NAPS released a statement from President Louis M. Atkins regarding the USPS Board of Governors ordering that the Postal Service accelerate it’s consolidation plans. President Atkins urged caution and restraint by the USPS while pushing for action by the United States Congress.

Statement by President Louis M. Atkins
National Association of Postal Supervisors

Yesterday, the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service issued a directive ordering USPS management to accelerate the restructuring of operations in order to strengthen Postal Service finances. The Governors cited the inaction of the United States Congress up to this point to pass any legislation that would deal with the core financial issues of the United States Postal Service.

NAPS agrees with the fact that Congress must act in accordance with their Constitutional obligation to ensure the prosperity of our nation’s postal delivery system. Congress has to engage in a substantive debate on the Postal Service’s future. While the passage of S. 1789 last year was encouraging, the fact that the House of Representatives failed to move any comprehensive Postal Reform during the entirety of the 112th Congress is a grave disappointment.

NAPS understands why the Postal Service feels compelled to act at this juncture, we echo the caution that has been expressed by others in the Postal community.

The United States Postal Service is the most trusted government entity in the United States because of its commitment to dependable and cost-effective service. It is essential, especially in the current economic climate, that the USPS not waiver from that commitment.

NAPS advocates a more pragmatic and common-sense approach to the Postal Service’s fiscal crisis. NAPS has long urged the Postal Service to proceed along a course of “rightsizing”, in cooperation with the PRC and Congress, rather than unilateral closures of facilities. This path preserves service standards while offering substantial cost savings at a minimal impact to the workforce. Additional measures include shifting the Postal Service’s future retiree health benefit obligation to a schedule that is much more sustainable than the current 10 year plan along with giving the USPS the ability to offer non-postal products and services. These steps will serve to stabilize the USPS financially through a reduction in overhead and a much need influx of revenue.

Over the coming weeks and days, NAPS will request to consult with Postal management on this directive and will work to ensure that both the interests of the USPS and the American people are protected.