June 30, 2004 -- According to NewRatings.com, "analysts at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein maintain their “buy” rating on Deutsche Post. The target price is set to €21. Shares of Deutsche Post, a German postal services and logistics company, are currently trading at €17.66. "

June 30, 2004 -- The Postal Rate Commission has published in the Federal Register notices establishing the dockets for the negotiated service agreements filed by the Postal Service in the cases of Bank One and Discover Financial Services.

June 30, 2004 -- The Washington Post has reported that "consumer confidence jumped higher than anticipated in June, buoyed by an improved job outlook, the New York-based Conference Board reported. The consumer confidence index increased nearly 9 points, to 101.9, up from the revised 93.1 in May. The employment outlook remained upbeat, and the proportion of consumers anticipating an increase in their incomes rose to 19.3 percent, up from 17.1 percent last month."

June 30, 2004 -- The Cincinnati Enquirer has reported that "the pullout of DHL could drain $250.9 million a year from the Northern Kentucky economy, according to an analysis released Tuesday by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Kentucky could lose out on nearly $3.5 million in sales-tax revenue annually once the air cargo company consolidates its hub in Wilmington in September 2005, said the study, prepared by Tom Zinn, a University of Cincinnati economist and consultant to the chamber."

June 30, 2004 -- Pitney Bowes Inc. has introduced an automated, fully integrated suite of products that help ensure the accuracy and integrity of the mail balloting process: the Pitney Bowes Relia-Vote(TM) Mail Balloting System.

June 30, 2004 -- Deutsche Post Global Mail USA, a leader in international mail services, is pleased to announce the unparalleled leadership team that has resulted from the acquisition of SmartMail Services and QuikPak, Inc. The executive management team includes Bill Boesch, chief executive officer, Don Berry, chief operating officer, and Florian Schuhbauer, chief financial officer.

June 30, 2004 -- The Washington Post has reported that "more than 270 students at Edison High School in Fairfax have learned that a UPS conveyor belt in Kentucky ate their Standards of Learning exams. A box containing hundreds of completed answer sheets for the standardized state tests disappeared at a massive United Parcel Service sorting facility in Louisville this month. Some Edison students will have to retake tests over the summer or in the fall because of the shipping accident -- the second in two years for the school in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County. More than 90 students retook tests last fall because a box of answer sheets was accidentally delivered to a private residence."

June 30, 2004 -- Pacific Business News has reported that "the rivalry between UPS and FexEx is turning into a battle for the right to fly air freight to and from China. They and other U.S. air freight haulers are applying for cargo slots under a new aviation pact."

June 30, 2004 -- News.com.au has reported that "Victorian postal union leader Joan Doyle has been barred from entering Australia Post premises. The Australian Industrial Relations Commission found Ms Doyle had incited workers at a suburban Preston mail centre to take illegal strike action in January this year. The AIRC also found she had abused managers at the site and acted improperly at other workplaces. "I am satisfied that on numerous occasions, Ms Doyle acted improperly or otherwise hindered the employer or its employees," an AIRC registrar said. Ms Doyle's workplace entry permit was revoked as of July 2."

June 30, 2004 -- iWon has reported that "when European leaders vowed in 2000 to make the E.U. the world's most competitive economy by end of the decade, they pointed to shaking up four priority industries dominated by coddled state monopolies- telecoms, airlines, energy and postal services. Despite progress, deregulation remains an uphill struggle. Private transport and logistics companies Tuesday slammed Germany's Deutsche Post AG and other state-backed incumbents for using taxpayer money to undercut rivals and, in many cases, to buy them up. On Thursday, the European Union Commission is set to chastise up to 16 governments - including heavyweights France and Germany - for failing to deregulate their energy markets for business customers by a July 1 deadline."

June 30, 2004 -- La Tribune has reported that "La Poste, the French postal service, has created a new subsidiary, Immo Poste, which will deal with the housing stock used by the company to conduct its business. The company says that the creation of the new subsidiary will allow responsibilities to be clarified, as well as costs relating to property."

June 30, 2004 -- The Associated Press has reported that "most micropayment systems require customers to establish prepaid accounts, to get around the hassle and transactional costs of entering card information for each purchase. Now, however, one player in the micropayments market, Peppercoin Inc., has come up with a system that also facilitates the more familiar way of buying things - by credit or debit card at the time of service."

June 30, 2004 -- Dow Jones has reported that "European investigators raided the offices of Norway's Posten Norge AS last week, the European Free Trade Association said Tuesday. The association, which includes Norway and three other European countries, carried out the surprise inspections June 21 "to ascertain whether there is evidence of practices contrary to competition rules," EFTA said. The investigation is focused on whether Posten Norge is unfairly dominating the market for sending parcels, EFTA said."

June 30, 2004 -- KYW has reported that "a local US senator is co-sponsoring legislation that is aimed at keeping the US Postal Service not just in business, but competitive as well. It wasn't all that long ago that the cost of a first-class stamp went up to 37 cents. Now there's talk of another possible hike in a couple years. Enter Senator Tom Carper, who remembers that the environment was a lot different in 1971 when the US Mail morphed into the US Postal Service. He is co-sponsoring legislation that would, in effect, let the Postal Service better compete with the FedExes and UPSes of the world."

June 30, 2004 -- The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today announced that more than half of the paper consumed in the United States during 2003, or 49.3 million tons, was recovered for recycling – a significant milestone in paper recycling history.

June 30, 2004 -- According to the Postal Reporter, "the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, submits the following dispute to the National Dispute Resolution Committee. By letter dated 6/2/04 the Postal Service has advised the APWU, it is assigning the craft jurisdiction of the work to be performed on the Automated Package Processing System (APPS) to the mailhandler craft. The APWU believes the issue is: Is the USPS’s decision to assign the work performed on the APPS machine in violation of the National Agreement, RI-399 and the historical application of jurisdictional rules of the parties? Is so, what is the remedy? The APWU maintains the APPS is involved in mail processing and/or the distribution of mail and is the work of the clerk craft. All mail processing and/or distribution of mail on automated equipment is the work of the clerk craft."

June 30, 2004 -- "Putting the Pieces to your Small-Shipment Supply Chain Together...is not an easy puzzle to put together! That's why there is a Parcel Shipping & Distribution Forum, October 4-6, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois."

June 30, 2004 -- DMEurope has reported that "Postwatch, the UK watchdog for postal services, today announced its new fully accessible website. With the increased publicity of its work, the Postwatch website has seen a large increase in traffic over the past few months. The new website was formed after consultation with, and development by, Webcredible, a company that specialises in web accessibility and usability."

June 30, 2004 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "two European associations of transport and logistics companies have criticized the European Commission for failing to stamp out what they see as unfair competition by some of the industry’s largest players. The Wettbewerbsverein in Germany and HALTE in France believe that not enough is being done to prevent the subsidy by public sector companies of their express and logistics subsidiaries. In particular the two associations singled out the logistics businesses of DPWN (DHL), SNCB (ABX), La Poste (GeoPost) and SNCF’s Sernam as of particular concern. At present the European Commission is investigating allegations of unfair support for two of these, Sernam and ABX, and the ruling on both is expected soon. However the logistics associations believe that the Commission is not being pro-active enough in investigating cases."

June 29, 2004 -- Writing in DM News, the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service noted that "the U.S. Postal Service operates under a severely outdated 30-year-old model and suffers from weak mail volumes, rising labor and infrastructure-related costs, significant debt loads, network inefficiencies and rigid statutes. If postal reform legislation is not passed this year, mail volumes will continue to decrease while rates increase, and American jobs will be at risk. "

June 29, 2004 -- During the current Congress, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has sponsored legislation to require the Defense Department to consult with the Office of Personnel Management in creating its civilian personnel system, relieve the U.S. Postal Service of billions of dollars of pension obligation it had been paying, reform the Homeland Security Department’s grant program, and require the White House budget director to keep closer watch over purchase card use. If that sounds like a broad range of interests, there’s a reason: Collins is chairwoman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, and is deeply involved in the committee’s role in overseeing agency management and civil service issues. Collins discussed civil service reform, homeland security and other federal management issues during a June 22 interview with Federal Times.

June 29, 2004 -- The DM Bulletin (U.K.) has reported that "the Chartered Institute of Marketing and Royal Mail have vowed to help small businesses do a better job of marketing themselves using direct mail. The CIM and Royal Mail are currently putting together a practical guide for owner/managers, which will help them become better marketers and improve business performance. The guide will cover territory such as definitions, jargon busting and typical tools, as well as providing practical ways of improving the reach and success of smaller business brands by using the post."

June 29, 2004 -- The Russian news agency, Novosti, has reported that "the 31st session of the Council of the Regional Communications Union will be hold at Lake Issyk Kul (Kyrgyzstan). At the session, the participants will coordinate their positions and formulate a common policy for the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly, which will be held in Brazil in October 2004, said the press service of the Kyrgyz government. Moreover, they will discuss improving postal services, speeding-up mail deliveries and the security of postal valuables. Delegations of the union's members (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan) and observers (Germany and Estonia) will attend the session."

June 29, 2004 -- The Government of Brunei has announced that "in a working visit to departments under his ministry, the Minister of Communications and delegation visited post offices in Bandar Seri Begawan. Pehin Dato Seri Setia Haji Zakaria began the visit to the post office in Kampung Mata-Mata. He took a closer look at the function and role of the post office. The Postal Services Department is striving hard to provide comprehensive service. The objectives of the department include transforming the post office into a business and information centre. The post office handles some seven thousand letters a day as well as offering counters for the renewal of road tax and licenses for class one and three, and for receiving telephone, water and electricity bill payments."

June 29, 2004 -- According to the Asahi Shimbun (Japan), "the major issues in the Japanese Upper House election are said to be pension reform and the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq. But something very important seems to have been forgotten: the privatization of postal services, which Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has continued to say is the 'centerpiece of my reform.'''

June 29, 2004 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Japan's government will release an outline of plans to sell state-run Japan Post, the biggest buyer of Japanese government bonds, as early as August, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said. Koizumi, who has pledged to sell the postal service by 2007, has put debate about the privatization on hold until after elections on July 11 to pick 121 lawmakers for the upper house of parliament. The vote will pit his ruling Liberal Democratic Party against the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan."

June 29, 2004 -- According to Agencia Internacional de Noticias (Spain), "two surveys published today provide for the first time both quantitative and qualitative data on consumers’ satisfaction with services of general interest (such as telecommunications, energy, post, water, transport) in the enlarged European Union."

June 29, 2004 -- The Financial Times, however, has reported that "liberalisation of Europe's markets for telecommunication, energy, transport and postal services has delivered only mixed results so far, according to a report by the European Commission. Consumers and businesses are saving money thanks to lower phone bills, and the growth of low-cost aviation has improved mobility. But in many other sectors, progress has been disappointing: road transport and gas, for example, have become more expensive, while rail tickets and postal services are just as expensive as they were before deregulation."

June 29, 2004 -- According to Gibbons Stamp Monthly, "the State Postal Bureau of China began the destruction of 3 billion yuan (around US$365 million) of stamps on Friday in an attempt to boost the country’s flagging philatelic market."

June 29, 2004 -- USA Today has reported that "U.S. credit card company Capital One has emerged as a favorite to buy Internet bank Egg from majority shareholder Prudential, following stalled talks between the U.K. insurer and MBNA, the Sunday Telegraph reported."

June 29, 2004 -- Agenzia Giornalistica Italia has reported that "Elsag, that is a Finmeccanica Group's society, awarded a contract of about 30 millions euro called by Russian Post, to realize an automatic centre of post sorting in Moscow. This new centre, running at full capacity, will have a daily productivity of more than three millions of sendings, will serve the whole region of Moscow (about 40 millions people), will be the crucial point to change post between Russian cities and will have machines produced by Elsag. Particularly Elsag will provide to machines to sort letters, flats, parcels, recognition system, computer postal systems, national and international. This centre is the first in the Russian confederation and will be finished in 20 months, starting from August. This turnkey project comprehends an equipment of postal systems, building planning and construction and all the technological systems to allow the centre to work (excluding data web, tlc, uses and video surveillance). Elsag will provide Russian Post to other services as consultancy for manual and mechanical works, employees technical and operating trainings, supervision on the whole technical systems, assuring a managerial and administrative support of the installation. Giuseppe Cuneo, managing director of Elsag stated 'This further success confirms and reinforces our competitiveness on international postal markets, demonstrating validity of our technological solutions and our vitality. Russia has 150 millions of inhabitants and represents a wonderful opportunity of business development.'"

June 29, 2004 -- According to the Holland Sentinel, "postal purgatory awaits those who flaunt mailbox rules."

June 29, 2004 -- Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "Deutsche Post, the German postal service operator, is reported to have exercised fully the surplus allocation option for the three-year bond convertible into shares in its subsidiary Deutsche Postbank. This represents an additional 98.3m euros, bringing the total income from the bond issue to 1.08bn euros. The underlying volume of securities now amounts to 27.5 million Deutsche Postbank shares."

June 29, 2004 -- Kettering Today (U.K.) has reported that "postal workers have stopped completing their rounds because yobs (youth gangs) are threatening them with baseball bats and stealing their bags."

June 29, 2004 -- The North Hampshire Gazette (U.K.) has reported that "pay £2,661 - that's the answer from Royal Mail bosses to people in the Basingstoke area who want to guarantee that their post will be delivered at a specific time. The information is part of a response that the company sent to watchdog Postwatch in reply to complaints from Gazette readers about the postal service in the Basingstoke area. The company has defended itself against complaints levelled at it by Gazette readers - but bosses admit there have been delivery problems. At the end of April, The Gazette posted off a package of post-related niggles from our readers to Postwatch. The complaints included post arriving late or not at all, letters being delivered to the wrong addresses, and residents going for days without receiving any mail at all."

June 29, 2004 -- The Globe and Mail has reported that "the price to mail a letter in Canada will rise to 50 cents in January, the post office says. The new rate is effective Jan. 17, 2005, and is up from the current 49 cents levied in January this year. The 2.04-per-cent increase is derived from a formula using Statistics Canada's consumer price index. The cost to send letters, cards and postcards to the United States will rise to 85 cents from 80 cents in January, and to $1.45 from $1.40 for other foreign destinations. Postage stamps are also subject to the 7-per-cent goods-and-services tax. International rates are subject to Universal Postal Union rules, a Canada Post spokesman said Monday. Countries pay each other for the cost of handling each other's mail, an expense known as terminal dues."

June 29 2004 -- According to the Associated Press, "The leaders of America's labor unions are a well-paid bunch: four earned more than $400,000 last year, and another four had salaries above $300,000. Last year, union membership fell by 369,000 to 15.8 million, or 12.9 percent of the work force. The American Postal Workers Union reported the largest drop in members, down 53,754."

June 28, 2004 -- EUPolitix.com has reported that "liberalisation of key public services "improves performance, cuts prices and ensures quality", according to a report unveiled by the European Commission on Monday. The performance of new operators in electricity, gas, telecommunications supply, and postal and transport sectors over a seven year period, is "good and improving" according to the study - which backs up a pro-liberalisation Brussels agenda."

June 28, 2004 -- The National Postal Forum invites you to "join the best and the brightest in the Marketing industry for a one-of-a-kind experience on using the mail to grow businesses, expand brand awareness, build loyalty and create competitive advantage. It all happens on September 20, 2004. The National Postal Forum's New Marketing Symposium will be held at the Washington, DC Convention Center. It's a day you will spend thinking about how the mail can make your company money!"

June 28, 2004 -- As DM News has noted, in its comments to the U.S. Postal Service on the proposed rule governing the eligibility of mail matter at Standard Mail rates, "the Association for Postal Commerce wrote, 'Any rule that focuses on the advertising or solicitations purpose of the mail piece will raise speculative and possibly indeterminate questions about the subjective intent of the mailer, and will continue to make it impossible for entry clerks to fairly and [consistently] assess mail piece eligibility.' PostCom went on to say that the rule raises constitutional questions and 'so broadly affects a substantial volume of mail that it amounts to a classification change.' It suggested establishing a 'bright line' that centers on defining what is required to mail at First-Class rates rather than one that 'overly scrutinizes what may be mailed at Standard mail rates.'"

June 28, 2004 -- International Freighting Weekly (U.K.) has reported that "the express parcels market will follow the contract logistics industry in dividing into big and niche players, according to senior UK express and pallet operators. Business Post CEO Paul Carvell last week told the UK Express Delivery conference in Coventry: "There are too many companies chasing too few parcels." In 20 years, the current 16 or so express carriers and eight pallet networks operating within the UK will consolidate into four major integrators and 10 smaller carriers, he predicted. But the small carriers would be able to increase margins – which have been under pressure for the last decade – by concentrating on specialised products and services, he believed."

June 28, 2004 -- Federal Computer Week has reported that "Homeland Security Department officials have granted four companies that sell antiterrorism technologies liability protection from lawsuits that might result from terrorist attacks. Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., Teledyne Technologies Inc. and Michael Stapleton Associates (MSA) are the first companies to have specific products designated and certified under the landmark Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002, better known as the Safety Act. If the companies' antiterrorism products malfunction during a terrorist attack, company officials would not be held responsible, for the most part. Congress passed the act to encourage companies to develop and deploy innovative homeland security products that they otherwise might not attempt because they fear liability lawsuits."

June 28, 2004 -- The Slovak Spectator has reported that "Otto Gáta, 69, has been collecting stamps and mail artefacts for over 40 years. His collection has been exhibited on almost all continents, and the collector has received several awards. In 1981 he built a small postal museum in the village of Plevník, near Žilina, which is open to the public."

June 28, 2004 -- The Herald Mail has noted that "in the past six months, the City of Hagerstown (MD) has lost 25 U.S. Postal Service collection mailboxes. A postal representatives cited low volume as the main reason for the closings."

June 28, 2004 -- According to the Washington Times, "the central mail distribution center on Brentwood Road in Northeast is "back to normal" after years of havoc caused by the anthrax mailings in 2001.:

June 28, 2004 -- Air Cargo World has named its "most influential" in the air cargo business. The CEOs of Fedex, UPS, and Deutsche Post made up the top three.

