The specter of “pre-funding,” which some in Congress are using as an excuse to kill the US Postal Service, hangs over a group of FAM Members, postal workers and activists at a Presidents’ Day Rally to Save the US Postal Service.
Click here to see more pictures of the rally!
On President’s Day, 70 people came together near the Bangor Post Office to we urge Congress to act quickly and responsibly to end the unnecessary prefunding mandate that is crippling USPS finances — and threatening to close our Hampden mail processing plant, shut post offices, and cut service to 150 million American homes and businesses.
This Rally to Save America’s Postal Service was co-sponsored by the Eastern Maine Labor Council, American Postal Workers Union BAL 536, National Postal Mail Handlers Union Loc. 301 Br. 205, National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 391, Maine AFL-CIO, Maine State Association of Letter Carriers and Food AND Medicine.
Since 2006, the US Postal Service has been forced by Congress to massively pre-fund future retiree health benefits – a practice called “pre-funding.” This burden was forced onto no other government agency or private firm. It costs the USPS $5.5 billion annually and is responsible for 84 percent of current debt. That debt has provided the rationale for those in Congress who want to dismantle the Postal Service and destroy thousands of jobs by shutting down mail processing plants and service locations across the country.
Media coverage:
- Bangor Daily News: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/02/20/news/bangor/public-politicians-union-members-rally-in-bangor-for-u-s-postal-service/
- WABI-TV: http://www.wabi.tv/news/27812/postal-workers-and-supporters-rally-to-save-the-postal-service
- WLBZ-TV: http://www.wlbz2.com/news/article/190240/315/Postal-Service-employees-hold-rally-in-Bangor
For More Info CONTACT:John Curtis, Director of Education for the Maine State Association of Letter Carriers, at 667-4877.
