[press release]
Postal Service Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

WASHINGTON, DC — Post Office locations nationwide will be closed on Christmas Day, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, and New Year’s Day, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.

All Post Office locations will be open, and regular mail delivery will resume, on Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, and Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.

This post office will close early on Christmas Eve.

Some Post Office locations may have extended hours leading up to the holidays, while others may have limited hours on Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 24. There are currently no plans for limited hours on New Year’s Eve, Friday, Dec. 31. Customers are advised to always check with their local Post Office for hours of operation.

Blue collection boxes with final collection times before noon will not be affected by an early closing Dec. 24.

If a box has a final collection time after noon, its mail may be picked up earlier. For mail pickup on Dec. 24, customers are asked to either put their mail into blue collection boxes by noon regardless of the final collection times posted on the box, or take their items to one of our more than 34,000 Post Office locations.

The Alexandria, VA post office will close at 2 on Christmas Eve, rather than 6.

Customers who are unable to mail items before the scheduled collection box pickup times on Dec. 24 should visit the online Postal Locator tool at tools.usps.com to find Post Office locations that may be open late.

As a reminder, blue collection boxes are not serviced on Sundays.

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

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Announces New Competitive Prices and Two New Mail Products for 2022

• Postal Service continues to offer some of the lowest letter-mail postage rates in the industrialized world and a great value in shipping as we enhance our reliability and expand our product offerings in service to the American people.
• Pricing actions part of balanced approach under “Delivering for America,” the Postal Service’s 10-year plan for achieving financial sustainability and service excellence.
• Rate changes will contribute to $40 billion of investments in people, technology, and infrastructure over the next 10 years to modernize and improve the Postal Service’s operations and customer experience.
• Postal Service is also supporting mail by requesting PRC approval for two mail products focused on local communities.

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today of price changes for Shipping Services to take effect Jan. 9, 2022.

The proposed prices, approved by the Postal Service Governors, would raise Shipping Services product prices approximately 3.1 percent for Priority Mail service, and 3.1 percent for Priority Mail Express service. Shipping Services price adjustments vary by product. Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the consumer price index, Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions. The Governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.

If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include an increase in the price of a Small Flat-Rate Box to $9.45. The Medium Flat-Rate Box would increase to $16.10, the Large Flat-Rate Box would decrease to $21.50 and the price of the APO/FPO Large Flat-Rate Box would decrease to $20.00. Regular Flat-Rate Envelopes, Legal Flat-Rate Envelopes, and Padded Flat-Rate Envelopes would increase to $8.95, $9.25, and $9.65 respectively.

The proposed domestic Priority Mail Flat Rate Retail price changes are:

The Postal Service has some of the lowest letter-mail postage rates in the industrialized world and continues to offer a great value in shipping. Unlike some other shippers, the Postal Service does not add surcharges for residential delivery or regular Saturday delivery.

The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filings with prices for all products can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. For the Shipping Services filing, see Docket No. CP2022-22. The price change tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

The filing also included pricing to support USPS Connect, a suite of affordable package delivery solutions for businesses that the Postal Service expects to launch in 2022, if favorably reviewed.

In addition, the Postal Service is also supporting mail by requesting approval for two mail products focused on local communities. First, after a 2-year market test, the Postal Service is requesting the establishment of a permanent Plus One product which will provide additional marketing options for businesses to reach local customers utilizing mail. Building on the USPS Connect pilot, the Postal Service is requesting approval for a market test for a new USPS Connect Local Mail product which will provide the ability to send documents within local communities for same/day next delivery.

With full implementation, the Postal Service’s 10-year Delivering For America plan is designed to reverse a projected $160 billion in operating losses over the next 10 years. The Plan’s growth and efficiency initiatives, including the proposed pricing changes, together with necessary legislation, should allow the Postal Service to make investments totaling approximately $40 billion over the next 10 years to modernize and improve our infrastructure to become more efficient and service responsive.

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

[press release]
‘USPS Operation Santa Is Now Accepting Letters for 2021 Program
It’s Time To Start Sending in Wish Requests for the Holidays

WASHINGTON, DC — Starting today, the Postal Service is accepting letters for the 109-year-old USPS Operation Santa program. Letters must be postmarked by Dec. 10, and will be uploaded to USPSOperationSanta.com through Dec. 15 for potential adoption.

Every day can be a challenge for some families simply trying to make ends meet.

Holiday expectations put extra pressure on those same families who want to make it a special time, but just can’t. That’s where the USPS Operation Santa program — and generous Postal Service customers — can help make the holidays a joyous and magical time. Since the program began, hundreds of thousands of less-fortunate children and their families have been helped by the kindness of others.

Program Details
USPS Operation Santa was established by the Postal Service to help those in need during the holidays. Whether you believe in Santa or not, the nondenominational program is intended to help as many deserving families as possible experience a happy holiday season. And that can only happen if there are letters to post on USPSOperationSanta.com.