June 28, 2004 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that:

• GeoPost, the express parcels subsidiary of the French post office, La Poste, has released its results for 2003 and announced a further acquisition as part of its ongoing growth strategy . The company achieved total revenues of €2,194 million in the year, representing a 5.2% increase on 2002. It also managed to increase its operating profits from €58.4m to €82.4m, resulting in its margins rising from 2.7% to 3.6%.

• Elsewhere in the European express sector it was reported that GeoPost’s rival DPWN had exited from talks to buy SDS, the parcels business of An Post, the Irish post office. The troubled operator is projected to make losses of between €6m and €8m in 2004 on a turnover of about €70m. It has lost ground over the past few years as TNT, FedEx, Royal Mail and others have positioned themselves within the market either through owned operations or with partners. However there is a possibility that despite DPWN’s step back from negotiations to buy SDS in its entirety, it could be interested in individual parts of the business if An Post decides to break it up.

June 28, 2004 -- According to the National Association of Major Mail Users (Canada):

• Phase one of the ADDRESS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (AIP) has been reined in by Canada Post, citing quality of data issues.

• Apparently Revenue Protection Canada Post! Mailers from Montreal to Winnipeg have cited issues of mailpiece tapping on all four sides, apparently just to make sure that if tapped, nothing vital would be obscured.

• Transcontinental Media, the publishing arm of Transcontinental Inc., announced June 23 the acquisition of Avid Media Inc., which publishes Canadian Gardening, Canadian Home and Country, Canadian Workshop, and Outdoor Canada. These four titles have a combined 6.3 million readership.

• To win, you have to enter! Click here to download your entry form. Questions: topten@nammu.org Want to be a part of it? sponsorship@nammu.org

June 28, 2004 - - According to Business Week, "AOL's new property is a show of faith by Time Warner bosses. Just a few months ago, rumors swirled on Wall Street that Time Warner might be ready to sell the division. But the purchase of Advertising.com gives AOL a leg up to pursue a more profitable future. 'Online advertising is back, and AOL's acquisition of an already profitable and scalable business will provide us with additional reach and tools to strengthen our competitive position in this business,' said AOL CEO Jonathan Miller." Oh, if only the world's posts could exude such confidence.

June 27, 2004 -- According to the Hindu Business Line, "want to courier something? FedEx it. Having created an acronym for couriering packages, the global express transportation firm is now showcasing the advantages of its technology tools to woo more customers, especially the large number of small- and medium-size firms in India. These firms need not invest in costly logistics software products and solutions, but use the FedEx software tools available free to customers, said Mr Jacques Creeten, Managing Director, Indian Subcontinent, FedEx Express Corporation. Customers need not worry about Customs or local tax regulations in different countries. The FedEx software tools will provide all such information, he told Business Line recently. The software provides a one-stop-shop for all shipping needs for a customer, he said. The company's Web site, www.fedex.com, provides customers with real time information about their shipments. It also enables customers to access the self-service centre giving them control of the shipping process, including opening an account, getting rates, ordering supplies/couriers and tracking shipments."

June 27, 2004 -- According to the New York Times, "despite the pervasiveness of e-mail, Mr. Theodore claims that the volume of mail is actually rising, thanks to the proliferation of junk mail. "They say it's declining, but I don't see it,'' he said. "Years ago we used to walk with one sack on your shoulder. One little sack." He gestured to his bulging cart, which would be refilled a total of five times during his afternoon's rounds."

June 27, 2004 -- Japan Today has reported that "Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Sunday the government will formulate a basic policy on postal privatization during the August-September period."

June 27, 2004 -- The Telegraph (U.K.) has reported that "the postal services watchdog, Postwatch, has lodged an official complaint with the Royal Mail after all the letters it sent to a group of MPs were lost in the post - the missing items were promoting a campaign to encourage people to report misdelivered or lost mail." See also Reuters.

June 27, 2004 -- The Sunday Herald (U.K.) has reported that "the Royal Mail’s return to profit could speed a move to full competition, according to the chairman of regulator Postcomm. Sir Nigel Stapleton said a decision on “liberalisation” would not be taken until later this year, following a consultation exercise, but still ahead of the planned April 2007 deadline."

June 26, 2004 -- The New York Times has reported that "here where the pope sends religious messages and statues of saints stand against the sky, Dimitri Auerilio comes regularly for a strictly secular reason: to send his mail. The 109-acre Vatican, walled in against an Italy of labor strife, strikes, long lines, late trains and a maddeningly unreliable postal system, has developed a mail service that is the envy of Italians. It is both fast and safe, Mr. Auerilio said, describing it as a beacon of bureaucratic success in a landscape of ineffective infrastructures. Mr. Auerilio, a 48-year-old Sicilian compensation board worker, said on a recent day, echoing the thoughts of many of his countrymen who come here regularly to drop off their mail, with no Hail Marys necessary. 'The Italian state of mind is not to work so hard, and you can really see this in its post office,'' he added. "Instead, the Vatican post office is really good. They are efficient. They get things done.'"

June 26, 2004 -- Traffic World has reported that:

• Claiming strong business across Europe, TNT Express is spending to increase capacity and upgrade its ability to handle traffic that is growing across an expanding European Union map. The building at the air hub at Liege, Belgium, comes as the carrier's parent TNT Post Group is making strong moves on a number of fronts to bolster capabilities in its European base. TPG this month scaled up its air forwarding services with the acquisition of Sweden's Wilson Group and the TNT Mail UK unit is stepping up its bid for more postal traffic in the United Kingdom. TNT Express initially plans to spend $44 million at its Liege, Belgium, air hub. This is part of a $115 million six-year improvement program.
• It may only be worth $10 million or so, but the international mail contract the U.S. Postal Service handed FedEx Express has significance beyond the dollar value. The contract for transport and delivery of Global Express Guaranteed takes the growing alliance between FedEx and the USPS to another level and bumps DHL from an agreement once touted as a model for postal-private cooperation. The GXG mail is the USPS's premier, date-certain international delivery service, which is available to nearly 200 countries. The deal expands a relationship that began in 2000 when the USPS contracted with FedEx to carry domestic Priority Mail, Express Mail and First-Class Mail. When it switches to FedEx, the Postal Service will also add GXG service to Brazil and Japan.
• Mergers of multibillion dollar multinational companies are transforming logistics services for shippers

June 26, 2004 -- The Packages Day Symposium at the National Postal Forum in Washington, DC on Tuesday, September 21 is where heavy hitters in retail, catalog and internet sales will pull out their play books and share strategies that keep them on top of the game. You can expect to hear industry all-stars in packaging, transportation, consulting and logistics discuss hot new ideas that are scoring points with businesses and consumers. See how Amazon, JCPenney and QVC build fan appeal by providing the best in price, delivery time and convenience to win repeat customers. Discover how packaging giants DuPont and Weyerhauser are changing the face of warehouse management, packing and shipping. Be here in person as these and other industry giants knock it out of the park with up-to-the-minute plays in a full-day of panels and networking you won't find anywhere else.

June 26, 2004 -- The Philadelphia Inquirer has reported that "U.S. Postal Service officials dedicated their new Philadelphia Processing and Distribution Center yesterday, touting it as the first of a new generation of mail centers that will cut costs and improve service."

June 26, 2004 -- As the Charlotte Observer has noted, "the U.S. Postal Service, whose services have been called "snail mail" ever since the Internet came along, generally doesn't ignite visions of high-tech innovation. But the Postal Service is trying to change its image with the Electronic Postmark, which creates a secure and legally binding time-stamped seal on documents to be transferred electronically. The Postal Service uses technology developed by AuthentiDate, a provider of Web-based content authentication services, to enable businesses to sign and transfer electronic documents created in Microsoft Word. After a document is signed, the Electronic Postmark creates a security lock to ensure it isn't altered during transmittal."

June 26, 2004 -- The Memphis Commercial Appeal has reported that "DHL Friday made its second foray in as many weeks into UPS and FedEx territory with plans to invest $1.2 billion in its U.S. network. The third-place player claims 6-8 percent of the U.S. overnight and ground delivery business, which is dominated by the two competitors. DHL will add seven regional sort centers, expecting to increase its ground-delivery capacity by 60 percent in 2005. It will also consolidate its air hub operations in the DHL-owned airport in Wilmington, Ohio, by fall of 2005."

June 26, 2004 -- NBC San Diego has reported that "the first automated postal service in San Diego could make rushing to get through the post office door a thing of the past. The machine is called an APC, which stands for Automated Postal Center. It looks similar to an ATM, NBC 7/39 reported. The APC is capable of handling most mailings you would normally do at the postal counter. Like stamp machines, the APC is available to customers after regular post office hours end." Ditto for Peoria.

June 26, 2004 -- WIS-TV has reported that "the United States Postal Service promises to deliver through rain, sleet and snow. It's a delivery disappointment at Laura Beaver's home, 'It's real frustrating. We're taxpayers and we should be able to get our mail at our mailbox like everyone else.'"

June 25, 2004 -- AdWeek has reported that "Pier 1 has parted with Interpublic Group's Campbell-Ewald and has invited a select list of undisclosed shops into a "closed review," with a decision expected by September, a client representative said on Friday." Masco Corp.'s Delta Faucet Co. has parted company with Campbell-Ewald as well, and has invited six agencies, from among three holding companies, to compete for its estimated $12 million adertising business that went into review this spring. See also Ad Age. Campbell-Ewald is the advertising agency of record for the Postal Service. The USPS has picked another winner, eh?

June 25, 2004 -- Auctionbytes has reported that "eBay, The World's Online Marketplace, and the U.S. Postal Service today introduced free co-branded shipping supplies, which will display the recognizable eBay and Postal Service logos. Beginning July 2004, the eBay community can order the newly designed free shipping supplies for Priority Mail service. Boxes will be available in three sizes along with tape. The shipping supplies are another new addition to the convenient online shipping service eBay and the Postal Service unveiled in February 2004, which allows sellers to calculate rates, purchase postage and print shipping labels from their computer. With this new service, co-branded Priority Mail boxes will be delivered directly to an eBay member's home. This, combined with the Carrier Pickup service offered by the Postal Service makes shipping quick, easy and convenient for eBay sellers." See also ZDNet.

June 25, 2004 -- The Congressional Budget Office has posted a revised report on the costs associated with H.R. 4341, the "Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act." CBO said that its new "estimate supersedes a previous cost estimate for H.R. 4341, which CBO transmitted on June 10, 2004. That previous estimate indicated that the bill would have a net cost to the unified budget of $8.4 billion over the 2005-2014 period. CBO now estimates the bill would have a net cost of $8.7 billion over the next 10 years."

June 25, 2004 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's largest postal service, plans to invest $1.2 billion in its DHL express division's North American operations in a bid to compete with larger United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. The investment includes consolidating hub networks, adding seven sorting centers in the U.S. and building information technology, DHL said in a statement on Business Wire."

June 25, 2004 -- The Financial Times has reported that "La Poste, the French state post office, is to merge Xange Capital, its private equity arm, in a joint venture with the French private equity business of ABN Amro. The deal will leave La Poste with control of the business, Les Echos, the FT's sister paper in France, has learnt. It provides a partial exit from private equity in France for the Netherlands bank, whose French private equity business, ABN Amro Venture Capital, has a €90m ($109m) portfolio of investments. For La Poste, busy developing its financial services, the consolidation will provide an opportunity to reinforce the specialist private equity business it launched in spring last year."

June 25, 2004 -- The Kyodo news service has reported that "the Japanese government will boost the number of people working for a preparatory office in charge of privatizing Japan's postal services to around 80 by late July, top government spokesman Hiroyuki Hosoda said Friday."

June 25, 2004 -- According to the Nordic Business Report, "the Norwegian postal service Posten is reportedly suspected of using illegal methods to stop competitors, and the company is now said to be facing major fines. The EFTA Surveillance Authority has reportedly spent the last five days collecting potential evidence at Posten's main office in Oslo. The investigators have particularly been looking for information regarding an alleged agreement between Posten and the grocery chains regarding the right to offer postal services in the stores, according to the Norwegian daily Aftenposten." See also Nettavision.

June 25, 2004 -- Agape Press has reported that "a pro-family activist says the U.S. Postal Service won't even acknowledge the problem of pornography in the mail, much less deal with it. Even after 25,000 parents asked the USPS to investigate Playboy's mailing of sex magazine offers to children, the agency has remain eerily quiet. Randy Sharp, director of special projects for the American Family Association, says children have received postcards offering discount prices for magazine subscriptions -- despite postal regulations forbidding it. He says the Postal Service has been 'absolutely quiet' on the issue."

June 25, 2004 -- ABM Security Services, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABM Industries Incorporated (NYSE:ABM), has been awarded a multi-year, multi-million dollar national contract with the Unites States Postal Service. The contract covers security guard services for more than 60 postal service facilities located in 20 states across the country and includes more that 300 security personnel.

June 24, 2004 -- Ghanaweb has reported that "workers of the Ghana Post were on Thursday asked to serve customers better by responding to their needs and preferences, Professor Robert Adu Fenning, Board Chairman of Ghana Postal Service said on Thursday."

June 24, 2004 -- Industry analyst Alan Robinson has produced a new report on "Forecasting Electronic Banking and its Impact on Mail." Some of the key conclusions regarding the impact on mail include: Biller required or encouraged electronic payments are the primary source of mail diversion; Eliminates the possibility of mail piece; Impact on mail dependent on account turnover as new accounts are easier to divert; Payer directed electronic payments have not yet had a significant impact; Slowly removing 1st Class volume currently in mail stream; Will become significant as acceptance rises as price of service declines (to banks and consumers); and Growth tied to generational shift in banking customers and account turnover.

June 24, 2004 -- Reuters has reported that "Time Warner Cable is considering adding wireless phone services, in partnership with one or two wireless companies, to complement the traditional telephone service it is offering with its cable television and Internet packages." You've come a long way baby....

June 24, 2004 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's largest postal service, plans to cut 1,600 jobs as the company combines three logistics units in Germany into its DHL courier division. Deutsche Post has been working on the reorganization since the beginning of the year and expects to complete the effort by 2006, Juergen Blohm, a spokesman, said."

June 24, 2004 -- The Tanjug news agency has reported that "the Serbian government has presented a bill on postal services to the republic parliament, demanding that it be adopted in an emergency procedure. The law envisages that a Postal Services Agency, as an independent regulation body, be founded."

June 24, 2004 -- TheEdgeDaily has written that " given the current lacklustre market environment, we have been highlighting defensive companies for several weeks now, and continue this theme today with Pos Malaysia & Services Holdings (RM2.05). Pos Malaysia, a government-controlled company, offers a very cash-rich balance sheet and stable, though unexciting, earnings that will appeal to risk-averse investors. Pos Malaysia’s core business is the provision of postal services, for which it enjoys a monopoly, and as a collection agency for third parties. Its shares are backed by cash and near-cash of RM790 million or RM1.76 per share, and NTA of RM2.95. Forward P/E multiples are undemanding at around 12 times, although forward EPS growth is relatively unexciting at around 5-6%. The biggest attraction is the severe undervaluation of Pos Malaysia’s core assets. Stripping out its cash, near cash and investments, Pos Malaysia’s market capitalisation values its core business at just RM36.7 million — for a monopoly business that rakes in over RM30 million in annual net profit and owns 651 properties worth over RM350 million. That’s a P/E of just 1.1 times!"

June 24, 2004 -- According to Directions Magazine, "QAS (http://www.qas.com/us) has secured several new customer wins, bringing its total number of financial-services sector clients to 32. The new customers include Chela Education Financing, Bank of America Military Bank, Financial Applications Corporation and Educational Employees Credit Union. These market-leading firms have selected QAS' award-winning address management software, QuickAddress, to reduce the more than $611 billion(1) wasted annually by U.S. businesses due to incorrect or incomplete address data."

June 24, 2004 -- Know what an ETOE is? Do they make sense for your international mailing needs? Will they survive the upcoming UPU Congress? You can learn more by purchasing the World Mail Review - Extra Territorial Offices of Exchange (ETOEs) The Facts and The Future. You also can download a table of contents and order form from the Triangle Consultancy's web site.

June 24, 2004 -- On PostInsight.com you can find a paper entitled “Staying the Course in the Mailing Industry: The Biggest Opportunity is Doing What We Do Better,” which was presented by Pitney Bowes CEO Michael Critelli at the CRRI postal regulatory conference in Cork, Ireland.

June 24, 2004 -- Over 8,000 letter carriers are planning to convene in Honolulu July 19-23 as delegates to the 64th Biennial National Convention of the National Association of Letter Carriers -- the largest convention among AFL-CIO unions. The week-long event at the Hawaii Convention Center will bring together carriers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. The 300,000-member union, founded in 1889, represents active and retired city letter carriers employed by the U.S. Postal Service. NALC President William H. Young will preside over the convention and deliver the keynote address at the opening session on Monday, July 19. Among speakers scheduled to address convention sessions are: U.S. Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) and Danny Davis (D-Ill.); Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers union; Dale Holton, president of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association; Deborah Bourque, national president, Canadian Union of Postal Workers; Philip Bowyer, Deputy General Secretary, Union Network International; Michael J. Critelli, chairman and CEO, Pitney Bowes, Inc., and H. Robert Wientzen, president and CEO, Direct Marketing Association. Delegates will discuss issues critical to the future of the U.S. Postal Service and its continuing role in delivering mail throughout the United States, including proposed postal reform legislation currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress.

June 24, 2004 -- According to the Washington Post, "in the year since the anti-telemarketing registry was officially launched, more than 62 million telephone numbers have been posted to the list, according to the Federal Trade Commission. As of Friday, 428,000 complaints had been filed against more than 130,000 companies said to have made telemarketing calls to numbers on the do-not-call list. About 200 companies are repeat offenders with 100 or more complaints each. Telemarketers risk a fine of up to $11,000 for each number they call on the list." Soooo, will the mailing industry sleep through the efforts of some to create "do not mail" laws?

