On October 22nd, a consortium of 17 mailing industry organizations, including the ACMA, sent a pointed letter to USPS Board Chairman Robert M. Duncan and the four other postal Board of Governors, who recently established a quorum for the first time in several years. The letter, which was specifically timed a few weeks prior to the Board’s next quarterly meeting, can be accessed here. Below are some brief highlights:
- the 17 mailer groups comprise over 90% of funding of universal postal services in the US;
- undue reliance on raising prices to stabilize the Postal Service would ultimately doom the mailing industry and undermine any comprehensive plan to address the Postal Service’s difficulties;
- costs, service, revenues, and the funding of the universal service obligation (USO) must all be addressed;
- catalogs have never completely recovered from the 2007 rate hike that initiated an accelerated volume decline that has now exceeded 40%;
- new postal products, services, and solutions are also critical;
- include input from all key stakeholders in USPS’s 10-year plan; and
- the consortium proposed that the Board meet with the group to consider our shared future and prioritize the efforts that can create a sustainable path forward.
The ACMA is happy to answer any questions from members and will keep you apprised of possible next steps.
Sincerely,
Paul Miller
Vice President & Deputy Director
ACMA
914-669-8391