2012 Baseball All-Stars Stamps Add Larry Doby

The Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps will honor four players who were perennial All-Star selections and left an indelible impression on the game. The second of the four players to be revealed is Larry Doby.
Larry Doby (1923-2003) was the first African American to play in the American League, joining the Cleveland Indians in 1947 shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League. The seven-time All-Star excelled as a hitter and center fielder and set an American League outfielder record for 164 consecutive errorless games.

Negro Leagues baseball challenged racist notions of athletic superiority and ultimately sparked the integration of American sports. Meet Cleophus Brown, a former Negro Leagues pitcher who also happens to be a USPS employee.
Negro Leagues Baseball: A Man of Extra Innings

Stamp to Support Species Conservation

Coming to Your Local Post Office on September 20, 2011

Celebrating the Beauty of Bonsai in 2012

With these five stamps, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the beauty of bonsai. The word “bonsai” (Japanese for “plant in a pot”) refers to the art of cultivating plants — usually trees — in trays, pots, or other containers.

Favorite bonsai plants include evergreens, maples, and azaleas, but many other trees and shrubs are also suitable. This horticultural art form has become popular in many parts of the world. A large number of bonsai are on permanent display in Washington, D.C., at the United States National Arboretum.

One of the common styles of bonsai is shown on each of these five stamps. The first stamp depicts a Sierra juniper in semi-cascade style, in which the tip projects over the pot rim but does not extend below the base. Second is a trident maple in informal upright style, in which the trunk bends slightly to the left or right. Third is a black pine in formal upright style, with the trunk straight and tapering evenly, with symmetrical branches, from base to apex. Fourth is an azalea plant in multiple-trunk style, with several trunks emerging from one root system. The fifth and final stamp shows a banyan in cascade style, in which the trunk evokes a stream flowing down a mountainside, with the tip extending below the pot’s base. The plants depicted are roughly 15 to 20 inches tall.

Although no one knows when the first bonsai was created, it is generally accepted that Buddhist monks brought the practice from China to Japan about a thousand years ago. The bonsai collection at the National Arboretum began in 1976 when the Nippon Bonsai Association in Tokyo, Japan, presented the people of the United States with 53 plants as part of the U.S. bicentennial commemoration.

A bonsai master begins with seeds, cuttings, a naturally stunted tree, or a very young tree. Over time, he or she prunes the roots and branches, uses wire to shape and “train” the branches, and sometimes scrapes or peels bark to achieve desired effects. The plant is watered and repotted when necessary, and can live a hundred years or more.

PMG Message to Employees on Sept 7

These are challenging times for the Postal Service, and that’s why Postmaster General Pat Donahoe wants you to hear about Network Optimization directly from him.

On Wednesday, September 7, 8 am (EST), the PMG will deliver the third of his “State of the Postal Service” messages.

Donahoe has recorded a message in video and audio formats so every facility can access it. It will be available on the PMG’s page on Blue, and he’s asking all employees to view or listen to it. Managers and Postmasters will facilitate employee access where necessary.

How to Get Stamps? Let Me Count the Ways!

Need postage stamps? They may be closer than you think. Wherever you go, there’s a location to buy stamps.

The U.S. Postal Service is expanding customer access to its products --- including stamps --- at nearly 100,000 places across the nation. It’s not about brick-and-mortar Post Offices anymore, as our products move online and into retail outlets, grocery stores, office supply chains and pharmacies.

“We’re Everywhere So You Can Be Anywhere.” Customers can find dozens of locations to purchase postal services in their neighborhoods by visiting an interactive map at uspseverywhere.com and typing a ZIP Code. Using a simple icon guide designating stamps, shipping and packaging, PO Boxes and other services, customers can easily navigate to retail outlets, grocery stores, Automated Postal Center (APC) kiosks and Post Offices, among other options. There are many other ways that our customers may purchase stamps:

-- There’s one stamp store that’s open 24 hours a day, and it’s only a few mouse clicks away. Visit shop.usps.com. Here you can select postage stamps by price, subject or type and get them delivered right to your home or office in just a few days. There is a small handling fee to prepare and ship your order.

-- You don’t have to leave your home or office if you order your Stamps by Mail. Just get some order forms from your letter carrier or at your local Post Office, and then order stamps for delivery directly to your home.

-- Use your credit card and our 24-hour stamp hot line to order the postage you need. There is a small handling fee. Dial 800-STAMP-24 (800-782-6724).

-- Your nearest access point for postage stamps may be one of the thousands of bank automated teller machines (ATMs) nationwide that stand ready to serve as your personal stamp machine, and all are listed on our website, usps.com. Just click on Locate a Post Office and under Options select Alternate Locations to Buy Stamps. The website will list the nearest address, and even give you a map and directions on how to get there.

-- The Automated Postal Center (APC) is a state-of-the-art self-service mailing kiosk that helps you perform most postal transactions, including sending packages and letters, buying stamps and searching for a ZIP Code. Almost 2,500 Post Offices across the country now have these ATM-like machines. They are quick, easy, and convenient.

With more than 100,000 options for buying stamps, customers might get the idea we don’t want them to visit us any more. But we welcome their business and look forward to serving their mailing needs at the local Post Office as well.

It Takes a Village Post Office

Village Post Offices are operated by community businesses to provide selected postal products and services, including Forever stamps and Priority Mail Flat Rate packages and envelopes. These retail units also may provide Post Office Boxes either inside or outside the business.

They can bring needed foot traffic to corner markets, gas stations, and other merchants who have been hit hard by the economic downturn.

Business establishments interested in applying for a contract with the Postal Service to start a Village Post Office in their local community should contact:

vpo.inquiry@usps.gov or call 888-711-7577

"We have the opportunity to become more efficient and at the same time, provide a better experience for our customers," says Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe, noting that more than 35 percent of USPS retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, office supply stores, retail chains and usps.com.

