Burlington Free Press: 'Rally: "We can't turn our backs" on mail service'
The U.S. Postal Service cannot expect to continue to offer six-day mail delivery — much less grow its customer services — if Congress fails to reverse itself about a one-of-a-kind expensive pension program for postal employees.
That was the message — loud and clear — during a Sunday afternoon public rally in South Burlington designed to develop local support for continuing six-day mail service.
In an odd twist, even the union representing the nation's letter carriers wants the pre-funding of future postal pensions reduced as a way its members can continue to deliver mail six days a week.
Congress mandated in 2006 that the postal pension be pre-funded for 75 years. That means $5.5 billion is needed to cover pensions for people that have not been hired — much less born, union officials said.
There was unanimous agreement at the one-hour rally that the $5.5 billion needs to be cut. It represents about 80 percent of the shortfall for the Postal Service since 2007.
Kevin Donovan of Essex, outgoing president of the Vermont chapter of the National Association of Letter Carriers, and his successor, Jill Charbonneau of Middlebury, said cutting six-day service is not the answer.
"We cannot grow a business by cutting," Charbonneau said about eliminating Saturday service.
The public rally came at the end of the two-day state convention for the Vermont letter carriers union.
The union members and other supporters gave high marks — and multiple standing ovations — to the three-member Vermont congressional delegation for their efforts, including trying to get the pre-funding requirement reversed.
U.S. Sens. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., along with Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., told the crowd they will continue the fight.
"The three of us are so passionate," said Leahy, flanked by the other two. "We will keep fighting for you."
Leahy said the post office and general store are the focal points in most communities. He said he learns more about what is on the minds of Vermonters by stopping for a half hour at a post office.
Sanders noted that once the pre-funding is eliminated, the Postal Service can move forward, offering other services. He said the pre-funding is the only one mandated in any public or private pension.
Sanders is the primary sponsor of a bill that would would help repeal the 2006 law that mandated the Postal Service pre-fund 75 years of future health care benefits for retirees over the course of 10 years.
"You keep the economy going," Sanders said. He said he is asking Congress to mandate that six-day and rural service be continued at least at the level of service in 1983.
Sanders said it is now illegal for the Postal Service to offer photocopying services or to notarize any documents. He said the Postal Service might consider offering fishing and hunting licenses and other revenue-generating services.
Welch said the House is pushing forward with a parallel attack like Sanders'.
"We've got to have six-day delivery." He noted that the Postal Service has been around before this country was founded.
Charbonneau, who began a two-year term as president, said elimination of Saturday service will hurt the Postal Service when it should be growing. She said the Postal Service provides personal service to individual customers.
"We forward mail to them," she said, something that large delivery companies don't offer.
Donovan and Charbonneau said a nationwide rally is planned for next Sunday, but Vermont opted to hold its rally early and tie in with the two-day union meeting.
Charbonneau said she expects some Vermont union members to attend a rally in Boston.
Leahy, along with Sanders and Welch, presented Donovan a flag that flew over the nation's capital because of his work for Vermonters and the union.
Postal leaders are proposing 17 percent cuts in service, but will only get a 3 percent return on the bottom line, George Mignosi of Washington, the union's national vice president, told the rally. He said in the last quarter the Postal Service was $100 million in the black.
"We can't turn our backs," he said about the faithful customers.
Donovan said before the rally that the Postal Service needs to look to its employees for both cost-cutting and revenue-generating ideas.