Postal workers across Maine are sounding alarms about proposals to privatize the U.S. Postal Service.
Workers in Portland and Bangor rallied today to make the case that private companies will not be able to fully meet the mail service needs of Maine residents- especially those in rural areas.
In Bangor, protestors chanted "U.S. mail is not for sale" and held signs as passing cars honked in support.
Tom Smith is the legislative director with the local chapter of the American Postal Workers Union. He said shifting mail delivery to private companies would only make it more expensive to send and slower to arrive.
"It becomes a for-profit business where the bottom line is profits, as long as people can suffer a couple of days without their meds, as long as the bottom dollar is found," Smith said. "And that's not what we are. We are an essential service of the United States people."
Smith said workers are on edge with all the debate in Washington, and institutional knowledge is being lost as some long-time staff take early retirement offers.
"The Postal Service is inexpensive, it's prompt, it's reliable," he said. "And especially in rural areas, people count on the Postal Service for life saving meds to Grandma's latest batch of snickerdoodles."
Smith said the union is encouraging the public to reach out to local and federal representatives to show their support. The National Association of Letter Carriers will also hold a rally in Portland on Sunday.