To visit the USPS Expanded Access page and to learn more about the Village Post Office: http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/expandedaccess/welcome.htm.

Protecting America's Mail

An annual report released by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service outlines the strong measures used by the federal law enforcement branch of the U.S. Postal Service to combat all mail-related crime.

U.S. Postal Inspectors across the country safeguard every element of the postal system — including the hundreds of thousands of postal employees who process and deliver the mail and the millions of customers who use it. Postal Inspectors protect thousands of postal facilities and millions of dollars in postal assets — including vehicles, equipment, products, and revenue streams.

In the past fiscal year, Postal Inspectors initiated more than 6,000 investigations and arrested just over 6,000 suspects for crimes involving the mail or against the U.S. Postal Service. Nearly 46 percent of the arrests in FY 2010 were related to mail theft and involved a total of 2,775 suspects. Approximately 1,000 suspects were arrested on mail fraud charges. Analysts also prepared 76,955 responses to mail fraud complaints. Revenue-protection efforts by Postal Inspectors identified and halted in excess of $110 million in postal revenue losses.

Postal Inspectors protected even more customers by educating them about fraudulent schemes through brochures sent to every home in America last year. When customers understand how mail fraud works, they are less likely to become victims. This nationwide consumer initiative was made possible by money collected in fines and damages from criminals convicted of fraudulent schemes.

View the annual report online at postalinspectors.uspis.gov or call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.

The War of 1812: USS Constitution

Today’s featured “stamps of the day” on various social media websites honors the year 1862 in the US Civil War. One stamp depicts the Battle of New Orleans, the first significant achievement of the U.S. Navy in the war, while the other depicts the Battle of Antietam, which marked the bloodiest day of the war.The “Battle of New Orleans” stamp is a reproduction of an 1862 colored lithograph depicting Admiral David G. Farragut’s fleet passing Forts Jackson and St. Phillip on the way toward New Orleans. The “Battle of Antietam” stamp is a reproduction of an 1887 painting by Thure de Thulstrup and is one of a series of popular prints commissioned in the 1880s to commemorate the Civil War.

With this stamp, the U.S. Postal Service commemorates the bicentennial of the War of 1812, a two-and-a-half year conflict with Great Britain that many Americans later came to view as the nation’s “Second War of Independence.”

For the stamp design, the Postal Service selected a long-admired painting of the famed USS Constitution by Michele Felice Cornè, circa 1803. Constitution acquired the nickname “Old Ironsides” during a victorious battle with a ship of the Royal Navy at the beginning of the War of 1812. The majestic warship — which is today docked at the historic Charlestown Navy Yard in Massachusetts — became a symbol of the young nation’s naval power and fierce independence.

www.EAP4YOU.com

Send a Smile with Stamps

Disney•Pixar’s unique characters remind us of our fears and foibles, challenges and victories, and make us laugh while doing so. In 2012, their familiar faces will lift our spirits once again on stamps that remind us it’s always a good time to “Send a Smile.”

The Send a Smile stamps feature beloved characters from five Disney•Pixar movies: A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), and The Incredibles (2004).

This stamp pane is a follow-up to Send a Hello, a 2011 issuance featuring Disney•Pixar characters that grew out of The Art of Disney series issued from 2004 through 2008.

Since 1995, Pixar Animation Studios has won 29 Academy Awards. Responsible for almost every major breakthrough in computer animation, the company continues to reset the bar in technology with every film.

"Eyes of the Sky" Capture Earthscapes

This Earthscapes issuance offers stamp customers an opportunity to see the world in a new way. This stamp pane presents examples of three categories of earthscapes: natural, agricultural, and urban. The photographs were all created high above the planet’s surface, either snapped by “eyes in the sky” — satellites orbiting the Earth — or carefully composed by photographers in aircraft.

These stamps representing agricultural earthscapes may look like abstract art, but they show five products being gathered, grown, or harvested: salt, timber, grain, cherries, and cranberries. Center-pivot irrigation systems create the beguiling play of geometric shapes in the middle stamp — although bystanders on the ground might see only sprinklers in fields of wheat, alfalfa, corn, and soybeans.

All-Star Selections Include Joe DiMaggio

The Major League Baseball All-Star stamps will honor four players who were perennial All-Star selections and left an indelible impression on the game. The first of the four players to be revealed is Joe DiMaggio.
The son of an Italian fisherman, Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999) led the New York Yankees to ten pennants and nine World Series titles. Admired for his skill and grace as a fielder and base runner, the “Yankee Clipper” is best known for his incredible 56-game hitting streak in 1941. Many consider him the greatest all-around player of his time.
Artist/illustrator Kadir Nelson based his artwork on DiMaggio and the other three players on historic photographs. Art director Phil Jordan designed the stamps.
The remaining three designs will be revealed at a later date.

Critical Mail: It's Just the Ticket!

Important, time-sensitive materials requiring tracking and secure delivery now have a new product from the U.S. Postal Service designed to get attention upon arrival. Introduced January 2, Critical Mail provides commercial mailers with eye-catching envelope designs, tracking services, and simple, low, flat-rate pricing.

Critical Mail is tailored for customers requiring cost-effective mailing solutions for important documents in many types of businesses, including those in the entertainment, financial services, membership services, and tourism industries. Event tickets, identification documents, stored-value cards, education transcripts, and urgent direct mail messages are but a few of the items ideally suited for Critical Mail.

