Rural letter carriers are scheduled Tuesday to rally on Capitol Hill for the launch of a national campaign urging Congress to block any attempts by the Trump administration to privatize the U.S. Postal Service.
More than 100 letter carriers are slated to gather to raise awareness of the stakes to rural communities from efforts to strip the Postal Service of its independent status as a government enterprise and sell it to private investors, which some conservatives argue would improve efficiency. Critics say private companies would strip out parts of the agency that don’t earn back returns on invested capital and only focus on high-density regions where they could make a profit.
“This is about preserving the American value of universal mail service. If we allow privatization to take root, it would be a devastating blow to rural America and to the men and women who proudly serve as postal workers. These aren’t just jobs; they’re lifelines for millions, especially in rural communities. We cannot allow the Postal Service to be dismantled for the benefit of corporate interests,” said Don Maston, president of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association (NRLCA) in an announcement about the event.
The Postal Service delivers mail and packages to 168 million addresses.
Speakers from NRLCA and three other postal unions will press lawmakers to protect the Postal Service’s independence and equal access to mail service. Four House members – two Democrats and two Republicans – are also scheduled to address the gathering.
On Thursday, thousands of postal workers and community members attended local protests across the country with a similar message that selling off the mail system would be bad for service and for policymakers to leave it in government hands. The actual number of rallygoers could not be confirmed.
Before the Capitol Hill demonstration, Maston, American Postal Workers Union President Mark Dimondstein and Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, will hold a press conference in Washington to highlight a range of perceived threats against the Postal Service they say could raise the price of stamps and packages, reduce the frequency of mail delivery and otherwise hurt communities.
Talk about potential privatization of the Postal Service has gained steam in recent weeks as President Donald Trump and various aides have conveyed interest in the concept. The Washington Post last month reported that the Trump administration intends to consolidate power over the Postal Service by placing it under the Commerce Department, which some observers said could be a precursor to privatization. Trump publicly confirmed the idea is under consideration.
In December, before taking office, Trump suggested he was open to the idea of taking the Postal Service private. The first Trump administration looked into the idea before backing down in the face of congressional opposition. Republicans now control both chambers of Congress and have not shown much interest in challenging any White House policies.
Meanwhile, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has welcomed billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to audit the quasipublic agency for cost-saving opportunities, including problems with postal worker retirement plans, workers’ compensation, and elimination of underused post offices. DeJoy has implemented a campaign to streamline the Postal Service over 10 years.
In public comments earlier this month, Musk said he was exploring privatizing the Postal Service.
Postal unions express fear that privatization could deprive workers of earned benefits and bargaining rights, undermining decades of gains made through collective bargaining.
The NRLCA is pushing for passage of House Resolution 70, which affirms the Postal Service’s role as a federal institution and opposes privatization. The union said it plans to hold elected officials accountable to their rural constituents on postal matters.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
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