Postal Workers: The Last Union

[Galraedia]

The recent attacks against the United States Postal Service (USPS) are more than signs of desperate times - a natural sunset moment for a service rendered archaic by FedEx and UPS. Rather, the Postal Service has been under constant, vicious assault for years from the right, who views this as an epic battle with the goal of finally taking down the strongest union in the country, the second largest employer in the United States (second only to Wal-Mart,) and a means to roll the country ever closer toward the abyss of privatization.

The Postal Service, which is older than the Constitution itself, stands at a precipice. If this great institution, which provides one of the oldest, most reliable services in the country, is permitted to fall and Congress kills its great union, then truly no collective bargaining rights, no worker contract, no union will be safe within the United States.

As the USPS spirals toward default, the historically uncontroversial mail service system has suddenly become a hot-button issue. It's an unlikely organization to inspire such hysteria. The Postal Service isn't paid for by taxpayer dollars, but rather fully funded by the sale of stamps. It's easy to forget what a marvel this is - that today, in 2011, one can still mail a letter clear across the country for less than 50 cents. And if the impressiveness of that feat still hasn't sunk in, attempt this brain exercise: consider what else you can buy for $0.44.

It was only a few years ago that the USPS was considered not only stable, but thriving. The biggest volume in pieces of mail handled by the Postal Service in its 236-year history was in 2006. The second and third busiest years were in 2005 and 2007, respectively. But it was two events: one crafted during the Bush years and another supervised by House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, that would cripple this once great institution.

Read more: http://www.truth-out.org/last-union/1315492298

[Starry Messenger]

1. k&r

[onethatcares]

2. support your Post Office

mail checks to pay your bills instead of going on line.

It would even cause the banks to hire more low level clerks to process the payments too.

[customerserviceguy]

3. I deal with "lost in the mail" payments every day

Not to mention the bills that people don't get. No, thanks, and I'm not going to buy a buggy whip, either.

[mmonk]

4. The prefunding mandate is the way the politicians

have set out to destroy it. It creates the lies for the reasoning they use and millions of Americans believe them blindly. It's evil.

[Galraedia]

6. Democrats need to now do their part and inform the people.

You wouldn't believe how many people are unaware of the mandate put in place by the Republicans in an attempt to destroy the United States Postal Service. Many seem to think that it's the Internet even though the telephone has been around for over 50 years. The Internet hasn't killed the USPS. The Internet has helped the post office to increase the number of packages they deliver. The Internet has only affected the type of mail being delivered.

[mmonk]

7. And some "centrists" need to quit supporting Republican measures as well.

[newblewtoo]

5. I love my letter carrier but

can someone tell me why he has to come to my door five days out of six with JUNK MAIL?

I get maybe two or three pieces of real first class mail a week, a weekly newspaper, and a monthly periodical. Everything else is crap which continues to show up despite my best efforts to prevent it. I feel so bad for the poor carrier who has to trudge to my door through freezing rain, sleet, and, snow to deliver advertising (at a discounted rate) that I don't want and he can't just throw away.

And then the poor bastard is trailed by the men in black trying to catch him sloughing off several times a year. Poor bastards, with all they have to contend with, they have to put up with that crap as well.