Participation in USPS Operation Santa is simple. All you have to do is write a letter, put it in an envelope affixed with a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, and make sure you include your full return address — apartment number, directional information (i.e., E Main St, Apt 103) and ZIP Code — and send it to Santa’s official workshop address:

Santa Claus
123 Elf Road
North Pole, 88888

Letters without full return addresses or names will not be posted for adoption.

What Should I Ask For?
It is entirely up to the letter writer as to what appears on their wish list. But the more specific writers are with sizes, colors, styles, favorite authors, book titles, toys, etc., the better chance their wishes will be granted if their letter is adopted.

When someone writes a letter, it is opened by Santa’s elves, and for safety reasons, all personally identifiable information of the letter writer is removed (i.e., last name, address, ZIP Code) and uploaded to USPSOperationSanta.com for adoption. Letters must be postmarked by Dec. 10 and letters will be uploaded to the website for adoption through Dec. 15.

There is no guarantee that letters submitted to the program will be adopted.

How to Write a Letter
Sending a letter to Santa is easy and the Postal Service has guides and tips to help kids and their parents write and send their best letters ever. All the information you could possibly need to write a letter, address an envelope, put on a stamp and send it on its way can be found on USPSOperationSanta.com and in our Holiday Newsroom [which includes a countdown clock to Christmas].

You can also use these letter writing tips throughout the yearhttps://about.usps.com/holidaynews/ if you want to send thank-you cards, birthday cards or letters to friends and family just to say “Hi.”

Adopting a Letter
Adopter registration, ID verification and letter adoption will open in the next few weeks. Until then, there are a few things to know for those who plan to adopt a letter.

Potential adopters, once approved, can visit USPSOperationSanta.com, read through the posted letters, pick one or more that they’d like to fulfill, and follow the directions on how to grant that special wish for a child. For security reasons, all potential adopters must be vetted through a short registration and ID verification process before they can adopt any letter. If you’ve adopted letters in the past, you must still be verified each year.

Businesses also get into the spirit of the season by creating teams to adopt letters — all the better to help grant those special wishes to deserving families and kids.

USPS Operation Santa History
USPS Operation Santa started more than 109 years ago when the Postal Service began receiving letters to Santa from kids across the country. It wasn’t until 1912 that Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local Postmasters to allow postal employees and customers to respond to the letters. That simple act of kindness has led to a very successful holiday program benefiting deserving kids and families throughout the United States.

The complete Operation Santa history can be found online at the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom, along with additional news and information, including all mailing and shipping deadlines.

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

The USPS plans its next rate hike for July 2022, and then twice a year, beginning in January 2023, reports Bill McAllister, the Washington correspondent for Linn’s Stamp News in its October 4th issue, which went online Saturday. The USPS said it did not plan a rate increase in January 2022.

The proposed rate increases would be on what the USPS calls its “market dominant” products, or services, such as first-class mail, advertising mail, periodicals, packages, and anything else in which the agency has a monopoly.

It competes with other services on products like Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express (which most customers still call “Express Mail.”

The USPS says it will be “judicious” in how it uses whatever authority to raise rates the Postal Regulatory Commissions gives it, but market conditions are likely to require the maximum increases allowed.

McAllister reports commercial mailers’ groups are protesting the plan, and saying they doubt the USPS will not raise rates as much as it can, because it does have that monopoly.

You can read more of McAllister’s story, without a subscription, here.

[press release]
A Half-Century of Operating Independently While Continuing to Bind the Nation Together

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service marks its 50th anniversary as an independent agency today.

On July 1, 1971, the U.S. Post Office Department became the U.S. Postal Service, a transformation made possible by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. This law transformed the Post Office Department from a cabinet level agency to an independent establishment of the executive branch called the United States Postal Service (USPS).

“In the more than two centuries since Benjamin Franklin was appointed our first Postmaster General in 1775, the Postal Service has grown and changed with America, boldly embracing new technologies to better serve a growing population,” said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy. “We stand ready, willing and able to deliver for America into the next half-century and beyond.”

The first day of USPS operations in 1971 was commemorated at Post Offices nationwide with a new postage stamp and a free souvenir envelope. Official ceremonies, open houses, facility tours, refreshments, entertainment and other festivities also marked the day.

The organization’s achievements during the past half-century include the introduction of ZIP+4 Codes (1983), its first website (1994), Forever stamps (2007) and new products and services like Every Door Direct Mail (2011) and Informed Delivery (2017).

This spirit of innovation continues with Delivering for America, the organization’s new 10-year plan, which focuses on restoring service excellence and financial stability to the Postal Service through new efficiencies, products and services, and investments in people, technology and infrastructure.