Earthscapes Stamps: See World in New Way

This Earthscapes issuance offers stamp customers an opportunity to see the world in a new way. This stamp pane presents examples of three categories of earthscapes: natural, agricultural, and urban. The photographs were all created high above the planet’s surface, either snapped by “eyes in the sky” — satellites orbiting the Earth — or carefully composed by photographers in aircraft.
In these first five designs representing natural earthscapes, we fly over America’s stunning wilderness. While a volcanic eruption scars the forests of Washington State, fog drifts over the timeless sandstone towers of Utah’s Monument Valley. In Alaska, a wide stripe that looks like a highway is actually a glacier, an immense conveyer belt of ice. At its base, jagged white shards resembling broken glass are really icebergs, bobbing in a lake. At Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, a thin gray ribbon marks the boardwalk where visitors gape at one of the largest hot springs in the world, a steaming cauldron of water 370 feet in diameter. And on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a shallow creek winds through Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

Literary Arts Series to Add O. Henry

In 2012, the U.S. Postal Service commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of O. Henry (the pen name of William S. Porter, 1862-1910) with a stamp in its Literary Arts series. The short stories of O. Henry are beloved for their irony and skillful unfolding of plot; often, they end with a surprise twist. This prolific author wrote nearly 300 tales, most in the final eight years of his life. By the time of his death, he was the most widely read storyteller in America and was internationally admired.
The dominant sense of comedy is unmistakable in O. Henry’s work. One of his most popular stories, “The Gift of the Magi,” tells of a young married couple on Christmas Eve: Della has one treasure, her long hair, which she has cut off and sold to buy Jim a chain for his heirloom watch — which he, in turn, has sold to buy her a fine set of combs. This tale suggests that human goals can be frustrated despite good intentions, yet Jim and Della are seen as admirable because of the sacrifices they make for love.
Explanations for how he chose his pen name vary, and Porter gave different answers when people asked. “O. Henry” may be a condensation of “Ohio State Penitentiary,” where Porter served a sentence for embezzlement before becoming known as a writer.

Clerk Craft Reassignment Opportunities

The U.S. Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union have agreed to provide expanded opportunities for clerk craft employees in installations in which there is clerk craft excessing outside of the installation (see installations listed below).
-- Full time clerks in those installations which have current impact on full time regular clerks will be able to log in to the eReassign system and apply for the residual full time vacancies posted.
-- Full time clerks may apply for posted vacancies within their entire district, and to those residual vacancies posted in installations within 100 miles of their present installation.
-- Posting will be open from the first day of each month until the twenty-first day of each month.
-- Full time clerks may make selections in eReassign by entering the position they wish and the preference order for that selection. A preference order must be included.
-- Midnight Central Time on the twenty-first day the system will lock in all selections. An employee may not withdraw or modify his or her selection after this time.
-- All selections will be made based on the clerk’s seniority and preference order.
-- The successful applicant will not be eligible to participate in the next 21-day posting based on the impact from the original installation.
-- The successful applicant must be currently qualified or will be required to qualify at the gaining installation on any special requirement (schemes, window training, bulk mail training, etc.)
-- The requirements must be successfully completed or the U.S. Postal Service will begin the appropriate process to separate the employee for failure to qualify.
-- The successful employee will be reassigned with his or her current clerk craft seniority and full time status.
-- No relocation benefits or retreat rights.
-- A residual vacancy will be posted one time only in the 21-day posting. There is no pending qualification or next senior bidder option in the posting.
For the September posting in eReassign, Offices/Bid Clusters currently impacted rendering APWU clerk craft employees eligible for this posting within the South Florida District include
Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Key West, Lake Worth, Miami, and South Florida P&DC.
PTF clerks from installations with PTF clerk impacts will apply as usual but receive the highest priority by the selecting official. Selections for PTF clerk reassignment opportunities will only be processed from Day 22 until the end of the month to allow for ranking of priority consideration in eReassign.

Suspect Sentenced in Palmetto Lakes Robbery

Assistant Inspector-In-Charge Tony Gomez at press conference

At a press conference at U.S. Postal Inspection Service Miami Division Headquarters in Miramar, Assistant Inspector-In-Charge Tony Gomez announced to reporters that a suspect in a Post Office armed robbery had been sentenced.

Back in May 2010, three individuals robbed the Palmetto Lakes Post Office at 5375 NW 159 Street in Hialeah. Earlier this year, Postal Inspectors arrested the suspect for this $280 theft. This week the suspect was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Postal Inspectors have asked media to publicize the case (that includes up to a $10,000 reward) for the arrest and conviction of others involved.

Today’s press conference included WFOR Channel 4 (CBS), WSVN Channel 7 (FOX), WJAN Channel 41 AmericaTeVe, WSCV Channel 51 Telemundo, and the Herald.

Benefits of Technology in Hurricane Season

Hurricane Irene spared South Florida, but provided an opportunity to test our hurricane preparedness. Now is a good time to review and adjust your Emergency Action Plan as we approach the peak of hurricane season in a few weeks.

Consider the benefits of technology in a weather event. Here are some helpful tips for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry and Smartphone users:

·Download flashlight APPs on smartphones. When Japan experienced the tsunami, flashlight apps were the #1 download at that time. This feature will come in handy during a power outage.

·From the ABC newsroom, Hurricane HD lets you track storms with moving radar and satellite imagery from the National Hurricane Center. It provides tropical bulletins, forecasts, and advisories. You can watch video updates for current storms and find data on major storms of the past.

·The Weather Channel has fully customizable weather maps, animated radar maps, detailed weather conditions and forecasts, severe weather alerts, and a notification bar with the current temperature and severe weather alert indicator. It allows you to get weather forecasts for your location or search by city, ZIP Code, street address, or landmark. The app also includes interactive maps that are fully customizable and feature the functionality of Google Maps. You can decide to display layers such as radar, clouds, UV index, rainfall and more.

·Global Alert Network delivers hands-free national traffic and weather alerts. See iTunes for Apple devices or go to BlackBerry for a download. The Global Alert Network is a location-aware network platform that automatically broadcasts audible hands-free alerts to mobile devices. You can choose to subscribe to weather or traffic alerts, which are geo-targeted to your location.