June 24, 2004 -- Dow Jones has reported that "United Parcel Service Inc. stepped up a decade-long battle with Deutsche Post World Net AG, filing two complaints with European Union regulators charging the German postal company with monopoly abuses and receiving excessive state funding. UPS has taken similar issues in Europe before to European regulators in the past and won a series of victories over Deutsche Post. However, UPS, of Atlanta, Georgia, insists that regulators haven't done enough to curb Deutsche Post. Now, UPS is renewing its legal onslaught in a bid to persuade European antitrust chief Mario Monti, a leading opponent of state subsidies, to launch formal investigations before he leaves office in September. It's a risky strategy, observers said, and could annoy EU regulators who have already punished Deutsche Post with fines and sanctions in previous UPS cases."

June 24, 2004 -- The Warsaw Business Journal (Poland) has reported that "Polish Post (PP) is slowly feeling the breath of the competition on the back of the neck, as the market was partially liberalized on May 1. It will be further opened at the beginning of 2006 and become fully liberalized in 2009. "I forecast that we will mainly compete with the German and Dutch post offices, which are the largest operators in Europe. Even worse, they will focus on the most lucrative segments of the market, such as large cities," said PP's general director Tadeusz Bartkowiak. PP has its work out cut if it wants to survive and prosper. It will have to change its revenue structure, which at present is 70% based on postal services, while its European counterparts have balanced revenues from postal, financial and logistics services. The expected cost of implementing PP's modernization strategy is in the region of zl.7 billion. "

June 24, 2004 -- According to the Wise County Messenger, "gone may be the days of renting postage meters or spending your lunch hour in line at the post office. Members of the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce learned Thursday how businesses and individuals can save time and money by using the U.S. Postal Service online. USPS representatives Diane Price and Connie Snyder discussed the new Netpost and Click and Ship services."

June 24, 2004 -- AsiaPulse has reported that "UPS Japan Co. announced Tuesday that it will launch a small-lot direct maritime shipping service to the U.S. on July 1. The company will jointly implement the Trade Direct Ocean service with a joint venture between United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) and Suzuyo & Co. Under the new service, an invoice that shows the shipping destination will be attached to freight in Japan, and the freight will then be shipped to Los Angeles, from where it will be transported to destinations throughout the U.S."

June 24, 2004 -- The Financial Times (U.K.) has provided a "comment & analysis on  Postbank: How a promising stock market flotation was bungled....Together, a slipshod investment bank and a bloody-minded chief executive had turned the Postbank flotation into a comic-book tale on how not to run an IPO."

June 24, 2004 -- The Telegraph (U.K.) has reported that "Royal Mail has angered a major business customer which spends £2m a year on the post by telling the firm it can no longer collect its own mail first thing in the morning. Hargreaves Lansdown, one of Britain's biggest independent financial advisers, has been collecting its own post at 7am each day for 10 years after Royal Mail deliveries became 'shaphazard.' Now Royal Mail says it wants a further £2,218 to deliver the mail to Hargreaves' office at this time. It would not be allowed to collect mail which missed that early delivery before 8.30am, unless it paid the same amount again."

June 24, 2004 -- The Arbutus Times has noted that "over the last 45 days, the Postal Service has removed 24 mailboxes from communities in the county. Of those removed, 75 percent were in the Catonsville area. The Internet and changing mail habits are responsible for the removal, according to a postal spokesman. Boxes slated for removal are the subject of two-week studies and public comment is solicited. Collection sites that take in fewer than 25 pieces of mail a day are usually -- but not always -- removed."

June 24, 2004 -- The DM Bulletin (U.K.) has reported that "Experian, the data and credit services company, is further strengthening its presence in Europe with the opening of its first office in Italy. The new launch targets the Italian market with services to improve the effectiveness of direct marketing campaigns, prospect lists, data cleansing and campaign management tools. The Italian office joins the company's other European operations in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain."

June 24, 2004 -- Not yet postal, but stil an interesting note. The Washington Post has reported that "disappointed that federal agencies are moving slowly on telecommuting, Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) lowered the legislative hammer yesterday. Wolf, who chairs a House Appropriations subcommittee, wrote a provision into a fiscal 2005 spending bill that would require certain agencies to certify that 100 percent of eligible employees have the option to telecommute. Agencies that failed to comply would face a budget cut of $5 million each. According to the bill, the departments of Commerce, Justice and State, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Small Business Administration and the federal judiciary would have two months after the measure became law to show that telecommuting opportunities are being made available to all eligible employees or face the budget cut."

June 24, 2004 -- DM News has reported that "the Mailers Council has sent letters to key members of the House and Senate, proposing four "amendments" to the postal reform bills in each chamber. The Council's proposed new amendments concern: Retirement issues, A new rate index system, Competitive product pricing, and Service standards."

June 24, 2004 -- Be sure to make Packages Day one of  your must-attend events at the National Postal Forum . 

June 24, 2004 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "FedEx Corp. raised its earnings forecast for the fiscal year after saying fourth-quarter profit rose 47 percent, as an expanding global economy boosted demand for shipping. Chairman Frederick Smith's company carried more shipments in Asia and Latin America, whose economies are growing faster than the U.S. The number of packages sent from China climbed 50 percent in the latest fiscal year. Net income climbed to $412 million from $280 million the company said. Revenue in the period ended May 31 rose 21 percent to $7.04 billion, partially reflecting the purchase of the Kinko's copy-store chain. FedEx's air and ground businesses had higher sales and shipments in the quarter. The company benefited from an early retirement program and had some success passing on higher fuel prices to customers."

June 24, 2004 -- Escher Group, Ltd., a provider of counter automation and business applications to the postal industry, today announced that Posten Norge has awarded the postal counter automation project to IBM Norge and Escher Group, Ltd. IBM will implement Escher Group's WebRiposte Essential counter automation solution at 1,500 post offices and stores throughout Norway to modernize transactions such as postal services, financial services, ticketing and retail services.

June 24, 2004 -- Shippers Newswire has reported that "DHL, a provider of shipping and logistics services, has introduced two different types of alternative-fueled vehicles in the United States. The first, an all-electric, 14-foot delivery van, will have its first use in Manhattan, “where it will have an advantage in the stop-and-go conditions that are common in grueling, densely packed metro markets,” DHL said in a statement. DHL is also deploying a hybrid diesel-electric 26-foot truck in Los Angeles, “primarily moving large containers of packages,” DHL explained. The hybrid truck has a 40 percent improved fuel economy, and reduces emissions up to 90 percent."

June 23, 2004 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal) has reported that:

• The first of six sub-centres within Schweizerische Post’s new mail processing system will be erected near St. Gallen early in 2007. A decision concerning the location of the five other sub-centres will be reached in the spring of 2005. As part of the REMA project (Reengineering Mail Processing), the post intends to build three new sorting centres and six sub-centres by 2009. REMA is Schweizerische Post’s single biggest project with an investment volume of over 645m euros and of high strategic importance.
• It was also announced that the post had reached an agreement with Swiss publishing associations regarding a new system for the distribution of subscription newspapers and magazines.
• Germany’s Hermes Logistik Gruppe and the internet auction site Ebay have extended their service offer. Auctioneers can now obtain directions to around 10,000 Hermes parcel shops, while buyers can search for the nearest parcel shop, opening times and prices on www.ebay.de/versandcenter.
• Unanimous press reports state that Ireland’s An Post is considering winding up its loss-making subsidiary SDS Courier.
• A delegation from the US Teamsters trade union met with representatives of the German trade union ver.di in Bingen. Teamster president James P Hoffa said in a written address to the meeting that the aim was to discuss possibilities of co-operation between the world’s two leading transport trade unions. They agreed to harmonise their respective positions in relation to employers operating internationally, e.g. DHL and UPS.
• GLS Germany is launching a new brand name and sales campaign in order to boost its German express business activities.

Don't be satisfied with a less than complete report on the courier, express, and postal market in Europe. Get your subscription to CEP News, today..

June 23, 2004 -- The Washington Post has reported that "the Internal Revenue Service is making charities and other nonprofit organizations one of its top enforcement priorities, and has launched "an unprecedented audit effort" against these groups, the tax agency's chief told a Senate committee yesterday."

June 23, 2004 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported on the latest "global rage....Peck out a note or cast a vote on your cell phone. Text messages are key features on Survivor and American Idol, and they're a growing part of a monster-size business. Callers will send an estimated 548 billion text messages this year, according to industry trade group, GSM Assn. That's about 100 for every man, woman, and child on the planet. Each one costs between a penny and a dime to send, adding up to a worldwide revenue stream that's expected to reach $27 billion this year. And as phones over the next two years handle more color pictures, video, and hi-fi sound, a flow of more expensive multimedia messages should drive more growth. Short messages are a bonanza for wireless carriers, but one that's now reaping only a fraction of its potential. Why? The marketing side of the text-messaging business is just now getting started. The 1.3 billion cell phones in the world give marketers a possible person-to-person link with consumers everywhere. The potential is there to harness the cell phone to the vast databases of user profiles -- the dossiers that supermarkets, retailers, and mail-order companies have created on their customers. A phone marketer with this data could use short messages to deliver millions of personalized pitches and ads, some of them tailored to the user's whereabouts and the time of day."

June 23, 2004 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's largest postal service, said it will sell shares in its Deutsche Postbank AG unit for 9.5 percent less than Chief Executive Officer Klaus Zumwinkel forecast, after investors balked at the price. The company sold shares at 28.50 euros ($34.53) apiece, raising 1.55 billion euros, spokesman Martin Dopychai said. Zumwinkel said Sunday he hoped to sell the stock at 31.50 euros, after the company scaled back the price range used to canvass investor interest to between 28 euros and 32 euros. The money will be used to expand Deutsche Post's European delivery network and reduce debt. The sale of almost half of Postbank gives state-controlled Deutsche Post funds to invest in its main businesses while allowing it to keep control of the bank. In Germany, where the company's mail business has a monopoly through 2007, Deutsche Post is struggling amid competition and stagnating prices."

June 23, 2004 -- AFP has reported that "The German government plans to sell its remaining shareholdings in telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom and the semi-privatised postal authority Deutsche Post by 2006. Berlin plans to raise around 15.5 billion euros (18.6 billion dollars) by selling the lion's share of its remaining stakes in Deutsche Post and Deutsche Telekom next year, with the proceeds earmarked to go into the budget. In the case of Deutsche Post, chairman Klaus Zumwinkel has said that he expects the government to cut its stake in his company to zero by 2007."

June 23, 2004 -- The Irish Independent has reported that "Deutsche Post's subsidiary, DHL, has exited talks to acquire outright or enter into a joint venture with An Post's parcels and courier delivery arm, SDS. However, the German postal giant could still be interested in snapping up individual aspects of the business if An Post decides to break up loss-making SDS."

June 23, 2004 -- The Jersey Evening Post (U.K.) has reported that "the Jersey Economic Development Committee are asking individuals and businesses for their views on the future of the Island's postal service. The consultation will pave the way for the incorporation of Jersey Post in a new States-owned private company - a move approved by politicians in March. This will end the current monopoly and allow other private companies to offer postal services."

June 23, 2004 -- Les Echos (France) has reported that "the French post office, La Poste, has signed an agreement with the FO,CFDT, CFTC and CGC unions on the resolution of industrial disputes. The deal includes measures for the prevention of strikes and sets out the parameters of talks and the level at which they should be conducted. It also declares any management-union agreement to be valid provided it is supported by one or more unions which received at least 50 per cent of votes at the most recent union elections."

June 23, 2004 -- The Jerusalem Post has reported that "'the Austrian government fully acknowledges its responsibility to the victims of National Socialism,' Austrian Interior Minister Ernst Strasser said in Jerusalem on Monday night. Strasser, who was speaking at an international conference marking the centenary of the death of Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl, said that too many Austrians were among the perpetrators of war crimes. Most Austrian Jews who survived the Nazi years did not remain in Austria, he added, "'or did they come back.' A prominent square will be named in Herzl's honor on July 3, the anniversary of his death. The Austrian Postal Authority will issue a special Herzl stamp on July 6, and in September, there will be a special session of Parliament devoted to Herzl to which President Moshe Katsav has been invited."

June 22, 2004 -- UPS has announced it will begin deploying wireless technologies, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, to package facilities and drivers in Europe to ensure customers continue to have the most up-to-the-minute tracking information available at all times. The first part of the deployment will occur inside UPS sorting centers and hubs. It involves pager-sized Bluetooth scanners, worn on the middle finger, which send package tracking data to small Wi-Fi (802.11b) terminals worn on the waist by package sorters. The Wi-Fi devices then send the tracking data to UPS's computer network, where it can be accessed by customers.

June 22, 2004 -- Dow Jones has reported that "the company that until last year held the private concession for Argentina's postal service is suing the government over a recent decree formally transferring control of the country's postal assets into the hands of a new state-owned company."

June 22, 2004 -- According to Search Engine Watch, "US Hispanics and Latinos use the Internet more than the general population, even though this they are only seven percent of all US users, far fewer than Caucasians or Asians. According to an America Online/Roper report, 48 percent have gone online from home in the past two years, compared to 21 percent of the general population. They spend more time online at home (9.5 hours per week) and at work (13.8 hours per week) than average for all US consumers (8.4 hours per week and 9.6 hours per week respectively). And they are more likely to shop online for home-delivered groceries and electronics. Deep distrust of banks and ho-hum attitudes toward credit cards makes collecting online payments challenging. Generally unreliable postal systems make delivery next to impossible, a boon for private services such as FedEx and DHL."

June 22, 2004 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "the European Logistics Association and consultancy AT Kearney have released the findings of their new survey on logistics costs. The survey, which is undertaken every five years, logs the amount which manufacturers and retailers spend on logistics as a proportion of their overall sales. The survey has revealed that for the first time since the survey began, costs have started to rise. Despite falling by 65% since 1987, shippers do not anticipate that this trend will continue and three quarters of respondents thought that costs would either stay the same or rise."

June 22, 2004 -- The U.S. Postal Service has been named one of the 50 Best Companies for Minorities for the fifth year in a row by leading business magazine FORTUNE. The Postal Service ranked sixth on the list this year. The rankings appear in the current issue.

June 22, 2004 -- IWCO Direct, an integrated direct mail services company, announces details of its plan to increase lettershop capacity by 35 percent and add capabilities to reduce cycle time, while providing products and services to support complex personalization models for direct mail programs.

June 22, 2004 -- As DM News has noted, "the U.S. Postal Service had net income of $2.9 billion -- $918.9 million over budget -- from Oct. 1 to May 31, the agency reported yesterday. Meanwhile, mail volume was up and expenses are under plan. According to the postal service’s fiscal and operating statements, revenue was $46.65 billion, 0.5 percent better than planned, while expenses of $43.75 billion were 1.5 percent under the planned budget. Mail volume rose 0.7 percent compared with last year. Standard mail and International mail grew 3.8 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively. However, several mail classes saw declines. Periodicals fell 4.4 percent; Express Mail, 4.2 percent; Priority Mail, 2.4 percent; First-Class, 1.7 percent; and Package Services, 0.2 percent. For the month of May, total mail volume fell 2.5 percent, the USPS said."

June 22, 2004 -- ChinaView has reported that "the Japanese government is considering retaining certain rates of equity stake in the country's postal services even after they are privatized, Kyodo News reported Tuesday. The plan is meant to ensure universal service of the highly public postal services remains in line with the Universal Postal Convention, of which Japan is a member. According to Kyodo, Article 1 of the postal convention says postal services should be provided permanently and at reasonable costs in any postal territory the convention covers. In addition, Japan Post, the public entity that runs the country's postal services, is legally required to provide universal service, which includes having post offices in all municipalities and charging uniform fees across the country."

June 22, 2004 -- The Minister of Economic Affairs has informed TPG that he has granted TPG’s appeal to the temporary tariff freeze. The Minister said that there is no sufficient legal basis for the tariff freeze decided in the Postal Law. This sets aside the administrative decision, which stipulated that the individual rates for mandatory postal services covered by the price control system in force at the time, could not be increased until 1 January 2005. The Minister proposed in his Postal Vision sent to Parliament on 1 April 2004 (due for parliamentary discussion on 28 June 2004) that the temporary tariff freeze will be extended until year-end 2006.

June 22, 2004 -- Japan Post, which marked the first anniversary on April 1, 2004 of its foundation as the entity to replace the Postal Services Agency, is making progress in reforming its inefficient operations. In a recent interview with The Nikkei Financial Daily, Masaharu Ikuta, president of Japan Post, voiced his desire to enhance employees' ability, so that post offices can serve as a venue for giving customers advice on financial products. Referring to the planned privatization of postal services, Ikuta pointed out the importance of discussing this matter along with the issue of fiscal reform.

June 22, 2004 -- AllAfrica.com has reported that "a high number of participants representing governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector of 125 countries is expected at the first preparatory meeting (PrepCom1) of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)."

June 22, 2004 -- Government Computer News has reported that "as the government sharpens its focus on agencies’ ability to maintain services in the wake of a disaster, the Postal Service has turned to handheld devices. The approach got its first real test when the Northeast lost power last August. Postal managers maintained communications using BlackBerry devices from Research in Motion Ltd. of Waterloo, Ontario, to make sure the mail got through. 'We couldn’t get hold of the mail-processing plants because there was no electricity or phone service, but the BlackBerry network worked,' USPS vice president and chief technology officer Robert Otto said.'"

June 22, 2004 -- Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "Deutsche Post, the German postal service, says that it holds Deutsche Bank, the largest bank in Germany, partly responsible for the fact that plans for a stock market flotation of Postbank, the banking subsidiary of Deutsche Post, have been unsuccessful. This is said to be due to the fact that investors accidentally obtained an internal report produced by Deutsche Bank, which was to act as the lead bank in the transaction, before the beginning of the subscription period. In this report, the bank had estimated Postbank to be worth between 4.4bn and 5.3bn euros; this is considerably lower than the value of 6bn euros that had been mentioned by Klaus Zumwinkel, the head of Deutsche Post."

June 21, 2004 -- The U.S. Postal Service has filed with the Postal Rate Commission requests for recommended decisions on classifications, rates and fees to implement functionally equivalent negotiated service agreements with Bank One (Docket No. MC2004-3) and Discover Financial Services, Inc. (Docket No. MC2004-4)

June 21, 2004 -- UPS and the Independent Pilots Association have been unable to resolve their contractual impasse, and have decided to move to mediation.

