NRLCA President Don Cantriel and the entire National Board fully support 6-Day delivery and oppose five day delivery which could further erode the Postal Service’s dwindling customer base.
It is an important part of the business day in America to provide six day delivery in any kind of weather to every business and household in America. Reducing delivery from six to five days goes against the very principal of the very foundation of the Postal Service, “To give universal service to the American people”. The NRLCA strongly believes that reducing the requirement for six day delivery will only add to the problem.
There has been much discussion around the country about the possibility of five day delivery. We have been notified by the Postal Service that they are studying the ramifications should five day delivery become a reality. Any action that the Postal Service is engaged in at this time only reflects preparation of a contingency plan. It in no way reflects what may happen.
The Postal Service recognizes that 5-Day Delivery cannot be implemented without congressional approval.
The first hurdle the Postal Service must overcome in order to implement five day delivery is to exclude language in the Appropriations Bill which states, “6-day delivery and rural delivery of mail shall continue without reduction.” The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Service and General Government successfully passed S. 1432, the 2010 Appropriations bill, out of full committee on Thursday, July 9, 2009. This bill includes the very important provision to rural letter carriers mandating universal, 6-day delivery service. What this means is that unless the Postal Service can convince Congress to remove this provision from the Appropriations Bill, 6-day delivery will stay in place. We have learned that the House version also includes the provision for mandating 6-day delivery at levels not less than what existed in 1983. Therefore, the likelihood of seeing 5-day delivery seems less a reality than many from the Postal Service would lead us to believe. We will continue to keep you updated as things progress.
If for some reason this provision were to ever be stripped from the bill, the NRLCA is unique among the postal unions. According to Article 8, Section 7 (Changes in Number of Delivery Days) of the National Agreement between the NRLCA and the USPS, if the number of delivery days were to ever change, “The Employer shall notify the Union at least ninety (90) days prior to implementation of the contemplated changes in the number of delivery days."
The NRLCA National Board and the Legislative Department will continue to work aggressively to ensure that Mail will continue to be delivered 6-Days a week!!!
http://www.nrlca.org/membershipUpdates/selectedMembershipUpdate.cfm/memUpID/124Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..