One last reminder: Make sure to have your electronic device fully charged before the hurricane.

National PCC Day Goes Hollywood!

National Postal Customer Council (PCC) Day, the premier Fall event for the mailing industry, is going Hollywood. Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe will host a national satellite broadcast from Tampa FL to postal customers and partners in Hollywood FL and across the country.

On Wednesday, September 21, from 9 am to 1 pm, the Miami-Dade County PCC and the PCC of Broward County members will join together at Dave & Busters located at 3000 Oakwood Blvd in Hollywood. South Florida businesses are invited to register in advance to listen to the Postmaster General’s presentation, participate in round table discussions with local postal officials and industry professionals, meet their local Postmaster and the PCC Board of Directors, and network and share best practices with other business mailers --- and enjoy lunch!

Throughout the year, each PCC provides a forum for mailers to discuss and resolve mailing issues and to exchange ideas and offer suggestions on new postal products and services. It’s an opportunity to meet face to face in a friendly, informal setting to learn firsthand about the latest postal and industry news that may impact your business.

South Florida businesses can be part of this educational extravaganza and enjoy a networking luncheon for only $35 per person. To register, go to http://www.miamipcc.com/.

"Hello” is a simple, everyday word. Now it has a new meaning as the U.S. Postal Service issues the Send a Hello Forever stamps to connect family and friends through the power of the mail.
The new Send a Hello Forever stamps feature the characters of five popular movies created by Disney•Pixar Animation Studios: Buzz Lightyear and two green, three-eyed aliens from Toy Story; Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars; Remy the rat and Linguini from Ratatouille; the robot Wall•E from Wall•E; and Carl Fredricksen and Dug from Up. The stamps are on sale in Post Offices nationwide, online at usps.com and by calling 800-782-6724.

PMG Delivers "State of the USPS" Update

In the second segment of his video series on the “State of Our Business,” Postmaster General Pat Donahoe offers additional details on the Postal Service’s serious financial issues. He also discusses operational changes and other steps the Postal Service and Congress must take to address these issues.

Donahoe has recorded a message in video and audio formats so every facility can access it. It’s available on the Postmaster General’s page on Blue, and he’s asking all employees to view or listen to the message by September 1. Managers and Postmasters will facilitate employee access where necessary.

In his message, Donahoe reminds viewers USPS must overcome the consequences of declining First-Class Mail volume. He says the Postal Service — on its own and with Congress — can act now to restore stability. He calls on Congress to relieve USPS of its burdensome retiree health insurance payment schedule, to refund overpayments to FERS, and to allow USPS to move from a 6- to 5-day delivery week.

USPS must meet the reality of lower First-Class Mail volume head on, says the PMG. As volume shrinks, so too must the network that collects, processes, and delivers the nation’s mail. Donahoe restates the Postal Service’s plans to:

-- Consolidate the number of plants throughout the U.S.
-- Review the operations of up to 3,700 Post Offices, stations, and branches
-- Continue consolidating delivery routes

Donahoe says the Postal Service has to make sure it “solidifies and stabilizes Postal Service finances going forward,” concluding that “the responsible thing to do is to act now, not wait until it’s too late.”
Click here to view PMG Donahoe’s latest video to employees.

Scanning Delivers on a Promise

We have the ability to make passive scans in many of our facilities. Passive scanning takes advantage of all of our automated distribution equipment or material handling systems and the ability to “read” labels, container placards “in process.”

A passive scan does not require anyone to do anything. For example, as the item goes down a conveyor belt, it is automatically scanned. Nationally, we are currently expanding our ability to do more passive scans. Until everything can be passively scanned, we have to rely on people to scan.

Scanning has become a way of life. Customers demand to have the information that scanning provides. It allows them to make better business decisions. If customers don’t get the level of information that they want, they will look at alternatives.

This is why our competitors have invested so heavily in scanning and why they promote their ability to track packages in real-time. They want to be the alternative to the Postal Service.

Priority Mail is a growing business. We are increasing our market share at the expense of our competitors, even though the economy is tough for everyone. We can only keep this market share if we scan. Customers who have paid for Delivery Confirmation want to be able to track their Priority Mail package through our system; and, they want to know when it’s been delivered.

As we work Priority Mail manually in our processing and distribution facilities, it is important that we scan every Priority Mail piece with a Delivery Confirmation label. As soon as we are done scanning and have cleared this operation, the scanner needs to go back into its cradle. This allows the data to be downloaded and then posted to usps.com.

Our customers then get a true picture of where their Priority Mail is in our system. They can only get this picture if we make sure all proper scans are done when they are supposed to be done. Scanning provides our customer information and peace of mind. If they can see their mail move through our system, they know we have maintained chain-of-custody. They keep their trust in us. And they will keep coming back.

Delivery Confirmation is an important, value added option for our customers. Customers choose this option not on price, but on who will actually deliver on the promise. Meeting the promise means we will keep getting the revenue.

Millions Like USPS Mobile Apps

The Postal Service has expanded its suite of mobile applications, creating a free app for customers who have devices powered by Google’s Android operating system.

The USPS Mobile App previously was available only to customers using Apple devices. Launched in 2009, the Postal Service’s mobile applications are attracting an average of more than 2 million visitors each month. The app also consistently ranks as one of the top five most-popular free business apps on iTunes. The Postal Service also offers a web-based version of the service.

The new USPS Mobile app for Android is a downloadable application just for Android-based mobile phone users that gives customers an instant, on-the-go access to the most popular utilities. Unlike the iPhone, the Android application is available to multiple phones supplied by different manufacturers.

