mail Archives - News/Media Alliance

Alliance Comments on USPS Annual Compliance Report

Holly Lubart — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 14:48:44 +0000

The News/Media Alliance submitted comments on the United States Postal Service’s Annual Compliance Report for Fiscal Year 2023 on January 30. The report emphasizes our concerns on Periodicals mail costs, prices, and service. The USPS cites inflation as a cause of its cost increases; however, inflation in FY 2023 was about 4 percent, while Periodicals costs that exceeded inflation nearly doubled that amount. The report also showed that flats processing concerns have worsened with productivity falling. The Alliance also re-iterated that holding the Postal Service accountable for controlling costs through a mechanism with meaningful consequences is necessary.

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Congressional Letter Asks for Pause on Postal Increases

Holly Lubart — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 21:09:53 +0000

Congressmen Emanuel Cleaver and Sam Graves, along with 17 other cosigners, sent a letter to the Postal Board of Governors on January 19 asking the USPS to pause future rate increases. The letter expresses concern on the negative impact the rate increases are having on mail customers. In addition, the letter raises concerns about the service problems many members of Congress have raised with the USPS in the last year. Last September, Congressmen Gerry Connolly and Jake LaTurner sent a letter and the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, of which The Alliance is a member, sent a letter last June. The Alliance continues to raise concerns with the Postal Service, Postal Regulatory Commission, USPS Office of Inspector General and others on these alarming rate increases.

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USPS Market Dominant Price Increases Take Effect on January 21

Holly Lubart — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:51:48 +0000

As a reminder, the Market Dominant Price Increases go into effect on January 21. View the USPS webinar, “Market Dominant Price Change” to learn more.

In the PRC order approving the rate hikes, it states “the Commission shares The News/Media Alliance’s concerns about Periodicals’ costs and continues to encourage the Postal Service to take steps to address them.”

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Alliances Files Comments on Rural Carrier Costs

Holly Lubart — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:41:43 +0000

The News/Media Alliance submitted comments on the Postal Service’s proposal to change the methodology for calculating rural carrier attributable costs. The Alliance supports the use of data from its news Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System, which should reduce Periodicals costs by approximately 1 cent per piece (3 percent).

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Alliance Files Additional Comments on USPS Mail Processing Plan

Holly Lubart — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:35:03 +0000

The News/Media Alliance submitted additional comments on the Postal Service’s Flats Plan on January 12 following the Postal Regulatory Commission’s (PRC) Order 6803 approving our motion. The PRC identified multiple causes of inefficiencies in the collection, sorting, transportation, and delivery of flats and provided eight recommendations. The USPS plan lacks both details and analytical support needed to evaluate the plan and determine whether it addresses the inefficiencies. The Alliance encouraged the PRC to continue asking probing questions to flesh out implementation details of the plan’s initiatives and to continue evaluating whether the initiatives will have the beneficial impacts claimed by USPS. In addition, the Alliance stated that the Postal Service must be held accountable through additional enforcement.

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News/Media Alliance Working to Fix Illinois Direct Marketing Law

Holly Lubart — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 18:18:21 +0000

The News/Media Alliance is working with the Illinois Press Association and other stakeholders to fix a consumer protection law, which attempted to prevent deceptive marketing preying on senior citizens. The IL Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act was amended and went into effect on January 1; however, the Attorney General’s Office will not enforce the law until the legislature enacts appropriate language for what the law is intended to do. We anticipate the law will be fixed this legislative session, which runs through mid-May. The current language states that it is unlawful practice to knowingly mail or send a postcard or letter to a recipient in the State if the postcard or letter does not disclose or disclaim any and all affiliations or lack thereof. In addition, all disclosures and disclaimers appearing on a postcard or letter must be conspicuously located at the top of the postcard or letter, be easily readable in clear and unambiguous language, and be printed in at least 14-point bold-face font in a black-outlined box. The Alliance will keep you apprised of developments.

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FAQ: Newspaper Postal Delivery

Holly Lubart — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 17:43:27 +0000

Sorry, but you do not have permission to view this content.

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USPS Proposes Revisions to Rural Carrier Costing Methodology Resulting in Lower Periodicals Costs

Holly Lubart — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:07:48 +0000

The Postal Service requested that the PRC initiate a rulemaking proceeding to consider a change to rural carrier costing on November 21. The proposed revisions update the methodology for the calculation of rural carrier attributable costs to account for the new rural carrier route evaluation system. The proposal reduces unit Periodicals costs by ~1 cent per piece (3 percent). Comments are due January 18 and the Alliance plans to support the decrease in Periodicals costs.

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PRC Approves January Rate Increases & Announces New Proceeding

Holly Lubart — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:56:55 +0000

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) approved the market-dominant price increases proposed by the Postal Service on November 22; however, they also stated they recognize stakeholders’ concerns about a wide variety of issues related to the recent rate changes and the potential effects of the rate-setting regulations the PRC adopted in 2020. The PRC believes further consideration is appropriate and they intend to open a Commission proceeding in the near future. The rate increases take effect January 21, 2024. The Alliance submitted comments on the proposed rate increases on November 6.

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Postal Regulatory Commission Grants the News/Media Alliance Motion on USPS Flats Plan

Holly Lubart — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 20:02:14 +0000

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) issued a notice and order on November 17 granting the Alliance’s Motion for Acceptance of Comments on the USPS Proposed Flats Plan, which is a requirement of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. The Alliance filed comments on October 16 and requested the PRC to reject the Flats plan. The Commission agreed with the Alliance that the USPS plan lacks details and analytical support. In addition, the USPS plan does not provide a clear timeframe for implementation. The PRC will ask questions of USPS and the Chairman has already filed the first Information Request. The Alliance plans to submit additional comments, which are due January 5.

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