JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Dozens of postal workers stood in front of Congressman Ander Crenshaw's district office on Tuesday, holding signs and asking for support. The workers believe there's a way to save the postal service and it doesn't involve layoffs, post office closures or halting Saturday deliveries.
The workers, who are from four different unions, want lawmakers to pass House Resolution 1351. According to Doris Orr-Richardson, the president of the American Postal Workers Union of Florida, the house resolution will free up billions of pension dollars, money postal workers have been paying for the health-benefits of future postal worker retirees.
"We're here collecting signatures and making the public aware that the house resolution, if it passes, would put that money back into the fund and then we'll be solvent again," said Orr-Richardson.
Congressman Crenshaw's office responded to the postal unions in the following statement: "Congressman Crenshaw believes that comprehensive reform of Postal Service operations is required to preserve the services that Americans consider essential. HR 1351 addresses one of the important issues at hand; however, it does not address or solve any of the agency’s underlying problems. As Congress continues to hold hearings on this important issue, I look forward to exploring options that address the pension issue as well as structural reform matters that will ultimately resolve the current financial concerns facing the postal service."
For several years, the postal service has been losing billions of dollars because of online banking and e-mails. To make up for the revenue shortfall, the Postmaster has said some post offices may have to close, postal workers may have to lose their jobs and Saturday mail delivery could be eliminated.
