Christmas Seasons Will Never Be the Same

APWU President Mark Dimondstein sounded the alarm on The Ed Show on Dec. 17, telling viewers, “Our Christmas seasons will never be the same,” if service standards are lowered on Jan. 5 and 82 mail processing centers are closed.

“And at a time of the holiday season we’re all reminded how valuable this national treasure called the public Post Office is,” Dimondstein said. If the cutbacks are implemented, overnight delivery of first-class mail will end and all mail will be slowed down “at a time when people want things faster,” he said.

“The promise to the American people is prompt, reliable and efficient services,” he said, but “under the leadership of this postal management, that’s going out the window.”

The cutbacks are unnecessary, Dimondstein said, noting that the USPS earned an operating profit of $1.4 billion last year. In addition, “Package deliveries have gone through the roof this holiday season, and this is just scratching the surface of e-commerce,” he said. 

“This is a great opportunity for the Postal Service,” he added. “Mail’s changing, but the Internet taketh on the one hand with first-class mail and giveth with package delivery.”

A recent Gallup Poll had an interesting finding, he told MSNBC broadcaster Ed Schultz. Not only is the Postal Service the most highly-rated government agency, but the ratings were highest among young people. “And that’s a reflection of role of this great public infrastructure in the day of e-commerce. It’s the young people more than anybody else that are shopping on the Internet.”

Despite the threatened cutbacks, Dimondstein is optimistic. “The people of this country and the workers of this country have a lot of say and we’re still working to turn it around,” he said. “This is not a partisan issue, and we’re going to be calling on Congress as well to act to serve the American people, as they should.”