Wichita postal workers rally for better staffing, saving post offices on day of action

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Wichita postal workers picketed outside the downtown post office on Tuesday.

It was part of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) National Day of Action , which is held nationwide on Oct. 1

Postal workers are calling for better staffing and the saving of local post offices. In August, a proposal was announced that would save the USPS $3 billion a year, with an emphasis on regional hubs.

Wichita workers are concerned about what it could mean for rural Kansans.

“With the potential change and delivery standards takes all the processing out of Wichita. That means all of the mail would go to Kansas City, Missouri, to be processed and then shipped back, just adding more days. He (Postmaster General Louis DeJoy) says it would save money, but it’s not saving money. It’s not saving money, and it’s just making the service worse,” Christine Pruitt, American Postal Workers Union local president, said.

KSN reached out to USPS. They sent the following response:

We respect our employees’ rights to express their opinions and participate in informational picketing while off the clock.

Through our Delivering for America investments, we have built capacity into our processing, logistics, and delivery infrastructure to meet customers’ evolving mail and package needs. We are executing on strategies to pull together the people, technology, transportation, equipment, and facilities into a well-integrated and streamlined mail and package network.

We have worked hard in past 3 years to stabilize our workforce. We have converted more than 191,000 pre-career employees to career status since January 2021.”

Mark Inglett, USPS A/Manager Strategic Communications

The Postal Service claims that if the proposal is adopted, 75% of first-class mail will see no change from the current service standards, and around two-thirds of mail will be delivered in three or fewer days.

Lawmakers across states have come out and criticized DeJoy for his management of the Postal Service.

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