Comments on: Should We Close Local Post Offices On Saturdays?

By: Patricia

Patricia — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:36:03 +0000

My husband is a rural mail carrier and as a result of the march 2009 mail count, his volume went way down along with the majority of mail carriers. The result: my husband now works 6 days a week and comes home earlier in the day. Now who’s watching the shop. What sense does this make. Prior to the recent count, he worked 5 days a week and came home after working an average work day. Now who came up with this stupidity? To work more days per week to deliver less mail. His wages were also reduced and he is forced to work more days. Where are the wage and hour folks who should be protecting all of us from this type of abuse? Try working with one day off a week and experiencing the stress of the post office. I don’t get it, how are they allowed to do this, as it makes absolutely no sense to work more days to carry less mail. It is almost as if administrators don’t care about life outside of the post office. There isn’t any. Everyone deserves two days off per week to be with family and friends. My husband put in his time as an associate carrier for years before becoming a career employee, working 6 sometimes 7 days per week during the holidays for what? To get to the point that he is back to next to no time off. This has really stressed him out and I have to walk a tightrope when he come home everyday, not knowing what mood he will be in. This is typical for the USPS to waste money. Who needs to advertise in the Olympics, Tour de France as if no one knows the post office exists? Does the advertising make me remeber that “Oh yes I completely forgot we have a postal service, and now that I have seen the ad, I will go to the Post Office????? There was a surplus in the postal budget at that time. Has the USPS ever heard of saving for the future? I guess not. So folks, there it is from a wife of a 58 year old postal carrier who is dedicated to his career. I see the frustration voiced also by his co-workers, some of which have young children at home. Thank God, our children are grown and living their own lives. It really hurts not to have Mom or Dad involved in their childrens’ lives on the weekends like normal people. Today, more women are carriers that males I believe and so Mom is missing. USPS, come to your senses and close the post offcie on Saturday. You will save money and it will greatly improve the moral of the postal employees. Thanks for reading this; sorry it was so wordy, but many of the posts do not see the entire picture. Hope you all have a better understanding now!!!

By: Cal

Cal — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:06:55 +0000

No more Saturday deliveries, this is a no brainer. The cost of savings to this quasi- government private business operation would be substantial to say the least in obvious areas of labor, utilities, fuel,insurance risks and health for these workers. Cut the delivery day to increase mid week shortfalls and extend local post office hours to 730pm or sofor customer walkup. Limited mail processing will still take place on weekends in some major bulk mail facilities because you gotta get the freight off the airport and from other other big business mailers as such. In America we have two major examples of private companies that can move parcels quite efficiently on a 5 day work week for the most part and their earnings are in the billions. Also if you want to see the USPS get it in gear just allow the two other giant shipping companies access to the coveted US post box around the country with the permission to deliver junk mail and you will see a renewed spirit in this goliath institution like none before. Learn to live within your means and you will be ok.

By: Enrique

Enrique — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 07:11:12 +0000

People who don’t want Saturdays off probably have no lives. They want to work 7 days a week if possible. Who cares what’s best for the postal service, let them figure it out, that’s what the big dogs get paid to do. I have a 1 year old son, I’m a city carrier, and I would love to be with my son on the weekends because just think of the activities kids do on the weekend. They go to school all week, so the weekend is used for sports, dance, or whatever your kids like to do. It will create alot more harmony in the workplace. I’d work twice as hard during the week knowing I would get Saturday and Sunday off. THINK ABOUT IT!

By: linda peterson

linda peterson — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:22:09 +0000

I remember no Saturday delivery when I was growing up. The banks and businesses did just fine. These are difficult times and require some sacrifices to balance our budget after what Bush has done to us. Postal workers can work 10 hour days, 4 days a week and get more mail worked and delivered without the overtime. I also remember in the early 90s when the USPS had no advertising budget, that would be another great place to cut. If we keep our prices low we wouldn’t have to advertise. The USPS has come full circle and will be just fine if we do a full days work for a full days pay. We could also move Saturdays people to Mon thru Fri and move more mail. This will work and postal workers will be happier for it. Remember to never count on the overtime to live!

By: Susan A

Susan A — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 02:38:05 +0000

You simply curtail the bulk on monday and deliver it throughout the rest of the week.
It would definitely save a great amount of fuel.
People survive no mail on sundays and holidays. They could survive no saturday delivery as well.

