MEDFORD, Ore.–Postal workers and supporters gathered in downtown Medford Sunday, joining a nationwide protest backed by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC).
The protest, aimed at defending the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), comes amid growing concerns about dismantling and privatization of the service.
This comes less than two weeks after the postmaster general announced in a letter to congress plans to cut 10,000 workers and billions of dollars from the USPS budget in coordination with the Department of Government Efficiency, as reported by The Associated Press.
Local NALC chapter president Ron Fair spoke passionately about the impact of these changes on the rural communities served in Southern Oregon.
“Rural communities would not have the service that we provide to them today. They would lose that service,” he said.
The protests are part of a broader effort by the NALC, holding rallies across the country with nearly 300,000 postal workers represented by the union.
Fair emphasized the importance of community support in the fight to preserve the service. “This is when communities come together. It is to save a service that we provide. The postal service is a brand, and we provide that service,” he stated.
A focus of the protest has been calling out elected officials who have not actively supported the Postal Service.
Many members are vocal about their opposition to privatization efforts and the potential harm it could do to the nation’s mail system.
“We are the United States Postal Service, not the United States Postal Company,” Fair declared, reiterating the union’s commitment to preserving the public nature of the service.
Rocky Walker is a reporter/producer at NewsWatch 12. You can reach Rocky at rwalker@kdrv.com.