Earlier this year, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced it would shut more than half its mail processing plants and about 3,600 post offices, costing as many as 100,000 jobs. It also is proposing to end Saturday mail delivery. As the postal unions work to persuade Congress to act, the Postal Workers (APWU) union also is reaching out to the public to build support.

The Save America’s Postal Service campaign is a joint effort of the Letter Carriers (NALC), APWU, National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), an affiliate of the Laborers (LIUNA), and the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association (NRLCA).

On the congressional front, the unions support a package of amendments to the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) that would prevent the closures and other service cutbacks. The bill is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate soon.

NALC and the NRLCA collected signatures on a petition to Congress opposing the USPS’ proposal to end Saturday mail deliveries, along with the closing of the processing facilities and post offices. The members of APWU and NPMHU also are circulating petitions opposing the cuts. Those will be delivered to lawmakers’ district offices.

In the latest action, APWU this week launched a series of TV ads that will appear on the NBC Nightly News, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, in which postal workers and customers talk about the importance of the USPS to the nation and the devastating effect closing post offices and consolidating mail processing plants would have on communities and the economy. Says APWU President Cliff Guffey:

The ads are intended to build public awareness and support for congressional efforts to resolve the Postal Service’s financial crisis without cutting pay, reducing benefits, eliminating collective bargaining rights or slashing service.