Last week, 54 signatories of A Grand Alliance, concerned about protecting prompt, reliable mail service, mailed letters to members of the House, asking them to co-sponsor two bipartisan resolutions to protect and strengthen the Postal Service. House Resolution 54 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the USPS “should take all appropriate measures to restore service standards in effect as of July 1, 2012,” and House Resolution 12 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the USPS “should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of six-day mail delivery service.”
These two resolutions are close to achieving bipartisan, majority support, with 198 co-sponsors for H.Res.54, and 212 co-sponsors for H.Res.12. A Grand Alliance thanks Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) for responding quickly and agreeing to co-sponsor H.Res.12, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) for co-sponsoring H.Res.54. We’ll continue to follow developments on these two resolutions.
A Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service advocates for a vibrant, public postal service. This country’s mail service is a national treasure that has been in operation for 240 years. It rang in its 240th birthday on July 26. Every day, the Postal Service provides affordable, universal mail service to all—without using taxpayer dollars for its operation.
The people of this country have come to expect great, public postal services, but this has been threatened by postal management’s own decision to lessen service standards on January 5 of this year, and their continued desire to end Saturday mail delivery. Because of the service standard changes of January 5, overnight mail delivery has been virtually eliminated, and all mail across the country has been delayed. Initially, postal executives downplayed the scope of the changes and the effects they would have, but homes and businesses around the country felt these cuts immediately. Amid countless customer complaints of delayed mail, a report by the Postal Regulatory Commission shows that service performance for the period of January 1 to March 31, 2015 worsened compared to the same period last year, and even fell short of the Postal Service’s lowered targets for the quarter.
Cuts to service provide little to no savings, are counterproductive, and are in opposition to the mission of this institution. Delayed or unreliable service drives away frustrated customers and businesses that are spending the same and getting less service, and leads to decreased revenue. Dwindling mail service is a pathway to privatization, which is deeply troubling to our coalition of 90+ signatories and the communities they represent. Our Postal Service is a public good that’s vital to strong, healthy communities and to commerce.
This is a crucial time for the broad and diverse communities represented by A Grand Alliance to voice our support for the good, public postal services we deserve, and our alarm over service cuts that threaten the future of this public good. Congress is poised to consider postal “reform” legislation. Based on legislation introduced in recent years, we are concerned about postal reform legislation that would give postal management further authority to continue cutting services, while doing little to correct the pre-funding requirement at the core of USPS’s financial crisis or to provide postal management with the authority to expand and enhance services, such as postal financial services. In addition, in response to a recent amendment by the House Appropriations Committee requiring the Postal Service to revert to the service standards that were in effect as of July 1, 2012, the Congressional Budget Office issued an unsubstantiated report which stated that the USPS “can’t afford” the amendment.
A Grand Alliance continues to urge members of the House to co-sponsor House Resolutions 54 and 12. Here is the list of the 54 signatories to A Grand Alliance who signed on to the letter:
9to5 | AFSCME | Amalgamated Transit Union | American Federation of Government Employees | American Federation of School Administrators | American Postal Workers Union | Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO | Big Apple Coffee Party | Black Women’s Roundtable | Campaign for America’s Future | Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good | Center for Community Change Action | Center for Effective Government | Center for Rural Affairs | Center for Study of Responsive Law | Citizens for an Engaged Electorate | Coalition of Black Trade Unionists | Coalition of Labor Union Women | Communications Workers of America | Communities and Postal Workers United | Consumer Action | Farm Aid | Greenpeace USA | Hightower Lowdown | In the Public Interest | International Association of Fire Fighters | Jewish Labor Committee | Jobs With Justice | Labor Campaign for Single Payer | National Association of Letter Carriers | National Active and Retired Federal Employees Associations | NARFE-Sierra County Chapter #1341 | National Alliance of Postal & Federal Employees | National Association of Postal Supervisors | National Coalition on Black Civic Participation | National Consumers League | National Council of Churches | National Organization of Women | National People’s Action | National Writers Union – Tucson Chapter | New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans | New Progressive Alliance | Northwest Oregon Labor Council | People Demanding Action | Popular Resistance | Pride at Work | Public Citizen | South Carolina Progressive Network | South Dakota Farmers Union | United Students Against Sweatshops | USAction | Vote Vets Action Fund | Working America, Community Affiliate of the AFL-CIO
Click here to see all our national signatories and here to see all our local signatories. Please join us in our fight for to save our public Postal Service by signing our pledge and by encouraging your organization to join.
Save our postal service! It’s the envy of the entire world!
I support your efforts to save our public Postal Service and for more efficient mail delivery
If mail is not delivered in a timely maner. Billls will be paid late due to the fact if bills are not delivered on time people will not know in time what they owe.
Who in his or her right mind would think that eliminating overnight mail delivery in the same city is a good idea?????
Saturday delivery could be crucial to us all at some point.
To whom ever,
The Postal Service is vital to the well being and security of our country. I depend on it every day do you send, receive and read the things that interest me. I trust it above all other mailing services to deliver valuable packages safely also. The convenience and ease of use, especially priority mail, is unparalleled among other mailing services in this country. I would not hesitate to send a $10,000 antique pocket watch by the USPS to a customer anywhere on this earth safely. The extra expense involved in having a package personally handled is negligible compared to the peace of mind that I have when I have done so. If postal rates have to increase in order to keep the current level of service, then I will gladly pay it! It is still one hell of a bargain ladies and gentlemen. Politics have no place in service.