June 21, 2004 -- Citizen Outreach has voiced its opposition to the nomination of Dawn Tisdale as Postal Rate Commissioner.

June 21, 2004 -- "Public Agency or Private Entity? The Janus Face of the Postal Service" That's the title of a legal opinion published by the Washington Legal Foundation.

June 21, 2004 -- The Financial Times (U.K.) has reported that:

• For nearly a month, Klaus Zumwinkel, Deutsche Post's suave but stubborn chief executive, had been locked in a bizarre stand-off with his own investment banking advisers and potential investors in Postbank, the post office's banking subsidiary, over the terms of its initial public offering. On Saturday, he finally admitted defeat and cut the €31.50 to €36.50 price range for the deal to €28 to €32. But as he presented the "new and innovative" structure, which also includes a convertible bond, he tried to sidestep blame for misjudging the market, and made clearer than ever his contempt for Deutsche Bank, which has co-led the IPO.
• Postbank, the German post office bank, is in early-stage talks to buy Hanseatic Bank, a Hamburg-based consumer credit business. People close to the process said the bank was among several potential acquirers talking to Otto Versand, the mail order business that currently owns Hanseatic Bank.

June 21, 2004 -- The U.S. Postal Service has posted a copy of its financial report for May 2004 on its web site.

June 21, 2004 -- A copy of PostCom's comments on the Postal Service's proposed rule governing the eligibility of mail for acceptance at Standard Mail rates has been posted on this site.

June 21, 2004 -- DMNews has reported that "more than 140 mailers and mailing organizations responded to a U.S. Postal Service proposed rule that the agency said seeks to clarify the differences between a personalized Standard Mail piece and a personal First-Class Mail piece."

June 21, 2004 -- Servihoo has reported that "Deutsche Post said the one-billion-euro (1.2-billion-dollar) bond being issued by the semi-privatised German postal authority, convertible into shares of its banking arm Postbank, will carry a coupon of between 2.5 and 3.0-percent. The bonds "are being offered with a coupon of 2.5-3.0 percent and an exchange premium of 38-42 percent," Deutsche Post said in a statement Monday. The implied yield to maturity would be 2.5-3.0 percent."

June 21, 2004 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "Deutsche Post World Net (DPWN) has denied that it may be on the verge of making an offer for Tibbett & Britten in a move to frustrate Exel's plans for a smooth take over of the company. It had been reported in the press that the German postal operator has been in talks with its banks over whether to outbid Exel for the UK contract logistics operator. However according to sources in DPWN apparently the acquisition by Exel is a 'done deal'."

June 20, 2004 -- According to Servihoo, "the head of Deutsche Post, which has been forced to postpone a flotation of its banking subsidiary Postbank, criticised indirectly Deutsche Bank for playing a role in the delay."

June 20, 2004 -- In a letter to the Canton Rep letter carrier Kathy Hilton wrote:

On June 13, David C. Kaminski asked, "I wonder whether anyone calls the postmaster about not getting enough junk mail?" (Editor's Note column, "If you think junk mail is like ads inserted in The Rep, just try to stop it"). The answer is yes. I am a rural mail carrier, and if I run short on advertisements, my customers will call. They want their advertisements to plan their shopping trips. These advertisements keep the economy flowing. The provide a job for the people who produce them, keep businesses running with the money that consumers spend when they shop using the advertisements, and they provide postal employees with a job. Kaminski also said, "Perhaps the nation needs a do-not-mail list." There are a lot of postal employees in the area who buy The Repository. He would not appreciate it if we started a do-not-buy-The Repository list.

June 20, 2004 -- The Louisville Courier-Journal has reported that "UPS will 'strongly consider' building an air hub in China and could increase flights from Louisville to China, after the United States signed a new aviation agreement. The pact with China, which came after four rounds of talks that began in February, allows a five-fold increase in air cargo capacity between the countries over six years, permits U.S. cargo carriers to establish hubs in China and allows an additional 195 weekly flights for each side."

June 20, 2004 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's largest postal service, will probably raise 2.6 billion euros ($3.1 billion) in an initial public offering of its Postbank retail banking unit, said Chief Executive Officer Klaus Zumwinkel."

June 20, 2004 -- The Sunday Herald (U.K.) has reported that "Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier has begun legal action against Channel 4 over its controversial Dispatches documentary which claimed that postal workers had intercepted mail and stolen credit cards and other valuables. The documentary, secretly filmed over several months last year and broadcast in April, included scenes showing a Royal Mail employee admitting to having stolen credit cards from the mail and passing a stolen card to an undercover reporter. In an exclusive interview, Crozier told the Sunday Herald that Royal Mail had obtained evidence from Barclaycard that the stolen cards featured in the programme were never in the postal system, but had been delivered via courier firms."

June 19, 2004 -- The Kyodo News Service has reported that:

• The EU business leaders plan to urge Japan to adopt a Fair Trade Commission proposal to revise the Antimonopoly Law to build a stronger competition regime, criticizing the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) and some Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers for opposing the proposal, the sources said. The leaders are expected to file these demands with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi ahead of the annual Japan-EU summit Tuesday in Tokyo, after presenting them at a two-day meeting, beginning Sunday, with Japanese business leaders and government officials.
• Japan Post has recently adopted stricter disclosure standards for its book-closings that almost match those in private-sector companies ahead of future plans by the government to privatize the state-backed corporation. It was established in April 2003 as a public corporation to take over government-run mail delivery, postal savings and life insurance operations.

June 19, 2004 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's largest postal service, cut the amount of money it plans to raise in the initial public offering of its bank unit to as much as 1.7 billion euros ($2.1 billion) and said it will sell an exchangeable bond to make up the difference."

June 19, 2004 -- The Times of Malta has reported that "the flea 'invasion' that disrupted the postal system last week is now thought to be under control and all the postal offices thought to have been affected have been fumigated. The problem erupted last week when workers at the central mail room in Marsa complained of itching. Investigations into what was causing this itching confirmed that a number of fleas had made their way into the area, with an infestation ensuing."

June 19, 2004 -- The DM Bulletin (U.K.) has reported that "Wunderman has promoted its vice-chairman, David Sable, to the position of president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. With his appointment, the network hopes to create better connections between the US and Europe, which, with 39 offices in 27 countries, is its most fragmented region. Sable, who will be based in London reporting directly to the Wunderman chairman and chief executive Daniel Morel, will manage key client relationships while providing strategic counsel on Wunderman's global business." Sable serves on the Mailing Industry Task Force and is a member of the Mail Industry CEO Council.

June 19, 2004 -- The North Scotland Press & Journal has reported that "a Consumer watchdog has pledged to fight to save 13 post offices across the north-east that are targeted for closure. Postwatch Scotland yesterday went into battle with Post Office Limited over its plan to shut 11 branches in Aberdeen, one in Peterhead and one in Arbroath. The watchdog has never opposed so many proposed closures before. It considers the plans for Aberdeen to be seriously flawed, particularly for the central offices."

June 19, 2004 -- According to UPS, "the bilateral aviation agreement announced between the U.S. and China will provide significant opportunity for UPS to grow its business in the region, the company said. UPS Chairman and CEO Mike Eskew applauded the landmark agreement, noting that it 'will accelerate the flow of goods into and out of China, providing substantial benefits to American workers, businesses and consumers.' The new agreement contains a key provision that allows U.S. cargo carriers to establish hubs in China once specific criteria are met. This will allow UPS to provide the centralized transportation of goods not only between the U.S. and China but also within Asia and between China and other parts of the world. As businesses streamline their supply chains, the seamless and efficient movement of goods becomes critical, Eskew noted, adding that the hub provision in this agreement will facilitate that process."

June 19, 2004 -- Senior business leaders increasingly are recognizing that one of the most vital issues in managing a global supply chain is “visibility” – the real-time ability to view the movement of goods and funds as products move through the supply chain. “The only way to effectively coordinate all elements is to have critical information at your fingertips,” said Gunnar Adalberth, director of e-commerce marketing for UPS Europe. “And we have seen tremendous advancements that improve visibility and provide the information needed to make the supply chain process easier to manage.” Reporters from a variety of news organizations in Europe will explore the latest advancements in visibility next week during a Technology Summit here sponsored by UPS. The summit will review a variety of technological applications that are making it ever easier to “see” goods move whether in a huge container on a ship, in a small package or envelope or anything in between.

June 19, 2004 -- The Daily News (Sri Lanka) has reported that "the Preliminary Agreement to inaugurate a series of new postal services between the Sri Lanka Postal Department and the Postal Services of Emirates was signed at the Sri Lanka Postal Department Headquarters, Colombo recently. The agreement is signed to ensure a better postal service to the Sri Lankan expatriates in the Gulf Region, Middle East."

June 18, 2004 -- According to postal commentator Gene Del Polito, "the consequences of not having a meaningful postal reform bill passed by Congress and signed by the President will be very real and very painful."

June 18, 2004 -- Pitney Bowes is striving to show its customers the "Value of Mail" through a mailing campaign begun this spring that highlights its products and offers free postage.

June 18, 2004 -- Welcome to PostCom's newest member: Direct Group, Swedesboro, NJ represented by Kevin McPhillips, Vice President. Direct Group is one of the nation's leading suppliers of direct response services, providing a full suite of direct marketing and fulfillment capabilities to Fortune 500 companies.

June 18, 2004 -- Les Echos (France) has reported that "La Poste, the French postal service operator, faced a call for strike action in the IT department of its financial services division. The trade union SUD PTT was protesting against the creation of a credit institution with the threat of extensive IT outsourcing."

June 18, 2004 -- The Associated Press has reported that "the U.S. Postal Service says its Dulles processing and distribution center in Sterling will be getting anthrax detection equipment. The system detects anthrax and alerts postal managers and local responders to a positive result. Officials say the equipment should be in place within a week."

June 18, 2004 -- GovExec.com has reported that "the Postal Service has asked its inspector general to investigate a computer glitch that caused 41,000 employees to receive too much money in their paychecks this week."

June 18, 2004 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "in a wide ranging presentation of his company’s strategy, Peter Bakker the Chief Executive of TPG, parent of TNT Express and Logistics, has re-iterated plans for a major investment in the fast growing Chinese market. The company intends to spend over €200m in the next two years, increasing its presence either by acquisition, joint venture or what Bakker called a ‘huge’ contract in the next few months. By the end of the year TPG expects to employ 150 people in China, an increase from the 62 which are presently establishing operations in the country."

June 17, 2004 -- According to the Mail & Jobs Coalition, "as a country the EPA says we produce more than 13 billion tons of non-hazardous waste each year. Of this amount, about 2 percent is municipal solid waste or "MSW." Also according to the EPA we generate about 5.41 million tons of mail -- before recycling. For mail to be 1.8 percent of the waste stream we would need to manufacture about 234,000,000 tons each year -- a ridiculous number."

June 17, 2004 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "two companies are poised to announce a deal that will make it far easier for people to unload their belongings on eBay. The deal between UPS and AuctionDrop Inc., will enable people to drop off goods for sale on eBay at any of 3,400 UPS Stores around the country. AuctionDrop will then sell the items for them, in return for a commission -- the idea being to spare consumers the logistics of setting up their own auctions on eBay. The agreement vastly expands what until now has been a relatively small-scale enterprise. A number of companies have opened storefronts that provide this service to people who want a hassle-free way of turning their old computers, jewelry and cameras into cash. Yet they currently have a limited number of locations."

June 17, 2004 -- DM News has reported that "a new study from the U.S. Postal Service challenged claims about direct mail's negative impact on the environment. The study, prepared by a USPS environmental analyst and published internally this week, found that household advertising mail represents 1.8 percent of all waste in the United States and 4.7 percent of paper and paperboard waste. It also found that though direct mail volume has increased steadily since 1990, the amount that goes in landfills has fallen, from 2.14 million tons to 2.04 million tons in 2002."

June 17, 2004 -- For a quick overview of what you can find on the Mail & Jobs website, just check it out.

June 17, 2004 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "FedEx Corp. is raising its rates for air and ground shipments, effective Jan 5. FedEx Express, the company's cargo carrier, will boost rates an average of 2.5 percent for domestic and foreign shipments, the Memphis-based package delivery company announced. FedEx Ground domestic rates will increase an average of 1.9 percent. The move follows a similar announcement last month from UPS, FedEx's chief rival. UPS said it was increasing ground shipping rates by 1.9 percent, also effective Jan. 5. Other Fed-Ex rate changes effective Jan. 5 include: * A delivery surcharge of $1 per package for ground shipments sent to commercial locations in select ZIP codes. * An increase in the FedEx Express and FedEx Ground residential delivery surcharge to $1.75 from $1.40 per package. The current surcharge of $1.75 per package to select ZIP codes remains unchanged. * An increase in the surcharge for residential delivery of FedEx Home Delivery shipments will increase to $1.40 from $1.15 a package. In general, the surcharge for select ZIP codes includes sparsely populated areas or those that generate little traffic. The company last raised rates in January when it boosted the cost of air service 3.5 percent and ground service 3.9 percent."

June 17, 2004 -- The Federal Times has reported that "the U.S. Postal Service intends to retrieve $160 million mistakenly sent out to thousands of managers. About 41,000 Postal Service managers will receive overpayments in their June 18 paychecks due to a computer glitch. Recipients of the overpayments — which will be about $4,000 apiece — will have to repay the Postal Service." See also the Associated Press.

June 17, 2004 -- The Financial Times has reported that "Deutsche Post has pledged a "do or die" strategy for the controversial flotation of its Postbank subsidiary, apparently rejecting increasingly urgent advice from its bankers to compromise on the terms of the deal. "We will not change the price, the volume or the timetable of the IPO," Deutsche Post said, signalling a continued determination, despite sluggish demand, to press ahead with what bankers had hoped would be one of Europe's biggest initial public offerings this year. With only two days of the two-week bookbuilding period left and barely any investors signed up, senior members of the 19-strong bank syndicate supporting the IPO said earlier they had urged Klaus Zumwinkel, Deutsche Post's colourful chief executive, to compromise on some aspect of the deal in order to stimulate investor interest." See also the update by Bloomberg in which "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's biggest postal service, said it isn't ruling out canceling the initial public offering of its Deutsche Postbank AG business."

June 17, 2004 -- The Irish Independent has said that "you wonder whether An Post makes the most of its branch network and virtual postal monopoly. Finland's Post Office puts an innovative stamp on its operations: they allow customers todesign their own stamps using digital photos. By following instructions on their website, you can design, attach and pay for your own customised stamps. You can use artwork, self-portraits or pictures of your pet. Once approved by the authorities, the electronic file is transferred to photo lab IFI, which developed the proprietary technology. Just three days after ordering, you should receive your personalised order. The cost is just €24 for 20 stamps with a face value of €0.65 each."

June 17, 2004 -- Business Times (Malaysia) has reported that "POS Malaysia & Services Holdings Bhd plans to have more automation in its operations to reduce human errors at its mail sorting centres. Pos Malaysia's current level of automation is at 15 per cent. Chief executive officer Datuk Ikmal Hijaz Hashim said Deutsche Post AG, Europe's biggest postal service, has an automation level of 70 to 80 per cent. He added that greater automation is one of several aspects Pos Malaysia is looking at to improve overall operational efficiencies."

June 17, 2004 -- According to The Independent (U.K.), "Royal Mail has renewed the UK's largest catering contract with the Compass group. The pounds 375m, five-year deal covers Royal Mail's 400 largest sites and involves supplying more than 1.5 million meals a year and 3.5 million cups of tea. The contract is carried out by Quadrant Catering, a joint venture with Compass in which Royal Mail has a 51 per cent stake."

June 16, 2004 -- According to the Heritage Foundation, "over the past few weeks, things have been moving quickly in the otherwise glacially paced world of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). On May 12, the House Committee on Government Reform unanimously passed the first broad postal reform legislation approved by a congressional committee in 30 years: H.R. 4341, sponsored by Representative John McHugh (R-NY). The next week, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs approved similar legislation (S. 2468). The bills now await votes by the full House and Senate. While these bills would implement some welcome changes in how the Postal Service operates, they fall short of the kind of real transformation that is needed and would saddle taxpayers with billions of dollars in postal costs. Congress can and should deliver more than this disappointing package."

June 16, 2004 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal) has reported that:

• Swiss Post International (SPI), which is the international division of Switzerland’s post, is expanding into Belgium. Last Friday the company announced the opening of a sales branch in Brussels. The newly founded SPI Belgium B.V.B.A. aims to gain trade from business customers’ international mailings. In addition to Belgium, SPI has set up companies in Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Britain, the Netherlands and the USA and has issued franchise licences in Spain, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Sweden. Sales partnerships were established with the post companies of Slovenia, Hungary and Slovakia.
• Jan Pribyl, CEO of the Czech Republic’s post, has resigned unexpectedly. IT minister Vladimir Mlynar appointed Karel Kratina, chairman of the supervisory board, as new CEO on Friday. There were no explanations given as to the grounds for the sudden change. The Czech post is to be transformed into a plc before the end of the year. There are apparently no plans to sell the company.
• The German Federal Council has decided certain amendments to the Postal Act. In its decision, the Federal Council emphasised the risk that Deutsche Post’s market domination could become so solid while the exclusive licence is in operation that competition would not stand a chance even after the exclusive licence has expired. Therefore, the Postal Act would have to be amended as soon as possible, in order to open up competitive prospects. In conformity with the EU directive, catalogues and consolidation are thus to be removed from the exclusive licence. Furthermore, competitive disadvantages due to the post’s exemption from VAT will be removed.

Don't be satisfied with a less than complete report on the courier, express, and postal market in Europe. Get your subscription to CEP News, today..

June 16, 2004 -- The Postal Rate Commission has published in the Federal Register a "document that establishes a formal docket (MC2004-2) for consideration of a proposed two-year experiment testing the feasibility of two new Priority Mail packaging options. Both options are priced at a flat rate of $7.70. The shape of one package makes it suitable for mailing garments; the shape of other accommodates shoes. Conducting the experiment would allow the Service to collect data and information on customer response and related matters, and thereby determine whether it should seek to establish these products as permanent offerings."