Like the Apple version, the USPS Mobile app for Android devices lets customers check the delivery status of a shipment with Track & Confirm, find ZIP Codes, use a GPS-based location service to find retail Post Offices and collection boxes, and save the addresses of postal facilities in their Android device’s address book. Still to come is a rate calculator for the Android app.

To download the app, customers can use their Android devices to go to https://market.android.com/details?id=com.usps&feature=search_result.

Here's How to Submit a Sales Lead

You’ve read it all in the news. You’ve seen it in postal communications. It’s the talk among postal co-workers.
Reduced mail volume, coupled with the unique burden of prefunding retiree health benefits, is creating enormous financial pressure on our organization. And as you know, the Postal Service is a self-funded government enterprise that relies on the sale of postal products and services to fund its operations.
Although these are challenging times for the Postal Service and its employees, it’s also a great opportunity to grow the business --- our business. Working together as a team and “engaging” in revenue-generation initiatives will improve our overall financial situation and create long-term job security for all of us!
What can you do?
Submit a lead!
What is a lead?
-- You were placing an order online and could not request USPS as the shipper.
-- You were on vacation and noticed a UPS or FedEx truck at the place of business.
-- Your neighbor or family member owns a business that is not using the Postal Service.
-- A new business starts up.
How do you submit a lead? Go to http://mcd.tteam.com/referral/salesref.htm. Here's the information you'll need to provide:
-- The company's name, address and contact information.
-- Your name and contact information.
-- USPS products and services that the company might be interested in using.
-- Competitor usage, if known.

What happens with a lead that you’ve submitted? A sales representative will contact the customer within 48 hours or receipt of the lead with information you have provided about how to contact the customer. The sales representative will notify you of the lead status via the email or the telephone number you input on the Submit a Lead form once customer contact is made.
Who do you contact if you have any questions? You can either contact your District Sales Office at 954-885-6841 or send your questions or concerns to sleads@usps.gov with Submit a Lead in the subject line.
Yes, our business is changing. But what has not changed is who we are! A dedicated workforce committed to its employer and its customers. Let’s “engage” and do our part to generate revenue through the Submit a Lead Program.

USPS Partnership Rings a School Bell

The Postal Service has forged “Community Connection,” with a community partnership for elementary educators across the country.

Community Connection provides schools with the resources of more than 32,700 Post Offices, the Postal Service’s archive of American history and culture, and new tools for teaching primary school students through stamps. It offers extensive and significant curriculum-based tools that will benefit educators and advance student achievement at the primary level.

The Postal Service will provide elementary schools with an oversized "School Days and American Ways” classroom calendar filled with American history, lesson plan suggestions and graphics. Also included are tips for developing extracurricular stamp-collecting hobbies, stamp-related articles and images published online and in children’s educational periodicals. Schools will also have the opportunity for organized educational field trips to local Post Offices and time-released and curriculum-coordinated educator kits.

USPS is currently taking orders for the School Days and American Ways Calendar. To order, call 800 STAMP-24 or go to usps.com.

Dog Days of Summer: ReadyPost Snoopy

Snoopy and the Postal Service are teaming up to offer some cool relief during the dog days of summer. Two colorful Snoopy Decorative ReadyPost mailers now are available in Post Offices nationwide. The small mailer (6 3/8 inches by 8 3/4 inches) costs $1.99 and the large mailer (10 3/4 inches by 14 1/4 inches) costs $2.89.

PMG Thanks Loxahatchee Rural Letter Carrier

Hero Cliff Richards (Photo: Edith B. Roundtree)

Loxahatchee Rural Letter Carrier Cliff Richards was delivering mail when a speeding vehicle pulled out of a customer’s driveway, nearly striking his LLV. The son of the customer, who had been robbed and knocked to the grown by the thieves, pointed frantically at the vehicle. Thanks to Richards’ description of the vehicle, the thieves were quickly apprehended.

Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe thanked Cliff in a commendatory letter.

"The assistance you rendered to a customer during a home robbery is worthy of the highest commendation," said the PMG. "Not only did your heroic response possibly save the life of the victim, but also enabled authorities to capture the suspects. You make me proud to be a part of the same postal family."

EMT Monitors Irene, Tropical Weather

Throughout hurricane season, the EMT, which consists of our District leadership and Postal Inspection Service, regularly monitors National Hurricane Center (NHC) advisories. If and when a tropical storm or a hurricane is forecast for South Florida, the EMT shares this information and operational plans with union officials.

Information on work schedule and reporting time changes, facility openings and closings, and other work-place announcements are messaged on the USPS National Employee Emergency Hotline (1-888-363-7462). Throughout the season, Newsbreaks on hurricane preparedness are distributed for posting at every facility. This information also is posted on the Corporate Communications page of the district website.

It's Important to Update Your eOPF

It only takes one hurricane to realize the importance of having current information in your eOPF (electronic Official Personnel File). Your manager/supervisor may need to contact you if a hurricane hits South Florida. Here are five updating options:
http://www.liteblue.usps.gov/
Go to http://www.liteblue.usps.gov/. On the welcome page, enter your Employee Identification Number (EIN) and Postal Identification Number (PIN). On the right side of the next page, click on Change of Address/Phone/
Emergency Contact.
Personnel Computer Kiosks
At a personnel computer kiosk, look for a tab titled Present Job Info/Change of Address on the main page. South Florida District kiosk locations include Hollywood Main Office Breakroom, Fort Lauderdale P&DC Cafeteria, Miamim ISC Kiosk Room (located along the northern perimeter of the workfloor), South Florida L&DC, Miami P&DC Cafeteria, South Florida P&DC Cafeteria, Pompano Beach Main Office Breakroom, West Palm Beach P&DC Cafeteria and PEDC/Training Room # 143 (both located along the north wall), Haverhill Post Office General Clerk’s Office (located between the retail reception area and the workfloor), Riviera Beach Post Office Conference Room (located in the front of the building), Palm Beach Gardens Post Office Breakroom, Palms West Station (in the rear of the southwest corner of the Cafeteria/
Breakroom)
Blue Page (USPS internal website)
All employees who have access to the Blue page may change their mailing and residential address and emergency contact information:
1. Select Log On from the upper left corner.
2. Log on with your ACE ID and password. Ensure the welcome screen has your name on it.
3. Select the tab labeled My Life. Under this tab, on the right side of the page is the heading My Profile, where you will find two links titled Address/Phone and Emergency Contact. Select Address/Phone.
4. Select the Address type from the drop menu and click on the Change button. Make your desired change(s) and click on Save.
PS Form 1216, Employee’s Current Mailing Address
Use a PS Form 1216, “Employee’s Current Mailing Address.” Send Copy 1 of your completed form to HRSSC COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS, PO BOX 970400, GREENSBORO NC 27497-0400.
HRSSC
Call the Human Resources Shared Service Center (HRSSC) at 1-877-477-3273, and select Option 5. Validate your identity with your EIN or PIN. Follow the prompts.

