Historic First Meeting with Postmaster General

(This article first appeared in the November/December 2015 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

A Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service (AGA) held a historic first meeting with Postmaster General Megan Brennan in August. The delegation, representing six of AGA’s national signatories, brought the group’s mission – the fight to protect and enhance vibrant public postal services – directly to the Postmaster General. 

Each member of the delegation expressed the importance of the Postal Service to the people in their organizations. Eva Dominguez of the Alliance for Retired Americans, for example, emphasized the need for retirees to receive prescription medication on time.

The group expressed concerns about delayed mail, cuts in service, and privatization of the Postal Service, and voiced support for expansion of services, including financial services such as check-cashing and international money transfers.

Steven D. Martin of the National Council of Churches called the meeting a “great foundation for a broader discussion.”

Delays a ‘Disaster’

AGA has been warning the public and the press about the consequences of plant closings and service-standard changes. A recent report by the USPS Office of Inspector General documented the extent of the damage: In the first six months of 2015, nearly 500 million pieces of mail failed to arrive on time – an increase of almost 50 percent over the same period last year.

The delays are making the news and garnering attention on the political circuit.

An Aug. 26 Washington Post article reported on the Postal Service’s failure to meet even its lowered service standards and mentioned the work of AGA.

The Idaho State Journal reported in August on complaints by Pocatello pharmacists that deliveries are being delayed as a result of the closing of the city’s mail processing facility. Delivery delays are particularly troubling in rural areas where there are few pharmacies and patients depend on the mail to get medicine. The Postal Service is a “lifeline” and “especially crucial” in rural areas, wrote Marie Powell of the Center for Rural Affairs (an AGA signatory) in a guest column in theTroy Daily News.

A Message to Congress

At the end of July, 54 signatories of AGA sent a letter to members of the House of Representatives urging them to co-sponsor resolutions to protect and strengthen the Postal Service.

House Resolution 54 calls on the USPS to restore mail service standards, and House Resolution 12 calls on the Postal Service to maintain six-day delivery. H. Res. 54 is close to achieving bipartisan, majority support; H. Res. 12 recently won its 219th co-sponsor – meaning it has majority support.

Building the Alliance

In September and October AGA distributed a new brochure and helped spread the word about threats to our public Postal Service at a number of national conferences. Contact AGA at info@agrandalliance.org to let us know about upcoming meetings and events where we can let participants know about the fight to save our public Postal Service.

A Grand Alliance has also been busy organizing support at the state and local level. Nearly a dozen local unions, community groups and state councils signed on over the summer. AGA welcomes the CWA Virginia State Council, the Mattole Valley Community Center, and the Solidarity Committee of the Capital District (NY).

You can help! Visit www.AGrandAlliance.org to download a sample resolution to submit to your local labor council, civic organization, or faith-based group