June 16, 2004 -- Ananova (U.K.) has reported that "Ministers should step in to improve postal services and tell Royal Mail managers to put quality ahead of making money, according to a survey. The poll of 1,000 people for the Communication Workers Union showed that nine out of 10 wanted to see more pay for postal workers - and fewer bonuses for managers. More than seven out of 10 of those questioned said the Government should be doing more to improve postal services." See also The Scotsman and Sky News.

June 16, 2004 -- According to Bloomberg, "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's biggest postal service, doesn't plan to lower the price of shares on sale in the initial public offering of Deutsche Postbank AG. The company is aiming to raise as much as 3 billion euros ($3.6 billion)."

June 16, 2004 -- Dow Jones has reported that "Dutch postal and logistics firm TPG NV has said that it aims to enter the Chinese market through acquisitions, joint ventures or by signing up a 'huge' customer contract. "I expect that our first move will happen in the second half of 2004," Chief Executive Peter Bakker said during a lunch meeting with media representatives. The company has said it expects to invest around EUR200 million over the next two years in its Chinese operations."

June 16, 2004 -- The Irish Independent has reported that "proposals for resolving the dispute between An Post and the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU) over the opening of their post offices on the Saturdays of bank holiday weekendshave been put to the union, the High Court was told yesterday. It was stated the proposals went before a meeting of the executive committee of the IPUyesterday and that it may be necessary to consult with the union membership in relation to an aspect of the proposals. On May 17 last, An Post was granted a High Court order restraining 43 postmasters from closing their post offices on the Saturday of the June bank holiday weekend."

June 16, 2004 -- The Viet Nam News Agency has reported that "foreign and Vietnamese experts are meeting in Ha Noi at a three-day Universal Postal Union (UPU) conference on accounting postal charges in Asia and the Pacific. Participants exchanged experiences in accounting postal charges. They expected to outline recommendations and a common model for accounting postal charge in the region. They shared the view that postal charges close to production costs make valuable contributions to raise competitiveness in the postal sector of each country."

June 15, 2004 -- From the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors meeting:

• The Board of Governors will be getting a detailed briefing on network integration and alignment in July 2004. 
• The Governors are "continuing to study" the House and Senate postal reform bills. 
• The Governors approved the Postal Service's filing of it's mail toppers idea.
• The Postmaster General has reported that USPS fuel costs have risen dramatically and are having an adverse impact on postal costs.
• The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors approved several major capital projects today at its monthly meeting.

June 15, 2004 -- The Federal Times has reported that "a federal administrative judge has cleared the way for more than 25,000 postal employees to apply for damages if they were reassigned to new jobs since 1992 because of job-related injuries."

June 15, 2004 -- BikeBiz.com has reported that "the US Postal Service announced its retirement from professional cycling last month. Now, stepping into the breach is Discovery Communications. A new three-year deal starts in 2005 and will see Lance Armstrong racing for another year. A small Discovery Channel logo will feature on US Postal jerseys in time for the Tour de France. Under the agreement, Armstrong will serve as an on-air personality across Discovery's networks in the United States and around the world."

June 15, 2004 -- CNET News has reported that "the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which manages a national "do not call" list designed to let people opt out of telemarketing calls, said Tuesday that similar technology would be useless in fighting spam because unscrupulous marketers would use it as a source of valid e-mail addresses. Any 'do not e-mail' registry would be 'ineffective and burdensome to consumers,' FTC Chairman Tim Muris told reporters at a press conference. 'Consumers will be spammed if we do a registry and spammed if we do not.' Muris' remarks prompted an angry reaction from Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who proposed a national "do-not-e-mail" registry last year."

June 15, 2004 -- In the wish-we-wrote that department, the editor of the Canton Repository, David Kaminski, claimed in an "editor's note" last week that advertising in a newspaper differs from advertising by mail because "you pay for the newspaper. You make a conscious decision to accept it and all it contains into your home. You place a value on it. You have a choice." Actually, says reader Philip Lattavo of Canton Township in a letter to the editor, there's not enough choice. "I'd like to save the Rep and its many advertisers some money. Just give your readers the right to 'opt out' of the advertising supplements." The Kaminski comment was in response to a strong letter from the Mail & Jobs Coalition criticizing an earlier editorial effort.

June 15, 2004 -- If you haven't seen it yet, take a look at the "Fact Checker" feature on the Mail & Jobs Coalition web site.

June 15, 2004 -- From the PR Newswire: "The United States Postal Service will lease a fuel cell vehicle from General Motors Corp. to deliver mail in and around the nation's capital, according to a joint agreement announced today. As part of the two-year agreement, the U.S. Postal Service will use a GM minivan, powered by a fuel cell. This is the first commercial application of a GM fuel cell vehicle in the U.S."

June 15, 2004 -- For the sixth consecutive year, UPS has ranked among the “50 Best Companies for Minorities” in an annual survey published by FORTUNE magazine. The company also this week was ranked No. 9 among the “100 Best Places to Work in Information Technology” by ComputerWorld magazine. UPS’s continuing commitment to diversity was recognized by FORTUNE as the company improved upon its performance of last year, climbing three notches in the rankings from No. 26 to No. 23. The survey ranks corporations on their commitment to hiring, promoting and retaining a diverse pool of talented employees. In addition, it reviews companies’ support of supplier diversity and philanthropic support of organizations that support minorities.

June 15, 2004 -- As the Institute for the Research on the Economics of Taxation (IRET) has noted, "the Postal Service has suffered financial problems throughout its history, due primarily to high costs. The agency could improve its efficiency and lower many of those costs if not for restrictions imposed by statute or by informal political pressure. Accordingly, one of the most promising avenues for meaningful postal reform would be to enact legislation removing some of those barriers to efficiency and cost effectiveness. Bills introduced this year in the House and Senate would revamp the statutory framework under which the Postal Service operates. An area in which they would do relatively little, however, is remove barriers to greater efficiency and more effective cost management. Although one title in the bills dealing with pensions would provide the Service with a major cost saving and financial boost, it would accomplish that chiefly by shifting cost obligations within the federal government, not by reducing the federal government’s overall expenses. With regard to bringing down the Postal Service’s expenditures by allowing it to pursue more effective cost management (i.e., reducing government waste), the bills are major disappointments. The Senate version is somewhat better than the House version in that regard."

June 15, 2004 -- The U.S. Postal Service has published in the Federal Register "proposed revisions to Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) E670.5.5, which sets forth guidelines for determining whether the coverage provided by an insurance policy offered by an authorized nonprofit organization to its members is not generally otherwise commercially available. Comments on this proposal are due on or before July 15, 2004."

June 15, 2004 -- The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has told House government reform committee chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) that "enacting H.R. 4341 would result in on-budget savings of $26.1 billion and off-budget costs of $34.5 billion over the 2005-2014 period. (The net expenditures of the USPS are classified as 'off-budget.' Thus, CBO estimates the net cost to the unified budget would be $8.4 billion over the 2005-2014 period."

June 15, 2004 -- Sources have reported that Senate Budget Committee chairman Don Nickles (R-OK) has placed an indefinite "hold" on the Senate's postal reform bill, which will remain in effect until issues concerning the budgetary impact of the measure are resolved. A "hold" means that a Senator is effectively preventing the measure from coming before the entire Senate.

June 15, 2004 -- Traffic World has reported that:

• TNT Post Group, responding to the rapid growth of competitors in international logistics, bought Sweden-based freight forwarding power Wilson Logistics Group for $308 million. The acquisition gives the parent of the TNT international express, mail and contract logistics businesses its first major presence in global forwarding, giving the Netherlands-based company new ability to offer a broader range of "one-stop shop" logistics services. It follows the rapid international expansion of rivals DHL, UPS and FedEx, who have consolidated large-scale acquisitions under a single corporate umbrella and are seeking to sell shippers on an array of services that may include anything from small parcels to global contract logistics and forwarding. DHL's consolidation under Deutsche Post World Net includes the former Danzas and AEI forwarding empires and UPS Supply Chain Solutions is a multibillion dollar operation that includes the former Fritz Cos. forwarder.
• Congress is closing the purse strings to the still-troubled U.S. passenger airlines although air freight forwarders say they remain concerned about the survival of the carriers in a market of growing traffic and dwindling capacity. At the recent Cargo Network Services Partnership Forum, Guenter Rohrmann, chief operating officer for DHL Global Customer Solutions, pleaded for greater forwarder cooperation with the major airlines. 'A major challenge we face is to finally make our airline partners financially profitable. More than 66 percent of cargo moves in the bellies of passenger airlines,' he said."
• In a boost to DHL and its subservice air carrier AStar Air Cargo, the federal government will spend $18 million to build a new runway at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and extend another runway.
• New services are taking some of that dubious thrill out of reverse logistics, providing new opportunities to bring some predictability and efficiency to this dark side of the supply chain. Experts say new technologies and strategies are adding new visibility to reverse logistics, allowing shippers to know within a day or two what is coming back and when, enabling a whole host of process improvements, much better inventory planning, quicker financial reconciliation, lower transportation costs and improved customer service management. The cornerstone of Newgistics' returns management is SmartLabel, a prepaid, pre-addressed return label containing bar-coded data on the customer's transaction history.

June 15, 2004 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "employees, family and friends and supporters of TNT and TPG Post will join together this Father’s Day in a unique “Walk the World” event to raise funds for the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP). This will help feed some 30,000 children for one school year, as well as increase awareness of global hunger. WFP, the world’s largest humanitarian organization, is dedicated to eradicating hunger around the globe. Its staff will also take part in the walk."

June 15, 2004 -- The DM Bulletin (U.K.) has reported that "Postcomm has tightened up the definition of Royal Mail's universal service, the latest move in the gradual opening up of the postal market to competition. The postal regulator has defined five key areas of service that Royal Mail needs to provide at an affordable flat rate as a universal postal service. These are first and second class mail, a standard parcel service, special and recorded delivery, international outbound mail and a mail redirection service. Postcomm's areas of service do not include a universal obligation to provide direct mail or newspaper delivery."

June 15, 2004 -- According to Datam onitor (U.K.), "what was initially considered a straightforward sale has become a headache for Deutsche Post boss Klaus Zumwinkel as few investors have showed any real interest in Postbank. Mr Zumwinkel is determined to sell the group's financial unit shares at a high price, partly as a point of pride, but also because the group's ongoing expansion in the express and logistics sector may well depend upon it."

June 15, 2004 -- Ingles has reported that "the Argentine government on Monday issued a decree creating the Official Postal Service of the Argentine Government, which will be run by the government until it can be privatized. The measure published Monday in the Official State Gazette establishes a deadline of six months for the service, which was in private hands until last November, to once again come up for bid."

June 15, 2004 -- From the Business Wire: 

• DHL, the world's leading express delivery and logistics company, today launched an aggressive new advertising and marketing campaign to demonstrate the company's firm commitment to bringing increased competition and choice to the U.S. express and ground parcel market. The integrated marketing campaign, in which DHL will invest approximately $150 million over the next six months, will emphasize the company's unmatched global network, enhanced domestic strength and comprehensive platform of products and services.
• ADVO, Inc. has announced that Chief Executive Officer Gary Mulloy has left the Company. The Company's Board of Directors has named independent director Bobbie Gaunt, former President and CEO of Ford Canada, Ltd., and a Vice President of Ford Motor Company (retired), as Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. ADVO also announced that John Mahoney, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of Staples, Inc, has been named Non-Executive Chairman of the Board.

June 15, 2004 -- Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "German newspaper and advertising journal publishers' associations are reported to be planning to take their complaint against postal service operator Deutsche Post to the EU Commission following the failure of the German antitrust authority to support their case. The complaint relates to the postal service operator's delivery of advertising material as part of a new service. Publishers believe that Deutsche Post is encroaching on the territory of newspapers and other periodicals."

June 15, 2004 -- Les Echos (France) has reported that "the French minister for social cohesion, Jean-Louis Borloo, has asked the French post office, La Poste, and the French mutual savings bank Caisses d'Epargne to take part in a government scheme to provide banking services to those who are currently denied them."

June 15, 2004 -- Microscope (U.K.) has reported that "radio frequency identification (RFID) standards group EPCglobal has finalised its first global standards, promising to help speed companies' adoption of RFID technologies to improve supply chain operations. The electronic product code (EPC) technologies standards define the types of tags to be used and the frequencies the tags work at, as well as the tag read rates."

June 14, 2004 -- The Shippers Newswire has reported that "European Union transport ministers have rejected a U.S. proposal for an open skies agreement, saying they want further negotiations, Reuters reported. The European governments reportedly want the United States to allow access by European airlines to the U.S. domestic cabotage market. EU officials say U.S. airlines already have some access to intra-EU routes. The United States has agreed to allow up to 49 percent of a U.S. airline to be owned by European investors, an increase from the current 25-percent non-U.S. ownership ceiling. But Reuters reported the U.S. is not willing to open its domestic routes to European airlines."

June 14, 2004 -- Pitney Bowes Inc. has announced that its Distribution Solutions division has been named one of the top five leading suppliers of logistics management solutions, according to a Supply Chain Execution (SCE) worldwide outlook study by ARC Advisory Group. The SCE market rollup study incorporated data from several other studies including data on transportation management systems (TMS).

June 14, 2004 -- GeoPost, the parcels holding company of Groupe La Poste, France, has acquired operations in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia from Posten AB of Sweden. GeoPost said the move was an essential step towards its creation of a pan-European network just as the countries covered by the acquisitions had entered the European Union. Posten said it had decided to sell its parcels and logistics businesses in eastern Europe because its new strategy, announced in December 2003, had identified Sweden and the rest of the Nordic region as its principal markets.

June 14, 2004 -- Post Danmark is expanding its electronic post office service, ePosthuset, first launched last August. The Internet-based service allows individuals to specify which mail items they wish to receive electronically, free of charge, by e-mail or via an e-Boks personal mailbox. Post Danmark now plans to add a secure delivery channel that will allow businesses and the government to send statements and bills with added security. Individuals registered as ePosthuset users could also be offered a free digital certificate that would allow them to log in via a digital signature.

June 14, 2004 -- La Poste, France has launched an electronic Registered Letter (“Lettre Recommandée Electronique”) which is sent over the Internet and delivered in hard copy by the postman. The service is available to senders from La Poste’s website. Individuals can purchase a single letter online, while regular business senders can choose between three annual subscription rates. Electronic registered mail offers proof of posting via e-mail to the sender, confirmation of contents and online storage.

June 14, 2004 -- DHL offers its entire product portfolio in the EU’s ten new member states DHL expects a double-digit increase in transport volume on the European market as a result of the EU enlargement. DHL employs some 6,000 workers at more than 200 locations in the new EU members states.

June 14, 2004 -- The Universal Postal Union (UPU) and Eurogiro Network are to connect their electronic money transfer networks and launch Tele Money Order. An agreement between UPU and Eurogiro is designed to give the Postal operator members of both organisations a more competitive edge in the market for cross-border money transfers. Explosive growth in the volume and value of cross-border remittances has been driven by a sharp increase in the number of people working abroad and sending money home to family.

June 14, 2004 -- The Springfield News Sun has reported that "technology development firm Applied Digital Solutions Inc. reported Monday that its Government Telecommunications Inc. unit received a contract option valued at $25 million from the United States Postal Service to upgrade telecommunications networks at 108 postal facilities. Applied Digital said its unit will conduct site surveys, and design, install and test network cabling at 108 mail processing plants and co-located administrative facilities within the United States. Work on this project is scheduled to be completed by August 2005."

June 14, 2004 -- In a letter to the editor of the Canton Rep, the Mail and Jobs Coalition said that "ad mailers wouldn’t spend billions if consumers didn’t want their products. The term 'junk mail' is prejudiced and biased because it assumes that mail is unwanted and without value. It’s time for both The Rep and its editor to update their stylebooks and to call advertising through the post office what it is: ad mail, a medium that creates jobs in Canton and throughout Ohio."

June 14, 2004 -- But that didn't stop the offender from striking back.

June 14, 2004 -- "Mail too slow?" asks the Newark Star-Ledger. "Don't write your congressman or senator to complain. Letters and packages mailed to the Capitol can take longer than 10 days to arrive here because of tightened security procedures following the anthrax attacks in 2001 and the February discovery of poisonous ricin in Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's mailroom. Normal delivery takes two to three days, so the delays are a big problem for lawmakers who pride themselves on speedy replies to constituents. They say constituents should make greater use of e-mail, faxes and the telephone to contact them. Congressional aides say they now arrange for important overnight deliveries, magazines and some newspapers to be sent to the homes of staff members or their lawmaker. The U.S. Postal Service is now considering building its own, $9 million irradiation facility in the Washington area. Irradiation is just one step in the journey from sender to lawmaker. The process doesn't work against some other potential hazards, including ricin, a colorless, odorless and lethal substance that can be in liquid or power form. As a result, the letters and packages irradiated in New Jersey are then sent to inspection facilities in the Washington area where workers in protective clothing open and inspect each piece of mail for biological and chemical agents. The mail also is screened for explosives. The letters then are stapled closed, and the packages are resealed for delivery."

June 14, 2004 -- The Cleveland Plain Dealer has reported that "UPS has made good on broken, lost goods."

June 14, 2004 -- As SwissInfo has noted, "in a city plagued by car bombs, mortar attacks and violent crime, the problems of the postal service might seem like little more than a footnote in the catalogue of Baghdad's woes."

June 14, 2004 -- Deutsche Post AG, Europe's biggest postal service, has sold shares in its Deutsche Postbank AG unit to barely half the 244,000 employees that qualified to buy them even as it offered a bonus, Financial Times Deutschland said.

June 12, 2004 -- According to the Mansfield News Journal, "things seemed to be status quo at the city's main post office -- although today was to have been the day the U.S. Postal Service moves the city's first-class mail processing to Akron."

June 11, 2004 -- Dow Jones has reported that "the Argentine government has converted state-run postal service Correo Oficial into a corporation as an intermediate step while it continues to seek a new concessionaire, Planning Minister Julio De Vido said Friday in a televised press conference. De Vido, accompanied by Communications Secretary Guillermo Moreno and Eduardo Di Cola, the state-appointed administrator who heads the postal service, said President Nestor Kirchner has signed a decree creating Correo Oficial de la Republica Argentina Sociedad Anonima, or Correo Oficial SA. The 'SA' corporate designation gives the government greater flexibility in making administrative and financial decisions for the postal service, De Vido said." See also Bloomberg.