Keeping in Touch If Hurricane Irene Threatens

There are many types of emergencies. But there’s only one source of information on work schedule and reporting time changes, facility openings and closings, and other workplace announcements due to an emergency. To check your work schedule and/or status of your facility in an emergency (including before, during, and after a tropical storm or a hurricane), call the USPS National Employee Emergency Hot Line at 1-888-363-7462.
Please note that media will advise you to call the hot line; information on work schedules and facility status will not be provided through media reports.
If you are a deaf or hard-of-hearing employee, here’s how to contact the Postal Service in an emergency: If you have a mobile phone with a relay app such as Sorenson, Sprint, Purple, etc., call the voice hot line number through your phone’s relay service or contact us online via the Federal IP Relay at www.federalip.us. If you use TDD, call the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339.

ONLY in case of a natural disaster requiring you to leave your home, city, or state, report your
location, physical condition, and contact information to the USPS Employee Notification Line at 1-866-666-5349.
Please DO NOT call this number for information on your work schedule/facility status.
For deaf or hard-of-hearing employees who have a mobile phone with a relay app such as Sorenson, Sprint, Purple, etc.: Call the voice hot line number through your phone’s relay service or contact USPS online via the Federal IP Relay at www.federalip.us. If you use TDD, call the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339. With either method, provide your personal status and ask that your information is communicated to the USPS Employee Notification Line.

Food Network 'Star' Ships at Margate PO

Chef Tommy, whose culinary skills are featured in "Floribbean" (Florida and Caribbean combo) dishes served at Trattoria Bello Cibo Restaurant in Margate, hopes to be the next "star" on the Food Network Star Season 8. The Food Network is calling all chefs, line cooks, home cooks, caterers and culinary enthusiasts with strong culinary skills, personality that pops, a passion for cooking, extensive food knowledge, and lots of energy and enthusiasm. Chef Tommy certainly fits the bill! After viewing Food Network commercials showing mountains of entries, Chef Tommy wanted to make a statement so he sent his entry in a cardboard star (pictured). To show that he is a serious contender, Chef Tommy shipped his entry via Express Mail from Margate to New York City. Let's wish our local star an opportunity to share his culinary delights with America as a chef on the Food Network Star's Season 8!

Here's How to Update Your eOPF

It only takes one hurricane to realize the importance of having current information in your eOPF (electronic Official Personnel File). Your manager/supervisor may need to contact you if a hurricane hits South Florida. Here are five options to update your eOPF:
www.liteblue.usps.gov
Go to http://www.liteblue.usps.gov/. On the welcome page, enter your Employee Identification Number (EIN) and Postal Identification Number (PIN). On the right side of the next page, click on Change of Address/Phone/Emergency Contact.
Personnel Computer Kiosks
At a personnel computer kiosk, look for a tab titled Present Job Info/Change of Address on the main page. Kiosks are at the following locations:
-- Hollywood Main Office Breakroom
-- Fort Lauderdale P&DC Cafeteria
-- Miami ISC Kiosk Room (located along the northern perimeter of the workfloor)
-- South Florida L&DC
-- Miami P&DC Cafeteria
-- South Florida P&DC Cafeteria
-- Pompano Beach Main Office Breakroom
-- West Palm Beach P&DC Cafeteria and PEDC/Training Room # 143 (both located along the north wall)
-- Haverhill Post Office General Clerk’s Office (located between the retail reception area and the workfloor)
-- Riviera Beach Post Office Conference Room (located in the front of the building) -- Palm Beach Gardens Post Office Breakroom
-- Palms West Station (in the rear of the southwest corner of the Cafeteria/
Breakroom)
-- Blue Page (USPS internal web page)
All employees who have access to the Blue page may change their mailing and residential address and emergency contact information:
1. Select Log On from the upper left corner.
2. Log on with your ACE ID and password. Ensure the welcome screen has your name on it.
3. Select the tab labeled My Life. Under this tab, on the right side of the page is the heading My Profile, where you will find two links titled Address/Phone and Emergency Contact. Select Address/Phone.
4. Select the Address type from the drop menu and click on the Change button. Make your desired change(s) and click on Save.
PS Form 1216, Employee’s Current Mailing Address
Use a PS Form 1216, “Employee’s Current Mailing Address.” Send Copy 1 of your completed form to HRSSC COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS, PO BOX 970400, GREENSBORO NC 27497-0400.
HRSSC
Call the Human Resources Shared Service Center (HRSSC) at 1-877-477-3273, and select Option 5. Validate your identity with your EIN or PIN. Follow the prompts.

Z-Card Sandwiched Messages Popular

Z-Cards — folded messages sandwiched between two hardcover panels — are proving to be effective marketing tools for companies and good business for the Postal Service.

