Wearing bright blue T-shirts with the slogan “U.S. Mail — Not for Sale,” about 80 postal workers gathered Monday in downtown St. Louis.
They joined postal workers across the country rallying against a plan floated by the Trump administration to privatize the U.S. Postal Service.
“The White House is proposing to sell the U.S. Postal Service to private corporations and we are out to inform the public that this is a terrible idea,” said Fred Wolfmeyer, president of the St. Louis Gateway Area District Local of the National Association of Letter Carriers and one of the rally organizers.
Three postal worker unions took part in the protest outside the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis.
Wolfmeyer and others were encouraging residents to call their elected officials to pass resolutions in the U.S. House and Senate to prevent the sale. Union officials said there is bi-partisan support for both resolutions.
The Trump administration proposed selling the Postal Service in June, but has not released a task force report yet on the details.
Unions fear privatization would focus on the most profitable, urban areas for delivery and leave rural and poor inner cities without service.
“We want to make sure it stays as it is set up now — everyone is treated fair and equal,” said Frank Enlow, a member of NALC Local 343. “No matter if you are in a poor area or rich area, you still get the same type of delivery, which is what the Postal Service is about.”
Wolfmeyer said that privatization would lead to higher prices and less service. He said polls show that the public supports the current postal service.
“It’s a part of the fundamental infrastructure of this country,” he said. “Every poll we’ve seen is the public wants to keep and protect the post office. I think that’s because we don’t receive tax dollars for our operating expenses. We rely on sale of postage products and services to our customers.”
The U.S. Postal Service delivers to 157 million addresses, six days a week.
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