March 24 national protests to demand NO cuts to postal service & jobs

The National Association of Letter Carriers has called for 100 rallies and other protests on Sunday, March 24, to save postal jobs and to keep six-day delivery.

The NALC call for a National Day of Action invites unions, small business customers, civic organizations and faith groups, as well as all postal workers, families, friends and neighbors, to gather outside specified post offices in the major cities of each state. “We want to make this fight about the cost of losing Saturday mail delivery and how it would affect people in each and every state,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said.

The American Postal Workers Union, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union and the Rural Letter Carriers Union have all endorsed the March 24 rallies.

The following information is from leaflets sent out by some of the groups organizing for the rallies:

“Combined with the planned closures of hundreds of post offices, the reduction of hours, the sub-contracting of postal trucking, and the closing of half the processing plants, the elimination of Saturday delivery is a frontal attack on the largest unionized workforce in the United States.

“Thirty percent of postal jobs are held by people of color. Veterans hold over 20 percent and women over 40 percent of postal positions.

“Continued closings of processing plants and post offices economically undermine local communities and small businesses. Not only are these living-wage jobs threatened by privatization, but the world’s lowest postage rates and most efficient mail service would be at the mercy of for-profit corporations.

“The sale of valuable and historic post office buildings being pushed by the Postal Service is yet another unnecessary scheme that will enrich the 1% and harm our communities.

“Not the internet, not private competition, not labor costs, not the recession — a 2006 Congressional law, which unnecessarily forces the postal service to pre-fund retiree health benefits 75 years in advance, is responsible for sending the postal service into a death spiral.”

In some of the demonstrations, organizers have invited community activists to participate. For example, among the list of endorsers that have endorsed a community march from the Chelsea Post Office to the New York main rally are the Chelsea Coalition on Housing; Neighborhood Advisory committee; Chelsea for Peace; Fulton Housing Tenants Association; NYC Metro Raging Grannies; and Communication Workers of America Local 1180.

Other endorsers are Parents to Improve School Transportation; International Working Women’s Day Coalition, NYC; U.S. Labor Against The War; Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization; May 1 Coalition for Worker & Immigrant Rights; the Rev. C.D. Witherspoon, Southern Christian Leadership Conference Baltimore Chapter president; International Action Center; and Baltimore All Peoples Congress.

Information on rally sites can be found at  tinyurl.com/aa5gg3b

Atlanta,GA:
Crown Road Post Office, 3900 Crown Rd, Atlanta, GA 30304; 1 -3pm 

Baltimore, MD:
Baltimore MPO,  900 E. Fayette St, Baltimore, MD 21233; 1 – 4pm 

Boston, MA:
Boston Common, Tremont St., Boston, MA 02108; 1 – 3pm 

Buffalo, NY:
Cheektowaga Post Office, 125 Galleria Dr. Buffalo 14225, 1-3 PM

Cleveland, OH:
Main Post Office, 2400 Orange Ave, Cleveland, OH 44101; 1 – 3pm

Charlotte, NC:
Carmel Post Office, 6300 Carmel Rd, 2 pm

Chicago, IL:
Federal Plaza, 230 S Deaborn St., Chicago, IL 60604; 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM CDT

Detroit, MI:
Southfield Post Office: 22200 W 11 Mile Rd Southfield, MI 48037

Los Angeles, CA:
Hollywood Station / 1615 N. Wilcox Ave., LA 90028 / 12:30 – 3:30 PM

Milwaukee, WI:
West Milwaukee Post Office, 4300 W. Lincoln Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53219; 1 – 3pm

New York, NY:
Start at Chelsea Rally 10am-11:30am, 15th St. & 9th Ave, march to NALC rally at Manhattan GPO; 8th Ave between 31 & 33, noon – 3pm

Philadelphia, PA:
Ben Franklin Post Office, 316 Market St, Philadelphia PA 19106, 2pm

Pittsburgh, PA:
1001 California Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15290, 2PM, SUNDAY, MARCH 24

Raleigh, NC
Old State Capitol building (south side), W Morgan St & Fayetteville St, 2 P.M.

Rochester, NY;
General Mail Facility (GMF) 1335 Jefferson Road, Rochester, New York 14692 1-3 PM

Salt Lake City, UT:
Downtown Salt Lake City Post Office, 230 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101Sunday, March 24, 2013 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM MDT

San Diego, CA:
Downtown Station / 815 E. Street, San Diego 92101 / 11 AM – 2 PM

San Francisco, CA:
North Beach Finance Station / 1640 Stockton Street, SF, 94133 AM 11 AM – 3 PM

Tucson, AZ:
22nd Street and Cherrybell, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.