Privatization Protest by Postal Workers
While postal offices were closed for Columbus Day, some postal workers had other activities going on. Rallies were held across the country with an aim to oppose going private, and Lackawanna County was not an exception.
The postal service has now been deemed a failing agency due to poor management and lack of accountability. In a bid to try and save the agency President Donald Trump came up with a strategy by creating a task force Commission that would go through the activities of United States Postal Service and make the necessary recommendations of streamlining the industry. The report by the commission has since then been completed but is yet to be released.
Now with all the speculation, there’s significant concern from postal workers that the administration may decide to privatize the agency for good.
During the Columbus Day, United States Postal Service employees took to the streets in downtown Scranton, to protest any ideas of privatizing the agency with the slogan “U.S. mail is not for sale.” They called on Congress to shun away any attempts of postal privatization.
The employees were keen to make it there points heard by saying that they aim to serve the community above anything else. However, with President Donald Trump’s task force commission doing a review on the agency, postal workers fear that in the end, the decision will most likely be to privatize postal service.
According to Kevin Gallagher, American Postal Workers Union, if the administration fails to get full privatization it will go for parcel package, e-commerce, which is the primary source of revenue for postal service thanks to an exclusive contract with Amazon.
Regardless of the activities by postal service, it has made some significant losses in the last decade or so. It is worth noting that, package delivery is the primary source of revenue for the agency and according to 2017 financial report, it contributes 30% to the annual income.
The protests to avoid privatizing postal service are not only confined to Lackawanna County, but similar rallies are being conducted across the entire country.
The constitution established postal service to serve everyone fairly and not have anyone overpaying for anything. It doesn’t matter where you are in the country you should enjoy daily mail services and that is what the employees are trying hard to keep.
In 2006, there was a law passed to ensure pre-funding retirees’ health benefits, and according to postal service employees, that’s the major problem that’s causing losses repeatedly. They would like to see a standard pension plan in place if things are ever going to work.
According to a retired postal worker Richard Dunleaby, postal service has the most favorable rating of 88% the highest of any government agency. It would be unfair to take that away from the American people. America deserves to have a postal service that’s not privatized.
The report by the President’ task force commission won’t be released yet, and the US postal service employees strongly believe it will be in November after the midterm elections.
