LAFAYETTE, KATC - U.S. Postal Service (USPS) workers took to the streets of Lafayette Thursday morning, rallying against a proposed plan by the Trump administration to privatize the Postal Service.
The rally, one of 150 nationwide, was part of what is being called a "U.S. Mail Is Not for Sale Day of Action." Workers are sounding the alarm over concerns that privatization could hurt consumers and disrupt essential services.
“We’re terribly frustrated with the current conditions of the postal service because it's understaffed, on-demand, and the sad thing is, every postal worker wants to give 110% for the community," said Joshua Montgomery, local president of the American Postal Workers Union. "We deliver to everyone, Democrats, Republicans, Independents alike.”
The rally’s focus was clear: the workers are standing firm in their belief that privatization could lead to higher costs and reduced services for the American public.
“Stop using us as a pawn and leave the post office alone,” said Richard David, a USPS worker. "The post office needs to be saved; it’s a public trust, and its success depends on the neighborhood, it depends on the community."
Union leaders say the proposed privatization could make it harder for consumers to receive vital services. Montgomery noted that it could cause delays in important deliveries, including medicine, checks, and packages from major retailers.
“Sadly, it would cause people to get medicine delivered later, checks delivered to them later, and all the important items that they order from Amazon, Temu, UPS, FedEx … again we process it all here,” Montgomery said.
According to a recent report from Wells Fargo, the USPS would need to raise prices by at least 30% to become profitable if privatized. Montgomery warns this price hike would extend beyond the Postal Service, affecting third-party shippers as well.
“The moment privatization happens to the post service, prices are going to skyrocket. Not just with the postal service but every third-party shipper because the postal service keeps rates low for everyone,” he said.
The rally also came amid remarks from Elon Musk, who recently called for the downsizing of USPS and Amtrak at a conference. Musk, a prominent advisor to President Trump, said, “We should privatize anything that can reasonably be privatized.”
Montgomery, emphasized the potential harm privatization could have on veterans who rely on USPS jobs. "The sad reality is that if some of the jobs get slashed again, several veterans will be affected," he said.
According to the USPS, it is one of the largest employers of veterans in the country, with more than 70,000 veterans currently on staff, including Richard David, a USPS worker who served in the military.
“I’m not too fond of it. It just needs to be left alone and let us do our job,” said David, expressing his frustration with the proposed changes.
