And you thought the CP Strike was bad? Check this out...

[Yipper]

So we are sitting here thinking the Canada Post situation was bad, the US is facing a far worser problem. Canadians were fighting to increase their conditions while the US tries to just keep in service.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44396682.../#.TmT0iq52mPU

Rarely do things actually materialize since the US government will come in to back them up (although they are virtually dried themselves) but still the idea of it is quite scary and many things will be cut.

[flemingc04]

Wow, I knew things were bad, but I didn't know things there THAT bad! Good thing they are looking at cutting out Saturday mail. From my understanding, the USPS rates are lower than Canada Post rates. Maybe they should look at raising their rates a bit too.

Canada Post Lettermail rates:
Lettermail shipping within Canada
Lettermail shipping to USA
Lettermail shipping international

The cost to send a typical bubble mailer is $1.25 in Canada, $2.06 to the US, and $4.10 worldwide. Plus there is tax on top on those prices. I'm not sure of the actual rates in the US, but I believe our rates are quite a bit more, especially when using tracking.

[Yipper]

I think we get slightly better service with certain things. I know if I ask for just tracking to the US it cost around $15 but it delivers in 4 days vs when I ask for Express it is $30 and in 2-3 days... I guess there is a way to get around the system... but I do understand the US has way cheaper rates.

[Drewk86a]

Don't want to get too political here, but the stories of the US Postal Service's demise are not entirely accurate. Politicians in Washington are playing partisan games with the USPS's fate.

In 2006, Congress passed a law which required the USPS to pre-fund health benefits for future retirees (employees who have not even been hired yet!). The USPS pays $5+ billion into this fund every year. No other company, or government agency, is required to do this.

You may hear that the USPS will lose $9 billion this year and has lost over $20 billion in the past four years. What they don't tell you is that postal operations (collection, processing and delivery) only account for $640 million of those losses. The remaining $19.4 billion is money paid into the future retiree fund. If you look at the past five years (instead of four) you will find that the USPS actually made a small profit! During the worst recession in 80 years the USPS actually made a profit! Then Congress jammed their sitcky fingers into the mix and "approriated" $19.4 billion of USPS revenues.


You may hear that the USPS is bankrupt...that they have no money. That is not true. The USPS currently has over $124 BILLION in monies being held by the US Treasury. Congress will not allow the USPS to access these funds. This money is:

• $42 billion is the future retiree health benefit fund.
• $75 billion overpayement into the Civil Service pension fund
• $7 billion overpayment into the Federal Employees pension fund.

The USPS has asked that this money be returned, but Congress will not give it back. Imagine how you would feel if your electric company charged you $200 when you only owed $100. You call the company and say, "I paid too much and I want my money back." and they say, "No, we're going to keep that money"?

The USPS provides a great service to the American public. You can send a letter to anywhere in the country for 44 cents! That is the cheapest rate in the world. As collectors and traders we all see the value of keeping the USPS. Who wants to pay the rates charged by UPS or FedEx? (both of which add fuel surchages when the price of gas goes up - the USPS does not).

There are currently two bills in Congress designed to save the USPS. The first bill, HR 1351, written by Steven Lynch (mass) would allow the USPS access to the money mentioned above. The second is a terrible bill by Darrell Issa (calif.) which would establish a government oversight committee that would dictate how the USPS should be run. (Yeah, that's what we need...another committee). In true partisan fashion, Rep. Issa has vowed to block HR 1351 from even coming to a vote! You can help the USPS. HR 1351 currently has 193 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. It needs 25 more sponsors to move it to the House floor for a vote. Ask your representative, if they haven't already, to co-sponsor HR 1351.

Sorry to be so longwinded!

(Moderator - feel free to delete this post if it is deemed inappropriate)

[Drewk86a]

From my understanding, the USPS rates are lower than Canada Post rates. Maybe they should look at raising their rates a bit too.

USPS cannot raise rates. A law passed in 2006 says the USPS can only raise rates once per year. Also, any rate increase is determined by a formula which mandates that the increase must be less than the rate of inflation. Because of the recession there is no infaltion. No inflation means no rate increase. Last year the USPS requested an emergency rate increase of 2 cents. They were told NO.

[iidaemmi]

Well in my opinion USA should raise they rates immediately when it's possible.
I always wondered how Canadian bubble mailer costs 4.1$ to overseas and American is 2,1$, sometimes 1,7$. No sense at all.

Harri