By: Shawn Glaze

Shawn Glaze — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:22:32 +0000

The Post Office would save big if it ended Saturday delivery and closed its doors on Saturdays. With a fleet of vehicles in the neighborhood of 250,000 and gas prices at 4.00 a gallon, how could we not save big? The Post Office claims its in the red and really needs to act fast. I’ve been with Post Office for 15 years and we all know how light Tuesdays and Wednesdays are and I’m guessing that by closing on Saturdays maybe our mail volume would increase on those days as well the rest of the week and maybe we could give our PTF’s being cut short a full weeks pay. Believe it or not, We postal workers can process the mail in a 5 day work week. Why close on Wednesdays? A weeks worth of mail is a weeks worth of mail. I’m not real sure, but I dont think retailers and venues for entertainment such as movie theatres are getting crushed by the additional day that they are open. In fact, have you looked at opening weekend profits of major movies? These places mostly employ teens and young adults and the weekend is when they make most of their money. I’m a family man with 3 kids and maybe get 1 Saturday off a year outside of my vacation. I miss a majority of my kids activities and thats just time you can’t get back. Face it, the USPS is not a family first place. That aside, if the USPS is in dire need of saving money in order for it to survive it should close its doors on Saturdays.

By: Mike Iorio-USPS TTO 10 YRS.

Mike Iorio-USPS TTO 10 YRS. — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:52:56 +0000

As a TRACTOR TRAILER OPERATOR for the USPS fot the past 10 years I would like to say it’s a good start but not enough. I would also like to see Four 10 Hour Workdays in order to eliminate Private Contracting of the Transportation of the U.S. Mail. It’s not about job security, its about safety on our roads. As a former New York State Certified Commercial Driving School Instructor I see first hand how dangerous these {steerers} are! Most are paid Per-diem, thats right as fast as they can boogie, the more they do, the more they get paid – not to safe right? One Contractor here in the Northeast Has KILLED many people ! I SURE HOPE IT’S NOT A VIP’S FAMILY MEMBER NEXT BEFORE THE PROPER ACTION IS TAKEN IN ORDER TO CORRECT AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN ! THANK YOU, Michael J.Iorio

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:24:45 +0000

Mail cost would be cut. Permanent workers would not receive a day of overtime premium pay. As for more overtime, the union bargained that away. The USPS would simply hire more casual handlers, pay them less and still meet the demand. These facilities can handle the load. The losers, the employees. The gain Weekends? I know many who intentional work weekends for the extra differential. Reduction in first class for a day will not have any significant impact, statistics show that first class mailing is at a low anyway and doesn’t show signs of uptrending, save maybe the Holiday season. The USPS is simply another company experiencing the inevitable pains of downsizing as a real possibility in the future.

By: Mel

Mel — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:39:11 +0000

Saturday delivery should be eliminated as most of the businesses are closed on saturdays. It is hard for the post office to get under time from most of the letter carriers on saturday as a result it is unproductive day. People do not need their mail on saturday, only a few people who wait for their welfare checks or small businesses like stores who do not gather enough mail for delivery. About 50,000 carrier floater jobs can be eliminated.There are many carriers who will retire in next couple of years and these floaters can take that job.On Monday the carriers can come an hour earlier and case the mail. carriers work overtime on Monday anyway. They will be making same stops while carrying 25% more mail from saturday. Most of the government offices are closed on weekends why not the post office too? We will not die if we get our mail one day late. If someone wants to get their mail earlier then they need to use Express service. The post office is not federal funded , it makes all the money by selling it’s products. Is it worth it to open the windows for only 4 hours on saturday and pay the clerks 8 hours each or overtime to cover people on vacation. That doesn’t sound like a good business strategy.only to help few customers is not a good business strategy…..we will be making 4 hours of money at the window and pay 24 to 40 hours to the clerks to do the job. The PTF’s will not lose the jobs, There are enough carriers that have more than 25 years of service.

By: Shalisa Holloway

Shalisa Holloway — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:10:10 +0000

Since those people who seem to be so gun-ho on saving fuel and bringing down cost, let’s close everything on Saturday! The Banks; after all, many of you have already admitted to doing most of your financial transactions online. All grocery stores, retailers and businesses. Go back to the “good ole days” when NOTHING was open on the weekends!!! Will you make places of “entertainment” an exception..such as movie theatres, restaurants, amusement parks, vacation spots, the zoo. Don’t just pick on U.S.P.S.! If you’ve never worked for the postal service then you haven’t a clue about the inner workings of this organization. Before anyone calls themselves spouting off figures, dig deep and get the facts. If you want to close any organziation or business on Saturday, lets not leave anyone out!!! You can receive so much from a letter with $0.42…Paychecks (for those who do not care for direct deposit), deeds and titles to cars, homes, boats, stocks and bonds, birthday cards from your grandchild(ren) in their own handwriting! WOW…pink slips, tickets to concerts, movies, sports events, plays, the police department, I.R.S.:( , and the list goes on and on and on! Try checking out the postage rate in other countries. I have and we ARE the cheapest and probably the most reliable. Be careful what you wish for…your job or business may be next for review by an axe committee…