'Not for sale': USPS workers hold day of action to warn of Trump's 'illegal takeover' [View all]
Source: The Guardian
Thu 20 Mar 2025 11.39 EDT
First published on Thu 20 Mar 2025 11.21 EDT
US Postal Service workers and advocates are holding a day of action today in more than 150 cities as they brace for the Trump administration to launch an “illegal hostile takeover” which they warn will slash jobs, boost prices and shut down post offices. Donald Trump’s officials are weighing plans to transfer the USPS to the Department of Commerce, stripping it of its independence. The president and his allies have also signaled they are willing to privatize the service.
“This is the people’s postal service, emphasis on ‘service’,” said Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, in a statement on Thursday’s demonstrations. “If this administration succeeds in taking over the USPS, it will lead to higher prices and reduced service, especially in rural areas.”
Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary, said: “The American people depend on the United States Postal Service, and it’s unacceptable for political interference to disrupt its operations. President Trump supports the hard work of these individuals and is solely working to make the entire federal government more efficient and uproot waste, fraud and abuse.” The USPS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“This administration wanted to sell off the postal service for parts the last time they were in power, and it was deeply unpopular. This time is no different,” said Porter McConnell of the Save the Post Office Coalition, a network of 300 public interest groups. “Members of Congress have been hearing from their constituents by the thousands that the mail is getting slower and less reliable, all because back in 1970, Congress forced this public institution to turn a profit, even as its purpose in the constitution was to bind the nation together through communication.” Cities where actions are being held include Atlanta, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington DC.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/20/usps-postal-service-trump-protest
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