Notice2023-08762
Changes Associated With the Delivering for America Plan
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 26, 2023
Issuing agencies
Postal Regulatory Commission
Abstract
The Commission is initiating a proceeding to examine the recent and planned network changes associated with the Postal Service's Delivering for America strategic plan. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25437-25438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08762]
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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. PI2023-4; Order No. 6488]
Changes Associated With the Delivering for America Plan
AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Commission is initiating a proceeding to examine the
recent and planned network changes associated with the Postal Service's
Delivering for America strategic plan. This notice informs the public
of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative
steps.
DATES: None.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing
Online system at <a href="http://www.prc.gov">http://www.prc.gov</a>. Those who cannot submit comments
electronically should contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section by telephone for advice on filing
alternatives.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at
202-789-6820.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Background
III. Public Inquiry
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
I. Introduction
The Commission establishes Docket No. PI2023-4 to examine the
recent and planned network changes associated with the Postal Service's
Delivering for America strategic plan.\1\
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\1\ See United States Postal Service, Delivering for America:
Our Vision and Ten-Year Plan to Achieve Financial Sustainability and
Service Excellence, March 23, 2021, available at <a href="https://about.usps.com/what/strategic-plans/delivering-for-america/assets/USPS_Delivering-For-America.pdf">https://about.usps.com/what/strategic-plans/delivering-for-america/assets/USPS_Delivering-For-America.pdf</a> (Postal Service Strategic Plan).
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II. Background
On March 23, 2021, the Postal Service published a 10-Year Strategic
Plan announcing potential changes intended to achieve financial
stability and service excellence. See Postal Service Strategic Plan.
The Plan contains 11 key strategies for achieving these goals and
discusses, at a high level, various initiatives it intends to undertake
in furtherance of each strategy. Id. at 5, 22-39. The Plan also states
that the Postal Service will provide opportunities for stakeholder
input and engagement, including by the Postal Service requesting
advisory opinions from the Commission.\2\
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\2\ Id. at 26-27, 35, 41, 52. See United States Postal Service,
Delivering for America, Responses of the United States Postal
Service to the Reporting Requirements Specified in the Postal
Service Reform Act of 2022, FY 2022 3rd and 4th Quarter, December 2,
2022, at 23 n.4, available at <a href="https://www.prc.gov/docs/124/124453/REDACTED_Final_DFA-PSRA_Section_207_Report_12.02.2022.pdf">https://www.prc.gov/docs/124/124453/REDACTED_Final_DFA-PSRA_Section_207_Report_12.02.2022.pdf</a> (Postal
Service DFA PSRA Responses).
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Subsequently, the Postal Service filed three requests with the
Commission for
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advisory opinions on proposed service standard changes related to the
strategic plan that involved First-Class Mail, Periodicals, First-Class
Package Service, Retail Ground, and Parcel Select Ground.\3\ After
providing an opportunity for a formal on-the-record hearing, pursuant
to 5 U.S.C. 3661(c), the Commission issued advisory opinions on the
Postal Service's proposed service standard changes, analyzing the
estimated impact of the proposals on the Postal Service's service
performance, financial condition, operational flow, transportation
network, customer satisfaction, and mail volume.\4\
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\3\ See Docket No. N2021-1, United States Postal Service Request
for an Advisory Opinion on Changes in the Nature of Postal Services,
April 21, 2021; Docket No. N2021-2, United States Postal Service
Request for an Advisory Opinion on Changes in the Nature of Postal
Services, June 17, 2021; Docket No. N2022-1, United States Postal
Service's Request for an Advisory Opinion on Changes in the Nature
of Postal Services, March 21, 2022.
\4\ Docket No. N2021-1, Advisory Opinion on Service Changes
Associated with First-Class Mail and Periodicals, July 20, 2021, at
2; Docket No. N2021-2, Advisory Opinion on the Service Standard
Changes Associated with First-Class Package Service, September 29,
2021, at 3; Docket No. N2022-1, Advisory Opinion on the Service
Standard Changes Associated with Retail Ground and Parcel Select
Ground, June 9, 2022, at 2.
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Most recently, the Postal Service announced plans to create sorting
and delivery centers (S&DCs).\5\ The purpose of the S&DCs is to
``reduce transportation and mail handling costs'' \6\ by aggregating
delivery units into ``larger Sort and Delivery Centers with adequate
space, docks and material handling equipment to operate more
efficiently.'' \7\ The daily operating function of the S&DC will be
essentially the same as a destination delivery unit (DDU), ``except on
a larger scale and with much greater efficiency, operational
reliability and staffing flexibility.'' \8\ The first S&DC opened in
Athens, Georgia in November 2022.\9\ Likewise, the Postal Service
anticipates transforming its network through standardized Regional
Processing and Distribution Centers (RPDCs) and Local Processing
Centers (LPCs). See Postal Service DFA PSRA Responses at 9, 20.
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\5\ See United States Postal Service, Video and Transcript of
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's Keynote Address During the 2022
National Postal Forum, May 18, 2022, available at <a href="https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2022/0518-video-and-transcript-of-pmg-louis-dejoys-keynote-address-during-2022-national-postal-forum.htm">https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2022/0518-video-and-transcript-of-pmg-louis-dejoys-keynote-address-during-2022-national-postal-forum.htm</a>.
