USPS Tells TV Viewers It Is Reinventing Its Network

Steve HutkinsNews

ecommercebytes.com: The USPS turned to television to tell customers it is making changes to how it moves packages. In a new ad, a narrator says, “We’re reinventing our network. Fast. Reliable. Perfectly orchestrated,” while the 1990s dance song “I Like to Move It” plays throughout the 30-second commercial. The USPS has been hammering home Postmaster DeJoy’s 10-year plan, though the … Read More

OIG revises announcement of its S&DC audit (again), will now focus on communication

Steve HutkinsBlog, Featured

The USPS Office of Inspector General has made some changes in the announcement about its audit of the Postal Service’s Sorting and Delivery Centers. It’s the second time the announcement has been revised. In December, the OIG’s website said one of the ongoing audits would focus on the Postal Service’s “Development and Communication of Sorting and Delivery Centers.” As shown … Read More

Portland postal workers protest staff shortages, mail delays

Steve HutkinsNews

KOIN: Mail carriers and postal workers protested in Portland, Oregon, on Monday, saying staffing shortages are hurting the post office’s performance. The protest took place on Presidents Day, a day the unions of postal office workers pushed the federal government to recognize in the 70s. It comes as neighborhoods in Washington, Minnesota and Texas reported several days without mail. Workers … Read More

Delegation demands answers from Postal Service leadership on delays across Vermont

Steve HutkinsBlog, News

Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) on Thursday sent two letters to the leadership of the United States Postal Service (USPS) demanding answers and accountability regarding postal issues affecting workers and service in communities across Vermont. These letters – one to the USPS Board of Governors and one to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy – were the first sent by the newly-formed Vermont … Read More

The Postal Service unwinds the NDC network and merges the mail streams

Steve HutkinsBlog, Featured

As part of its 10-year plan to streamline the network, the Postal Service is in the process of “unwinding” its 21 Network Distribution Centers, which handle Marketing Mail, Periodicals and some ground packages. One of the goals of this NDC Unwind is to merge the mail and packages handled by the NDCs into the First Class Mail stream. While that … Read More

USPS OIG pushes back release date of audit of S&DC plan

Steve HutkinsBlog, Featured

In December, the USPS Office of Inspector General announced that it had initiated an audit of the Postal Service’s “Development and Communication of Sorting and Delivery Centers.” As shown on this version of the announcement from the Internet Archive, the estimated release date was originally June 28, 2023. Sometime over the past week or two, the OIG’s website changed the … Read More

The first two historic post offices put at risk by the S&DC plan

Steve HutkinsBlog, Featured

This month the Postal Service is continuing implementation of its initiative to transform the delivery network. Seventeen post offices are seeing their carriers relocated to five new Sorting & Delivery Centers (S&DCs). A list of them is here. After the carriers are gone and more than half the floor space becomes “excess,” the fate of these post offices will be … Read More

USPS’ plans to consolidate sorting in part of Southwest Michigan appear to have been delayed, but it’s not clear for how long.

Steve HutkinsBlog

WMUK: The Postal Service has plans to consolidate mail processing in Kalamazoo and surrounding communities. But it appears to have delayed those plans by at least a few months. Kalamazoo is one of a handful of places around the country targeted for an overhaul. USPS says moving sorting out of post offices will cut costs and improve service. But critics say … Read More

APWU Endorses Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence for the Postal Board of Governors

Steve HutkinsNews

In a statement issued today (Feb. 13, 2023), the APWU is endorsing Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence for the Postal Board of Governors. What’s not clear from the statement is whether or not President Biden intends to nominate anyone for the two open spots. He may just allow the two Governors whose positions have expired to serve a holdover year, as discussed … Read More

USPS Postal Bulletin publishes the 85 discontinuance announcements previously omitted

Steve HutkinsBlog, Featured

The current issue of the Postal Bulletin contains all 85 of the post office discontinuance announcements that had been omitted from two earlier issues because there were too many of them, plus nine more that hadn’t been announced. All of these discontinuances were for post offices that had been closed by emergency suspension many years ago. As discussed in this … Read More

USPS is moving ahead with a major shakeup of its delivery network

Steve HutkinsBlog, News

Federal News Network: The Postal Service is moving ahead with a major shakeup of its delivery network this year as part of its 10-year reform plan. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told the USPS Board of Governors on Thursday that he is working with postal unions and management associations to accomplish a “remarkable turnaround endeavor,” as outlined in the agency’s 10-year … Read More

New carrier cases spotted at a new S&DC

Steve HutkinsNews

Spotted on reddit, a couple of photographs of the new carrier cases that have just arrived at one of the new Sorting & Delivery Centers. The reply comments are interesting. Here’s a sample: “Indianapolis is coming soon. They say anytime now because the building is ready. This shit is not going to work and we will lose a ton of … Read More

A Vital Reason to Protect the Postal Service From Privatization

Steve HutkinsNews

Common Dreams: Rather than weakening this vital public infrastructure, policymakers should focus on strengthening—and expanding—this beloved federal service. Postal jobs have long been a road to the middle class for Black Americans. The Postal Service began employing Black workers shortly after the Civil War and became a major source of good, middle-class jobs for this share of the workforce in … Read More