June 11, 2004 -- The Hindustan Times has reported that "millions in Nepal have been cut off from the rest of the world, with the postal system in rural areas collapsing under violent attacks by Maoist guerrillas on mail carriers and postal offices. Over five million residents of hilly, often inaccessible districts of this Himalayan kingdom are denied access to postal services, which are often the only way to communicate, especially with relatives living abroad. The Maoists have reportedly bombed around 550 post offices and rendered unusable another 1,000 of the 4,000 post offices across Nepal."

June 11, 2004 -- According to the Cambridge News (U.K.), "Royal Mail bosses have said it could take weeks to iron out problems caused by the new single daily delivery. Readers have branded the postal service "awful" since the single delivery was introduced in May, with deliveries reported late in the afternoon and letters taking up to a week to arrive. Royal Mail bosses said it could take around eight weeks to establish a regular and consistent service."

June 11, 2004 -- The Herkimer Evening Telegram has reported that "in a recent letter, the United States Postmaster General, John Potter, was urged to issue a stamp designed to raise public awareness about missing and exploited children. The Postmaster General has been receiving such letters for seven years, but, so far, has not responded with action. John L. Brezinski, a Herkimer County Legislator and Chairman of the Missing Children Stamp Committee, came up with the idea for a missing children stamp shortly after the disappearance of Sara Ann Wood in 1993. Last fall, Senator Clinton, along with Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, introduced a resolution that expressed support for Brezinski's idea for a Missing and Exploited Children's Postage Stamp. The resolution called on the Citizens' Stamp Commission of the United States Postal Service to recommend that the Postmaster General issue such a stamp. In response to a letter sent by Brezinski and the Missing Children's Stamp Committee in 1997, the Postmaster General stated the committee's stamp idea was "not recommended for issuance," and cited limitations of the stamp design program as the reason for denying the request."

June 11, 2004 -- According to PostCom President Gene Del Polito, worksharing, the lifeblood of the Postal Service and the mailing industry, requires an unambiguous, accurate, and fully transparent costing structure. Thus far, such a system is not provided for in either the House or Senate postal reform bills. See also "Accurate Costing: The Key to Profitable Network Access" and "Two Essentials of Postal Reform."

June 11, 2004 -- The Federal Times has reported that "a survey running from mid-May to July is expected to find out what places across the country need new or expanded post offices. The Postal Service wants bigger workplaces wherever it finds an office that needs about twice as much space to prepare mail for delivery. Areas with growing populations — such as Texas, Arizona, Florida, Southern California and Las Vegas — also could be in line for new post offices."

June 11, 2004 -- Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "the Austrian government has announced that it is planning to sell only a minority stake in Osterreichische Post, the Austrian postal service. This will mean a considerable set-back for Deutsche Post, the German postal service, which had been hoping to acquire Osterreichische Post; OIAG, the Austrian industrial holding company in which all state-owned companies are bundled, had already held talks with Deutsche Post regarding the sale of a 74.9 per cent stake in the Austrian company. However, the Austrian government now says that it intends to maintain a majority stake in the Austrian postal service."

June 11, 2004 -- Asia Pulse has reported that "South Korea's state postal service will hike its parcel-delivery prices by an average of 14.5 per cent beginning in July, in a bid to better compete with private competitors. The price of sending an ordinary parcel weighing less than 5 kilograms within the same province will rise from 2,000 won (US$1.70) to 2,500 won. As for a package of less than 10 kilograms, the price will increase from 2,500 won to 3,200 won."

June 11, 2004 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "TNT has acquired global forwarder, Wilson Logistics Group. The takeover of the Scandinavian based forwarder will enable TNT to provide clients with a comprehensive portfolio of services. However further acquisitions may be on the cards especially in China and Asia Pacific." See also Dow Jones.

June 11, 2004 -- Haaretz (Israel) has reported that Israeli "postal agency operators announced Friday that they would close all postal agencies across the country starting Sunday, to protest the Postal Authority's refusal to conduct negotiations on new employment contracts, which are set to be signed Sunday. The postal agency operators, who are Postal Authority sub-contractors, claim that the new contract adversely affects their work conditions."

June 11, 2004 -- The Hindu (India) has reported that the "Department of Posts would induct 47 CNG cargo vehicles for mail delivery following the Mumbai High Court order banning commercial vehicles which had been plying for more than eight years in the city."

June 11, 2004 -- According to The Star, "by allowing students to work part time at UPS, the program enables aspiring college students to achieve their educational goals without having to carry huge debts into the future."

June 11, 2004 -- Express Computer has reported that "Federal Express has announced the launch of two technology solutions—the FedEx Global Trade Manager (GTM) and FedEx Insight in India. The company also announced that it would equip its couriers with handhelds. To begin with, this device is being introduced in Mumbai, and the strategy will be extended to all metros thereafter."

June 11, 2004 -- One commentator for the Orlando Sentinel  said he couldn't "help but wonder whether Ronald Reagan would have wanted the federal government closed for his funeral, given what that decision cost taxpayers. A state funeral is one thing; a paid holiday for millions of public employees in Reagan's honor makes a mockery of the man's ideals. Your letter carrier and most of his or her 600,000 co-workers will get the day off, too, and you won't get your mail, unless someone sends it to you by express mail. Of course, those who do work delivering the express mail will get overtime. The roughly $150 million in lost productivity that the holiday will cost the Postal Service won't come from the federal Treasury, but it will come out of your pockets. Remember that money the next time the price of stamps rises. 
Not counting postal employees, there are about 1.8 million federal civilian workers. Only about 300,000 of them are in the Washington area where the ceremonies are being held, and only a tiny fraction of them will get within hailing distance of the funeral."

June 11, 2004 -- The Kans as City Star has noted that "Ronald Reagan always said he was in favor of smaller government. But he also wanted the government to save money. Today, many governments will be much smaller, but that will cost a lot. Millions of federal, state and local employees are on paid holiday as the nation mourns the former president. Closing the post offices and suspending mail delivery alone will cost more than $100 million, said Jim Quirk, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service."

June 10, 2004 -- PostCom President Gene Del Polito has posted on this site a message to all PostCom members concerning the Postal Service's request for comments on a proposed rule clarifying the distinction between mail matter sent via First-Class versus Standard Mail.

June 10, 2004 -- Washington Technology has reported that "Lockheed Martin Corp. of Bethesda, Md., won a $33 million contract from the U.S. Postal Service to introduce address recognition capability earlier in the mail processing cycle. Doing so will help the postal service deliver mail faster, according to Lockheed Martin officials. Lockheed Martin will upgrade remote computer reader machines at 350 U.S. postal centers to provide greater sort capability on 1,086 advanced facer canceller systems. These machines automatically position envelopes so postage can be canceled and envelopes can be marked with an identification tag that enables further processing."

June 10, 2004 -- According to the Motley Fool, "there's no moss growing on your neighborhood FedEx truck these days. In addition to snagging some important U.S. Postal Service business from rival DHL Worldwide Express, the firm is finishing up its smart-looking acquisition of formerly private Kinko's."

June 10, 2004 -- DM News has reported that "the U.S. Postal Service's Automated Package Processing System begins national deployment next month after passing its first test at the Twin Cities Metro Hub in Minneapolis. The system combines automated package sorter technology with optical character reader, barcode reader and video coding capabilities to process a range of packages and bundles, including irregularly-shaped ones. The system will replace more than 100 mechanized small parcel and bundle sorting machines at 70 postal facilities nationwide."

June 10, 2004 -- Gibbons Stamp Monthly has reported that "the US Postal Service has announced that they will release a stamp next year honouring former President Ronald Reagan who died on Saturday."

June 10, 2004 -- The Financial Gazette (Zimbabwe) has reported that "a nationwide strike that could once again cripple the country’s postal service looks imminent at Zimpost following a deadlock between management and workers after a breakdown in the collective bargaining process."

June 9, 2004 -- The Independent (U.K.) has reported that "the British postal regulator Postcomm rejected heavy lobbying from private mail operators yesterday by keeping Royal Mail's special delivery service as part of its one-price-goes-anywhere universal service obligation. Rival companies are keen to grab a bigger share of Royal Mail's special delivery market which they claim is cross-subsidised from other services it provides. They argued strongly to Postcomm that excluding special delivery from the universal service would force Royal Mail to charge market prices which they could then undercut."

June 9, 2004 -- Reuters has reported that "high-speed Internet use grew 42% last year as some 8.3 million homes and businesses signed up for broadband service, the Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday. Driven largely by new residential and small-business customers, broadband use grew to 28.2 million lines by the end of 2003. The growth rate increased slightly in the second half of the year, from 18% to 20%, the FCC said. Cable-based services continued to be the most popular form of broadband service, the FCC found, accounting for 16.4 million lines. Telephone-based digital subscriber line service accounted for 9.5 million lines, while 2.3 million high-speed lines used satellite, fiber-optic or wireless technologies."

June 9, 2004 -- The U.S. Postal Service has filed with the Postal Rate Commission a request for a recommended decision on experimental classification and rate for Priority Mail Flat-Rate Boxes.

June 9, 2004 -- The PR Newswire has reported that "3PAR(TM), the leading provider of Utility Storage, announced today the purchase and production deployment of the 3PAR InServ(R) Storage Server by GrayHair Software, Inc., a service provider to leading consumer credit issuers, publishers, and insurers. Through the real-time tracking of inbound and outbound mail across the United States, GrayHair allows customers to cut transaction costs, increase marketing effectiveness, and plan cash flows. By selecting 3PAR Utility Storage to simplify its high-performance, high-growth data infrastructure, GrayHair can now service its clients faster, more reliably, and at reduced cost."

June 9, 2004 -- Can't sleep? Don't take drugs. Instead, engage in a little "light" nightime reading. Try the following from the dockets of the Postal Rate Commission:

• A Policy History of Selected Preferred Mail Categories: In-County Periodical Rate; Second - and Third-Class Nonprofit Rates; Library Rates
• A History of Mail Classification and Its Underlying Policies and Purposes

June 9, 2004 -- According to the Washington Post, "On Jan. 20, 1981, in his first inaugural address, Ronald Reagan laid out his view on governing in a few words that many still remember: 'Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.'" Some say it still is.

June 9, 2004 -- According to the Financial Times (U.K.), "private companies are courting the UK's "mass mailers" - banks, telephone companies, utilities, local authorities - for contracts to pick up and sort their post, then pass it on to Royal Mail postmen and women to deliver to households. Using this 'access model', the companies would pay Royal Mail between 13p and 14p to carry the post over the 'final mile'."

June 9, 2004 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal) has reported that:

• German publishing houses, such as Axel Springer and Gruner + Jahr, are about to launch a distribution service in competition with Deutsche Post. The new organisation would provide nationwide distribution of papers and magazines at cheaper rates than those charged by the post. Earlier this year, the German news magazine ‘Der Spiegel’ had reported on corresponding negotiations (CEP News 09/04). The new alliance is looking at the Hermes Logistik Group as well as the Dutch post as potential logistics partners. In 2001 alone, the post distributed 2.3 billion newspapers and magazines.
• Last year, Belgium’s La Poste slipped further into the red.
• Leading Scandinavian investment bankers ‘Enskilda Securities’ estimate that the value of Norway’s Posten AS went up by 41% last year.
• Switzerland’s Schweizerische Post is considering the creation of a separate plc for its security transport activities.
• After a number of loss-ridden years marked by poor service quality and corruption, South African Post Office (Sapo) appears to have managed a turnaround during the financial year 2003/2004 ended on 31 March.
• Deutsche Post lost a lot of money in Denmark again in 2003. The Danish business journal ‘Börsen’ reports (8.6) that Danzas ASG Eurocargo A/S, which is also the holding company of DHL Express (Denmark) A/S, suffered a 36m euros deficit. In 2002, the deficit amounted to approx. 22m euros.
• A general agreement for city courier services in Hamburg with a high five-figure turnover volume would be an attractive catch for any service provider. The same would apply to a volume of around 80,000 parcels in Paris. Still, it remains fairly exceptional for potential contractors to even hear about such demands for the following reason: the customer has made a public invitation to tender for the services, and only those who regularly peruse the many European sources would hear about the call for bids. The Hamburg-based business consultancy MRU, which specialises in the CEP market, is determined to take corrective action: via a new service, available at only 50 euros per month, CEP service providers can subscribe to a review of relevant EU invitations to tender. Potential commissions are communicated via e-mail on a daily basis, and in most cases tender specifications can be downloaded directly. CEP operators interested in this offer are invited to contact MRU by phone on +49/40/2204000 or via e-mail at info@m-r-u.de.

Don't be satisfied with a less than complete report on the courier, express, and postal market in Europe. Get your subscription to CEP News, today..

June 9, 2004 -- The DM Bulletin (U.K.) has reported that "the Direct Marketing Association (U.K.) is to stage its first environmental forum, which will tackle issues including waste reduction and recycling. The one-day event, which takes place in Bristol on June 28, will also cover environmental legal developments to affect the industry and the increasing demand from consumers for more responsible and ethical business practices. It also includes a panel debate posing the question, 'Will environmental legislation kill direct marketing or will direct marketing kill the environment?'. This is the latest attempt by the trade body to address environmental concerns within the sector. Last October, it launched a national consumer campaign with environmental group Planet Ark to encourage recycling of direct mail."

June 9, 2004 -- Gibbons Stamp Monthly has reported that "as a new book on the Royal Philatelic Collection is published, Peter Jennings FRPSL, FRGS asks whether items from it should go on public display less frequently in the future. The Queen’s personal stamp collection housed at St James’ Palace is one of the finest in the world and is estimated to be worth well in excess of £100 million. It was started in 1864 by Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s second son, and meticulously built up by The Queen’s grandfather, King George V and her father, King George VI, both keen and knowledgeable philatelists." An exposition of items from the Queen's collection is currently being held at the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum.

June 8, 2004 -- Reuters has reported that "postal carriers deliver in rain, sleet and snow -- and now they do pickups at soccer stadiums. Euro 2004 fans carrying pocket knives and other items banned from the stadiums can mail them home instead of having them confiscated, officials for Sociedade Euro 2004, the government corporation overseeing the games. CTT-Correios de Portugal said postal workers at soccer stadium gates would allow people to put key rings, radios and other items that might be prohibited into envelopes and boxes. They will be sent to their home or hotel for free."

June 8, 2004 -- A potential approach (developed by the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service) to combine the best elements of the House and Senate provisions regarding the funding of retiree health benefits has been posted on this site.

June 8, 2004 -- A spectacular line up of featured speakers, a new general session and an off-site closing reception will help wrap-up the final day of the Knowledge is Power National Postal Forum (NPF). The Forum, which will be held at the year-old Washington DC Convention Center, begins Sunday, Sept. 19 and concludes Wednesday, Sept. 22. Wednesday's main-stage presentation will feature Tim Russert, managing editor and moderator of "Meet the Press". He anchors "The Tim Russert Show," a weekly interview program on CNBC and is a contributing anchor for MSNBC. Russert also serves as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC News. At the 2004 National Postal Forum, Russert will offer his unique perspective on the ever-changing world and how current events impact daily life.

June 8, 2004 -- A comparison of selected provisions of the House and Senate postal reform proposals prepared by the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service has been posted on this site.

June 8, 2004 -- According to the Washingto n Times, "during the 1980s, it was the Reagan administration that oversaw the divestiture of AT&T's local phone units. That began a wave of change in America's phone network that led to lower prices for phone service. Lower phone costs helped spur the growth of companies like CompuServe and America Online, paving the way for today's Internet. The Reagan White House was the first to use personal computers on a large scale, along with e-mail. It wasn't the telephone, but rather the data that traveled over deregulated and divested telephone circuits, that challenged the postal monopoly and changed our lives."

June 8, 2004 -- According to one Bloomberg columnist, "at least since 1914, when the words were incised on the post office building in midtown Manhattan, Americans have known that neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night will stay a mail-delivery specialist of the U.S. Postal Service from the swift completion of his or her appointed rounds. All true. But what about technology? The explosion in electronic communication, which threatens to make the old- fashioned first-class letter obsolete, may at last accomplish what the natural elements have failed to do: Stop the mailman in his tracks."

June 8, 2004 -- The U.S. Postal Service has selected FedEx as the delivery agent for Global Express Guaranteed, its date-certain international delivery service to 190 countries and territories beginning July 1. The alliance, which the USPS announced yesterday, provides new service to Japan and Brazil and offers new GXG shipping labels featuring both USPS and FedEx logos. About 7,400 post offices will offer the co- branded service, which replaces a previous agreement with DHL Worldwide Express."

June 8, 2004 -- DM News has reported that "the U.S. Postal Service said yesterday that BMG Music and Columbia House are getting better mailing list updates and fewer bad address returns thanks to scanners installed at two USPS sites that process their returned CDs. The two companies had consistently low address-correction scores because too many returned CDs didn't go through the system properly, according to the USPS. The postal service met with the companies and had scanners installed last summer in Greensboro, NC, and Terre Haute, IN, which sped up the processing rate from 240 pieces an hour to 300. In addition, the companies now get address corrections electronically, which has boosted the electronic notification rate from 37 percent to 90 percent. Through March, savings totaled $18,720 for the USPS, and both customers are reducing the internal costs of processing their returns."

June 8, 2004 -- The Toledo Blade has reported that "a subsidiary of Findlay's Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has been awarded a 10-year contract to retread tires for the U.S. Postal Service nationwide. The Postal Service estimates it is using retreads on 20 percent of its fleet, a number it wants to increase to 70 percent, according to the subsidiary, Oliver Rubber Co., which Cooper Tire acquired in 1999."

June 8, 2004 -- The Prescott Daily Courier has reported that "a group of citizens concerned with inadequate mail delivery service standards in Prescott has formed a citizens’ protest group and will hold a petition drive. The petition requests that the U.S. Post Office provide the same standard of overnight local mail delivery to the Prescott and Prescott Valley area as it does to nearly every other similarly populated area in the United States. The group will submit the petition to Mayor Rowle Simmons, City Council members and other state and federal elected officials."

