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UNI Post & Logistics US affiliates say that the “The 21st Century Postal Service Act”, introduced into the US Senate provides short-term financial relief, but also would inflict long-term damage to the nation’s mail system.

APWU President Cliff Guffey said; “The bill will force the USPS to dismantle its network and impose severe cuts in service to the American people. This will drive away customers and weaken the Postal Service.”



NALC President Fredric V. Rolando said; “Although the National Association of Letter Carriers acknowledges a number of positive provisions in the postal reform bill we are very disappointed with the overall thrust of the legislation. It seems to embrace the view that we must drastically downsize the Postal Service in order to save it.”



The unions say that although the bill fixes some of the immediate problems the USPS has in respect of issues such as return overpayments the USPS made to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), the Senate bill could end Saturday delivery in two years and would phase out most door-to-door delivery by 2015. This would negatively affect tens of millions of Americans - particularly senior citizens, rural residents and small-business owners - who depend on the Postal Service’s commitment to high-quality service.



NALC’s Rolando says “We acknowledge the need to reinvent the U.S. Postal Service for the 21st century, but we urge postal management and our country’s leaders to do it in a way that preserves jobs and encourages growth at a time when the economy is struggling. Saturday delivery is essential to the Postal Service's ability to profit from the rising number of deliveries of items ordered online by consumers.”



APWU’s Guffey says, “it is crucial that APWU members remain vigilant and actively involved .We must make our voices heard as the debate over the future of the Postal Service develops.”



For more information;

http://www.nalc.org/

http://apwu.org/index2.htm