WASHINGTON, March 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – The U.S. Postal Service is planning to revise its mailing standards and has recently filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission to allow commercial mailers to include logos, trademarks, brand images or other kinds of marketing designs in the permit imprint indicia area of their mail. The Picture Permit Imprint Indicia offering will provide participating companies with immediate recognition of their logos, products or promotions while boosting the visual impact of their mail.

“This prime real estate area will allow companies to brand, advertise and market their products and services on the actual mail piece,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. “Market research shows that customers believe picture permits will enhance the perception of their mail.”

If approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the offering will be effective on or about June 24, 2012, for commercial mailers of presorted First-Class Mail letters and cards or Standard Mail letters. The premium for First-Class Mail letters and cards will be 1 cent per piece and for Standard Mail letters 2 cents per piece.

“Picture Permit will provide our customers with advertising opportunities without impacting required indicia information on the mail piece,” said Reblin. “Allowing Picture Permits is just one of the many ways the Postal Service is working hard to make mail work better for our customers.”

For more information about the Postal Service’s Picture Permit Imprint Indicia offering, contact the Picture Permit offering program management office at picturepermit@usps.com.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) late Thursday introduced legislation to strengthen the hand of rural communities in fighting post office closures in southern West Virginia.

“For more than two-hundred years, America’s postal system has helped to bind us together as a nation. When one looks at the hit list of targeted postal closures, it becomes clear how those closures could unravel our nation’s tight-knit fabric of commerce and communication. The bill I have introduced aims to help ensure that our small, rural postal facilities are not made to bear the brunt of the Postal Service’s nationwide budgetary challenges,” said Rahall, who has been vocal and active in fighting postal closures in southern West Virginia.

The bill – H.R. 4335, the Postal Service Accountability Act – would strengthen the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the independent regulator of the Postal Service, enabling it to act as a check on postal closures, directing the Commission to focus on the community impact of a closure. As part of the appeals process, which already exists in current law, the measure would give the PRC a binding authority to block a post office or sorting facility closure, and would increase, from two to three, the number of Commissioners needed to affirm a closure. Currently, PRC opinions are nonbinding and only two Commissioners are necessary to affirm a closure because of a vacancy on the Commission.

It also would apply the revised appeals process to postal sorting facilities. Currently, there is no appeals process for mail processing facilities. In addition, the Postal Service would be required to do an after-the-fact review one year after a closure to ensure mail delivery services have been maintained.

“Our residents and small businesses rely on the Postal Service for basic mail necessities – for sending bills and packages, newspaper deliveries, and reaching customers – especially in our more rural areas where internet access is limited. Cutting off services to rural areas simply is not an option. It’s not an option for seniors who need their mail-order drugs. It’s not an option for towns where the post office serves as the heart of the community. These closures will disrupt lives and local economies and there needs to be a better mechanism in place to ensure that those concerns are addressed,” said Rahall.

The Postal Service has implemented a moratorium on postal closures through May 15. The House of Representatives is scheduled to consider postal reform legislation later this year to address the Postal Service’s financial problems.

The APWU is asking state and local organizations to participate in two nationwide activities in April: Lobbying your senators at their home offices during the Easter recess, and informational leafleting on Tax Day, April 17.

“Time is running out for Congress to enact postal legislation,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. The moratorium on post office closings and plant consolidations expires on May 15. “Congress must address the Postal Service’s financial crisis to avoid drastic cuts in service and jobs,” Guffey said.

Meet at Your Senators’ Offices

From April 2, 2012, to April 13, 2012, Congress will be on recess. The 21 st Century Postal Service Act (Senate Bill 1789) is expected to be brought up for a vote the week Congress returns. The APWU and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) are asking their respective state and local presidents to arrange meetings with senators at their state office(s) during the recess.

“In its current form, S. 1789 is unacceptable,” said Guffey. “It fails to address the Postal Service’s long-term problems. If it is passed as it is currently written, it will result in massive plant and post office closures. ”

The APWU and the NPMHU are urging senators to support amendments to the bill that will protect current service standards, resolve the retiree health benefit pre-funding requirement, allow USPS to recover overpayments to FERS, prevent the closing of small post offices, and maintain six-day delivery.

In a March 29 letter [PDF], the APWU is asking state and local presidents to contact their senators’ state office(s) to schedule an appointment to discuss postal reform. It is urgent that the Senate take immediate action to protect existing service standards. The Postal Service cannot eliminate hundreds of mail processing facilities and still meet its current service commitments.

Locals are urged to bring members and community allies to the meeting. If there is a large contingent, the APWU is suggesting that members rally outside the senators’ office(s), while a delegation goes in to meet with the senator and his/her staff. This is not a protest against the senators. Members are urged to wear their T-shirts from last year’s Sept. 27 day of action and to distribute flyers [PDF] to passers-by.

Tax Day Informational Leafleting

On Tuesday, April 17 (Tax Day), the APWU and the Mail Handlers Union are asking locals across the country to conduct informational leafleting at as many post offices as possible, with an emphasis on those facilities that draw media coverage on Tax Day. (Typically these are offices that have extended hours for tax day, but the timing of the leafleting is up to the local.) The purpose of this event is to bring to the attention of postal customers and the public at-large the drastic cuts that management is planning if Congress doesn’t act.

Material

A two-sided leaflet to be distributed at both events can be ordered online at http://www.kellydigital.com/q-store/store/default.asp?CompanyID=3689. The national union will cover the cost of printing and shipping. The number of flyers authorized for each location will be based on the number of members in that location. A press kit can be downloaded from the APWU Web site.

“Whether your plant or post office is targeted for closure or consolidation, the Postal Service’s plans threaten the jobs of every postal worker,” said Guffey. “Dismantling the network and slashing service will not fix the Postal Service’s finances. They will lead to the demise of the Postal Service by making its services less timely and less valuable,” he said.

“Locals are doing a fantastic job getting our message out at rallies, public input meetings, and in the media. We need to keep up the pressure on Congress to act now, before management does irreparable harm to the postal network,” Guffey emphasized.

Please join us for these April actions. If you require any assistance, contact the APWU Vice President’s office or the Communications Department at 202-842-4250, or the Legislative Department at 202-842-4211.