GROW. RISE. TOGETHER.
at a crucial time in the agency’s history, the Postal Service still re- ported a loss of $6.5 billion last year, due in large part to the ef- fects of inflation and investments in its network. Despite these large investments, USPS has reduced projected losses for the decade by more than half, from $160 billion to $70 billion. However, the plan has gained criticism from lawmakers, custom- ers, mailers and other stakehold- ers in 2024, as certain parts of the country experience significant mail delays. As part of the DFA plan, USPS will consolidate mail sorting away from individual post offices and move processing operations away from hundreds of cities and towns in favor of 60 of these mega-cen- ter RPDCs throughout the country. NALC remains alert to assessing the effectiveness of the plan and its impact on service, mail vol- umes and the jobs of our fellow crafts. Concern has mounted to the point that both the postal regula- tor and Congress have taken ac- tion. The PRC opened a docket in April, asking the Postal Service to justify its plans. In Congress, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) introduced the Protecting Access to Rural Carriers for Every Location (PARCEL) Act in May to restrict USPS network re- forms. The act would prohibit the consolidation of mail-processing operations in rural areas unless the Postal Service meets certain conditions, including completing a geographical review to ensure lo- cal mail delivery is not harmed and receiving public input on consoli- dations. The Postal Service and Postmas- ter General DeJoy have steadfastly defended the plan and remain com- mitted to the pace of implementa- tion. With another 40 or 50 S&DCs planned for this year, DeJoy recent- ly said, “We cannot take our foot off the pedal,” arguing that these changes are coming years too late. The DFA plan is intended to reverse
years of underinvestment and every initiative is meant to win new cus- tomers and bring volume into the network. NALC remains hopeful that this ambitious investment will result in a network that is better able to serve the expectations of today’s customers, compete and regain market share in the parcel indus- try, and improve the working en- vironments for city carriers. As the plan progresses, NALC will contin- ue to meet with the Postal Service on a regular basis to help navigate this transition, enforce compli- ance with the National Agreement, and represent the interests of our members. Staffing News Staffing issues have been de- bilitating our craft and negatively affecting our ability to serve our customers in some locations. While fixing this issue is one of the Postal Service’s top goals in the DFA plan, the issue remains. The Postal Service has struggled to attract applicants in some iso- lated areas.
USPS Governor Daniel Tangherlini and I at the December announcement by USPS to purchase 66,000 electric vehicles by 2028.
The Postal Record 27 August 2024
4 The Postal Record January 2023
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