In recent years, Z-Card campaigns have grown with steady frequency across a number of diverse industries. The cards contain information ranging from health-care benefits to geographical maps and can take on a variety of shapes and sizes. For example, one company designed a Z-Card shaped like a floss container for a dental insurance program. Consumers view mail with a hard cover as having “intrinsic value,” so they’re reluctant to toss them out. They wind up in wallets, glove compartments, purses and kitchen and desk drawers. Marketers appreciate the impact printed products like Z-Cards have as a stand-alone channel.

Say Hello 'To Infinity and Beyond'

Today, customers can send a hello to family and friends or “to infinity and beyond” with new “Send a Hello” Forever stamps featuring characters from five popular movies created by Disney•Pixar Animation Studios.

Saying hello on the stamps are Buzz Lightyear and two green, three-eyed aliens from “Toy Story”; Lightning McQueen and Mater from “Cars”; Remy the rat and Linguini from “Ratatouille”; the robot Wall•E from “Wall•E”; and Carl Fredricksen and Dug from “Up.”

“For more than 25 years, Disney•Pixar storytellers have given us characters who have shown us the wonder of friendship and family,” said DPMG Ron Stroman. “With this new stamp pane, the USPS is very proud to honor the art of Pixar’s talented team of animators, and at the same time, help our customers communicate the way they care, through the power of the U.S. Mail.”

Network Optimization

The Postal Service is in the midst of a financial crisis due to the combined efforts of the economic recession, increased use of electronic communications and a Congressional mandate to prefund Retiree Health Benefits. The recession, coupled with the increasing use of email, text messaging and electronic bill payments, has led to significant declines in First-Class Mail volume. The obligation to prefund Retiree Health Benefits remains unresolved and this significant burden exponentially increases the organization's unstable financial condition. To date, legislative proposals to address the financial crisis have not been acted upon by Congress, leaving the Postal Service and the mailing industry in an increasingly precarious position.

For decades the USPS expanded its network and infrastructure to accommodate a growing nation and an ever-increasing volume of ail. The nationwide expansion included establishing Post Offices in communities across the country, building processing facilities to house the equipment to sort the mail, and purchasing the vehicles for transport and delivery.

USPS now is forced to deal with a new reality --- that for the first time in its history, it must significantly reduce operating capacity across the board.

The USPS's new reality calls for changes. Among those changes is a proposal to review service standards and entry times and significantly consolidate the postal network's facilities, equipment, transportation and workforce complement.

What is Meant by CSRS Pension Methodology?

Several employees have asked about the "current CSRS pension methodology."

We have asked Congress to take the following steps:
1. Resolve the Retiree health Benefits pre-funding requirement (both long and short term)
2. Solve the inequities present in the current CSRS pension methodology.
3. Repay the FERS overfunding of $6.9 billion.
4. Eliminate the requirement to maintain six-day delivery.
5. Allow USPS to make decisions more quickly and in a more business-like fashion regarding its retail facility and mail processing networks.

Answer: When the Post Office Department became the Postal Service on July 1, 1971, there was no change to postal employees’ retirement benefits. Employees who served prior to 1971 and continue to serve are covered by both the federal government and the USPS. Currently, USPS is responsible for meeting CSRS for employees who started after 1971. The current methodology used to allocate CSRS obligations for employees with service prior to July 1, 1971, is not based on years of service and is inequitable to USPS.

USPS Begins Contract Negotiations

PMG Pat Donahoe (right) with NALC President Fredric Rolando (left).

Facing a projected loss of more than $8 billion for this fiscal year and a projected need to reduce its workforce by 220,000 employees by 2015, the Postal Service begins today contract negotiations with the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO (NALC) and on August 30 with the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU). The two unions represent 247,000 of the Postal Service’s 560,000 career employees.

Mail volume peaked in 2006 at 213 billion pieces. The effects of the recession, coupled with the ongoing shift to digital communications, resulted in mail volume plummeting 20 percent to 171 billion pieces last year. Over the last four fiscal years, the Postal Service reduced its size by 110,000 career positions and saved $12 billion in costs. Expenses, however, continue to exceed revenues in part due to an overstaffed workforce.

“If the Postal Service were a private sector business, it would have filed for bankruptcy and utilized the reorganization process to restructure its labor agreements to reflect the new financial reality,” said Anthony Vegliante, Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Vice President. “Wages and benefits for all employees represent nearly 80 percent of our costs. To remain solvent, we must negotiate contracts that address our total labor costs and enable us to downsize quickly to adjust to America’s changing mailing needs while being fair to our customers and employees.”

The NALC represents 200,000 employees who work as letter carriers delivering mail primarily in urban areas. The NPMHU represents 47,000 employees who work in mail processing plants and Post Offices. Respectively, wages and benefits for the NALC- and NPMHU-represented employees exceeded $15 billion and $3 billion last year. Both contracts expire November 20, 2011.

Last week the Postal Service confirmed that it is exploring additional legislative proposals that ask Congress to allow it to establish its own health benefits program; administer its own retirement system; and, adjust the size of its workforce to match operational needs and the changing marketplace.

These new proposals are in addition to ones previously identified, including eliminating Congressionally mandated retiree health benefit prepayments; enabling the Postal Service to access Federal Employees Retirement System overpayments; and giving the Postal Service the authority to determine mail delivery frequency.

Ad-Hoc Vacancies Open Through August 25

Are you looking to broaden your postal horizons? The South Florida District is announcing several opportunities available at plants in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Pembroke Pines, and West Palm Beach.

These are ad-hoc positions, not to exceed two years, and are open to all qualified career employees within the South Florida District. Applications will be accepted from August 18, 2011 through Close of Business, August 25, 2011.

