NALC held a day of action on Sunday, March 24, to mobilize public support for Saturday delivery service. “Our fight is about the cost of losing Saturday mail delivery and how it would affect people in each and every state,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. Thousands of letter carriers joined friends, family, co-workers and community coalition partners at specified post offices in major media centers, holding signs and wearing T-shirts reflecting the feelings of the citizenry.
I don’t doubt that you are correct in your thought process, I think that the congress, I’m not trying to be a blatant liberal poser, in particular the GOP wants to see the PO privatized because they’re businessmen and they know there is plenty of money to be made from making it a private function rather than a government business that at present isn’t making money.
I admit I’m cynical – probably more so as I get older. I’ve heard so much propaganda, promises, denials, etc. from leaders of all manner of politics and organizations that I am convinced that nobody in positions of power ever reveal all their motives for doing anything. It usually takes end results to see what was up that person’s or organization’s sleeve.
The NALC, my union is no exception. I do think they are serious about trying to save Saturday delivery, but over time I’ve been royally screwed by some union people a bit farther up the ladder than myself, and know lots of good union people who were also the victims of inside politics and just plain dirty tricks.
I know the Postal Service management is infinitely worse, though. Donahoe is the worst and most destructive PMG in the Service’s history, hands down. I think, although I can’t say I positively know, that he and L’Infant Plaza (get it?) knew before announcing five day delivery in August that it was a done deal. There was money exchanging hands, key Congresspersons and Senators who will ensure Donahoe that he gets what he wants. Issa has personally seen to that. And I have read to read that Congress can’t really do anything to stop the Service, other than not give it its usual $100 million a year, chump change to Washington’s way of thinking. Maybe I’m wrong, and a law will pass that makes six day delivery one with all mail, not just parcels. Somehow, though, I doubt I am wrong.
If we get substantial relief from the prefunding situation that will help a lot. Plus, that requirement law ends next year, so even if Congress doesn’t act, it will expire on its own unless somebody like Issa or Coburn get the bright idea of extending it again. Somehow, I don’t think it’ll fly this time.
Let’s hope attrition and reassigning willing employees will absorb the shock of going to five day delivery. Yes, it would be nice to have Saturdays off, but won’t you feel a bit guilty about the possibility and then reality of thousands of postal workers losing their job just so you can sit on your fat ass and watch NCAA football or go shopping at the mall? I see a horrifying amount of posts whose authors seem to care less about anybody but their own short term interests. That selfishness does no good for anybody.