Postal workers picket Rep. Frelinghuysen’s office in Morristown

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Postal workers demonstrate outside the Morristown office of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.). They were urging passage of House Bill 1351, which would let the Postal Service tap surplus funds to avert closing post offices. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Postal workers demonstrated Tuesday outside the Morristown office of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.). They were urging passage of House Bill 1351, which would let the Postal Service tap surplus funds to avert post office closures. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Chanting “We don’t need a bailout, we just want the mail out,” postal workers demonstrated Tuesday outside the Morristown office of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.)

The workers were urging passage of House Bill 1351, which would authorize the Postal Service to tap surplus funds to get back into the black and avert layoffs and post office closures.

Post offices in Morristown and Convent Station are being eyed for closure, along with more than 3,600 post offices nationwide.

Postal workers demonstrate outside the Morristown office of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.). They support passage of a bill to enable the Postal Service to tap surplus funds to avert layoffs and post office closures. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Postal workers demonstrate outside the Morristown office of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.). They support passage of a bill to enable the Postal Service to tap surplus funds to avert layoffs and post office closures. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

 

2 COMMENTS

  1. That is an interesting proposal, Matt. As I understand the postal workers’ claim, the Postal Service has been required to prepay its healthcare/pension plan in ways that other agencies and businesses do not. By tapping into those surpluses, they could save jobs. If any readers have insights into that situation, please share them with us.

  2. A partial solution would be to have the USPS deliver mail to each residential address 3 times/week. The delivers/carriers would each have 2 routes. Route 1 residents would receive mail Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Route 2 residents would receive mail Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. This would reduce the number of staff (delivers/carriers) currently needed, and therefore reduce the cost of salaries/benefits, delivery vehicles, and other overhead costs such as fuel and maintenance for the vehicles.

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