LAFAYETTE, LA – U.S. Postal Service workers in Lafayette joined a nationwide movement on Thursday, rallying in opposition to a proposed plan by the Trump administration to privatize the postal service. The rally, part of a series of 150 protests across the country, was framed as a “U.S. Mail Is Not for Sale Day of Action” to raise awareness about concerns over privatization’s potential impact on both consumers and essential services.
Joshua Montgomery, the local president of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), expressed the frustrations of postal workers in a speech to the gathered crowd. He described the current state of the postal service as “understaffed” and stressed that workers, despite the challenges, continue to give their best efforts for their communities. “We deliver to everyone—Democrats, Republicans, Independents alike,” Montgomery said, underscoring the universal role the postal service plays.
The central theme of the rally was clear: workers fear that privatization could lead to significant consequences for the American public. Richard David, a USPS worker, voiced his opposition directly, urging officials to “leave the post office alone.” He emphasized that the postal service is a public trust that relies on community ties and should not be used as a political pawn.
Union leaders argue that privatizing the USPS would not only raise prices but also disrupt the timely delivery of crucial services, including prescription medications, checks, and packages from major retailers. Montgomery further warned that a privatized system would lead to delays in essential deliveries, which could significantly affect people who rely on the postal service for things like medicine and financial documents.
A recent report from Wells Fargo highlighted the financial challenges the USPS could face under privatization, predicting that the service would need to increase prices by at least 30% to become profitable. Montgomery pointed out that such a price hike would extend beyond the Postal Service, raising costs for third-party shippers as well. “The moment privatization happens to the post service, prices are going to skyrocket,” he warned, stressing that the USPS’s current rates help keep costs low across the shipping industry.
The rally also came amid public remarks by Elon Musk, who has called for the downsizing of the USPS and Amtrak at a recent conference. Musk, an influential advisor to President Trump, argued that the government should privatize services that could reasonably function in the private sector. This sentiment has raised concerns among postal workers, who worry about the long-term consequences for both their jobs and the services they provide.
Montgomery also highlighted the potential impact of privatization on veterans, many of whom are employed by the USPS. With more than 70,000 veterans currently working for the service, the potential for job cuts could have a devastating effect on this group. “If some of the jobs get slashed again, several veterans will be affected,” Montgomery said, stressing the importance of protecting USPS jobs for those who have served the country.
David, a veteran himself, echoed these concerns, expressing his discontent with the proposed changes. “I’m not too fond of it. It just needs to be left alone and let us do our job,” David said, clearly frustrated by the push to privatize the service.
As the rally concluded, participants remained firm in their belief that the USPS should remain a public service, crucial to the nation’s infrastructure and economy. The workers’ message was clear: privatizing the postal service would be detrimental to the American public, and the USPS must be preserved for future generations.