‘Attempted murder at his post office’: outrage when Trump Crony now addresses USPS moves to delay delivery of mail

Postal workers and their allies in Congress pledge to defend themselves after the new chief of the U.S. Postal Service, a major donor to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, moved this week to impose radical changes on the Popular government agency when faced with a financial crisis fabricated by lawmakers and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

the Washington Post reported Tuesday night that Postmaster General (PMG) Louis DeJoy, who took over last month, issued memoranda announcing “major operational changes” to the USPS “that could delay mail delivery, warning employees that the agency would not survive unless it made ‘difficult’ changes to cut costs. “

“Now that our states depend on voting by mail to continue elections during the pandemic, the destabilization of the post office is a direct attack on American democracy.”
-Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr.

“Analysts say the documents feature a new reinvention of the USPS that could scare customers away, especially if the White House gets the high rate hikes it wants, and puts the already embattled agency in greater financial danger as Private sector competitors embark on hiring revelries to build their own delivery networks, “the Send celebrated.

According to the internal USPS memoranda (pdf) obtained by the Send“DeJoy told employees to drop mail at distribution centers if he delayed mail carriers from their routes,” said a change that critics could threaten absentee ballot access at a time when mail-in voting it is more important than ever.

“If the plants are late, they will save the mail for the next day,” reads a document titled, “New Expectations and PMG Plan.”

“The deliberate delay in delivering mail to Americans would be a surprising act of sabotage against our Postal Service,” Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (DN.J.) said in a statement. “If these reports are accurate, Trump and his cronies are openly seeking to destroy the post office during the worst public health crisis in a century.”

“Now that our states depend on voting by mail to continue elections during the pandemic, the destabilization of the post office is a direct attack on American democracy,” added Pascrell. “It has been 59 days since the House approved $ 25 billion to keep the USPS alive. The Senate must approve it now. Democracy is at stake.”

With the USPS at risk of running out of cash by the end of September without an injection of emergency funds, postal workers and members of Congress have warned that the Trump administration could try to exploit the agency's financial struggles to advance to the right of long standing. objective of privatizing USPS.

"This is not something that we, as postal workers, should accept."
—Mark Dimondstein, American Postal Workers Union

In March, Congress approved a $ 10 billion emergency USPS loan, but the Treasury Department has yet to release the funds as the Trump administration tries to use the money as leverage to force changes in the agency's finances and operations. .

Mark Dimondstein, president of the 200,000-member American Postal Workers Union, said in response to the SendHe reports that his organization will vigorously oppose the new operational changes sought by DeJoy.

"I would tell our members that this is not something that we postal workers should accept," said Dimondstein. "It is not something that the union you belong to will accept."

US Mail Not for Sale, a worker-led coalition dedicated to protecting the Postal Service from right-wing privatization efforts, urges Americans to participate in a June 23 convening action day urging the Senate to approve aid. financially desperately needed for USPS

"Our movement is growing. Together we can save the post office and convince lawmakers to do their jobs," the coalition said. "Multiple bills have been tabled that would provide $ 25 billion in Covid-19 related aid to the Postal Service. The Senate is back from recess in less than two weeks. We need to keep the pressure on for them to vote to end this crisis. . "