PCC membership consists of both Postal Service employees and representatives of the mailing industry. Membership is open to all business mailers who use the services of the Postal Service within the sponsoring Postal Service manager’s geographic area. The terms “business mailers” and “businesses” as used in this document include commercial mailers, non-profit organizations, service bureaus, and other types of business enterprises that use the mail, including those that may be individuals or sole proprietorships, but the terms are not meant to include residential mailers. A business mailer may be a member of more than one PCC, but he/she cannot be an officer or Executive Board member of multiple PCCs.

Postal Service employees will join the PCC membership and participate as determined by the Postal Service and in accordance with the needs of the individual PCC.

PCCs are postal-sponsored organizations. Mailing industry members acting on behalf of the PCC are not federal employees and are not authorized to act on behalf of the Postal Service nor authorized to legally bind the Postal Service by any of their acts or omissions. Industry members of the PCC are authorized to act on behalf of the PCC only as set forth in this Publication. While participating in the PCC, industry members must continue to serve the PCC Mission.

Competitors may become PCC members, but competitors may not serve on Executive Boards, PCC Committees, or as officers and may not exhibit at vendor shows or other PCC functions and may not promote or sell their products and services at PCC functions of any kind or give presentations at PCC events and meetings. Donations to the PCCs and sponsorships of PCC events by competitors are also prohibited. A competitor is an individual or company or other entity or association that promotes, sells or acts in support of products or services that compete with Postal Service products and services, even if such individual or entity is also a business partner of the Postal Service. A competitor includes those entities that are directly or indirectly, wholly- or partially-owned subsidiaries of a competitor and any individual employed by a competitor or the wholly- or partially-owned subsidiary of a competitor. A competitor may also include an individual, company or other entity or association that partners with a competitor.

While participating in or attending any PCC event, employees of the Postal Service are on official duty. Accordingly, Postal Service employees must adhere to all applicable laws and regulations related to federal employment, including but not limited to, the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch found at 5 C.F.R. Part 2635, et seq.. Industry PCC members may be subject to professional rules of conduct governing their professions or professional licenses, business or industry codes of conduct or industry affiliations. The Postal Service expresses no opinion as to such other rules or regulations or their applicability to industry PCC members while engaging in PCC activities.

PCCs may not take part as an organization in any form of political activity or lobbying. Questions about these restrictions should be referred to the Postal Service Law Department by contacting either a Field Law Office or the Ethics and Federal Requirements Section at Headquarters.
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Source: Publication 286 – POSTAL CUSTOMER COUNCIL PROGRAM POLICIES AND RULES March 2007