Postal workers in Michigan worried about delays in mail, reduced hours
Post offices across Michigan and the nation are implementing changes to the services in an effort to reduce costs, but supervisors say this could have major consequences for both workers and customers.
Since October 1, service standards have been changed to slow down the pace of delivery of some premium mail, while reducing store time and rising prices.
Roscoe Woods – president of the 480-481 Area Local American Postal Workers Union in Michigan – said this is the wrong approach. He said the U.S. Postal Service is designed as a public service, not a business.
“We have this massive infrastructure with the ability to meet our obligations, and then some,” Woods said. “And this CEO has taken the position that we need to continue to increase costs for our customers while reducing service, and I think that’s one of the worst ideas ever.”
Woods said the plan was made without input from union members and many of the workers who have been with the agency for decades.
Michigan is one of 20 states that recently filed an administrative complaint requesting a more detailed review.
Postmaster Louis DeJoy has said the postal service is hiring 40,000 seasonal workers to help with the holiday and that the changes are needed to trim a $ 160 billion loss by 2030.
Chris Shaw is a USPS historian and published author. He said these changes are already affecting small business owners who often rely on first-class mail.
He said some may turn to other delivery providers, which could lead to further privatization of the shipping industry.
“These changes are part of a trend where the postal service is not perceived as a public authority, a public service that exists to serve everyone on a universal basis and in a consistent manner,” Shaw said. “And instead imagine it more as a for-profit business.”
He added that there are other ways to reduce losses – for example, venturing into areas such as banking. He said a pilot program has been launched at four post offices to make some payroll and business check redemptions, and hopes this kind of financial services can be expanded.
Originally published October 18, 2021 on the Michigan News Connection. It is shared here with permission.
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