[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.

[press release]
United States Postal Service Unveils 10-Year Plan to Achieve Financial Sustainability and Service Excellence
Aims to meet or exceed 95 percent network-wide, on-time delivery
Operates at break-even by FY2023 avoiding $160 billion in projected losses over the next 10 years

Highlights Of The ‘Delivering For America’ Plan

• Preserves affordable, six-day mail and expands seven-day package delivery
• Generates $24 billion in net revenue in part from enhanced package delivery services for business customers, including same-day, one-day and two-day delivery offerings
• Improves cash flow to allow for investment of $40 billion in workforce, new vehicles, improved Post Offices, technology improvements, and infrastructure upgrades
• With congressional support accelerates move to an electric delivery vehicle fleet
• Adjusts select delivery standards to improve efficiency and reliability
• Enhances customer experience via new suite of consumer and small business tools
• Stabilizes workforce with a goal of cutting non-career employee turnover in half, and creating more opportunity for growth including more predictable progression into career workforce
• Aligns pricing to reflect market dynamics
• Asks for bipartisan legislation in Congress to repeal the retiree health benefit pre-funding mandate and to maximize future retiree participation in Medicare

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Postal Service today released its 10-year Plan,‘Delivering for America,’ to return the organization to financial sustainability and achieve service excellence while maintaining universal six-day mail delivery and expanding seven-day package delivery.

“The need for the U.S. Postal Service to transform to meet the needs of our customers is long overdue,” said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy [right]. “Our Plan calls for growth and investments, as well as targeted cost reductions and other strategies that will enable us to operate in a precise and efficient manner to meet future challenges, as we put the Postal Service on a path for financial sustainability and service excellence.”

“The Board challenged Postal management to devise a Plan that was firmly rooted in our public service mission to bind the nation together,” said Ron Bloom, Chairman of the United States Postal Service Board of Governors. “The Plan will achieve service excellence, adapt the Postal Service to the evolving needs of the American people and address our obligation for financial sustainability. Through a wide-ranging process involving numerous talented and dedicated public servants throughout the organization and insightful input from many stakeholders, they have done just that. This Plan will revitalize this American treasure and we are excited to work with our union leaders, stakeholders and newly nominated Governors, once they are confirmed, as we move it forward.”

The comprehensive Plan includes a combination of investments in technology, training, Post Offices and a new vehicle fleet; modernizing the Postal Service’s processing network; adopting best-in-class logistics practices across delivery and transportation operations; creating new revenue-generating offerings in the rapidly expanding e-commerce marketplace and pricing changes as authorized by the Postal Regulatory Commission.

Successful implementation of the Plan requires partnership from legislative and regulatory stakeholders as its composition includes:

• Self-help initiatives to provide billions in new revenue and cost reductions, while improving the predictability and reliability of service
• Judicious implementation of new and existing pricing authorities
• Legislative changes to retiree health benefit funding rules including requiring Medicare integration and eliminating the pre-funding requirement

DeJoy continued, “The Postal Service’s problems are serious but, working together, they can be solved. Our 10-year Plan capitalizes on our natural strengths and addresses our serious weaknesses. It ensures that we can better meet the nation’s evolving delivery needs, and do so with the higher degree of efficiency, precision and reliability that our business and residential customers expect and deserve. It can and must be done.”

The Plan was developed through a rigorous and holistic process that included reviewing reports by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and consulting with numerous stakeholder groups.

Investing in People, Technology and Infrastructure
The Postal Service Plan will spur cash flow and savings to make $40 billion in capital investments over the next 10 years, many of which have been long-delayed due to the organization’s financial challenges of the past decade. This includes a recent multi-billion dollar contract to modernize the Postal Service’s delivery vehicle fleet, which is over 28-years old on average and unsuitable for accommodating growing package volume. The first of the new vehicles are expected to appear on carrier routes beginning in 2023. With Congressional support, our delivery fleet can be electric by 2035, substantially reducing our carbon footprint.

“Investing in the Postal Service’s future means investing in our people,” said DeJoy. “For too many years, Postal employees have been asked to do more with less – forced to employ antiquated systems, utilize outmoded equipment, and drive outdated vehicles. This drives up costs and slows down service for customers. We cannot afford to keep this up. We believe firmly in putting the 644,000 women and men of the Postal Service in the best possible position to succeed in their mission of service, while also enabling a more predictable progression from non-career employees into the career workforce. Our goal is to significantly reduce non-career annual turnover rates.”

Other planned investments include advanced package processing equipment; Post Office and facility upgrades; deployment of new mobile devices for carriers; new employee uniforms; best-in-class information technologies across the enterprise; and enhanced training and development to empower the workforce.

Enhanced Customer Experience and New Revenue Generating Offerings to Meet Business and Consumers’ Expanding E-Commerce Needs
The Postal Service has one of the best last mile delivery networks in the world, which enables the delivery of goods and services to more than 160 million addresses across the country. The Plan identifies several strategies to leverage this unparalleled end-to-end delivery network to generate $24 billion in new package net revenue growth and meet business and consumers’ rapidly evolving e-commerce needs.

This includes a new suite of services called USPS Connect, connecting businesses, large and small, to urban and rural communities across the nation. The Postal Service will expand its core package products, namely Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, First-Class Package Service and Parcel Select to offer same day, next day and 2-3 day delivery options six to seven days a week.

Other offerings will include an enhanced Informed Delivery platform, enabling business and residential users to do more, such as provide carriers instructions on where to leave or pick-up packages, notify USPS to hold mail or schedule redelivery of packages before important items reach their mailboxes. Through these and other actions, the Plan also strengthens the mail channel for the nation’s commercial and personal needs.

Adjust Select Delivery Standards to Dramatically Improve Service Reliability
To drive greater network efficiency, the Postal Service will submit filings with the Postal Regulatory Commission to modify the service standards for First-Class Mail Letters and Flats, as well as First-Class Package Service. These modifications will shift volume from unreliable air transportation to more reliable ground transportation, and enable network improvements that will allow us to meet or exceed 95 percent on-time delivery across mail and shipping product classes. First-Class Mail traveling within a local area will continue to be delivered in one or two days and 70 percent of First-Class Mail will continue to be delivered within three days or less.

The Postal Service also anticipates using its processing facilities differently to reflect the dramatic increase in package volume and declines in mail volumes, and accommodate new revenue generating e-commerce offerings to better meet the needs of our customers. The plan anticipates an evaluation of facility operations, using the applicable regulatory processes.

Legislative Initiatives and Administrative Elements to Better Compete and Achieve Financial Sustainability
The most significant item the Postal Service is asking the 117th Congress to pass is legislation to require that retiree health benefits be integrated with Medicare, and that the expense associated with these benefits be based on vested benefits, which would reduce the Postal Service’s cash flow expenses by approximately $44 billion over 10 years. Legislation is also being supported to address burdensome retiree health benefit prefunding. We also propose that the Administration require the Office of Personnel Management to use a simple and fair method in how it apportions Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) liabilities for employees who transitioned to the Postal Service from the Post Office Department. These requested changes will benefit current retirees, current employees and the Postal Service.

In addition, in the coming weeks, the Postal Service will submit a number of filings with the Postal Regulatory Commission regarding pricing, products and services, and infrastructure.

To learn more and view the full Plan, visit www.usps.com/deliveringforamerica. You can also view the Plan-at-a-Glance at https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2021/usps-delivering-for-america-plan-at-a-glance.pdf.

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