\6\ See United States Postal Service, Letter to Edmund A.
Carley, National President, United Postmasters and Managers of
America from James Lloyd, Director, Labor Relations Policies and
Programs, July 29, 2022, available at <a href="https://www.unitedpma.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/resources/notification-0729202246b67af2-353b-48a5-9ca8-87cf43e95d81.pdf?sfvrsn=6055688d_3">https://www.unitedpma.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/resources/notification-0729202246b67af2-353b-48a5-9ca8-87cf43e95d81.pdf?sfvrsn=6055688d_3</a>.
\7\ See United States Postal Service, The Eagle Magazine, Volume
1, Issue 4, July 2022, at 11, available at <a href="https://about.usps.com/resources/eaglemag/em20220802.pdf">https://about.usps.com/resources/eaglemag/em20220802.pdf</a>.
\8\ See United States Postal Service, The Eagle Magazine, Volume
2, Issue 2, Feb. 2023, at 11, available at <a href="https://about.usps.com/resources/eaglemag/em20230131.pdf">https://about.usps.com/resources/eaglemag/em20230131.pdf</a>.
\9\ See KBTX 3 News, Proposed USPS sorting & delivery plan could
impact mail delivery across the region, Jan. 23, 2023, available at
<a href="https://www.kbtx.com/2023/01/24/proposed-usps-sorting-delivery-plan-could-impact-mail-delivery-across-region/">https://www.kbtx.com/2023/01/24/proposed-usps-sorting-delivery-plan-could-impact-mail-delivery-across-region/</a>.
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The Commission discussed potential impacts to flats operations and
costs due to the new S&DCs in its Flats Operations Study Report,
largely based on information provided to stakeholders and Postal
employees.\10\ However, the Commission notes that stakeholders have
expressed concerns regarding a lack of a forum to explore the impacts
of these proposed changes.\11\ The Commission previously found that an
advisory opinion on the entirety of the Postal Service Strategic Plan
was not warranted.\12\ The instant docket is not intended as an
advisory opinion process on the Postal Service Strategic Plan. However,
the Commission finds it beneficial to the interest of transparency to
provide a forum to learn more about these strategic plan initiatives
that may have a significant impact on the postal community.
Accordingly, the Commission opens this Public Inquiry to provide a
forum to seek additional information about the planned S&DCs, as well
as other planned initiatives associated with the Postal Service
Strategic Plan.
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\10\ See Docket No. SS2022-1, Flats Operations Study Report,
April 6, 2023, at 198-99.
\11\ See, e.g., Steve Hutkins, The S&DC rollout rolls on:
Implementation & Impacts of Delivery Network Transformation, Save
the Post Office, Jan. 26, 2023, available at <a href="https://www.savethepostoffice.com/sdc-rollout-rolls-on-implementation-impacts-of-delivery-network-transformation">https://www.savethepostoffice.com/sdc-rollout-rolls-on-implementation-impacts-of-delivery-network-transformation</a> (``Some details about the
plan have been revealed over the past several months, but the Postal
Service has, for the most part, been reluctant to share much with
stakeholders and the public.''); Bill McAllister, USPS outlines
plans for new sorting and delivery centers, LINN's Stamp News, Sep.
6, 2022, available at <a href="https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/usps-outlines-plans-for-new-sorting-and-delivery-centers">https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/usps-outlines-plans-for-new-sorting-and-delivery-centers</a>
(``Postal officials have disclosed few specifics about DeJoy's plans
. . .'').
\12\ See Docket No. C2022-1, Order Granting Motion to Dismiss
Complaint, December 17, 2021 (Order No. 6067).
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III. Public Inquiry
The Commission establishes this proceeding to provide a forum to
garner information regarding proposed changes related to the Postal
Service's Strategic Plan. The Commission anticipates that it will issue
information requests to gather information about the proposed changes
to the network and the impact of recent changes to the postal network.
Interested parties also may propose questions by filing motions seeking
information requests following the procedures listed at 39 CFR part
3010.170(e).
Materials filed in this proceeding will be available for review on
the Commission's website, unless the information contained therein is
subject to an application for non-public treatment. The Commission's
rules on non-public materials (including access to documents filed
under seal) appear in 39 CFR part 3011. Additional information may be
accessed via the Commission's website at <a href="http://www.prc.gov">http://www.prc.gov</a>. Pursuant
to 39 U.S.C. 505, Kenneth R. Moeller will serve as an officer of the
Commission (Public Representative) to represent the interests of the
general public in this docket.
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
It is ordered:
1. The Commission establishes Docket No. PI2023-4 to review issues
related to the Postal Service's Delivering for America Strategic Plan.
2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Kenneth R. Moeller will serve as an
officer of the Commission (Public Representative) to represent the
interests of the general public in this docket.
3. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this Notice in
the Federal Register.
By the Commission.
Erica A. Barker,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-08762 Filed 4-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 26, 2023.
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