June 8, 2004 -- To honor the memory of former President Ronald Reagan, the U.S. Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning on Friday, June 11. There will be no regular mail delivery or retail hours. Express Mail will be delivered. All postal units, including headquarters, area, and district offices will observe this day of mourning.

June 8, 2004 -- The BBC (U.K.) has reported that "Express Dairies milkmen are to expand their sideline in postal deliveries after the company signed a two-year deal with TNT Mail. Under the agreement, Express Dairies will deliver "heavier weight letters and packets" for TNT's customers. TNT's owners, Dutch firm TPG, said the deal would allow large mail items to be delivered to six million UK households. Express Dairies has been delivering non-food items for three years, including CDs, books and photographs."

June 8, 2004 -- NewsFactor.com has reported that "leaders of the world's airlines have committed themselves to a global paperless ticketing system by 2007 as part of a wider, high-tech plan to lower carriers' running costs. The announcement was made at the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Singapore. The paperless ticketing scheme could save it up to $3 billion in direct costs, he predicts. A paper ticket is $9 more expensive than an e-ticket, he points out, noting that IATA's members distribute 300 million paper tickets every year."

June 8, 2004 -- Z awya has reported that "Emirates Post is considering door-to-door postal delivery service."

June 8, 2004 -- OneWorld.net has reported that "postal services are the latest casualty of uncontrolled Maoist violence in Nepal, where guerrilla attacks on mailmen and postal offices are isolating millions of people in far-flung rural areas. Over five million residents of hilly, often inaccessible districts of this mountainous kingdom are denied access to postal services, which are often the only way to communicate, especially with relatives living abroad. Maoist rebels have reportedly bombed around 550 post office buildings and jettisoned another 1,000 of the 4,000 post offices across Nepal."

June 8, 2004 -- The Jamaica Gleaner has reported that "D R. Blossom O'Meally-Nelson, chief executive officer of the Postal Corporation of Jamaica and Postmaster-General, announced recently that her department is in the process of upgrading the express mail service by the addition of an electronic tracking mechanism."

June 8, 2004 -- According to Reuters , "the German postal group Deutsche Post said on Sunday that it would offer shares in its Postbank subsidiary at 31.50 to 36.50 euros ($38.65 to $44.80). The figures value Postbank, Germany's biggest retail bank, at up to 6 billion euros ($7.36 billion). The price range set by Deutsche Post surprised analysts, because its chances of getting close to that figure appeared to have dwindled in recent weeks after unfavorable investor response and the embarrassing disclosure of an internal document. That document, a memorandum from Deutsche Bank, co-leader of the initial public offering, valued the bank at as little as 4.4 billion euros ($5.4 billion)."

June 8, 2004 -- Handelsblatt has reported that "the German antitrust authority has ruled that Deutsche Post, the country's postal service operator, has not violated current competition law in its delivery of supplements. It has decided against bringing court proceedings following complaints against the postal service operator by press publishing associations BDZV and BVDA."

June 8, 2004 -- The Independent (U.K.) has reported that "the private equity firm HG Capital is understood to be preparing a pounds 250m bid for the DX Mail business of the recruitment specialist Hays, which last week said it was planning to demerge it as a separately listed stock market company. DX specialises in business-to-business mail services in the UK and Irish Republic, delivering more than 1 million items a day and employing 1,200 people. The company expects to benefit from the recent deregulation of the UK postal market."

June 7, 2004 -- The Postal Service would like Congress to include two amendments within its proposals for postal legislative reform. The first pertains to the attribution of costs (an amendment to which PostCom heartily agrees) and the second concerns the markup rule for competitive products. The Postal Service also objects to a provision within the Senate bill (S. 2468) which would convey responsibility to the Postal Regulatory Commission for developing service performance standards for all market dominant mail products.

June 7, 2004 -- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has published:

• An op-ed piece by Senate Governmental Affairs Committee chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) on the vital need for postal reform.
• An editorial supporting the passage of postal legislative reform.

June 7, 2004 -- Federa l Computer Week has reported that "the Defense Department and the U.S. Postal Service will use a low-tech solution so troops overseas can vote in this year's presidential election. In February, their high-tech solution was canceled because of security concerns. Instead, DOD officials will use the Postal Service's Express Mail overnight service to get paper ballots to and from deployed military personnel."

June 7, 2004 -- The Associated Press has reported that "with a growing number of consumers discovering the convenience of paying bills online and shopping with debit cards, the firms that turn out billions of checks a year are being forced to retrench."

June 7, 2004 -- News-Medical.net has reported that "Australian scientists have developed a tool that acts as a pregnancy test for the detection of anthrax."

June 7, 2004 -- Business Day (South Africa) has reported that "the South African Post Office has exceeded its target of reaching break-even at operating level in the year to end-March and will be well on the way to financial independence if it resolves its huge postretirement medical aid liability this year. The company has long been a drain on the fiscus, with a controversial failed management contract with New Zealand Post, widespread postal crime and poor delivery standards forcing government to reinstate a R1,5bn three-year subsidy in 2001-02. Its management implemented a large turnaround programme, aimed at reducing staff numbers, cracking down on corruption, reining in costs and reducing medical aid liability."

June 7, 2004 -- According to Bloomberg, "Deutsche Post AG may struggle to raise as much as 3 billion euros ($3.7 billion) in the initial public offering of Deutsche Postbank AG because the lender is less profitable than peers such as UniCredito Italiano SpA. Deutsche Post, Europe's biggest postal service, plans to sell as much as 49.9 percent of Postbank, Germany's biggest consumer bank by clients, for 31.50 euros to 36.50 euros a share to cut debt and fund expansion. The lower end is 5 percent above Postbank's 4.9 billion-euro book value."

June 7, 2004 -- More on the USPS' agreement with Estafa from the Houston Business Journal.

June 7, 2004 -- According to the Times of India, "India Post has travelled miles from khaki-clad postman and his bagful of letters to providing a one-stop business solution for the corporates.'

June 7, 2004 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "the accession of the candidate countries to the EU last month has already had a beneficial impact on pan-European freight and express networks, according to reports by a number of companies. The expansion of the EU involved the removal of customs controls at internal borders, which has subsequently resulted in a reduction of delays experienced by hauliers and express operators."

June 7, 2004 -- According to the DM Bulletin (U.K.), "direct mail is officially the UK's most hated industry. This was the verdict of last Thursday's live grand final of BBC One's 'Brassed Off Britain' series, which profiled 10 of the UK's top consumer gripes and asked the public to vote for their worst. Direct mail beat estate agents, mobile phone companies, call centres, dodgy builders and banks, pulling in 24% of the public's vote. However, second-placed banks were only just behind with 23% of the vote and third-placed call centres had 22%."

June 6, 2004 -- Traffic World  has reported that:

• Parcels appear to be clogging up Congress' ability to deliver promised reform of the United States Postal Service. Competition over parcels, the real growth area of the air express business these days, has become a major sticking point on a law that restructure the way the USPS handles its business and its role in the marketplace. Groups representing package shippers say the private express carriers successfully pushed a House committee to add new requirements on the USPS that would put the Postal Service disadvantage in the parcel delivery market.
• The Supreme Court is expected to decide on wine shipping cases, reconciling state bars against interstate transport

June 6, 2004 -- As the Hartford Courant has noted, "in dozens of countries around the world, Pitney Bowes Inc. has woven an unbreakable tie to the mail. It started as a postal meter company in 1920. Today, Stamford-based Pitney Bowes makes sorters that separate letters by postal codes. It writes and sells software that enables small and large businesses to post mail, ship packages and track where those packages have landed. Pitney Bowes even has become a post office for postal companies: collecting, sorting and organizing the shipment of outgoing mail even for United Parcel Service, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service. Pitney Bowes remains the No. 1 maker of postal meters in the world. And with a 62 percent share of the global market for postal meters, the company has a nearly 3-to-1 lead over its nearest rival: Neopost SA of Bagneux, France."

June 6, 2004 -- ThisDay News (Nigeria) has reported that "Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) has restated its desire not to have any dealings with courier companies that are not registered by it as that would amount to supporting illegality. This has informed the closure of such companies in recent time."

June 6, 2004 -- The Lexington Herald-Leader has reported that "a tax consultant says forthcoming changes in Kentucky's sales tax laws could eventually reap huge financial rewards for the state. Kentucky loses an estimated $175 million a year on catalog and Internet sales because existing laws do not require most out-of-state firms to collect Kentucky sales tax, said Richard Dotson, Kentucky Department of Revenue tax consultant. The changes, which take effect on July 1, define what items should be taxed and what items should be exempt. They are intended to make Kentucky's laws conform with those of other states as part of the national Streamlined Sales Tax program. State officials say it's the first step necessary to persuade Congress to pass a law requiring retailers to collect the sales tax on all sales and return it to the state where the purchaser resides. The biggest impact on out-of-state sales concerns when delivery charges should be subject to the tax. Under current law, a delivery charge was exempt while charges for "shipping and handling" were taxed. Under the new law, all delivery charges assessed by the retailer will be taxed. However, Dotson said it does not affect delivery charges that consumers pay directly to firms such as UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service."

June 6, 2004 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Canada Post Corp., the country's government-owned mail service, is refusing to deliver marijuana to a man who is legally allowed to smoke it. Canada Post is refusing to ship marijuana from a supplier in British Columbia on the grounds that it's illegal to deliver a controlled substance through the mail."

June 5, 2004 -- On this site you can find:

• The Manager's Amendment to S. 2468 which served as the basis for the markup the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs  conducted last week.
• The amendment sponsored by Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) concerning limits on worksharing discounts.
• The amendment by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) concerning a study of possible discounts for mail with recycled paper content.
• The amendment by Senator Sununu (R-NH) relating to Postal Service accounting practices.
• The Postal Service's summary of rate implications of escrow funding options.

June 5, 2004 -- Business Mailers Review has reported that:

• As part of the National PCC Day, postal officials introduced a new Postal Customer Council Network Plan to transform PCCs into the premier network for customer education and training. The plan embraces three components, including the use of the Internet – a national PCC site — to help PCCs throughout the country collect and share best practices and keep track of each other’s successes. The USPS has created resources to help local PCCs design professional workshops, seminars and special events. In addition, the Postal Service is willing to send experts to PCC meetings to present on new programs or specific subject matters. Finally, the Postal Service wants to help the PCCs grow their membership base.
• A few senators on the Governmental Affairs Committee voiced their support for efforts by the Newspaper Assn. of America (NAA) to have safeguards added in the Senate postal reform bill on negotiated service agreements (NSAs). Paul Boyle, NAA’s senior vice president, public policy, told BMR that the association wants some safeguards put in the language regarding NSAs. Boyle said NAA would like language that directs the Postal Regulatory Commission to review an NSA before it goes in effect; language that puts some teeth in the “similarly situated” requirement, such as a provision that would direct the USPS to file a niche classification for other like mailers; and something that says an NSA must benefit the Postal Service and the overall mail system. Finally, Boyle says, NAA would like 90 days prior review of an NSA, not the 30 days provided in the bill.
• The Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Postal Service estimate that the Postal Service spends about $300 million a year on all costs related to labor-management issues. This is just an estimate as all the costs related to labor-management issues, such as resolving grievances, cannot be determined.
• Although the Postal Service proposed prefunding its retiree health benefits in its September 2003 plan submitted to the president, Congress and to the General Accounting Office, the bills call for a more aggressive funding plan. The USPS proposed it pay interest on the unfunded obligation and begin dynamically funding retiree health costs. Its plan would add about $1.3 billion to costs in 2006 or 2.2% to the next rate increase. Both the House and Senate versions require the USPS to pay retiree premium costs in 2006, costing $1.3 billion, and to begin funding the unfunded obligation at additional expense of $1.1 billion per year.
• Sen. Tom Carper, D-DE, seems concerned enough about the possibility of a rate spike in 2006 from the retiree health funding plan that he could address it in an amendment.
• Another provision Potter cited in his speech to the PCCs was concern about language on pricing flexibility. Potter suggested the language in the bills would likely result in added costs being shifted to packages, which could jeopardize the $2.5 billion in contributions it gets from packages.
• The Postal Service is said to prefer an an amendment that would eliminate the Postal Regulatory Commission’s authority to allocate a reasonable level of overhead costs to competitive products collectively. Instead, the Postal Service would like a 25% minimum level of overhead be required for competitive products individually. That is, a competitive product’s markup, such as Priority Mail, could be 125% or more.

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This was a truly OUTSTANDING issue. Please take what follows very seriously.
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June 5, 2004 -- Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) has taken bows for his amendment to limit "excessive discounts to private mailers."

June 5, 2004 -- The agenda for the June meeting of the USPS Board of Governors has been posted on this site.

June 5, 2004 -- The Associated Press has reported that "installation of biological hazard detectors at mail facilities is being resumed, the Postal Service said Friday. Installation of the equipment began in March, but was suspended April 28 because some machines were giving inconclusive readings. The problem has been corrected and work is resuming, postal vice president Azeezaly Jaffer said. The detectors are planned for 283 mail handling and sorting facilities across the country. They are intended to detect biological hazards, warn postal workers and help prevent the delivery of dangerous items."

June 5, 2004 -- The San Francisco Examiner has reported that "in a battle pitting some of The City's poorest citizens against the United States Postal Service, residential hotel tenants are demanding a service most Americans take for granted: private and secure mail service."

June 5, 2004 -- MediaWeek (U.K.) has reported that "magazine publishers have four weeks to respond to proposals by the Royal Mail to overhaul the method of pricing for packages. The Periodical Publishers’ Association has asked magazine groups to state their objections and comments on a number of issues likely to impact on the industry. The consultation includes proposals to remove special pricing arrangements for block mailing over 250,000 items and changes to price dependent on size and folding of packages. The PPA has also asked publishers to put forward ideas for an amnesty to ease the impact of any proposals pushed through by the Royal Mail."

June 5, 2004 -- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has reported that "German mail operator Deutsche Post and services union Verdi on Wednesday reached an agreement in the third round of collective bargaining negotiations that averted the possibility of a national strike. The roughly 160,000 Deutsche Post employees in Germany will receive 2.7 percent more pay starting on Nov. 1. That raise will be followed by a 2.3 percent increase a year later plus two one-time payments of EUR65 (about $80) each. Verdi said the increase amounted to 3 percent over the life of the contract, which expires in April 2006. The deal is generous at a time of stubbornly high unemployment and compared with agreements in other sectors. But it falls short of Verdi's original demand of 4 percent more pay."

June 5, 2004 -- The Liverpool Daily Post (U.K.) has reported that "postal voting has so far been given a major thumbs down by the North West electorate - as problems continued to dog the controversial pilot scheme last night. Early indications of the numbers of votes returned have been disappointing, especially as experts suggest most people will vote within three days of receiving their ballots. It now seems unlikely the costly pilot will deliver the major increases in turnout expected by the Government."

June 5, 2004 -- ThisIsLocalLondon (U.K.) has reported that "thousands of people in north Kent are getting a postal service which is among the worst in the country. Figures unveiled last Thursday show the 163,000 households with DA postcodes from Erith to Gravesend and as far south as New Ash Green are among the least likely to get a next day delivery service on time. This ranks the area sixth from bottom in the country, with the majority of worst-served areas being in the south-east."

June 5, 2004 -- The Telegraph (U.K.) has reported that "a Conservative Government would ensure voters always had the right to go to a polling station by abolishing all-postal ballots, Liam Fox said yesterday. The Tory chairman said the party had taken the decision in response to the anger felt in the four regions where people are being forced to vote by post for next week's European and local elections. Dr Fox also promised that the Conservatives would fight any attempt by Labour to make all-postal voting the norm for all local elections."

June 5, 2004 -- North .CBC.ca has reported that "Canada Post prides itself on delivering the mail rain or shine, but a burst water pipe prevented some Whitehorse residents from getting their letters on Friday. Gift shop employee Tammy Pasloski surveys water damage. The Main St. Canada Post outlet was forced to shut down after an overnight flood."

June 5, 2004 -- SeaCo astOnline has reported that "U.S. Postal Service authorities are continuing to investigate a series of mail thefts from mailboxes in several local towns."

June 5, 2004 -- The Huddersfield Daily Examiner (U.K.) has reported that "postal deliveries in Holmfirth are in chaos, it is claimed. Bags of mail have been piling up in the sorting office yard for days as overstretched staff struggle to cope with a new single delivery system, it is said. Some Holme Valley districts have missed deliveries on some days. And some of the office's 55 full-time staff are working 80 hours a week in a bid to sort out the mess.

June 5, 2004 -- According to Bloomberg, "Deutsche Post AG Chief Executive Klaus Zumwinkel may not get the minimum of 2.5 billion euros ($3 billion) he expects from an initial share sale of Postbank, said investors including PEH Wertpapier's Guenther Gerstenberger."

June 4, 2004 -- DM News has reported that "package/express delivery service had the highest customer satisfaction rating among many industry categories in the first quarter, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. The national survey, released yesterday by the University of Michigan Business School, is part of its annual study of how 80,000 customers rank their experiences with 200 companies in 40 industries and from government agencies over the previous four quarters."

June 4, 2004 -- Kyodo news has reported that "the government adopted a blueprint for economic management and structural reform Friday, featuring calls to formulate a basic policy on postal privatization by the fall and to transfer 3 trillion yen in tax revenue sources from the state to local governments in two years. The blueprint, drawn up by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, recommends that the government work out a basic policy on Japan's mail delivery, postal savings and ''kampo'' life insurance services by around this fall and submit relevant bills to the Diet in 2005. Postal privatization is a key pillar of Koizumi's structural reform program."

June 4, 2004 -- The United States Postal Service has announced the signing of a licensing agreement with Estafeta USA Inc., a leading private courier company in Mexico, which allows the company limited usage of the U.S. Postal Service logo. Estafeta USA Inc. links to the U.S. Postal Service domestic delivery network by clearing inbound packages originating in Mexico through U.S. Customs, transporting them into the United States, and tendering them to the U.S. Postal Service at the McAllen, Texas post office as domestic Priority Mail. Under terms of the agreement, Estafeta USA Inc. will have limited usage of USPS trademarks and logo on advertising collateral, promotional materials and signage to indicate the company is an authorized agent of the USPS in connection with its inbound Priority Mail services.

