BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 17, 2015 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) yesterday proposed legislation to impose a two-year moratorium on U.S. Postal Service plans to eliminate up to 15,000 decent-paying jobs, close more mail-sorting plants and end overnight delivery of first-class mail and periodicals.
“At a time when Postal Service revenue is increasing, it makes no sense to eliminate thousands of jobs and slow down the mail service that millions of Americans rely on,” Sanders said. “We should be working to strengthen the Postal Service,” he added, “not send it into a death spiral.”
The Postal Service already has closed 141 mail-processing plants since 2012. Now it wants to shutter as many as 82 more facilities. Unless Congress acts, the new round of cuts could affect thousands of workers in 37 states.
Sanders’ proposal was filed as an amendment to a bill pending in the full Senate. It was cosponsored by Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).
As the Postal Service adjusts to the Internet-era, fewer letters are being sent but decreases in mail volume because of e-mail have been offset by a major increase in package deliveries for customers who shop online.
In fact, from 2003 through 2006 the Postal Service made a combined profit of more than $9 billion. Increasing revenue would have resulted in nearly $1 billion in profits over the past two years except for an unprecedented requirement that the Postal Service sink billions of dollars into an already-flush fund for future retiree health benefits. The requirement was slipped into law at the request of President George W. Bush during a lame-duck session of Congress. “This onerous and unprecedented burden that costs $5.5 billion a year is responsible for all of the financial losses posted by the Postal Service since October 2012,” Sanders said.
Even within the Postal Service there have been reservations about the postmaster general’s proposed cuts. Postal Regulatory Commissioner Ruth Y. Goldway wrote that the latest round of consolidations “threatens the very integrity and concept of universal service – the Postal Service’s primary obligation under t
The U.S. Postal Service has been good to me. It is true, we do need to change our operational standards. I strongley believe we can do this without affecting our delivery standards or our exceptional customer service standards that Americans have grown to expect from this company as a whole. However many managers have gotten where they are by lying about numbers so long they wouldn’t be able to do simple math if what the answer is (Less top paid mangers and keeping the average front line managers who are not so far removed from operations) right front and center. Too many only concerned about their high 3 and not what is in the best interest in the organization as a whole. Many areas in my building have 6 or 7 bosses for 32 people. Really? In any other entity this would be a travisty. The worst part….. they still come to the clerks with simple questions about the mail. They do not know much about the product!
You definitely know upper management is worthless when they allow MHA’S hired rite from the street and are allowed to be 204b’s a week later… So my question is…Why are there so many stupidvisiors????? Obviously these ghetto thugs that we’re hiring in Harrisburg P& DC can do the job just fine… I just drive my tugger and forklift around and smile… And I volunteer 2 hours every night and do nothing because Tour 1 204b’s don’t have anything for me to do. Like I said, upper management is worthless… As long as the work hours and man hours add up, they won’t say anything.. Been doing this for almost 2 years now… Bought a new car and put a couple thousand in my TSP…
Who wrote the check to you this time Bernie- the APWU or the NALC? What are we going to do in 2 years? Kick the same can down the road again? Nothing but a political game, and it will never end.
The prefunding of health care must end. The only reason for prefunding is to place the Postal Service in a financial trap! You can thank expresident Forrest Gump and his fellow Ratpublicans. Every other government agency and private co. should be forced to function with health care costs that must be prefunded. Next something should be done about management! They are so incompetent, the Postal service must pay the APWU 64.6 million in arbitration awards. How many in management now will be promoted because of the arbitration award? Thank you Bernie.
Stand up, fighting back! We need the public to send a message ( call ) to the postmaster general ( 2022684264), postal board of governors(2022684800), congressional members (2022243121) . President of the United States (2024561414 or 2024561111) : stop the new ” changes in standards” set for January 5, 2015 ; stop delaying America’ s mail ! Stop lower service standard to eliminate overnight delivery ! Stop closing the 82 mail processing centers ! Our American fellows! Please stand up, fighting back together to save our national treasure :our American postal service ! The cuts and delaying mail will forever destroy our postal systems and cause hardships for the public; hurt seniors,
Too little, too late.
