Eight More U.S. Reps. Co-sponsor Postal Service Protection Act

In the past week, eight more members of the U.S. House of Representatives became co-sponsors of the Postal Service Protection Act (H.R. 630), a bill that would help solve the USPS financial crisis without hurting workers or mail service.

The latest representatives to sign on as supporters of the measure are:

          Karen Bass (CA-37)          Denny Heck (WA-10)

          Andre Carson (IN-7)           David Joyce (OH-14)

          Lois Frankel (FL-22)          Peter King (NY-2)

          John Garamendi (CA-3)    Maxine Waters (CA-43)

Meanwhile, 20 U.S. senators have pledged to support the legislation as introduced in upper chamber of Congress (S. 316).

“The Postal Service Protection Act would provide desperately needed financial relief for the USPS and make many of the planned cutbacks in service unnecessary,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “It would protect postal jobs and give the American people a Postal Service they can count on for the future,” he added.

Guffey called on union members to continue reaching out to lawmakers who have not yet signaled their support for the legislation.

“APWU members must make sure that lawmakers — and the public — realize that widespread plant closings will delay mail by two to three days all week long, in cities and towns across the country,” he added. “Additional closures will cripple service, further weaken this great American institution, make it less relevant, and make it less competitive.

“Gaining more support for the Postal Service Protection Act,” said APWU Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid, “will help convince lawmakers that Congress must act soon to pass a responsible bill that will improve service, protect postal workers, and strengthen the Postal Service in the digital age.”

The Postal Service Protection Act would:

• Fix the Postal Service’s immediate financial crisis by ending the mandate that requires the USPS to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees — a burden no other government agency or private company bears;
• Allow the Postal Service to recover overpayments the USPS made to federal pension plans;
• Re-establish overnight delivery standards for first-class mail, which would ensure the timely delivery of mail, help keep mail processing facilities open, and protect jobs;
• Protect six-day delivery;
• Allow the USPS to develop new products and services that would generate new sources of revenue, and
• Protect post offices by giving the Postal Regulatory Commission binding authority to prevent post offices from being closed based on the effect on the community and the effect on the employees.