To improve the security of LiteBlue, on Jan. 15, the Postal Service implemented multifactor authentication (MFA) when logging in. MFA provides an extra layer of security and may already be familiar to most through online accounts at financial institutions by confirming a code received via text message or through an app. Now, unless already done so since MFA was implemented, when employees sign in to LiteBlue they will be required to reset their Self-Service Profile (SSP) password, verify the last four digits of their Social Security Number (SSN), and set up their MFA preferences. On Jan. 17, a mandatory stand-up talk about multifactor authentication for LiteBlue should have been given in all stations and offices throughout the country. That stand-up talk can be found here. Additionally, instructions and videos to help set up MFA can be found here.

To further protect employees' accounts, the Postal Service temporarily disabled allotment and net-to-bank changes. Although many have secured their account by setting up MFA, the Postal Service reports that 38 percent of all postal employees have yet to do so. The ability to make allotment and net-to-bank changes will remain disabled until a greater number of employees have protected their accounts. In the meantime, employees can still use a postal computer to access PostalEASE to make allotment and net-to-bank changes. All letter carriers should set up MFA on their accounts as soon as possible. 

Sister Rock started her letter carrier career in 1987. She was a member of Pittsburgh, PA Branch 84 where she served as a shop steward from 1994-2004. She also served as Branch 84’s treasurer from 2001-2004, when she was elected branch vice president. She was elected executive vice president of the branch in 2007 and became president in 2008.  

In addition to her branch service, Rock served as a board member and later as president of the Pennsylvania State Association of Letter Carriers. She was the first woman to serve as president of Branch 84 and on the board of the state association. She retired in 2009 after a 22-year career.

Rock is survived by her husband George, her son George, and two grandchildren. She was 69.  

“Sister Rock was a trailblazer for future leaders of Branch 84 and in Pennsylvania,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “On behalf of NALC, I appreciate Joyce’s years of dedicated service and send my condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.”

Brother Gentry started his Postal Service career in 1969 and was a member of Virginia Beach Branch 2819. He was active in the union throughout his career and served his branch, state and region in several capacities. He served as president of Branch 2819 and president of the Virginia State Association of Letter Carriers. He worked as a regional administrative assistant in Region 13 before serving as the region’s national business agent.

Gentry retired in 1999. He was an Army veteran.

Gentry is survived by his wife Linda, his two sons Gregory and Jason, three grandchildren and four step-grandchildren. He was 82.

“Brother Gentry was dedicated to his union brothers and sisters and served them well at the local, state and regional levels,” President Brian L. Renfroe said. “I am appreciative of his decades of service, especially in Region 13. On behalf of NALC, I send my deepest sympathies to Dick’s family, friends and colleagues. He will be missed.”

To improve the security of LiteBlue, the Postal Service has implemented multifactor authentication (MFA) when logging in. MFA provides an extra layer of security and may already be familiar to most through online accounts at financial institutions by confirming a code received via text message or through an app.

Effective Jan. 15, when employees sign in to LiteBlue they will be required to reset their Self-Service Profile (SSP) password, verify the last four digits of their Social Security Number (SSN), and set up their multifactor authentication preferences. The Jan. 17, 2023 Mandatory Stand-Up Talk Multifactor authentication now required for LiteBlue can be found here, and instructions and videos to help setup MFA can be found here. All letter carriers should take these steps as soon as possible to further secure their accounts.

As with any website, be sure to check you are on the genuine website before entering any credentials. Users can avoid fraudulent LiteBlue sites by typing the web address directly (www.liteblue.usps.gov).

Susan Granger died on Dec. 16. Sister Granger had been a letter carrier for 23 years. She was a member of Marietta, GA Branch 1119, where she had served as a shop steward. She was also an Air Force veteran.

Granger is survived by her husband Randy and her two children Austin and Brandon. She was 50. 

On-duty death

Joshua Speed was found deceased in his postal vehicle on Dec. 27. Brother Speed began his career as a letter carrier in 2015 and became a member of San Bernardino, CA Branch 411. In 2021, he transferred to Camden, NJ. Prior to his Postal Service career, Josh served in the Army for seven years.

Speed is survived by his parents Bryan and Sue Ellen and his fiancée Tina. He was 37.

“NALC is deeply saddened to learn of the losses of these members,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “We recognize their service and send our condolences to their families, friends and colleagues.”

WEP reduces earned Social Security benefits for CSRS employees and for Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) employees, who also receive a public pension from another job not covered by Social Security. In addition, WEP affects employees who move from a job in which they earn Social Security to a job where they do not earn the Social Security benefit.

