APWU Responds to White House Budget

On Monday, President Trump issued his budget for the next fiscal year. Among its proposals were the entirety of the recommendations of the 2018 White House Task Force on the Postal Service, which include service cuts, lower pay and for postal workers and accelerated outsourcing and privatization of postal work.

“The President’s Budget is another broadside attack by this White House on postal workers, our union and our customers’ well-deserved right to a public Postal Service that meets their needs,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “It doubles down on the Task Force proposals which would deteriorate the mail, lead to the loss of thousands of decent jobs, and set the Post Office up to be sold off to the highest bidder.”

Just last week, the House of Representatives passed the USPS Fairness Act, with overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill would repeal the prefunding mandate which led to the manufactured financial crisis in the Postal Service. Nonetheless, the White House budget calls on USPS to resume prefunding payments, no matter their impact on postal finances.

“Simply put, this is an insult to the hundreds of thousands of dedicated and hardworking postal workers who make the Postal Service the most efficient post in the world and this country’s most trusted institution,” continued Dimondstein. “Our collective struggle to defend the public Postal Service and our jobs must continue, from the workroom floor to the streets, from the ballot box to Congress and the White House.”

The budget also proposes slashing social safety net programs, eliminating or reducing CSRS and FERS cost of living increases, increasing employee retirement contributions, and changing the way retirement is calculated.  “This budget is a blueprint of the administrations priorities and it is clear they do not value the dedicated postal and federal workforce, seniors, or those in need of assistance” said Legislative and Political Director Judy Beard.  “As Congress develops their own budget, we will remain vigilant and work with our bipartisan allies to fight back against the attacks laid out in the White House budget.