Retired letter carrier Mike Lawson, left, rallies Tuesday along with other U.S. Postal Service workers on South Providence Road outside U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer’s Columbia office. The group’s rally coincided with others around the country urging congressmen to support House Resolution 1351, which deals with the financial crisis facing the U.S. Postal Service.
In Columbia, a crowd of about 50 gathered in front of the office of Republican U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer on South Providence Road, holding signs and attracting honks from passing motorists. Attendees said they were working to raise awareness for the bill, which as of this morning had not been brought before the U.S. House for a full vote.
The Postal Service faces a deficit of more than $8 billion this year. House Resolution 1351, a bill mostly backed by Democrats, would allow nearly $7 billion from the agency’s pension fund to be transferred into its operating budget to help cover the deficit. A 2006 law requires the Postal Service to make annual contributions to its pension fund, which unions contend is now overfunded. The intent of that law was to fund the next 75 years of the agency’s pension obligations within a 10-year span.
The nationwide demonstrations also were intended to call awareness to a Republican plan, HR 2309, which would lay off more than 100,000 workers from the Postal Service, close offices around the country and end Saturday mail service. The cutbacks also were included in a budget proposed by President Barack Obama.
Chris Reed, a Columbia letter carrier and president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Local 763, said it would behoove members of Congress in rural districts to oppose plans to end Saturday service. He said HR 1351 would bring financial stability to the Postal Service without deep cuts in service. “We aren’t asking for any public money, we’re just asking for our money back,” Reed said.
Jamie Nourse, a maintenance worker at the postal facility at Columbia Regional Airport, said the Postal Service is not being treated fairly by the federal government.
“No other organization, public or private, has this burden on them,” Nourse said of the proposed cuts.
Luetkemeyer spokesman Paul Sloca said the congressman supports plans to maintain Saturday service. In a statement issued by Luetkemeyer’s office, Luetkemeyer said he wants to work with his colleagues in Congress to ensure a “high level of service to all Missourians.”
“While the Postal Service must adapt to meet the challenges of the future, these financial difficulties should not be used as a pretense to transform the USPS into an organization that provides a higher level of service for urban America than it does for rural America,” he said.
Reach Andrew Denney at 573-815-1719 or e-mail akdenney@columbiatribune.com.
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