June 4, 2004 -- According to the Army News Service, "well-wishers attempting to speed along mail and packages to service members overseas by including the city and country where the service member is stationed may actually contribute to delays and misrouting of military mail. Automated processing equipment used by the US Postal Service is programmed to differentiate a domestic and foreign address format. Military addresses are automatically processed in the same manner as regular domestic mail throughout the country, postal officials said."

June 4, 2004 -- Japan Today has reported that "the government drew up an economic blueprint Thursday featuring the privatization of postal services as the main priority among a series of structural reforms. The blueprint calls for the government to come up with a basic policy on postal privatization around this fall and submit necessary bills to the Diet in 2005."

June 4, 2004 -- The Daily Yomiuri has reported that "Japan Post has taken on Yamato Transport Co. in a battle being fought at convenience stores to win customers for its parcel delivery service. Japan Post on Tuesday launched its Yu-Pack service at nine Tokyo convenience stores operated by am/pm Japan Co. and Daily Yamazaki Co."

June 3, 2004 -- As the Magic City Morning Star has reported "the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee today approved comprehensive legislation sponsored by Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) to reform the United States Postal Service (USPS). Their legislation, the first major overhaul of the USPS since 1970, would help ensure that the USPS and the millions of businesses and employees whose livelihoods depend on it remain viable into the 21st century." See also the Washington Post,the Washington Times, and GovExec.com.

June 3, 2004 -- The Financial Times (U.K.) has reported that "Hays, the business services group, on Thursday announced the demerger of its mail business, marking the last phase in its restructuring. The move comes just weeks after Hays said it would either sell or demerge DX Mail, which it considered a non-core business."

June 3, 2004 -- Pitn ey Bowes Inc. has applauded action by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee in approving the Senate postal reform bill (S.2468) by a vote of 17-0.

June 2, 2004 -- PostCom members.....A copy of the minutes of the May 11, 2004 meeting of the PostCom Postal Operations Committee has been posted on this site.

June 2, 2004 -- From the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs markup on S. 2468:

• Senator Lieberman has introduced an amendment to S. 2468 to ensure that worksharing discounts in excess of 100% of costs avoided are not continued in perpetuity and be limited to no more than four years. It also struck a "catch-all" provision that would have allowed the PRC to approve discounts in excess of 100% of costs avoided when  judged acceptable to the Commission. Lieberman said this amendment will help preserve "unity" of support for this bill.
• Senator Collins said that the "unity" Lieberman raised "would be shattered" by the amendment's approval. She said she opposed the Lieberman amendment. She said there were adequate safeguards built into the bill to address any concerns by others, and that the Lieberman amendment was overly prescriptive. She expressed a willingness to work with those concerned to address these issues before the bill goes to the floor. She said the language she has built into the bill is actually preferred by the Postal Service. These sorts of decisions should be left to the Postal Regulatory Commission. The Lieberman amendment was approved by a 9-8 roll call vote.
• Senator Carper said the Committee should review carefully OPM's aggressive health retirement payments schedule to ensure it does not result in an untoward increase in postal rates.
• Senator Durbin proposed an amendment to direct GAO to study ways to create incentives for mailers to use recycled paper. The Durbin amendment was approved by voice vote.
• S. 2468 was approved by the Committee by unanimous roll call vote.

June 2, 2004 -- The Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs has approved the nominations of the following:

• Albert Casey, to be a Governor for the United States Postal Service
• James C. Miller, III, to be a Governor for the United States Postal Service
• Dawn Tisdale, to be Commissioner, Postal Rate Commission

June 2, 2004 -- Electronic Publishing has reported that "NPES (The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing, and Converting Technologies) has commended the members of the House Government Reform Committee for their bipartisan efforts to bring postal reform legislation to the House floor for the first time in over 30 years."

June 2, 2004 -- Expatica has reported that "Deutsche Post and the services workers union ver.di reached a new two-year wage agreement Wednesday in last-ditch talks to avert a possible strike, the two sides announced. Under the agreement retroactive to May, Deutsche Post's 160,000 employees are to receive a 2.7 percent pay hike starting in November 2004. In November 2005, they will receive a 2.3 percent boost in their wages for the remainder of the accord up to May 2006. In addition, postal employees will receive one-off payments of EUR 65 in July and September of this year." See also the Associated Press.

June 2, 2004 -- As the Atl anta Journal Constitution has noted: "If you think our mail is slow, try the service in Bangladesh. It would be quicker to walk. In Bangladesh, relatives of Assirudin Moral posted him a letter on June 13, 2001. He worked at a mill just 30 miles away. The letter arrived last week, nearly three years later. Unfortunately, Moral died 15 months ago — perhaps wondering why his family never wrote. Red-faced postal officials have launched an investigation."

June 2, 2004 -- The Roanoke Times has reported that "lost contracts, an abrupt shutdown, a payment stop on paychecks and a subsequent flurry of executive-level finger-pointing has left former employees of MidAtlantic Postal Express wondering whether they'll ever receive the money they're owed. One rare point of middling agreement holds that problems at MidAtlantic Postal Express in Roanoke intensified when the company lost a contract, or contracts, to truck mail for the U.S. Postal Service."

June 2, 2004 -- The Financial Times (U.K.) has reported that "a clash between DHL and China's postal service over the German group's entry into the domestic express delivery market has highlighted the tensions between foreign companies and the Chinese government over regulation of the country's parcel delivery market. Last month DHL, a unit of Deutsche Post, announced the launch of a domestic express delivery service, the first operated by a foreign company in China. To outside observers, the move was hardly surprising - through its partnership with Sinotrans, DHL has a big presence in China's express delivery market. But the State Postal Bureau, which runs China Post, the postal service and dominant parcel delivery company, seemed to have been caught off-guard. It said it had never approved such a service."

June 2, 2004 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal) has reported that:

• Last Wednesday’s meeting of Österreichische Post’s supervisory board appears to have been turbulent as a result of the secret sales plans harboured by the government-owned holding company ÖIAG. According to information gleaned by the CEP News, both Peter Michaelis (spokesman for the ÖIAG board and president of the post’s supervisory board) and Österreichische Post’s CEO Anton Wais were strongly criticised for spreading extremely negative profit prospects.
• Both ÖIAG and the post supervisory board were surely surprised by last week’s revelation of plans for the development of an alternative post company in Austria. According to information gleaned by the CEP News, some information on the Document Exchange Network (DEN) appeared in connection with the supervisory board meeting. Officially, the company launched its activities in Austria on 1 June 2004. Apparently, large numbers of political pressure groups have been involved in structuring the new service. There is obviously some fear that an involvement by Deutsche Post in Österreichische Post could lead to extensive restructuring measures.
• A product campaign launched this week by Swiss Post International Germany intends to show the company as provider of quality services in the field of international document and small goods transmission.
• Switzerland’s post is taking the country’s biggest Internet search engine under its wing. Last Friday, Schweizerische Post announced the takeover of Räber Information Management (RIM) with retrospective effect from 1 April. RIM operates the search engine search.ch as well as the online telephone directory tel.search.ch.
• The French GeoPost group has taken over the Swedish Posten AB’s parcel and logistics activities in Poland, the Baltic States and Russia and is now sole proprietor of the Polish and Baltic DPD companies.
• GLS, the European parcel network of Britain’s Royal Mail, achieved a much lower profit last year than the figure announced last week in Amsterdam by Rico Back, CEO of GLS Holding (CEP News 21/04). Figures published by Royal Mail reveal that GLS achieved an operating result of 37.6m euros on a 1.23bn euros turnover (+ 4%), which means that the company fell clearly behind its own target margin of 5%.
• UPS has renewed its announcement that Germany will see the opening of up to 700 new branches of Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE), its franchise subsidiary, over the next ten years.

Don't be satisfied with a less than complete report on the courier, express, and postal market in Europe. Get your subscription to CEP News, today..

June 2, 2004 -- iSold It, the nation's fastest growing chain of franchised eBay drop-off stores, announced today that it will now service the entire country with the first ever mail-in eBay service. The program, called iSold It by Mail(TM), allows customers from anywhere in the country to easily get their items listed on eBay. Items accepted under the mail-in program need to be valued at $50 or more and must be small enough to ship by UPS, Fed Ex or the Post Office.

June 2, 2004 -- Dow Jones has reported that "pay talks opened Tuesday for thousands of German postal employees against a backdrop of threatened strike action by the country's biggest service workers' union. Workers at Deutsche Post AG (DPW.XE), in which the government owns a majority stake, have already staged short walkouts over the last week at distribution centers across the country to reinforce their demand for higher pay, delaying hundreds of thousands of letters. The ver.di union is demanding a 4% increase for 160,000 employees over the next year, and is threatening all-out strike action if the talks that opened Tuesday produce no deal."

June 2, 2004 -- Apparently, Business Mailers Review hit a hot button by asking the question: "Do we really need to protect United Parcel Service from competition?  UPS’ influence on these provisions is obvious. UPS’ input – along with other groups — was solicited by lawmakers and their staff during the final stages of crafting the bill, which was taking place just hours before the bill was introduced. But it was lost on no one at the committee's mark-up session that UPS lobbyists were pulled from the hearing room as congressional staff hammered out the final pieces of the bill. Not surprisingly, UPS supports the bill." BMR also recently reported:

• Printers and publishers are concerned about the future of Mail.dat, while postal officials continue work on tools that meet the needs of all types and sizes of mailers. Some First Class mailers and parcel shippers never warmed to Mail.dat because it includes many fields they do not use, which led to storage and processing problems. The Postal Service was anxious to develop a tool that met the needs and functionality of all sized mailers. However, some users of Mail.dat, which includes the major printers like Quad/Graphics and R.R. Donnelley, are concerned that the web wizard is a diversion of Mail.dat.
• A new magazine poised to make its debut will skip the mail stream altogether. Time Warner and Walmart are teaming up to launch a new magazine that will be sold on newsstands at Walmart for a very low newsstand price of less than $2.

June 2, 2004 -- According to the Heritage Foundation's James Gattuso, "over the past few weeks, things have been moving quickly in the normally glacier-like world of the Postal Service. On May 12, a House committee voted unanimously in favor of H.R. 4341, by Rep. John McHugh (R-NY), the first broad postal reform legislation to be approved by a congressional committee in 30 years. The next week, very similar legislation, S. 2468, was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tom Carper (D- DE). The good news is that these bills would implement some welcome changes in the way the U.S. Postal Service operates. The bad news is that they fall short of the kind of real transformation that is needed and would saddle taxpayers with billions in postal costs. Congress can and should deliver more than this disappointing package."

June 1, 2004 -- According to the Washington Post, "a proposed 3.5 percent pay raise for the military, overhaul of U.S. Postal Service operations and elimination of a key restriction in the Thrift Savings Plan are among the issues that Congress will take up as it returns from the Memorial Day break."

June 1, 2004 -- The Associated Press has reported that "FedEx Corp.'s international markets are continuing to expand, despite global uncertainty and anti-American feelings stirred by the war in Iraq, the shipping giant's founder says."

June 1, 2004 -- According to the Washington Times, "Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is planning to create a new ministry to direct postal privatization, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said Monday. 'To ensure the privaization of Japan Post, scheduled for 2007, the prime minister will create a new portfolio for a minister in charge of postal service reforms,' the paper said. It cited sources in Koizumi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party."

June 1, 2004 -- Transform has reported that "the digital mailroom is not just about faster, more efficient mail processing. Safety-related interest in the technology spiked after anthrax-laced letters were found in postal facilities in Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida and Washington, D.C., in 2001. That scare, and a February 2004 incident involving a ricin-laced letter that turned up in the office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, has led some government agencies to deploy digital mailrooms. Congress began testing digital mailroom technology in 2002 under the direction of Congressman Robert Ney (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Administration Committee. The project began with 10 representatives and has since expanded to 25 congressional offices. Two vendors known by Transform to be involved in the project declined to comment for this article, but Ney's office has publicly named Pitney Bowes Government Solutions as the lead contractor."

June 1, 2004 -- Computerworld has reported that "the U.S. Postal Service this summer plans to complete the installation of a single sign-on system that will support about 155,000 end users and more than 7,000 applications and Web sites -- one of the largest deployments of the user access technology done thus far. The new system has already been rolled out to 147,000 users, and Bob Otto, chief technology officer at the USPS, said last week that the 11-month rollout is due to be finished in August. The new system lets USPS workers log onto 1,000 internal applications and 6,000 external ones using only their Windows passwords, Otto said."

June 1, 2004 -- Mediaweek (U.K.) has reported that Royal Mail says it is not "ignoring direct mailers."

June 1, 2004 -- Personnel Today (U.K.) has reported that "The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, has written to Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton calling for ‘straight talking’ about his role in a rumoured ‘privatisation’ plan for Royal Mail."

June 1, 2004 -- The Scotsman (U.K.) has reported that "when the stamp duty on UK land and buildings was largely replaced last year by stamp duty land tax, it came with an interesting clause which said that commercial property deals in "disadvantaged areas" would be exempt from stamp duty."

June 1, 2004 -- The Star (Malaysia) has reported that "Pos Malaysia & Services Holdings Bhd surprised with a surge in pre-tax profit to RM38.1mil for the first quarter ended March 31 from RM18.9mil in the equivalent period of 2003. Net profit rose 91.5% to RM25.8mil in the first quarter, compared with RM13.5mil in the corresponding quarter last year, while revenue increased 6.6% to RM175.3mil. Before this, an analyst said, the company was viewed as being in a slow growth or no-growth business as e-mail had displaced much of the letters and cards that were sent through the postal service in earlier years."

June 1, 2004 -- According to Bloomberg, "Deutsche Post AG may sue Deutsche Bank AG over the planned share sale of Europe's biggest postal service's banking unit Postbank AG, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the postal company."

June 1, 2004 -- The Business Times (Singapore) has reported that "Deutsche Post could be forced to halt the listing of its banking arm after lead manager Deutsche Bank said it may be worth only 4.4 billion euros (S$9.2 billion). This finding will encourage investors to seek a discount. Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper on Friday cited government sources as saying that the postal group - 63 per cent owned by the state - would cancel the June 21 initial public offering if it did not value Postbank over 4.7 billion euros."

June 1, 2004 -- The Financial Times has reported that "Deutsche Post dismissed the latest setback to its planned flotation of post office bank Postbank yesterday, and said it would press ahead with the initial public offering regardless of lower-than-hoped-for valuations."

June 1, 2004 -- According to UPI, "tax authorities are probing a suspected corruption scandal in the Japanese postal service, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said Monday."

June 1, 2004 -- Union Network International has reported that "the UNI-Europa Postal Committee met in Luxembourg, 10-11 February and again on 22 April 2004. In addition to preparing meetings and working groups within the framework of the EU Postal social dialogue, particularly in regard to the EU enlargement, plans for the inclusion of postal colleagues from the 10 new Member States into the structures of the social dialogue were made. The Committee strongly condemned the EU Commission's new proposal for a Directive on Services in the Internal Market and will pursue its position through UNI-Europa. It also laid down its strategy on a proposed directive, which will impose VAT on all postal services in the EU. It further developed its work programme towards the UNI-Europa Postal Conference to be held in Oslo, Norway, 21-22 June 2005 as well as strategies towards the planned next step of European postal liberalisation in 2006."

June 1, 2004 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "The UK’s Royal Mail has released its annual results for 2004 showing a significant turnaround in its fortunes. Whereas the postal operator made a loss of £197m (€288m) in 2003 it achieved operating profits of £220m (€321m) in 2004. Its revenues rose by 4% to £6.3bn (€9.2bn) compared with the year before. Despite the improvements in its financial performance the company still attracted criticism due to its inability to meet service levels. Royal Mail’s express subsidiary Parcelforce Worldwide continued to undergo re-structuring with the reduction of its depots to around 50, about 50% of previous levels. Its losses fell by almost £100m (€146m) compared to the previous year although in total it still lost £102m (€148m) on a turnover of £245m (€358m). Its revenues were 17% lower than the previous year due to the company’s decision to withdraw from ‘standard’ (non-express products."

June 1, 2004 -- The San Jose Mercury News has reported that "now and then, a purple-emblazoned delivery truck shows up with a package at the home of UPS Chief Executive Mike Eskew, whose company's vehicles are a familiar brown. "The FedEx guy shakes his head when he gives it to my wife and says, `I don't know what I'm doing here,' " Eskew said with a laugh. UPS and FedEx don't discuss their rivalry much. Neither likes to utter the other's name. But their competition is intense. In the United States, Memphis-based FedEx carries more packages by air than Atlanta-based UPS, while UPS still has an overwhelming advantage in U.S. ground volume. UPS has a very strong international business, especially in China."

June 1, 2004 -- The Bangor Daily News has reported that "some residents have found that a postage stamp on a letter is worthless if they fail to put the most recent 911 address on the letter. Residents who have been griping about the service at the Dover- Foxcroft post office, however, say postal officials should show a little common sense. The source of the confusion for local postal patrons is modern sorting machines that don't recognize outdated addresses, according to a postal official."

June 1, 2004 -- The Philippine Daily Inquirer has reported that "Federal Express, one of the world's biggest cargo carriers, will be sending representatives to the Philippines on Wednesday to finalize its long-term lease contract with Clark International Airport Corp. Fedex is building its $450-million regional facility at the former US military base."

June 1, 2004 -- The South China Morning Post has reported that:

• No sooner had DHL announced the launch of its domestic express mail delivery service this month than the State Postal Bureau declared that it had never approved such a service, or given DHL a licence for it. The bureau, which functions as sector regulator and provider, in the guise of China Post, has been steadily losing market share in the international delivery sector to DHL and other foreign couriers.
• DHL Express is racing to finish its new US$100 million central Asia hub by the end of next month, giving the region's busiest express carrier less than five weeks to transfer operations before the lease at its present facility expires on June 30.

June 1, 2004 -- The Mansfield News Journal has reported that "as the city fights to keep first-class mail processing at its main post office, Congress is moving to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service."