Postal workers rally in Eagan to demand better from USPS

EAGAN, Minn. — Low staffing, long lines and delayed packages — those are some of the reasons why postal workers across the country Tuesday are demanding more from their employer.

Rallies in protest are happening in dozens of cities, including here in Minnesota. In Eagan, postal workers and union and community members came out to demand better service from the United States Postal Service.

Union members said USPS does an excellent job ensuring ballots and election-related mail arrive in a timely manner, but they want to see that same effort year-round.

About 60 people rallied in Eagan for what American Postal Workers Union members are calling a "Day of Action."

Similar rallies are playing out across the country in 90 different cities. They're pushing for more reliable service and delivery seven days a week, among other things.

Union members say the way to ensure that happens is for the USPS to invest in its workforce.

"It's the decisions made by the [postmaster general] and his 'Delivering for America' plan that has degraded the services and is creating the backlog of your mail," APWU St. Paul President Dave Cook said. "Plain and simple. If they staffed properly and they put the service standards back where they were at, we could deliver mail on time. THey are trying to turn us into a business and no longer a service. They need to put the service back into the postal service."

Last summer, Congresswoman Angie Craig came to investigate issues in Eagan and Prior Lake .