The American Postal Workers Union is deeply concerned regarding the August 22nd announcement from postal management, with the support of the Postal Board of Governors, that they are once again planning to slow down much of the country’s mail.
The APWU understands that change is needed to address the profound and permanent changes that the internet and social media have caused in the way people communicate. Letters continue to significantly decline, and the Postal Service must gain more of the growing package market. While we remain open to change for the long run viability of the public postal service and our job security, we refuse to accept that a winning strategy includes further slowing first-class mail and providing overall worse service to the people of the country.
Management is already failing to meet the current first-class mail service standards even after lowering delivery targets in 2021. Rather than fix the service delays and problems, these new management proposals are to simply “move the goalposts.”
The proposed service standard changes announced on August 22nd will be reviewed by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). As we saw in 2021, the PRC issues only an Advisory Opinion on the proposals and ultimately lacks the power to stop them outright. We urge the Commission to do a thorough analysis of the impacts of the proposed changes, and for the Postal Service to seriously consider the PRC’s views before it proceeds in further degrading service. But make no mistake: our union and postal workers across the country will join with the public, leaders in Congress, and others, in rejecting this proposal and instead favor plans to bring mail service back to the high standard the public deserves and is promised under the law.
We demand a solution from the Postmaster General and the Board of Governors that fixes service delays, rather than further slowing the service standards for delivery. Management has the tools to improve service while at the same time improve the Postal Service’s finances. In addition to the growing package market, they need to focus on new and expanded services. Management can improve staffing and retention by working with the postal unions to ensure every postal job is a good job – with fair pay, decent benefits, and career opportunities. Instead of slowing service standards and accepting bad performance, management needs to put every effort behind improving all forms of mail service and regaining the public’s confidence that the Postal Service is in fact “Delivering for America.” The people of the country deserve nothing less.