GPO affects CSRS employees and spousal benefits of people who work as federal, state or local government employees if the job is not covered by Social Security. GPO currently reduces by two-thirds the benefit received by surviving spouses who also collect a government pension.

The bill, which received a supermajority of cosponsors in the 117^th Congress, already has 59 cosponsors. Despite consistent bipartisan support, the legislation has proved difficult to pass due to the price tag.

NALC will continue actively working to gain support for this bill so letter carriers can receive the full benefits they earned.

Click here for NALC's fact sheet on H.R. 82.

“Letter carriers have once again made it easy for tens of millions of Americans to vote safely and securely by mail,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “The diligent work of letter carriers, and all postal employees, makes the vote-by-mail process possible and successful. NALC is proud of our members’ work that continues to help Americans participate in the democratic process.”

This pride fuels the NALC’s ongoing work with the National Vote at Home Coalition, which works with state and local election officials and state legislatures to promote the use of mail ballots across the country. Over the next two years, it will focus on expanding vote by mail in a half dozen states while defending against voter suppression efforts that seek to roll back mail ballot reforms or suppress voting rights in general.

Click here for the full USPS post-election report.

It is reported that employees are using Google and attempting to access PostalEase. Over several recent days, approximately 119 postal employees attempted accessing PostalEase using Google; however, Google’s routers redirected their searches to third-party criminally run websites that mirror the look and access of PostalEase.  Unfortunately, their logon credentials were hacked, and some accounts were compromised.

The USPS Corporate Information Security Office (CISO) is working with the Postal Inspection Service to facilitate notice to the impacted employees. Formal notification to all postal employees is forthcoming. 

USPS reports that representations have been made at the district level confirming Postal Inspectors are contacting impacted employees, as well as employees who may have unknowingly been compromised, and requesting their EINs and passwords.

Postal Inspectors have not contacted postal employees and requested their EINs and/or passwords. Employees should never provide usernames and/or passwords to anyone.

USPS has informed NALC that PostalEase has not been breached by any third party. Employees accessing PostalEase via the official postal website have not experienced security breaches.

Specific banking industry standards require financial institutions to provide relief in certain situations. However, several third-party websites were criminal scams, and likely, some of the lost monies will not be returned.  USPS does not have the total dollar loss currently available. USPS states liability for the hacking, bank account breaches and lost monies remains with Google.

Financially impacted employees should immediately contact the Eagan ASC Helpdesk at 866-974-2733. Staff members are available to assist.

If you become aware of any employee experiencing access issues to PostalEase, they should immediately contact 877-477-3273 to request assistance.

Additionally, to assist USPS with identifying our affected members, NALC has created a section on the NALC Members Only portal of the NALC website that will allow affected individuals to identify themselves as victims of this scam. NALC members, after logging into the Members Only portal, will see in the upper right-hand portion of their Member Information page a check box with the words “Check here if you have been a victim of the fraudulent PostalEase Access” in red lettering.

NALC will then provide this information to USPS to assist in identifying those who may have been affected.

NALC President Brian Renfroe and Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation John Podesta

Today, the Postal Service announced its plan to purchase 66,000 electric delivery vehicles starting now and lasting until 2028. The agency will acquire a total of 106,000 delivery vehicles, replacing nearly half of its 220,000 vehicle fleet.

The 60,000 Next Generation Vehicles (NGDV) to be purchased from U.S. defense contractor Oshkosh include 45,000 electric NGDVs—meaning that 75 percent of the NGDVs will be electric. That figure is notably higher than the 10 percent that the Postal Service had previously announced in February of this year. The agency also announced that 100 percent of NGDVs purchased after 2028 are expected to be electric.

The remaining 46,000 will be commercial off-the-shelf vehicles. The Postal Service will prioritize domestic manufacturing with these purchases, and at least 21,000 of these vehicles will be electric.

All new vehicles, regardless of electrification, will include air conditioning and advanced safety technology.

The Postal Service will invest $9.6 billion dollars, including $3 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act, in these vehicles.

“NALC is pleased that the Postal Service is leading the way in electrifying the federal vehicle fleet,” NALC President Brian Renfroe said. “With these delivery vehicles, letter carriers will deliver in much-needed safer and more reliable vehicles, while the Postal Service lowers its carbon footprint.”

President Renfroe attended an announcement event at Postal Service Headquarters in Washington, DC today. Postmaster General Louis Dejoy, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation John Podesta, Chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory, and Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi delivered remarks.