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.