CARIBOU, Maine — With cries of “Save Saturday delivery” and displaying signs that read “Mainers for 6 Day Mail; don’t dismantle our postal service,” the 24 protestors who gathered in front of the Caribou Post Office on March 24 had a very clear message for passersby: don’t eliminate mail delivery on Saturdays.
Organized in conjunction with the Delivering for America Rally, the protest was spearheaded locally by Director of Retirees for the Letter Carriers George Dionne of Grand Isle, a former letter carrier himself who delivered Presque Isle’s mail for 24 years.
“[We’re protesting] to keep our six day mail delivery going and, in Aroostook County, you’re looking at [losing] 67 jobs for Saturday mail if that stops,” Dionne said, clarifying that the 67 jobs lost in Aroostook County are for those Saturday mail delivery jobs; a fact sheet distributed by the protesters stated that approximately 22,500 full-time letter carrier positions will be cut if the mail is delivered one less day each week.
“We’re hoping for awareness, we’re hoping that our senators will look at this closer and that we’ll keep our six day mail delivery going,” Dionne said.
The protest came in response to the February announcement by USPS officials that, starting the week of Aug. 5 of this summer, mail delivery will be reduced from its current schedule to a new Monday through Friday delivery system; package delivery will continue its normal schedule of Monday through Saturday.
According to a press release issued by USPS officials that announced the new delivery schedule, the August delivery shift will mean that mail delivery to street addresses will occur Monday through Friday. Packages will continue to be delivered six days per week. Mail addressed to PO boxes will continue to be delivered on Saturdays, and post offices currently open on Saturdays will continue to be open on Saturdays.
“The Postal Service is advancing an important new approach to delivery that reflects the strong growth of our package business and responds to the financial realities resulting from America’s changing mailing habits,” said Postmaster General and USPS CEO Patrick Donahoe in the release. “We developed this approach by working with our customers to understand their delivery needs and by identifying creative ways to generate significant cost savings.”
The loss of Saturday jobs for 67 postal workers around The County had protesters up in arms in Caribou on Sunday.
“It’s more than just about money,” said Presque Isle resident Jennifer Keiser, whose husband is a postal employee. “It’s about family, friends and community, and holding on to what’s right.”
Communities with the most individuals slated to lose their Saturday jobs are Caribou and Presque Isle at nine each, followed by Houlton with eight, Madawaska with five, Fort Fairfield and Fort Kent with four, Van Buren and Limestone at three, and one employee at post offices in Ashland, Bridgewater, Eagle Lake, Easton, Frenchville, Grand Isle, Island Falls, Mapleton, Mars Hill, Monticello, New Sweden, Oakfield, Patten, Saint Agatha, Saint Francis, Sherman Mills, Sinclair, Smyrna Mills, Soldier Pond, Stockholm, Washburn and Westfield.
“I think we had a pretty good turnout for a Sunday,” Dionne said. “We didn’t do this for high traffic, we just wanted to send a message.”
According to Dionne and the USPS, the postal service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
While the protest promoted awareness about the implications eliminating six day mail delivery would have, Dionne also explained that in 2006 congress passed a law that made the postal service have to pre-fund retiree healthcare for 75 years.
“It’s the only federal agency that’s required to pre-fund retiree health care for 75 years,” Dionne said.
Editors note: The Bangor Daily News reported on March 22 that Congress has passed legislation on March 21 requiring the Postal Service to continue six-day delivery of first-class mail.
