Local Business

Stop USPS privatization

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The postal service has been a lifeline to so many Americans who rely on the service for medication, voter registration and vote-by-mail, and other packages.

What Louis DeJoy is doing is shameful and will only result in further harm to Indigenous and rural communities, the elderly, and the disabled. The USPS is a treasured, beloved American institution that has historically not only brought communities together but played an immense role in providing good union jobs and building the Black middle class.

I am urging you to stop Postmaster DeJoy’s 10-year plan now before it’s too late. We cannot allow the USPS to be privatized and taken over by Wall Street. Instead, I urge you to innovate your way into the future and generate new revenue streams instead of cutting, slashing, closing, and raising prices. For example: expand the check cashing pilot, ensure all the electric and non-electric vehicles’ new fleet is made with 100% union labor, and say no at every turn to mail slowdowns and price hikes.

Trump appointee Louis DeJoy is still the Postmaster General. So, DeJoy’s dangerous 10-year privatization plan for the United States Postal Service remains a very, very real threat.

Mail prices have risen under DeJoy, and the mail has slowed down. His privatization plan will inevitably raise prices even more, crushing consumers who rely on the mail to send packages to loved ones and small businesses who rely on the USPS for the core of their operations.1 It will also adversely impact rural and indigenous communities the most2 — the USPS is a lifeline for so many communities. We must pressure the USPS Board of Governors to undo this dangerous DeJoy plan.

Sign the petition: Demand the USPS Board of Governors put a stop to Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan to privatize the postal service now.

People living in remote areas, rural communities, and Indigenous communities rely on the postal service to receive medications and to vote by mail because their towns are too small for polling places. Privatizing the USPS would hurt these communities the most because, unlike UPS and FedEx, the USPS is required by law to deliver all mail to all regions at a flat rate.

Private companies won’t build offices in rural and remote areas because it’s not profitable. That’s corporate greed, and that’s why the USPS is so important — and it’s critical that we stop the privatization of the mail.

Now, with MAGA Republicans controlling the U.S. House, the postal service is at a greater threat than ever. It’s up to a strong USPS Postal Board to stand up to DeJoy and stop the 10-year plan before it’s too late.

Add your name urging the USPS Board of Governors to protect the postal service from Trump’s Louis DeJoy. Sign the petition

Sources:

  1. More Perfect Union, “Louis DeJoy’s 10-Year Plan to Privatize USPS,” September 21, 2021.
  2. Vox, “If the US Postal Service fails, rural America will suffer the most,” April 16, 2020

 


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3 replies »

  1. Jimmy is correct. There are no plans to privatize the USPS. I am not a Republican, and I am not a Democrat. I am however a mail carrier. Most of Dejoy’s plans have been welcome changes. There are “growing pains”, but I really think it is going to be for the better. 90% of our current delivery vehicles are built between 1980 and 1994 (they call them LLV’s or Long Life Vehicles). They have no AC, no airbags, no antilock brakes, and the rollover characteristics of a hardboiled egg. The new vehicles are funny looking, but a very welcome addition. They are slowly being rolled out. I would kill for AC in the summer.
    The new guidelines are relatively union friendly, which is huge. And it’s not even a closed shop, no one is required to join. This brings us to the staffing issues. Currently new carriers join as “City Carrier Assistants” or rural carrier assistants, depending on the area. They start with a 90 day probationary period, then are considered “non career” employees. This essentially means they get paid lower wages, considered part time and get zero benefits for the most part. Currently I believe CCA’s start at $19.33 an hour here, which is pretty low for the area. No healthcare, you can sign up for a plan but its not really subsidized at all. The CCA’s are generally worked 6 days a week, up to 11 hours a day in my area. Then eventually a career employee in your station retires/quits/gets fired/dies and the senior CCA moves up to a career position where he/she gets benefits. This could take up to 2 years.
    Now believe it or not, there aren’t a ton of people that will roll around in an uninsulated, no AC tin can, or walk up to 18 miles a day with heavy satchels in pretty much any weather imaginable for that pay, and no benefits. Lots of people quit, but I would have to say out of the ones that stay, 95% are dedicated hard workers. You can’t stop moving, we are GPS tracked by our scanners. If we stop moving for more than a couple minutes, we will receive a call from our boss. You either love this job, or don’t last long.
    I would have to say, delivery problems are either new people learning through the school of hard knocks, people who won’t last long, or just a straight up lack of people to do the job in that area.

    tldr: DeJoy is doing pretty good. Things are changing. Give new people the benefits of the job up front, rather than giving them the downsides and burning them out without giving them a carrot.