To mark its 50th anniversary, the Postal Service has published an oral history of its first 50 years with 25 employees who were part of the organization’s transition from the Post Office Department, as well as a retrospective of National Postal Service Day in 1971. Explore additional information about the Postal Service’s history at about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/welcome.htm

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

Here comes the bride — thanks to a postal clerk in Wasilla, Alaska, about 30 miles northeast of Anchorage. According to KTUU-TV, all the wedding invitations Crystle Lewis had mailed in early May had been returned because of insufficient postage.

The wax seal on the envelopes (see below) required extra postage.

Wasilla postal clerk Edward “Lee” Mayton (below right) saw the notice in her post office box, and realized no one had checked it in two weeks. He bought the needed the stamps himself and he and coworkers affixed them to the 50 invitations. They went out that night.

Lewis and her fiancé tried to repay Mayton, but he wouldn’t accept it. And he said he’d do it again.

Note that in the video, the postal clerk’s name is incorrect.

The front of the invitation package

Alex and Crystle

Quick Summary:

• Would take effect August 29, 2021
• Domestic letters to 58¢
• No change in additional ounces
• Postcards to 40¢
• Flats (non-rigid large envelopes) up 16¢, from $1.00 to $1.16 base
• International one-ounce letters, up 10¢ to $1.30

[press release]
With Commitment to Affordability and Financial Sustainability, U.S. Postal Service Proceeds with Request for Postal Rate Change

• Pricing actions part of balanced approach under “Delivering for America,” the Postal Service’s 10-year plan for achieving financial sustainability and service excellence
• Following rate changes, USPS prices to remain among the world’s most affordable
• Rate changes also contribute to $40 billion of investments in people, technology and infrastructure over the next 10 years to modernize and improve the Postal Service’s operations and customer experience
• Rate adjustments in accordance with Postal Regulatory Commission approvals, helping to address USPS operating losses exacerbated by declines in mail volume

WASHINGTON, DC — As part of “Delivering for America,” its 10-year plan to achieve financial sustainability and service excellence, the United States Postal Service filed notice today with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) requesting price changes to take effect Aug. 29, 2021 that are in accordance with approvals provided by the PRC last year.

The proposed price changes would raise overall Market Dominant product and service prices by approximately 6.9 percent. First-Class Mail prices would increase by 6.8 percent to offset declining revenue due to First-Class Mail volume declines. In the past 10 years, mail volume has declined by 46 billion pieces, or 28 percent, and is continuing to decline. Over the same period, First-Class Mail volume has dropped 32 percent, and single piece First-Class Mail volume — including letters bearing postage stamps — has declined 47 percent.

“For the past 14 years, the Postal Service has had limited pricing authority to respond to changing market realities,” said Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy. “As part of our 10-year plan to achieve financial sustainability and service excellence, the Postal Service and the Board of Governors are committed to judiciously implementing a rational pricing approach that helps enable us to remain viable and competitive and offer reliable postal services that are among the most affordable in the world.”

The proposed Mailing Services price changes include:

Under the current pricing model and the proposed rate change, the Postal Service still has some of the lowest letter-mail postage rates in the industrialized world and continues to offer a great value in shipping.

Single Piece Letter-Mail Postage Rates, International The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006 capped price increases for mailing services at the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The PAEA also required the PRC to evaluate the price cap system 10 years after the date of enactment and to modify or replace the system if it was not meeting the objectives of the law. The PRC recognized the price cap was a barrier to the Postal Service’s financial sustainability in December 2017, resulting in cumulative lost gross revenue opportunity of $55 billion. In May, the Postal Service reported a net loss of $82 million for the second quarter of 2021.

In November 2020, the PRC announced new rules on market-dominant prices, allowing above-CPI price increases on the basis of certain factors and allowing the Postal Service more flexibility in establishing prices for mailing services.

“November’s PRC ruling allows the Postal Service higher rate authority in establishing prices for mailing services,” said Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett. “Aligning our prices for market-dominant products will allow us to grow revenue and help achieve financial sustainability to fulfill our universal service mission.”

With full implementation, the Postal Service’s 10-year plan is designed to reverse a projected $160 billion in operating losses over the next 10 years. The Plan’s growth and efficiency initiatives, including the proposed pricing changes, together with necessary legislation, should allow the Postal Service to make investments totaling approximately $40 billion over the next 10 years to modernize and improve our infrastructure to become more efficient and service responsive.

In 2020, the Postal Service delivered approximately 129.2 billion pieces of mail and packages to customers located in every state and territory, county, city, town and rural area in the nation.

The complete Postal Service price filings with prices for all products can be found on the PRC site. A fact sheet on the Postal Service’s rate change request is available here.

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

[press release]
Douglas Tulino Appointed Deputy Postmaster General
Will report to Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service announced today Douglas Tulino, a 41-year veteran of the service, has been appointed deputy postmaster general, reporting directly to Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy.

