Category: Alliance Report

February 4, 2015 Inexplicably, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has taken much longer than anyone expected to issue a decision in the appeal of the PRC’s exigent rate case decision. The D.C. Circuit normally issues its decisions on Tuesday and Friday mornings before 11 AM, so we keep watching and waiting.…

PRC Order granting our motion for more time to evaluate FSS pricing. PMG Brennan will host a web conference Friday at 11 AM ET. New PRC web site is launched. Questions raised about USPS entry into same-day delivery. Elizabeth Johnson named VP, corporate communications, USPS. Royal Mail video about their IMb. Video about direct mail…

February 4, 2015 Extension of the Comment Deadline in the Current Rate Case While a deadline extension might seem small or technical, in this case it is meaningful. The Alliance along with two other mailers associations, MPA and Postcom, filed the request on January 26 and it was approved on February 2. The decision by…

February 4, 2015 Liabilities could be Fully Funded with Realistic Changes in Assumptions Postal Service management has been warning frequently that it is in a large financial hole and needs substantial legislative reform to get out. As its cash position has gone from dire to healthy, management has relied more on unfunded liabilities to make…

February 4, 2015 But will Anyone Take Him up on it? Like last year’s budget proposal, the new version is more specific than usual about improvement it foresees for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The budget says that the White House will work with Congress and postal stakeholders to secure necessary reforms:  Return the Federal…

January 21, 2015 Aside from the unexpected timing of the rate increase filing, the main curve ball in it is a new set of rates and requirements for FSS preparation and processing of flats which include Standard Mail, Periodicals and Bound Printed Matter. Mail service providers like Alliance sponsors Quad Graphics and R.R. Donnelley are…

FSS pricing is the main area of uncertainty in 1.966% proposed price increase according to the Quad Graphics blog Senate Democrats are trying to tie a hold on postal cost cuts to the Keystone XL bill Reflecting changes in leadership, USPS pulled an RFP for a PR provider The Chaffetz-led House Oversight Committee plans civil…

January 21, 2015 The Postal Service decided to take a safer, bird-in-the-hand decision to file its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase right before the close of business on Thursday, January 15. The timing is interesting because the next morning at 8:30 am another monthly CPI number was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics…

Commentary on the need for more postal reform in 2015 Is this the way to start off a productive bipartisan session of Congress? Coverage of Pat Donahoe’s speech this week Changes are coming to House oversight of the Postal Service Donahoe blames customers and employees for “myopia” More on progress being blocked by those who…

January 8, 2015 Happy New Year, everyone! As 2015 dawns we continue to wait for the US Court of Appeals to make public its ruling on the exigent rate case. What’s at stake? Well, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) ruled a little over a year ago that the Postal Service (USPS) should be allowed to…