USPS THANKS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FOR BIPARTISAN EFFORTS TO REDUCE CSRS PAYMENTS

Ralph Moden, Sr. Vice President, Government Relations thanked members of the Senate and House for bipartisan legislation introduced February 12, 2003, that would allow the USPS to reduce its payments to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS).

Moden noted that without this legislative change, the Postal Service could overfund CSRS by more than $70 billion, according to separate audits conducted by the Office of Personnel Management and the General Accounting Office.

The Postmaster General already has stated that with legislative relief, the Postal Service would be able to hold postage rates steady until 2006.

Moden thanked Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) and co-sponsors Thomas Carper (D-DE) and Sam Brownback (R-KS). The USPS appreciated the efforts of Representative John McHugh, who heads the newly created Postal Service Task Force, and co-sponsors Representative Tom Davis, chairman of the Government Reform Committee, ranking member Representative Henry Waxman and Representative Danny Davis, also a member of the Postal Task Force.

”We are grateful to the individual Senators and Representatives for their quick action in introducing these two pieces of legislation and look forward to working with the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Government Reform on legislation that is so important to the Postal Service and that will benefit every family and business in America,” Moden said.

OTTO HONORED

USPS Chief Technology Officer Bob Otto has been named to Computerworld magazine’s list of the business world’s Premier 100 IT Leaders — a natural extension of the recognition he’s received in the federal sector and the technology industry for his leadership in changing the model of Information Technology. The magazine’s listing includes him as part of an “elite class of technology thought-leaders who truly practice what they preach about using IT to creatively solve business problems and enable new services.”

In addition to effectively managing IT investments by “doing more with less,” Otto is driving efforts to standardize services, simplify operations, and serve customers more effectively, as well as automating processes to improve efficiency. IT also is centralizing all computing operations — consolidating internal Web sites, servers and help desks — as well as supporting key business services, offering increased computing capabilities and implementing secure wireless communications.

DMM 100 RECEIVES ACCOLADES

A Customer’s Guide to Mailing was recognized in the prestigious Society for Technical Communication awards competition. The honors included a Merit Award for the Washington, DC Technical Art Competition and a Distinguished Award for the Washington, DC Technical Publications Communication Competition.

MEMBERS NAMED TO COMMISSION

The President’s Commission on the U.S. Postal Service has named the members of four subcommittees that will collect stakeholder input to help develop the commission’s final report. The commission has until July 31 to report its findings.

• The Business Model Subcommittee, chaired by Richard Levin, includes Don Cogman, Carolyn Gallagher, Norman Seabrook, and Robert Walker. The group will assess the current USPS business model, universal service, infrastructure, rate regulation, and pricing flexibility.
• The Private Sector Partnership Subcommittee consists of Chairman Joseph Wright, Cogman, and Seabrook. It will analyze the private sector’s role in mail delivery.
• The Technology Challenges and Opportunities Subcommittee, chaired by Robert Walker, including Dionel Aviles and Wright, will assess the effect of online bill payment and presentment, e-mail, electronic funds transfer, and other technology to determine whether they will continue to erode USPS market share.
• Workforce Subcommittee consists of Chairperson Carolyn Gallagher, along with Aviles and Levin, will examine the USPS collective bargaining and dispute resolution process and review alternative models.
• And, commission co-chairs James Johnson and Harry Pearce will serve as ex-officio members of each subcommittee.

USPS MARKS FIVE YEARS OF RECORD
ON-TIME DELIVERY PERFORMANCE

The USPS continues to provide record on-time delivery performance as it reduces costs through aggressive belt-tightening. In the latest EXFC (External First-Class) measurement, for the period September 7 through November 19, 2002, USPS achieved a 94 percent on-time delivery service performance score. It’s the third consecutive quarter that independently-measured EXFC scores have reached this benchmark.

• The Erie (PA), Big Sky (MT), Albany (NY), Dakotas (ND, SD) and Lakeland (MN, western WI) Performance Clusters each achieved on-time delivery performance scores of 96 percent.
• Thirty-seven additional PCs reached the 95 percent threshold.
• Since spring 1997, First-Class Mail designated for next-day delivery has been delivered on time at least 93 percent of the time, or better.
• The latest EXFC scores were announced today at the Board of Governors meeting in Washington, DC.
• Also announced at the board meeting: customer satisfaction, as measured by the Gallup Organization, indicates that 93 percent of households nationwide maintain a positive view of USPS.