The appointment is effective immediately. Tulino also becomes a member of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors and continues in his current role as chief human resources officer (CHRO).

Tulino assumes the deputy role as the Postal Service continues to implement “Delivering for America,” the 10-year plan unveiled on March 23 to restore service excellence and financial sustainability to one of America’s most treasured institutions and a vital part of the nation’s infrastructure.

As deputy postmaster general and CHRO, Tulino will ensure the organization’s culture, talent, labor relations and leadership development are such that they are all contributing to the successful implementation of the Delivering for America Plan. Tulino will also play a key leadership role in ongoing stakeholder outreach.

“As we have been sharing our vision for a more vibrant U.S. Postal Service, Doug has been a key player, providing thoughtful leadership as we have worked collaboratively with our stakeholders to advance our plans for growth, high performance, and financial sustainability,” DeJoy said. “His capacity for listening and problem-solving, as well as his deep knowledge of the opportunities and challenges before us, have earned him the trust of many. Now as deputy postmaster general and CHRO, he will play a pivotal role in ensuring the Postal Service has the culture, talent and stability necessary to become the high-performing service organization it aspires to be.”

Last November, Tulino became executive vice president and chief human resources officer (CHRO), overseeing all aspects of Human Resources for the Postal Service’s 644,000-member workforce. As deputy postmaster general, Tulino will continue to oversee Labor Relations, Humans Resource Management, Organizational Development, Compensation and Benefits, Learning and Development, Recruiting and Hiring and HR Technology. In addition, Tulino will serve as the sponsor of the Executive Diversity Council that is chaired by DeJoy.

In 2005, Tulino began more than fifteen years of service as Vice President, Labor Relations. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing contract negotiation, collective bargaining, grievance and arbitration administration and consultation with management associations, compensation, and benefits for EAS employees, and maintaining organizational compliance with employment-related statutory and regulatory mandates. Over that time, he earned the trust and respect of the leadership of our unions and management associations as they worked together during difficult times to achieve positive solutions and mutual successes.

Tulino started his Postal Service career as a management associate in 1980 in Chicago. He possesses a strong background in labor relations and human resources with more than 40 years of Postal Service experience. For 19 of those years, he obtained experience in positions in human resources, operations, and labor relations at every level of the field organizational structure.

Tulino holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and industrial relations from Kent State University in Ohio. He was recognized with vice president awards in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, the Board of Governors award in 2007, and the Postmaster General awards in 2014 and 2016.

Biographies of all the executive leadership of the U.S. Postal Service are available at about.usps.com/who/leadership/pmg-exec-leadership-team.htm

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

[press release]
2021 Presidential Inauguration Collectible Available through USPS Postal Store

WASHINGTON, DC — Commemorate the 59th presidential inauguration with this souvenir envelope. The No. 10 envelope features portraits of President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris, along with an illustration of the White House.

The envelope may be purchased for $12.95 on usps.com. The item number is 882158.

Postal Products
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Direct link to product

Am I misreading this, or does this change do away with a reason for businesses to use Priority Mail Express? 6 pm is after the close of business for most companies; certainly the close of their offices. In effect, it adds another day to the delivery.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Announces Changes to Delivery Time for Priority Mail Express, and Seeks to Transfer Bound Printed Matter Parcels to the Competitive Product List

WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today seeking to transfer Bound Printed Matter (BPM) Parcels to the Competitive Product list, and simplifying the delivery time for Priority Mail Express (PME).

The changes to PME will take effect no earlier than May 23, 2021. The BPM Parcel change will take effect on a date yet to be determined, and is subject to approval by the PRC.

Currently, PME has three guaranteed delivery time windows within the 1 – 2 business day service standards: 10:30 a.m. (in select locations, for an extra fee), noon, or 3 p.m. The new single guaranteed delivery time will be 6 p.m. on the committed delivery day, regardless of package origin and destination.

The price of using PME as a shipping option will not change. The current price for PME flat rate envelope starts at $26.35. Additional pricing information can be found on our website.

BPM parcels contain advertising, promotional, directory or editorial material such as catalogs, books and other printed material, and can weigh up to 15 pounds. The contents must be securely bound by permanent fastening such as staples, spiral binding, glue, or stitching. The Postal Service has requested that the PRC change the classification of BPM parcels from a Market Dominant product to a Competitive product.

By transferring these parcels to the Competitive Product list, the Postal Service will have a greater opportunity to utilize product and pricing strategies to be market responsive and better aligned with the Postal Service’s shipping product portfolio.

Bound Printed Matter flats — generally catalogs up to three-quarters of an inch thick and weighing more than one pound — will remain as a Market Dominant product.

The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service filings can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily.

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