Membership

If you are a Mailers Council member and want to renew for 2009, click her to download the form.

The Mailers Council accepts membership applications from companies and associations concerned about postage and postal costs, and who are interested in seeing the United States Postal Service (USPS) operate in a more cost-efficient manner.

There are three benefits to Council membership:

Information
Access
Influence

Council members routinely receive pertinent information of interest to those in the postal community. This information includes periodic updates on postal management changes and events, legislative and regulatory news. Whenever the USPS notifies the Council of significant management decisions, that information is sent immediately to the membership. Council members also benefit from the exchange of ideas and information that occurs at each Council meeting. Those members attending include a broad spectrum of mailers from Washington, New York, Chicago and other locations.

Council members frequently use the organization as an entrée to the USPS, Postal Rate Commission or offices on Capitol Hill. Requests for information or a detailed briefing receive immediate attention, and the results of subsequent meetings are then forwarded to the entire membership. This benefit is particularly attractive to members working outside Washington, or those anywhere with staff limitations who need the type of assistance the Council's executive director offers.

Because our membership collectively represents 70 percent of total USPS mail volume, the Postal Service regularly seeks our cooperation and opinion on major policy and price changes. As a result, the Council has successfully influenced the size and timing of several rate cases, and continuously encourages the USPS to find new ways of reducing its core costs while improving service and productivity.

As one example, the Council played a significant role in shaping the 1994 postal rate increase. Postal officials were considering a 20 percent postage increase, or a $.35 First-Class stamp. The Council warned that such a steep increase would drive away mail volume to alternative delivery systems and precipitate the need for additional rate increases, and possibly a federal bail-out. Instead, the Council convinced the Postal Service and worked with the Postal Rate Commission to implement an across-the-board increase and a cost containment program. USPS officials adopted the proposal and broke a two-decade cycle of steep increases followed by mail volume declines. The concept proved successful, with current rates remaining in effect for a record number of years.

The Council also worked in 1998 to delay an increase USPS officials were planning for that summer. Early that year, with USPS reports of profits far in excess of its predictions, the Council implemented a full-scale public relations and lobbying campaign designed to encourage a delay in the implementation of the case, the timing of which would be announced by mid-year. The campaign's results? The USPS delayed the increase until January 10, 1999, saving business mailers millions of dollars in postage costs.

Membership dues vary depending on whether applicants are companies or trade associations, and their revenues or budgets, the size and type of organization. For current dues information, call Executive Director Bob McLean by phone at 703-418-0390, or by email.

Mission Statement

The Mailers Council believes that the USPS can be operated more efficiently, supports efforts aimed at lowering postal costs, and has the ultimate objective of containing postal rates without compromising service.

Mission Statement

The Mailers Council is the unified voice for the mailing industry and promotes the existence of a cost-effective USPS that meets mailers’ needs.

Values

We represent more than 70% of all mail in the US.
We offer valuable and timely information.
Discussions are enhanced by the diversity of the organizations participating.
Membership is cost effective relative to the information received and the opportunities for creating relationships among members.
We represent a credible, respected opinion among others in the mailing industry.
We focus on postal policies that have the greatest effect on the mailing industry.