It’s amazing how widespread the phrase ‘President’s Day’ has become- virtually all of the ‘holiday closings’ listings online say that the Post Office will be closed on Monday because of the President’s Day holiday. Well, it just ain’t so. As Hendrick Hertzberg points out in this week’s New Yorker, the name of the federal holiday is, and always has been, Washington’s Birthday. The official USPS holiday closing sign gets it right- it says ‘Washington’s Birthday’, but it does acknowledge the popular confusion by tacking on ‘(Presidents’ Day)’ in smaller print.

There’s an interesting history of the holiday, and the whole Monday holiday controversy at Prologue, the magazine of the National Archives.

Update: based on the comments on the main web page, there are apparently still people who believe that we once had two federal holidays in February, one for Lincoln, and one for Washington, and that the ‘President’s Day’ holiday took their place. Not so- Lincoln’s Birthday has never been an annual federal holiday. See Wikipedia or Snopes.

Update2: This one’s worth an entry of its own- the Manchester Union Leader actually thinks there is a War on Washington’s Birthday!?

Postage Due- an original comic strip by Mike Morgan

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Postage Due- an original comic strip by Mike Morgan

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From NAPS HQ in the NAPS Member Forum:

We have received significant feedback from our hard working members in the Postal Service’s Sales Force, that they are being unilaterally forced to meet with their managers and have Performance Improvement Plans (PIP’s) developed.

While the implementation of Performance Improvement Plans (PIP’s) have surfaced most often with our members in Sales, we are advising all of our members throughout the country of our position in this matter and directing them to take the following steps:

• When instructed to meet with your manager relative to the development of a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), request NAPS representation to attend the meeting with you. Do not attend any meeting to develop a PIP without NAPS representation.

• NAPS Headquarters is advising you not to sign the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). You cannot be forced to sign a Performance Improvement Plan.

We are advising our regional and area vice presidents to monitor these situations closely and for our local branch presidents to report instances where these actions occur through the chain of command to NAPS Headquarters.

We will be meeting with the Postal Service at the national level to discuss PIP’s and provide recommendations to resolve the problem.

From the USPS:

DMM Advisory

Pricing and Classification — keeping you
informed about the prices and mailing standards of the United States Postal
Service

We updated our proposed mailing standards that accompany the price change proposal currently before the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). The revised standards, published at www.usps.com/ratecase, respond to comments we received on previous versions.

In addition to the updated proposal, you can find our earlier proposals and side-by-side comparisons of today’s prices and those that are currently under review by the Commission. Our Web site also provides helpful information for mailers, including frequently asked questions, press releases, and Mailers Companion and MailPro articles related to the pricing change. We encourage you to review our proposed mailing standards and use our electronic tools as you prepare for the pricing change.

Press release from Window Book:

Cambridge, MA February 15, 2007 — USPS Regulation changes in the Spring of 2007 will be transforming the mail preparation method once again. In 1996, Mail Classification Reform was implemented, with new categories and mail classes introduced to meet customers’ needs and simplify postal operations. These categories described the type of communication, delivery speed and the extent of sorting. The cost structure for these various services encouraged mailers to prepare proper addresses, use barcodes and presort their mailpieces for faster processing and lower costs. Mailers who were running the most efficient mailing operation possible were able to save more on postage with worksharing discounts and smart addressing.

With the upcoming 2007 Rate Case, the Postal Service will be placing more emphasis on mailpiece shape in setting new rates. 2007 rates have not been finalized at this time, and mailers are still in the dark as to what the final new qualification and preparation rules will be. It is more critical than ever for mailers and shippers to rethink their packaging choices, and to make changes to current systems to maximize efficiency.

Preparation is key, but that doesn’t mean that mailers will have to spend more time on manual labor, if they utilize the right software. The need for quality mailing software has increased dramatically over the last several years, and will continue to do so with future rate cases planned by the USPS. Mailing software that manages all postage payment methods, reduces labor, and increases transactional speed and accuracy is no longer a luxury, but now necessary to help organizations avoid the profit leaks that can compromise successful businesses.

Until processing categories are defined by the USPS, any rate estimates would be purely speculative, but you need to inspect both the new requirements and your system to make sure your software has capabilities to easily adept to upcoming changes in the industry. Software should have the capability to calculate the new rates and generate updated PAVE-approved USPS forms. This information is essential to improve management of your postage funds in preparation for the new rates. Invest in software that has these features integrated. Don’t settle for a short term solution because you will end up spending more time and money in the long run.

Make certain that your software choice has the capability to change preparation methods to meet the incentives of the new rate case. Check to see that you can automate your mailing system for getting the best drop ship discounts at the correct delivery point, barcode, and able to make last minute changes including removal of spoilage. Automating these operations will benefit both you and the postal service by maintaining low cost for everyone.

Expedite mail acceptance and verification with USPS. Utilize programs such as drop ship scheduling via FAST, and electronic postage payment with PostalOne!®. These programs are designed to make mailing and drop shipping more efficient, and to save mailers time.

Examining your software to see if it can adept to the new changes will reveal your operational strengths and weaknesses, helping you make better management decisions for greater productivity. Software that has the capability of handling all mailing activities and lets you exchange postal data among in-house systems and end-users for acceptance and transportation planning makes it easier for your organization to deal with an ever-changing workforce and postal regulatory and rate changes. Be prepared.

National Postal Forum
Window Book will be showcasing at the National Postal Forum again this year. If you plan on coming, make sure to visit our booth #623 and learn about how you can stay ahead of the postal changes in 2007. Window Book participates on many committees, advisory boards, and mailing associations, including MTAC (Mailers Technical Advisory Committee), and is in the position of providing you with the latest and the best practices to help you keep on top of the ever-changing mailing landscape.

About Window Book
Window Book (www.windowbook.com) is the premier mailing and shipping software partner to lettershops, corporate mailers, and fulfillment houses. Window Book’s best-in-class postal solutions include: Mail.dat®, post-presort data management, entry planning, drop shipping, postal documentation & statements, postage accounting, meter and stamp management, delivery confirmation, manifesting shipping system, FAST, and PostalOne!.

Contact information
Lisa Bowes, 617-395-4570
Sooyoung Han, 617-395-4573

Postage Due- an original comic strip by Mike Morgan

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Update: Postalmag.com suggests that maybe the rumor arose from the fact that NALC National Business Agents are meeting in DC, but says that was a previously scheduled meeting.

It’s just a rumor at the moment, so stay tuned. One hint is that the NALC’s web site abruptly removed the prominent ‘Contract Rap Session’ box from its web site:

Monday:

Today:

Postage Due- an original comic strip by Mike Morgan

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Postage Due- an original comic strip by Mike Morgan

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