The post Congressional Letter Asks for Pause on Postal Increases appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

The News/Media Alliance submitted comments to the Postal Regulatory Commission on November 6 regarding the continuing concern of rate increases on periodicals. The increases are 7.320 percent for Within County Periodical and 1.594 percent for Outside County Periodicals. If approved, those increases will result in compounded increases of 35 percent since August 2021. The Alliance states that the underlying problem facing the Periodicals class is the Postal Service’s chronic inability to control Flats costs. In addition, the Postal Service proposes to continue a 10 percent incentive for Saturation Flats and Letters weighing 2 ounces or less. The Alliance recommended that the Postal Service extend this incentive to High Density Plus Flats.

The post News/Media Alliance Submits Comments on Postal Rate Increases appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

The Alliance urges the Commission to 1) address deficiencies in the Postal Service Flats Plan Pursuant to Section 206 of the PSRA, which falls short of the comprehensive plan to control Flats costs that Congress intended; and 2) highlight that the Service’s Flats Plan fails to include measurable metrics to ensure accountability for its planned reforms.

The post News/Media Alliance Requests Rejection of USPS Flats Plan appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes on October 6, to take effect January 21, 2024. Sharon Owens, Vice President, Pricing & Costing will lead a webinar to provide an overview of the January Market Dominant Price Change filing on Thursday, October 12th at 12:00 pm (EST).

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions during the webinar via the chat box. However, if you would like to submit your questions before the webinar, you can send them to IndustryFeedback@usps.gov.

Please note: If you are unable to attend the webinar, the presentation will be recorded and posted on PostalPro.

Join Zoom Meeting:
Phone one-tap: US: +15033361236,,1614729459#,,,,*298639# or +1952-229-5070,,1614729459#,,,,*298639#
Meeting URL: https://usps.zoomgov.com/j/1614729459?pwd=NU5hT0VxQkJDZVRTU2lsc0dHNlF6QT09
Meeting ID: 161 472 9459
Passcode: 298639

Join by Telephone:
For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location.

Dial:
US: +1 503 336 1236 or +1 952-229-5070 or +1 650-581-7094 or +1 855-860-4313 or +1 678 317 3330
Meeting ID: 161 472 9459
Passcode: 298639

Join from an H.323/SIP room system
H.323: sip.zoomgov.com
Meeting ID: 161 472 9459
Passcode: 298639
SIP: 1614729459@sip.zoomgov.com
Passcode: 298639

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The post January 2024 Market Dominant Price Change Filing Webinar appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

The News/Media Alliance and the National Newspaper Association sent comments to the Postal Regulatory Commission on September 15 addressing the possibility of a Performance Incentive Mechanism (PIM) being applied to Periodicals class mail. The comments state that if a PIM is applicable, it should remove an additional 2 percent surcharge unless the Postal Service achieves 95 percent on-time performance for Periodicals.

The Alliance also submitted a letter on September 15 to the USPS on the draft Flats plan, which was a requirement of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. The Alliance is encouraged that the Postal Service is seeking industry input; however, we state that the plan should include more clear and verifiable metrics, a focus on lower costs, and further examination of all cost centers that have led to flats processing issues.

The post Alliance Comments on USPS Performance Incentive Mechanism and Flats Plan appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

The post USPS Files Volume Incentives for Marketing Mail appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

The post USPS Office of Inspector General Releases Flat-Shaped Mail Audit Report appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

On May 31, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) approved the USPS market-dominant rate increases proposed by the Postal Service on April 10. Periodicals rates will increase 8.122% while marketing mail will increase 5.378%. In addition, the PRC noted that there were numerous errors in the Postal Service’s initial filing, including errors in the workpapers for all five mail classes. The PRC directed the Postal Service to investigate its initial filing procedures and to file a report with the results of its investigation and its plan to correct the issues identified in this proceeding in future rate adjustment proceedings by July 31.

To further address member concerns on rate increases and service delivery, the News/Media Alliance submitted joint comments to the US House Subcommittee on Government Operations following a hearing May 17 – Tracking the Postal Service: An Update on the Delivering for America (DFA) Plan. The Alliance is part of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, which stated the relentless, twice-yearly postage rates increases are endangering the Postal Service’s mail business and is destructive to businesses. The hearing was a solid first step toward ongoing oversight of the DFA plan; however, The Alliance will continue to advocate for additional hearings and oversight. The Alliance is also working on recommendations to Congress on ways to strengthen the PRC’s oversight of USPS rates and service and to provide greater accountability for USPS actions.

The post PRC Approves July Postal Rate Increases & The Alliance Joins Coalition Letter to Congressional Subcommittee Concerned about Rates and Service, Calls for Additional Reform appeared first on News/Media Alliance.