Mail Bans, Postal Woes
Efforts to stop direct mail.
By Lisa Cross -- Graphic Arts Online, April 1, 2009
Its finances deteriorating, the U.S. Postal Service faces another hurdle as a major cities advance restricting a key revenue stream for the agency, and the printing industry—direct mail. Last month, a San Francisco City government committee advanced a non-binding rule calling for a statewide Do Not Mail registry in California. Unsolicited mail is "archaic, obnoxious and unnecessary," says city supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, who was the force behind San Francisco's ban of plastic bags. Efforts to limit direct mail in various states are tracked by Mail Moves America, a Washington-based mailing industry advocacy group.
The ban may seem less urgent, given steep declines in mail volume—9.3% across all mail classes last quarter. USPS Regulatory Commissioner Dan Blair told a Congressional oversight committee that USPS lost almost $750 million in January alone. "The Postal Service projects a $12.4 billion net operating deficit for this fiscal year."
Attendees at March's NPES Industry Summit gathering in Washington, DC received added insight into the complex dynamics facing USPS. Linda Kingsley, Sr. VP strategy and transition for USPS, explained to the gathering how the Post Office's status as quasi-governmental agency forces the delivery organization to do the bidding of Congress, adding to its costs. For example, it is prohibited from shopping for health insurance on the open market, despite the fact that with 656,000 employees (it is the second largest employer after Wal-Mart), it could likely find savings. Instead, it must buy the same expensive policies covering other Federal employees, and contributes a higher share—75% of worker premiums—than do its competitors at FedEx and UPS. Kingsley also noted that USPS is rebidding its address change marketing service, currently operated by Imagitas, a unit of Pitney Bowes. She says the average person spends $7,000 in moving. USPS knows of address changes first, and this data is invaluable to marketers.
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you and your mngt. hitlers never carried anything on your backs. what does mngt. do for 6 hours after carries leave for the street. NOTHING. thats a typical mangt loser who thinks the p.o. would be great if it wasn't for those stupid workers. THE WORKERS DO ALL THE WORK! Anybody that took an early out that has penalties shows how stupid they are.
tom cee - 2009-20-4 21:05:00 MDT -
As a current letter carrier, the USPS has far too many employees that never touch a piece of mail. There are a lot of hands in pockets watching others work. When the numbers don't come out as predicted the answer is to bring in more "hands in pockets" people to really, really watch the workers work.
Current Letter Carrier - 2009-20-4 16:30:00 MDT -
As a former postal employee that accepted an early with penalties, I can surely state that finding cheaper health insurance is the least of their financial problems. Upper management still practices "the easiest way to manage - is the way with the least resistance" Managers commonly give in to union and employee resistance because then they feel they can keep themselves under the radar. Even though are goals given to us sometime after the beginning of the fiscal year are usually unobtainable, many managers still look to that golden egg that will never roll their way. In some instances if there are emloyee disputes managers do what they can so that upper management does not know there is an issue. The unions should be removed, there are too many ways to battle the system and still maintain their jobs. Management on the other hand always carry on their backs that they can be removed for almost anything. Sad way to run a company.
Retired Postmaster - 2009-20-4 11:22:00 MDT
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