The United States Postal Service has filed its 2001 omnibus rate case with the Postal Rate Commission on Monday September 24, 2001.  In light of the Postal Service's financial situation in these extraordinary times, and all other factors being considered, they have filed a proposal on December 24, 2001 to settle the pending rate case with implementation no sooner than June 2, 2002.  Jack Potter, Postmaster General, stated they have a critical need to resolve this issue and to conclude the pending rate case, so they may turn their attention to other important matters.  The industry is looking for an implementation date no sooner than June 30, 2002.  Potter stated currently they have no plans to initiate a subsequent rate case and would prefer not to have to begin the process during fiscal year 2002.  Potter promises to work hard to lead the Postal Service to continue to reduce costs, improve productivity, and promote growth of mail business.

Following are the average proposed rate increases for the various classes of mail and services:

If you have any questions or concerns about postal issues, we're here to help. Please feel free to contact Jerry Imbriani at (815) 734-5200 or Norm Abraham at (740) 375-2364.