Postal workers in South Florida will be joining thousands of postal workers nationwide in a “Day of Action” rally to call attention to poor mail service and understaffed postal facilities.
“For too long, postal workers have been stretched thin, making miracles happen in understaffed facilities,” says a statement from the American Postal Workers union, which is organizing Tuesday’s rally in 90 cities across the country, including Miami and Key West.
“This has taken a toll on our health, our safety and our ability to provide the service the public deserves,” says the union. “The Postal Service needs to listen to and heed the overwhelming voices of postal workers on the job and at the bargaining table, as well as the needs of the American people.”
The Miami rally is being held in front of the Miami General Mail Facility, 2200 NW 72nd Ave., Miami, beginning at 9 a.m. The rally in Key West will be at U.S. post office on 400 Whitehead Street, beginning at 5 p.m.
Earlier this month, the head of the U.S. Postal Service expressed frustration with ongoing criticism by election officials of how it handles mail ballots while also seeking to reassure voters that it's ready to handle an expected crush of those ballots this fall.
In late August, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced that the U.S. Postal Service wants to save $3 billion annually on changes that reflect its greater reliance on streamlined regional networks — while retaining local mail delivery times of one to three days and allowing customers to track some delivery schedules with greater precision.
He said the changes to take place next year are necessary to “enable us to operate more efficiently and reliably, grow our business and give us a chance for a viable future” after an 80% drop in first-class mail since 1997 and a corresponding growth in packages. All told, the Postal Service has amassed more than $87 billion in losses from 2007 through 2020.
READ MORE: USPS proposes changes to save $3 billion per year, starting in 2025
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