[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 92 (Monday, July 13, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S8069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       POSTAL WORKER RECOGNITION

 Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to say 
``thank you'' to a most diverse collection of government employees, 
unified by many factors but most of all, a commitment to service. Thank 
you for the professionalism that you display which has allowed us to 
come to expect value, reliability, and uniformity from one of the 
world's largest businesses.
  Who are these employees? They're truck drivers, engineers, janitors, 
accountants, detectives, customer service personnel, and letter 
carriers. They're United States Postal Employees.
  The United States Postal Service is a business with an unusual 
pedigree, even though we commonly recognize the ``post office'' as a 
traditional government entity. Yet while its origins can be traced to 
the origins of our country, the Postal Service as we know it today is 
only 27 years old. USPS went through an extensive revamping in the late 
1960s and early 70s. The Post Office Department was removed from the 
President's Cabinet and converted into a non-profit government 
corporation. The result was an effective elimination of politicians 
from the management of postal affairs.
  Congress passed the Postal Reorganization Act which created the new 
United States Postal Service on July 1, 1971. This month, we recognize 
an organization able to modernize, while maintaining the fundamental 
unifying factors required of such a massive global organization.
  USPS has a unique set of privileges and responsibilities which serve 
to ensure uniform service and stable prices for mail delivery 
throughout the United States. The Chair of the USPS Board of Governors 
announced in late June that there would be no postal rate increase for 
1998. The next rate increase will take effect January 10, 1999. At that 
time the price of a First-Class letter will increase by one penny, to 
33 cents.
  USPS last increased rates on January 1, 1995. When the new rates take 
effect next year, it will be the second straight rate adjustment below 
inflation, in effect cutting the real cost of a First-Class stamp by 
seven percent since 1995. That makes the cost of a First-Class letter 
among the lowest in the industrialized world--a feat managed without 
taxpayer subsidies. In Japan, the cost of a First-Class letter is $.57, 
in Great Britain it is $.42 and in Germany it is $.62.
  Yet the success of USPS in its ability to reorganize, modernize, and 
compete in a global marketplace is due to each individual postal 
employee, because that's what comprises successful business 
operations--great employees.

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