Local community members join postal union for a day of action

COURTESY: ANNICK JOSEPH (KIEM)

EUREKA, Calif. (KIEM) Nationwide, lawmakers are teaming up with postal service unions for a day of action.

The local president, Mike Hetticher, of the American Postal Worker’s Union joined the nationwide call to action near the post office off 4th Street in Eureka. 

“And since the Post Master General has come onboard we’ve seen operational changes that has slowed down mail even delayed it in some areas. They’ve been pulling out automation,” said Hetticher, “They’ve basically decreased overtime so that we are not able to work the mail and get it out, sometimes with no mail on them just so they can say the trucks aren’t being held up or they aren’t late.  

“There are a lot of operational changes that don’t make any sense that are hindering mail service.”

Less than a dozen community members joined the nation by rallying community support with signs in hand along, Broadway and Clark streets.

Democratic House Representatives held press conferences regarding the United States Postal Service crisis.

This comes after a weekend of protests by postal union workers over several changes being made by Postmaster General Lewis Dejoy, including the loss of more than 600 processing machines, and the removal of blue box mailboxes.

Democrats believe the tactics are a ploy to delay mail, which could affect mail-in ballots in the upcoming presidential election.

The house held a rare Saturday session to vote on a bill that would reverse recent changes in postal operations and would also provide 25-billion dollars for postal service operations – it was green lit. However, Hetticher says, this is just a temporary fix.

“So basically it’s a band-aid, it’ll get us through the near future here, it’s not going to be one of those things that’s going to fix us down the road,” he said. “There does have to be some expansion of services that’s basically what it comes down to.”

-Paid Advertisement-