Can I get a witness?
Sounds like Captn is one of those 22 year old “engineers” hired fresh out of college by the Postal Service. Crunch some numbers and come up with these idiotic ideas without ever actually touching a piece of mail. Eliminate 75% of the jobs of the management and V.P.s that don’t touch mail and save millions. Me thinks Captn got Salty by licking upper managements mail sacks.
Sanders has been a great friend to postal workers and its customers. One hopes he is successful in this legislation but the GOP will side with the management as usual. Why anybody trying to eke out a living keeps voting Republican is beyond me.
It is good to know someone in government understands the problems created by closing distribution plants. It is personal for me as my nephew has been with the postal service for 25 years and will be loosing his job. He has two children, a daughter who is a freshman in college and a son who is a junior in high school. He served in the Navy. This seems to be a kick in the face for a man who has served his country and worked hard to care for his family.
Revenue is not profit. Costs continue to rise. The article does not give the full info. 1st class letters continues to decline which generates the most revenue by far. Parcels are increasing in volume, which generates more revenue. Junk mail or standard mail as it official called brings about 27% of revenue but accounts for more than half of total mail volume. Standard mail is subsidized by 1st class letters. With 1st class letters declining and standard letters increasing advertisers are having to pay their own way, but don’t want to. Large mailers and associations for these mailers spend a fortune on key congressmen to keep costs down. Closing of many plants around the country will save money, but slow the mail considerably. As most junk mail is not time sensitive, these mailer don’t mind if it takes an extra day or to for delivery of their product.
Why increasing stamp rates if the PS revenue is increasing?
First Class stamps are going to stay at 49 cents. The increase is a cost of living increase and they are not major increases. UPS and Fed Ex just raised their rates 4 percent for 2015. The USPS is the least expensive post office in the world. In Europe most countries charge 89 cents or higher for first class mail.
lets get this done Sen. Sanders. Closing these facitilies has only delayed the mail. Just last week the Boston facility had over 100,000 pieces of mail reported as delayed because of the consolidation of the Central MA facility. This is what they reported I am sure there was more.
No word on whether this legislation stands a chance?!
This is one of the best and most accurate articles I have seen. Thank You for understanding our problem.
Thank you Mr. Sanders I’m a 25 year veteran of the Postal Service and feels the pressure to force retirement. Yet the system is so top heavy they make up jobs so they can accomplish this goal. It’s so hard to turn around a bad ideal, and the last one the higher ups wants to listen to is the workings in the street. Now, the only qualification you need to hold a management position is to accomplish a numbers goal, the person means nothing. I’m being managed by Supervisors and Managers that has no management or leadership training, but will threaten your job through made up discipline, until you are fired.
it’s refreshing to hear a politician not just talking about job creation but also acting on creating and preserving American jobs; thank you
If Senator Sanders wanted to save jobs why didn’t his amendment include funding to to pay for 15,000 jobs for two years and to repeal the pre-funding requirement for retiree health care which would save $5.8 billion this year. His amendment like most congressional bills wants to do something without paying for it.
It is too late Mr Sanders. The service standard ended 2 weeks ago and the USPS has already dismantled and disposed of so much “excess equipment” (old letter processing machines) that it no longer has the capacity to process the mail in the narrow window required to maintain overnight delivery standards.
Sure make mail delivery a minimum wage part time job! That will solve all the problems
There is so much excess machine sort time consolidation is required. Next residential delivery needs to be only 3 days per week. Then, and only then, can the PO be stable again.
The post office is stable. Why cut from service when the post office is showing operational revenue profits? The post office is losing money because of the pre funding of health care benefits. The senator is right in delaying any more consolidation until the pre funding is over at the end of 2016. Why would you want to cut to 3 days? The USPS would lose money if it could not deliver parcels, express mail, and priority mail just 3 days a week. It would also lose all of the business it just picked up from Amazon and UPS and Fed Ex would pick up all of the other parcel business.