Postal News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2002
REMARKS BY POSTMASTER GENERAL JOHN E. POTTER
BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING
Thank you Mr. Chairman. Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Let me begin by adding my personal thanks and appreciation of the Postal Rate Commission, the mailing community and yes, even our competitors who participated in this rates process. They all recognized the difficult situation that the Postal Service found itself in after September 11th and the subsequent anthrax attacks. All worked hard to reach this much needed settlement.
I would also like to add my thanks to Dan and the members of his legal team for their outstanding work in putting this rate case together and for representing the Postal Service in the rate making proceedings.
As the Chairman mentioned, this was indeed a team effort. In addition to Dan, I want to take just a moment to also recognize the members of Dan's team for their work and expertise. Most of the people I will name have worked together on building our rate cases for the past 18 years.
I would ask them to stand as I read their names.
They are:
Tony Alverno
Rick Cooper
Susan Duchek
Frank Heselton
Ken Hollies
Eric Koetting
Nan Mckenzie
Joe Moore
Brian Reimer
Scott Reitter
David Rubin
Michael Tidwell
And Elinor Brown
And while they're standing, let me add the names of the other folks from Finance and Marketing whose expertise also made this rate making process possible.
From Finance,
Bill Tayman
Grady Foster
Rick Patelunas
Ginny Mayes
And Mike Miller
From Marketing,
Ashley Lyons
Laraine Hope
Jim Kiefer
Maura Robinson and
Altaf Taufique
Thank you, all for your contributions and your expertise.
Certainly, I want to expresss my personal appreciation to the Chairman of the Postal Rate Commission, George Omas, for the key role he performed during the rate proceedings. His leadership gave all the participants the incentive to come to an early and reasonable settlement.
I also want to add one other comment to Chairman Riders announcement of the rate increase. I know many of our stakeholders have expressed concern that another rate increase may be waiting in the wings for next year. As I mentioned in my remarks to the National Press Club last Friday, we are committed to maintain this rate schedule at least until calendar year 2004.
Speaking about my Press Club speech, I would also like thank Ralph Moden, our VP Strategic Planning and Julie Moore, Executive Program director and their team for their outstanding efforts coordinating the development of the Transformation Plan.
I'd like to take a moment to underscore a few points about the Transformation Plan.
First, it is all about universal service. We have come a long way since 1970 when the Postal Reorganization Act was enacted into law. Back then, the end game was to bring the Post Office back from the brink of disaster. But it was also enacted to give the Postal Service the tools we needed to preserve and maintain our mission to provide universal service.
Today, the Postal Service faces new challenges. Challenges that require different tools and a different and more modern way of doing business, if we are to continue to provide universal service to all our customers.
This Transformation Plan recommends a new business model for the Postal Service of the future. It is a blueprint for modernizing every aspect of our business, from the way we process, transport and deliver the mail to the way we work with our customers and how we manage our people.
But in the long run, it's not just about the Postal Service. It is about adding value to the nation's mail network, do our part to build a strong economy for America, and preserving the value of equal access to postal services for every American.
As Chairman Rider mentioned, we must continue the dialogue. We cannot bring about the changes outlined in that Plan without the full cooperation and participation of all our stakeholders, and especially our legislators.
We must and will act quickly to implement the Plan.
And so my first step is to join with Postal Rate Commission Chairman George Omas to convene a joint summit of all stakeholders to discuss ways to modernize the ratemaking process. The National Postal Forum later this month in San Diego will provide another opportunity for our major mailers to discuss their responses to the Plan with senior postal management and with some of the Governors. It's also an opportunity to chart a mutual course of action to implement aspects of the Transformation Plan.
While I'm on the topic of change, I want to announce that effective in mid-May, we will terminate our independent digital signature authority. This service was started several years ago when the technology was not available from private firms. Now that it is, we will be using commercially available certificates, provided by private firms.
Our reevaluation of our electronic communications products will continue as we proceed to define our role in the electronic marketplace.
A moment ago, I mentioned that part of our efforts to change and modernize all aspects of the Postal Service will include how we manage our people. Today, we are taking an important step toward that goal by introducing a unique partnership with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Together, our two agencies are implementing an Alternative Dispute Resolution program that will provide expert outside mediators to help resolve workplace complaints by postal employees nationwide. It is one more step in a voluntary process for resolving disputes instead of resorting to lengthy and expensive formal hearings before EEOC administrative judges.
Ultimately, we believe this mediation intervention will significantly improve working relations in the workplace environment.
The program is being phased into implementation across the nation. Full implementation is expected by January 2003.
This past weekend the Postal Service was honored to received the Monument Award. The Monument is the highest award given by the Envelope Manufacturers Association. John Nolan accepted the award in recognition of the men and women of the Postal Service for their heroism in making sure the mail was delivered despite the fall terrorist attacks. In doing so, postal employees made a valuable contribution to the mailing industry and to the American people. On behalf of all postal employees, I thank Maynard Benjamin and the Envelope Manufacturers for this recognition.
Thank you Mr. Chairman and Governors. That concludes my remarks.
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