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Postal workers rally to save six-day delivery schedule

Neither snow, nor rain, and now — not even the threat of a shorter work week will keep United States Postal Service letter carriers from doing their daily...

Neither snow, nor rain, and now — not even the threat of a shorter work week will keep United States Postal Service letter carriers from doing their daily rounds.

The USPS has been delivering mail for more than 225 years, but postal service employees are now fighting to keep that tradition going on Saturdays.

“I work for the people I deliver mail to. They count on me to be there every day. They count on me to take their mail, they count on me to deliver their mail. We should not lose that,” said Sharie Sheffer, a USPS letter carrier.

Sheffer was one of more than 100 people who showed up for a rally to save six-day mail delivery at the Lower Paxton Township Post Office in Dauphin County on Sunday.

“I’ve been working there for 31 years. There’s no difference between a Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday. It’s all important. It’s important for the American people to get their mail on Saturday and it’s important for us to keep that business,” Sheffer said.

The USPS announced a plan last month to only deliver mail Monday through Friday in an effort to save about $2 billion a year. The move would also cut more than 22,000 jobs.

The change would have gone into effect August 5, but Congress passed a bill last week that will keep six-day delivery going through the end of September.

Even with the new deadline in place, USPS letter carriers plan to keep battling as hard as they can to save Saturday delivery indefinitely.

“People who care about jobs should be here. People who care about this country should be here,” said Jeffrey Petrocy, who is married to a longtime USPS letter carrier.

If the five-day delivery plan does take effect later this year, packages and mail addressed to PO boxes will still be delivered on Saturdays.

Postal workers rally to save six-day delivery schedule

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