Fort Lauderdale P&DC: Operations Support Specialist EAS-17

Miami P&DC: Operations Industrial Engineer (Field) EAS-21

South Florida P&DC: Operations Industrial Engineer (Field) EAS-21 and Operations Support Specialist EAS-17 (2)

West Palm Beach P&DC: Operations Industrial Engineer (Field) EAS-21 (2) and
Networks Specialist EAS -16

HOW TO APPLY:
Go to the Corporate Communications page and select the "AD HOC" document for vacancy postings. Submit your eCareer profile, along with a summary of accomplishments addressing the requirements in the vacancy announcements. Your application(s) should be mailed to the respective plant address for receipt by COB, August 25, 2011. Questions should be directed to the appropriate department at each plant.

Staying Connected in an Emergency

There are many types of emergencies. But there’s only one source of information on work schedule and reporting time changes, facility openings and closings, and other workplace announcements due to an emergency. To check your work schedule and/or status of your facility in an emergency (including before, during, and after a tropical storm or a hurricane), call the USPS National Employee Emergency Hot Line at 888-363-7462.

If you are a deaf or hard-of-hearing employee, here’s how to contact the Postal Service in an emergency: If you have a mobile phone with a relay app such as Sorenson, Sprint, Purple, etc., call the voice hotline number through your phone’s relay service or contact us online via the Federal IP Relay at http://www.federalip.us/. If you use TDD, call the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339.

ALL EMPLOYEES:

ONLY in case of a natural disaster requiring you to leave your home, city, or state, report your location, physical condition, and contact information to the USPS Employee Notification Line at 866-666-5349. Please DO NOT call this number for information on your work schedule and facility status.
For deaf or hard-of-hearing employees who have a mobile phone with a relay app such as Sorenson, Sprint, Purple, etc.: Call the voice hotline number through your phone’s relay service or contact USPS online via the Federal IP Relay at http://www.federalip.us/. If you use TDD, call the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339. With either method, provide your personal status and ask that your information is communicated to the USPS Employee Notification Line.

PMG to Address Employees on FEHB Aug 24

Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe will deliver the second in a series of video messages to employees on Wednesday, August 24, at 8 am EST. He will address financial conditions and include information on the proposal for USPS to pull out of the FEHB Program and have its own health benefits plan. Video messages will be posted online after the initial broadcast. Stay tuned.

Military Apprecication Month at Zoo MIami

During August, Zoo Miami is showing its appreciation to the honorable men and women who have served and are serving in our military. During Zoo Miami’s Military Appreciation Month, any active-duty member or veteran presenting a valid military I.D. will be able to take advantage of one of these offers:
Enter the zoo with a “buy one, get one free” admission. This offer is valid for up to six people and expires August 31, 2011.
15% off the Annual Pass to Zoo Miami valid for 365 days of admission.
Zoo Miami provides a 25% off regular adult or child admission for all military members year-round. Identification is required at time of admission purchase.

Regular Zoo Miami Admission Rates (tax not included):
Adult (13+) $15.95
Child (3-12) $11.95
Children 2 and under FREE

Zoo Miami is located at 1 Zoo Boulevard (12400 SW 152 Street) Miami, FL 33177

USPS 'Brand Essence' Has Upbeat Video

The Postal Service. It’s a huge organization with more than 500,000 employees who process and deliver more mail and packages than anyone in the world. Delivering is what it does.
But that doesn’t begin to describe USPS or its employees. What qualities do employees have that distinguish the Postal Service from organizations like it? What’s in the organization’s DNA? What’s the essence of the USPS brand?
A “brand essence” video — directed at employees and about employees — answers these and other questions. The video sets an uplifting, positive tone for employees postioning the organization in an increasingly digital world.
The USPS brand, notes the video, is more than a logo or corporate personality. At its core, the Postal Service’s brand is its primary mission — delivering — and the added value customers can expect from employees who day in and day out work to receive, sort and distribute the nation’s mail.
Those values include the “relentless” pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness; the security of the mail; providing the public services and products that are easy to use; and making each customer experience a positive one.
“We’re not just delivering,” says the video’s narrator. “We’re delivering on a promise.”
Click here to view the video.

Scanning Has a Ring to It

A new tracking tool implemented at the Tampa, FL, Logistics and Distribution Center (LDC) and embraced by employees certainly has a ring to it.
The new tool — the ring scanner — was recently deployed at the LDC. “
Deployment of ring scanners is another step in efforts to give customers more information about their packages — from acceptance to delivery.

The Joys of Letter Writing

Why write a letter when it’s easier and quicker to send an email, text or other electronic message? Because handwritten correspondence imparts more meaning and holds greater value.

That’s the message a national writing project wanted to spread.

“Snail Mail My Email” has just ended a month-long project that transformed emails submitted by participants into handwritten letters. Founder Ivan Cash, a San Francisco art director, designer and letter writer, created the project hoping to raise awareness of the joys of putting pen to paper.

Cash originally planned to handle all the work himself. But an enthusiastic response — he received 1,000 email requests by the project’s fourth day — obliged him to take on 134 volunteers to do the bulk of the writing.

In two weeks, the volunteers churned out 2,300 letters — many of them complete with doodles and, in some cases, lipstick kisses. Volunteer Kristin Huben of Montgomery, IL, told CNN that 90 percent of the letters she’s written have been love letters.

Other volunteers reported they penned a variety of letters, including mail to President Obama, a marriage proposal and an acceptance to Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft from the “Harry Potter” series.
Margaret Shepherd, author of “The Art of the Personal Letter: A Guide to Connecting Through the Written Word,” isn’t surprised by the project’s popularity. She notes that people have a knack for determining the amount of effort others put into actions such as penning a letter. Further, she said, the greater the effort, the greater other’s appreciate it.
“Your mom wants to see your handwriting,” Shepherd told CNN. “And she wants to hear your voice, not a stranger’s.”

Source: NewsLink 8/16/11