We are the proud uniformed employees and retirees of the United States Postal Service, and we are concerned about the attempts by Marty Grace to affect the appearance of the uniforms of our carriers and clerks. His sale of illegal merchandise and his attempt to become a qualified postal vendor are in direct violation of the USPS Employee Labor Manual [ELM].

To be precise, our uniforms are alike for a reason; they are uniform in appearance in order to support and promote the postal brand.

From the ELM: 931.2 Purpose and Scope

931.21 Uniforms

Uniforms are provided to certain employees for the following reasons:To provide immediate visual identification with the Postal Service to the public.
To project an appearance to the public that is neat, professional, and pleasing.
To help develop in the employee a feeling of esprit de corps.
To meet standard professional practices (doctors, nurses, etc.).

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Marty Grace is attempting to change the face of the postal uniform by developing his own styles utilizing trademarked and copyrighted images belonging to the US Postal Service [the stylized eagle head and several postal acronyms]. This is illegal and should not be allowed.

From the ELM:

931.264 Postal Service Emblem
The Postal Service emblem may not be worn except by uniformed postal employees as part of the prescribed uniform except in the following circumstances:

Postmasters and other installation heads may permit the voluntary wearing of the Postal Service emblems by a postal employee who has daily personal contact with the public, but who is not required to wear a uniform.
In all other situations, specific authorization is obtained through administrative channels from Labor Relations.

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Additionally, we feel that the clothing and gear promoted by Marty Grace is unprofessional, resembling attire worn in the seedier parts of large inner cities nationwide [see photo of a uniformed employee]. The fabrics used are not amenable to hard use by uniformed employees, specifically those carriers and clerks who work with the public and need to be dressed professionally regardless of exposure.

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It has come to our attention that several postal installations are permitting their uniformed employees to wear this gear, against the instructions set out in the ELM: 931 Uniforms
931.1 Entitlement and Allowances
931.11 Entitlement
Certain employees MUST WEAR [emphasis mine] prescribed uniforms in performing their duties. These employees are entitled (a) to a uniform allowance to purchase authorized uniform items or (b) to be furnished uniforms that meet Postal Service specifications.

931.23 Personal Appearance
Supervisors are responsible for continually observing the uniforms of employees and taking appropriate corrective action, when necessary, to ensure employees are properly attired.

Installations need to discontinue sanctioning the purchase and use of these non-regulation items in order to comply with ELM regulations as well as to preserve the face of the postal employee in the eye of the public.

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While Mr. Grace is simply following the American dream, he is doing so by illegal means. He has a retail website and claims to have up to 50,000 satisfied customers, including uniformed employees. This means that he has been selling his version of copyright infringement widely; the Postal Service needs to put an end to this, potentially pursuing charges against Mr. Grace. We feel that he should not be rewarded for his illegal behavior by being given a vendor contract.