The Postal Service filed notice on April 10 of increased rates with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), which take effect July 9. The average rate increases are:
Periodicals Outside County: 8.080 percent
Periodicals Within County: 8.811 percent
Marketing Mail HD-Saturation Flats/Parcels: 3.071 percent
Rate comparison charts are attached. The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. The Alliance will provide comments.
The PRC released the Flats Operations Study Report April 6, as required by Section 206 of the Postal Service Reform Act. The study identifies causes of inefficiencies in the collection, sorting, transportation, and delivery of flats. The PSRA also requires the Postal Service, within 6 months, either to develop and implement a plan to remedy each inefficiency identified or to provide an explanation as to why remedying the inefficiency is impracticable. The Alliance provided comments in January. The USPS Office of Inspector General plans to issue their study in June.
Holly Lubart is Vice President, Government Affairs at the News/Media Alliance. Previously, she served as Vice President of Government Affairs for the PA NewsMedia Association and started her career as a journalist. Lubart has over 20 years of political and communications experience.
