

Atlantic Beach Letter Carrier reaches 50 years of service

Atlantic Beach Letter Carrier David Morehouse recently was recognized for 50 years of service. 

From left, District Manager Charley Miller, Letter Carrier David Morehouse, Area Vice President JoAnn Feindt, Postmaster Stephen Hardin, and Local 53 NALC President Bob Henning.

Shady Grove FL Village Post Office opens

The Gulf Atlantic District recently added its fourth Village Post Office (VPO) in Shady Grove FL.

"We are thrilled to offer this new VPO to our customers in Shady Grove," said Marketing Manager Lucious Sumlar.  "Our goal is to continue providing convenient access to postal products and services in more rural communities across the nation."

The first VPO opened in Malone, Washington, in August 2011. The Gulf Atlantic District currently has VPOs located in Climax GA, Scotland GA and Bellville GA.

A full list of VPOs across the country is available on usps.com  http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/expandedaccess/vpo-list.htm

VPOs are located within existing communities in a variety of locations, including convenience stores, local businesses and libraries, and are operated by the management of those locations.

VPOs offer a range of popular products and services — the ones most used by customers — including PO Boxes, Forever stamps, Pre-paid Priority Mail Flat Rate envelopes and a mail collection box.

By being located inside established businesses and other places consumers already frequent, VPOs offer Postal Service customers time-saving convenience, and in most cases, longer hours than regular Post Offices.

VPOs provide operators — in most cases, the local business owners — with opportunities for increased customer foot traffic and revenue, as well as providing additional services for their customers and clients.

The Postal Service will consider establishing a Village Post Office in locations where there is no Post Office or that has one with reduced operating

hours, and where an alternate access site will benefit the community and the Postal Service.

Village Post Offices are part of the Postal Service’s “Approved Postal Provider” network — retail outlets for postal products and services that include Contract Postal Units, Approved Shippers, stamps on consignment locations and Community Post Offices.

Approved Postal Providers are operated by third parties and complement the Postal Service’s own network by offering customers expanded retail access to postal products and services at convenient hours and locations.

Crawfordville FL rural carrier is a true hero

Crawfordville FL Rural Carrier Janet Morgan is a true hero.  Who says so?

Let's starts with Postmaster General Patrick Donohoe who stated in a letter to Morgan:

"I read with pride of your initiative to find out the status of a customer on your route.  When you noticed the accumulation of mail, you search the phone book and notified a relative.  The brother called emergency personnel, but unfortunately the customer was deceased.  Please know that your efforts are appreciated and by no means went unnoticed."

Janet's acting Postmaster Arch Rogers added:

 “Janet is a person that naturally cares for the people around her whether it’s co-workers or customers. This was a perfect example of what our employees on the street do for their customers every working day in America. That brief window of time the carrier spends at a mailbox while out delivering, has the potential to change a life, save a life or enrich a life. This is not the first time Janet has helped one of her customers, it’s just the first time she’s been recognized.”

And Janet also shared her thoughts on the incident:

"Not everyone understands the importance of the role of a Rural Carrier in communities. We interact daily with our customers. We travel roads in communities where the elderly are isolated at home and often by themselves. Most adults are away from home during the day working while the children are at school. While we're on our routes, we serve as their eyes and ears. We notice when a customer's routine is different or off, when a customer that greets you everyday at the mailbox doesn't show for a couple of days, or even when a person or a vehicle is on a customer's property while when they are not at home. Many customers think of us as part of their families and we are there to provide assistance when we can. And it's one of the many reasons I find this job to be very rewarding."

That's what makes Janet Morgan and many other letter carriers true heroes.

Florida A&M Alum Inducted Into Black Heritage Stamp Series

TALLAHASSEE, FL. – Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumna Althea Gibson (1927-2003) has been inducted into the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Black Heritage Stamp Series. The stamp featuring the tennis icon was unveiled on Aug. 23 on the grounds of the U.S. Open in Flushing, N.Y.

"We are delighted to honor Florida A&M graduate Althea Gibson as the 36th stamp and first female athlete in our Black Heritage Series,” said Stephen Seewoester, U.S. Postal Service spokesperson. “She was truly a pioneer in her sport and an inspiration to a future generation of African-American tennis players, such as Arthur Ashe and sisters Venus and Serena Williams."

