In case you haven’t heard the post office is going through a dramatic shift currently. The President selected his close personal friend to be the Post Master General, Louise DeJoy— who has never worked for the postal service in his life. The USPS is already struggling because of a 2006 law passed that required them to pre-pay 75 years or retiree health benefits. This is something no other business on Earth does and it cost them 110 Billion dollars, without this order the office would still be turning a profit. This is just one example of the long term push by the government to defund the USPS so that larger companies like Amazon and Walmart can pad their already bulging pockets.
In the 35 days since DeJoy’s installation he has already completely removed overtime pay in an effort to “cut excess costs” a move which has completely shaken the already understaffed offices who without overtime will not be able to deliver the sheer depth of mail they receive each day. These offices have also been instructed to simply not deliver any of the mail that they cannot finish on their regular working hours, an order which flies flagrantly in the face of their postal oath to deliver the mail through any turmoil. The backlog of mail grows higher everyday under DeJoy’s orders while postal workers struggle each day to keep their heads above the water and keep themselves and their families healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The best way that we can help as instructed by the United States Postal Union is to call 844-402-1001 twice (once for each senator) on July 23 to let our elected officials know that we will not stand for the weakening of the post office. The most IMPORTANT information to convey to them is that you want them to vote for COVID-19 financial relief for the post office. The union is pushing currently for financial aid because many postal workers go without PPE or have to supply their own from home. If you need a reminder to call on July 23, 2020 for the Senate Day of Action simply text SENATE to 91990 for reminders. Other ways you can help involve donating PPE to your local post office and buying stamps.
The post office is one of the United States most beloved services and one of the only constants in modern life. Continued bankruptcy spells ruin for all people in rural areas who rely on the post office for medicine delivery and for anyone who can not afford to spend nearly double the money they do now on shipping once there online companies have unrestricted market access. Do not let one man’s wayward for profit agenda destroy the future or legacy of America’s most liked government agency. Keep this in mind next time your package or bill is late, it’s not caused by your postman’s lack of trying, it’s caused by deep rooted greed and disregard for the citizens of our nation