SIIA Blasts Postal Commission Approval of 6 Percent Rate Increase

Washington, DC, January 09, 2014 --(PR.com)-- On December 24, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) voted 2-1 to approve an exigent, or “emergency,” postage rate increase of 4.3 percent, the full amount requested in September by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). This increase is to be applied in addition to the CPI increase of 1.7 percent, totaling a 6 percent increase for periodicals. In response, SIIA President Ken Wasch issued the following statement:

“We remain very disappointed that the PRC has continued to ignore the lack of discipline, efficiency and overall fiscal responsibility of the USPS, and instead chose to place a continued and unjustified rate increase on the B2B industry. While the PRC at least had the good judgment to reject the USPS request to make this a permanent increase, we will begin 2014 assessing the opportunities to appeal or further limit the duration of this harmful increase.”

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the leading trade associations representing technology, digital content, media and information companies, including those that publish business-to-business industry magazines and newsletters. Our membership is comprised of more than 700 members who publish more than 600 print periodical titles and mails approximately 800 million magazines and newsletters each year, representing approximately 15% of the periodicals class within the US Postal Service. In addition, SIIA members utilize first-class and standard mail extensively and collectively spend an estimated $260 million in postage each year. In November, SIIA submitted comments to the PRC outlining reasons why the exigent increase should not be approved.