Postal workers protest job cuts and privatization plans, seek new contract

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Local letter carriers gathered in large numbers once again Sunday to rally against any efforts to privatize, dismantle, or restructure the United States Postal Service (USPS). The protests came amid concerns over proposed job cuts and the future of the postal service, which they said plays a vital role in communities across the country.

The issue intensified earlier this month when Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told Congress that USPS plans to eliminate 10,000 jobs through a voluntary early retirement program over the next 30 days.

Manuel Greer, a letter carrier, expressed concerns.

"That's fewer older letter carriers who know the job well and know their customers well," Greer said.

DeJoy also announced that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is collaborating with USPS to reduce costs, starting with the planned 10,000 early retirements from the agency's roughly 635,000 employees.

David Grosskopf Jr., President of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 3, criticized the cuts.

"It’s an ideology. There are just some folks in the country that believe this is the best way to go," Grosskopf Jr. said.

While USPS is generally self-funded, CBS Fact Check Team reports it has received taxpayer financial aid in certain situations, including $120 billion in support since 2020 to help offset losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite this aid, USPS has run a deficit every year since 2007, accumulating a total loss of $108 billion.

In Western New York, congressional representatives have emphasized the bipartisan nature of the mail service issue. Congressman Nick Langworthy and Senator Tim Kennedy worked together to prevent USPS operations from being moved from Buffalo to Rochester in March of last year. However, the two lawmakers remain divided on the proposed cuts.

Langworthy believes the cuts are necessary.

“Mail service is a vital infrastructure for this country. But we also have to figure out how to find efficiencies so that the Postal Service doesn’t hemorrhage money year in, year out,” Langworthy said.

On the other hand, Kennedy argues that the cuts will harm those waiting for important packages, calling it “despicable."

“It’s just hurting services and hurting Americans across this country, putting the most vulnerable Americans at risk," Kennedy said.

The possibility of privatizing mail service also remains a major concern, following the White House administration’s interest in the idea. Federal law mandates that the government must deliver the mail, and any effort to privatize would require an act of Congress. Letter carrier Steven Olender warned of the negative consequences.

“Delivery to the less profitable areas of the country would stop, service would slow down, prices would go up. It would be a huge impact for the American public," Olender said.

Grosskopf Jr. also raised concerns about the potential privatization of USPS property.

“We own a lot of property in the U.S. Postal Service," Grosskopf Jr. said. "And they’d love to get their hands on that to make some money on it. We keep private industry in check. We keep our prices low. You take that out, what do you think is the first thing that is going to happen?”

In addition to concerns about job cuts and privatization, letter carriers are also calling for a new contract after their previous one expired in May 2023. They are demanding wage increases and the protection of work rules voted down by the membership in contract arbitration.