News & information

TODAY’S TOPICS: Oct. 27, 2014

Good Q’s, good A’s: The Postal Service’s chief human resources officer says it’s “correct” to describe USPS as operationally profitable. Blending package delivery and technology will help the agency continue to provide unmatched customer service. (Wisconsin State Journal)

Kokomo Plan, 2014: Indiana letter carriers are continuing their fight against the Postal Service’s ill-conceived plan to close 82 mail processing plants next year, including one in Kokomo. Besides a slowdown in service, such a consolidation move, if implemented, would have a negative impact on hundreds of good paying union jobs across the country. (Kokomo Perspective)

Paper or plastic? Following a limited Bay Area-test in conjunction with Amazon, the Postal Regulatory Commission has now approved a plan to expand letter carriers’ reach by allowing them to deliver groceries—first in hilly San Francisco, then potentially nationwide. (Fierce Government)

Adding dimensions: Letter carriers have always embraced technology, and the future is now as far as 3-D printing is concerned. Not only does this article on 3DPrint.com tout the benefits of USPS getting by behind 3-D printing, it also extols the beneficial service that letter carriers provide—key word “ubiquity.” (3DPrint.com)

Contracting contrasts: A union job can mean good pay, good benefits and job protections. Might FedEx see the light one day and abandon its policy of relying on contract drivers? The National Labor Relations Board has been taking a close look at such strategies that undermine unions and depress wages. (The Washington Post)