Fissured, battered and fenced off since the magnitude-6.0 quake of Aug. 24, the downtown Napa post office leads off the annual Ten Threatened Treasures, the list of at-risk properties released last week by the Napa County Landmarks group .A lack of clarity from the Postal Service about the building’s future – and a fear the agency may choose demolition as the easy … Read More
Next round in the exigent case: USPS seeks five-year extension of surcharge; the mailers say enough is enough
Today was the deadline for submitting initial comments to the Postal Regulatory Commission concerning the exigent rate increase after the case was remanded by the US Court of Appeals in its June 5th ruling.  Judging by the comments, this case is far from being settled.  The Postal Service is looking to extend the surcharge for almost five years, while the mailers want … Read More
USPS releases May 2015 financial statement
The Postal Service has released its financial statement for May 2015.  There’s some good news and some not so good. Compared to May 2014, volumes and revenues for First Class, Standard, and Periodicals are all down, generally about 5 percent.  For market-dominant mail overall, volumes and revenue are both down 5.2 percent. That represents a somewhat steeper decline than previous … Read More
APWU takes PRC to court over service standards
The American Postal Workers Union has taken the Postal Regulatory Commission to court over its decision to dismiss the union’s complaint that the Postal Service is failing to meet its service standards. As explained on the USPS website, these service standards, as set forth under 39 C.F.R. § 121.1, state how long it will take the mail to be delivered, … Read More
PRC dismisses appeal on relocation of North Platte PO; Goldway dissents
The Postal Regulatory Commission has dismissed the appeal on the relocation of the post office in North Platte, Nebraska. Â The Postal Service will now proceed to close the downtown post office and replace it with a counter in the carrier annex on the outskirts of town. Â Commission Ruth Goldway issued a dissenting opinion, arguing that there was evidence that the … Read More
USPS, APWU, and mailers respond to the court’s ruling on the exigent case
This week the Postal Service, APWU, and several associations of mailers filed briefs with the Postal Regulatory Commission responding to the DC Court of Appeals’ June 5th ruling on the case of the exigent rate increase. On Monday the Postal Service filed a motion asking the Commission to suspend the removal of the exigent surcharge, which is due to occur sometime in August. … Read More
Postal unions write Congress opposing fast track trade agreement
The national presidents of three postal unions have written a letter to members of the US House of Representatives about how fast fast-track trade legislation threatens the future of the US Postal service. The House will hold a final vote on the legislation this Friday, June 12th. If you want to contact Congress on this issue, it must be done today, Thursday. To … Read More
Historic Plant City, CA, post office to be sold
The historic post office in Plant City, Florida, was closed two years ago over health and safety concerns that included mold and lead-based paint. Â Now the Postal Service is planning on selling the building. Â Mayor Rick Lott said he was surprised it took so long for the old post office to hit the market because the longer a building sits, … Read More
Postal Service will seek new location for Old Greenwich post office
The Postal Service plans to close their longstanding facility on Arcadia Road in Old Greenwich, Conn. At a meeting this week, USPS officials sought to ease Old Greenwich residents' concerns about the loss of their local post office. Most services, they promised, will remain in or near the village. The goal is to find a new site in Old Greenwich for retail operations … Read More
Yantic post office closure appeal denied, facility to stay closed
The Postal Regulatory Commission has denied the city of Norwich's appeal on the closure of the Yantic post office, backing the U.S. Postal Service’s February 2012 decision to close the Yantic post office. Mayor Deb Hinchey and other officials expressed dismay, saying preserving services in the outlying Norwich neighborhood was important for economic development, an argument she made when the … Read More
Court rules on exigent rate increase: Not forever, but for how long?
This week the DC Court of Appeals issued its decision on the exigent rate case.  The court affirmed the most significant element of the ruling by the Postal Regulatory Commission back in late 2013, namely, that the increase could not go on forever. But the court remanded another aspect of the Commission’s order, and it is now almost certain that … Read More