In the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, Gibson helped integrate the world of tennis and became the first African-American of either gender to win Wimbledon. She twice won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships (now known as the U.S. Open) and became the top-ranked player in the world. The tall, lean Gibson was fast and had a long reach, and relied on a booming serve and precise volleys. In 1957, the Associated Press named her the first African-American to be selected as the Female Athlete of the Year, earning her cover features in Sports Illustrated and Time magazine.

“It is humbling to know that the education and nurturing Althea Gibson received at Florida A&M University as an athletic scholarship recipient led to such an exemplary career,” said Larry Robinson, FAMU interim president. “Our student athletes and the entire university community join the U.S. Postal Service and the nation in saluting Ms. Gibson for breaking color lines in tennis and raising the benchmark for success in the international sport of tennis.”

FAMU Women’s Tennis Coach Nikki Goldthreate said she was delighted to hear the news and will use this as additional motivation to encourage her student athletes.

“I have a photo of Althea Gibson on my wall in my office as a constant reminder for our team,” said Goldthreate. “We have 10 young ladies on our tennis team and I see the drive in them to get better each day. I’m sure Althea had that same determination – to take it one day at a time.”

FAMU National Alumni Association President Tommy Mitchell didn’t realize when he was a child that Ms. Gibson, the playground teacher, would become Ms. Gibson the legendary tennis player. Years later he can reflect on his brush with greatness and appreciate what her legacy means as a fellow FAMU graduate.

“This is just one more case where FAMU has made an outstanding contribution to the world through one of our graduates,” said Mitchell. “Although I wasn’t a tennis player then, I am now. Althea Gibson certainly set the pace and that is to be admired.”

According to the USPS, the oil-on-wood painting featured on the stamp is based on a photograph – taken at Wimbledon – of Gibson bending down to hit a low volley. Designed by Derry Noyes, the stamp features the artwork of award-winning artist Kadir Nelson.

The Althea Gibson stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate. Gibson is the 36th inductee into the U.S. Postal Service’s Black Heritage stamp series, which includes Harriet Tubman, Paul Robeson and Ella Fitzgerald.

The forever stamp depicting the athlete in action is now available at www.USPS.com/stamps, via phone at 800-STAMP-24 and at Post Offices around the country.

To watch a video on Althea Gibson and her FAMU connection, click http://bit.ly/FAMU_Althea.

Courtesy of WCTV-CBS

Pelham GA carrier  receives 

45-year service award 

Pelham GA  Rural Carrier Carolyn Reams recently received special recognition for her 45   years of service with the Postal Service.  

She has documented over one million miles in her years of delivering mail in Jefferson County.  

She remembers that when she started with the Postal Service in 1968, a first-class letter only cost six cents .

Her late husband, Laurie Reams, served the Lamont Post Office for 47 years as a carrier ,  and her granddaughter, Amanda,  is a rural carrier  in Monticello  GA , so the USPS seems to be a family tradition.

       

In attendance to congratulate Carolyn Reams for her 45 years serving the USPS are from left to right:  Manager of Post Office Operations Keith Pierlie;  Supervisor Sherri Surles ;  Carolyn Reams; and  Gulf Atlantic District Manager Charlie Miller.

Callahan FL Post Office achieves 

perfection 25 times in a row

The Callahan FLPost Office was honored recently for achieving an incredible 25th Retail Customer Experience (RCE) perfect score in a row. 

Callahan Postmaster Steve Gray attributes his team's success to three attributes: "communication, commitment and teamwork."

Gray's team includes Service and Sales Associates Phyllis Silcox,  Debbie West, and Rhonda Denmark.  

They were recently recognized by District Manager Charley Miller and Acting Manager of Customer Service Bill Spangler.

RCE gives the Postal Service an objective view of our retail locations.

It can be used as a real-time snapshot of a customer interaction. It is not just about the score. 

It is even more important that the results drive changes in behavior that will result in improved customer satisfaction and increased retail revenue. 

The attributes measured in the Mystery Shopper program should become so commonplace to our everyday performance that if the program were to end tomorrow, it would not change the customer's retail experience in any way. 
Mystery shoppers record how long they spent in line, how the retail unit looked, how courteous the retail associates were, and other details about their visit.