(August 16, 2012) As announced at the 2012 NPMHU National Convention last week, after the parties were done striking names from a list provided by the U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, FMCS Director George Cohen has appointed Herbert Fishgold as the arbitrator for the NPMHU/USPS bargaining dispute. Mr. Fishgold is an arbitrator of nationwide reputation and professional stature, who is also a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators. Indeed, Mr. Fishgold has served as a third-party neutral for more than thirty years, during which time he has mediated and arbitrated bargaining disputes in a wide range of industries at the national, state, and local levels.

Arbitrator Fishgold is generally familiar with many of the basic facts and issues presented by the Postal Service, the mailing industry, and postal employees generally – based on, among other things, his service as an interest arbitrator in the 2006 dispute between the National Rural Letter Carriers Association and the Postal Service. And, Fishgold most recently served as the mediator in the last stage of the process to try and settle the NPMHU/USPS impasse.

The parties must now each select one additional member to serve on the three-person arbitration panel, and that process should be concluded shortly.

As the arbitration moves forward, the National Office will keep you updated, to the extent possible, during what is expected to be a lengthy arbitration process.

Read more: Arbitrator Appointed in NPMHU/USPS Bargaining Impasse – National Postal Mail Handlers Union.

CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to keep battling to save Whitstable’s mail delivery office, after news Herne Bay’s is to shut next month.

Protesters – who staged marches in both towns last year and collected more than 5,000 signatures on a petition – say they are not giving up despite the closure in Herne Bay.

Campaign spokesman Nick Dent said it was important to keep up the momentum.

He said: “The Whitstable office is not due to move until January or February next year, which means we still have time to alter the decision.

Read more: Campaigners vow to fight for Whitstable’s mail delivery office | This is Kent.

A Royal Mail scheme to deliver post to a neighbour if no one is at home is to be extended across the UK from next month.

The postal group held a three-month trial of the initiative, saying that customers welcomed the convenience of letters and parcels being left at a nearby address if they were not at home to receive them.

The practice will be rolled out across the country from late next month, subject to regulatory approval.

Read more: Neighbour post delivery extended – Sunday Sun.

As we celebrate the success of our Olympians in London, we now shift our focus and support to the Australian athletes who are about to compete in the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

For the first time since the program launched in 1992, Australian students will be invited to write letters of support to Australia’s Paralympic Athletes via the Australia Post Letter Link program. Read the rest of this entry »

Final Set of 10 Honors America’s Natural Charm

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The U.S. Postal Service concludes its Flags of Our Nation series today with the issuance of the last set of 10 stamp designs that feature the flags of Texas, Utah, Vermont, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the Stars and Stripes. The new Forever stamps are on sale today in Post Offices nationwide, online at usps.com/store, and by calling 800-782-6724. Read the rest of this entry »

The Royal Mail has announced a U-turn and said it will issue special stamps, and paint a postbox gold in commemoration of each British winner of a gold medal at the forthcoming Paralympic Games.

It had originally said the stamp-issuing programme would be confined to the London Olympics, with a single set of six stamps to mark the collective efforts of Team GB’s Paralympics competitors.

But yesterday it said gold-winning Paralympians will get their own stamp, in addition to the postbox tribute.

Read more: Special stamp scheme extended for Paralympics | Parcel2Go.

GARDEN CITY (WABC) — He is as much a part of St. Paul’s Crescent as the people who actually live there.

On what could have been the last day of 87-year-old Madeline Wittman’s life, letter carrier Mario Serrano noticed that something was wrong as he placed Monday’s mail in her box.

Serrano realized Wittman had never picked up what he dropped off on Saturday.

"Something told me to go back cause there was two days worth of mail in there," said Serrano, "I heard running water coming through the window, and I heard some moaning. I thought somebody was singing in the shower actually, but then I realized she was actually saying ‘help me, help me!’ I pushed open the window to let her know I was there and called 911."

Read more: Mailman credited with saving life of elderly woman | 7online.com.