National Postal Forum Highlights Few, but Vital, Options for Smaller Mailers

The USPS would like another class of employee that is simply paid market rates and benefits. It would agree to grandfather the existing union labor since 50% or 300,000 of them are eligible for retirement in the next decade.

Nearly three dozen other practical, workable, proven (in the nonunion, private sector) ideas were discussed at length during the full year of regional meetings leading up to the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006. While the unions fought each of them tooth and nail, it was Federal legislators who disallowed any whisper of hope. And as you recall the economy was pumping along quite strongly at mid-decade.