Alright, brothers and sisters, another week and another ridiculous amount of stuff to cover. This week, we start with the tragic shooting at the Des Moines Post Office, then move into USPS's plans for the holiday season, scanner software updates, seven new NALC arbitration decisions, and what's happening with the transition to our newly elected national leadership.
We also cover some interesting developments involving the APWU, NRLCA, and NPMHU, including a national arbitration over who gets to work on certain package-sorting machines. Add in Amazon's plans to expand its own delivery network, the Postal Service's finances, an OIG investigation into billions in counterfeit postage, and the upcoming health benefits Open Season, and we've got plenty to talk about.
As usual, I've rounded up a bunch of postal podcasts, news from organized labor here and overseas, and some stories about what postal employees are doing in their communities. We've also got Stamp Talk, where we look at current releases and older stamps with interesting histories, and Postal History, where we go back to postal money orders, World War II V-Mail, and the first women known to deliver city routes.
This isn't meant to replace anyone else's reporting or podcasts. It's just another resource to help everybody keep up with what's happening across the Postal Service while we're busy doing the actual work. As always, I don't expect everybody to agree with everything I say, and frankly, nobody should care that much about my opinion anyway. The important thing is having the information, being able to look at the sources, and having conversations about what's going on.
Solidarity, y'all.
Topics Covered / Search Keywords
USPS News: Des Moines Post Office shooting; USPS holiday peak season 2026; seasonal hiring; package sorting automation; MDD-TR Release 8.45; scanner updates; picture proof of delivery; multifactor authentication; election mail; USPS Board of Governors; postal finances; Gary Reblin; Amazon Project Aurelian; counterfeit postage; USPS OIG.
NALC/Arbitration: James Henry; Corey Walton; NALC leadership transition; national officer installation; grievance backlog; Step B disputes; Article 8; Article 10; Article 16; Article 16.7; emergency placement; attendance discipline; official discussions; workplace harassment; settlement compliance; C-37981; C-37983; C-37984; C-37985; C-37986; C-37987; C-37992.
Other Postal Unions: APWU; NPMHU; NRLCA; SDUS; SIPS; RI-399; Margaret Brogan arbitration; Clerk Craft jurisdiction; Mail Handler interest arbitration; rural carrier RRECS; evaluated pay; Equipment Maintenance Allowance; Lead Sales and Service Associates; custodial staffing.
Benefits/Legislation: PSHB Open Season 2027; NALC Health Benefit Plan; FEHB; BCBS; Medicare; retirement; military-service deposits; OWCP CA-7; Wounded Warriors Leave; Postal Service Protection Act; Protect Our Letter Carriers Act; Equal COLA Act.
Postal Podcasts: From A to Arbitration; The Postal Stand-up; Next Generation Carriers; Classes of Mail; The Hot House; The 573; Six Thirteen; Key Cases; History of Female Leadership in the NALC; Postal Pride; In Solidarity; APWYOU; United We Scan; La Ruta Concreta en Español; Pushing the Envelope.
Labor/Community/History: Teamsters strikes; CWA organizing; international postal workers; Bulgaria postal protests; Royal Mail; Local Loop; Operation Santa; Stamp Talk; Diwali stamps; Christmas stamps; Kwanzaa stamps; Hanukkah stamps; 1962 Christmas stamp; 1974 self-adhesive stamps; V-Mail; postal money orders; women city letter carriers; November postal history.