Protecting the Postal Service from the 1%

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)With Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe’s call for closing thousands of post offices, reducing deliveries to five days a week from six,  and cutting the agency’s work force by more than 100,000, a way of life as American as apple pie is threatened, Metro Council President Jos Williams said Wednesday night. Williams spoke at the December meeting of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 3825, which featured the installation of officers and executive board, including newly re-elected President Ken Lerch. The Postal Service has long been a path to the American middle class and economic self-sufficiency for African Americans, Williams said, noting that temporary holiday work at the post office as a college student enabled him to stay in school and graduate from Howard. There was much discussion by other speakers at the meeting about not letting the wealthy 1% devastate the Postal Service – a lifeline for the nation’s seniors and rural citizens as well – in their attempt to privatize the lucrative parts of the nation’s postal service. “We are part of the 99% and will fight back,” said one speaker. - photo by Raj Babra Branch 3825 member