The local American Postal Workers Union chapter picketed outside the post office at 511 E. Walnut St. in response to threats of privatization Thursday.
Attendees expressed concerns about how privatization would impact postal workers’ jobs and benefits, and possibly disrupt businesses and residential services.
Reba Newman, a retail sales clerk at the post office, was at the protest with her son. She was concerned about losing benefits and her job despite “paying her dues” if the U.S. Postal Service is privatized by the federal government, which is a move the Trump administration has expressed interest in.
“We have to live,” Newman said.
Erin Linn, president of the local APWU chapter said the privatization of postal services would raise prices for small businesses and cut down on access for some rural communities. She said she encourages those who feel concerned about possible changes to ask their representatives to support federal legislation that would block the privatization of the mail service.
Bettina Young, a member of the APWU, expressed worry over union members losing their jobs and benefits.
“We can’t afford any of that, we need all that we work for,” Young said.
Mary Kinney, a retired letter carrier, said everybody would suffer from privatization of USPS.
“(Mail delivery) reaches everyone in the whole country,” Kinney said. “It’s essential for delivering medicines, business correspondence and grandchildren’s arts drawings.”
Other community members joined the postal workers to express their concern over the prospect of the privatization of USPS.
“So many of our communities rely on USPS,” said Drew Amidei, chapter organizer for mid-Missouri Jobs with Justice. “Privatizing USPS would really harm the communities that rely on them for things like delivering medication.”
Alyce Turner of the Boone County Democrats emphasized the potential employment impact of privatizing federal agencies on the 2,800 federal employees in Boone County.
The pickets were part of the APWU’s U.S. Mail Not For Sale National Day of Action. The Columbia group joined postal workers in 150 cities nationwide, including Jefferson City and St. Louis, protesting threats to privatize USPS.
