USPS agrees to work with DOGE on reform, planning to cut 10,000 workers

WASHINGTON – Postmaster Common Louis DeJoy plans to chop 10,000 staff and billions of {dollars} from the U.S. Postal Service finances and he’ll do this working with Elon Musk ’s Division of Authorities Effectivity, in line with a letter despatched to members of Congress on Thursday.

DOGE will help USPS with addressing “huge issues” on the $78 billion-a-year company, which has typically struggled in recent times to remain afloat. The settlement additionally consists of the Common Companies Administration in an effort to assist the Postal Service establish and obtain “additional efficiencies.”

USPS listed such issues as mismanagement of the company’s retirement property and Employees’ Compensation Program, in addition to an array of regulatory necessities that the letter described as “limiting regular enterprise follow.”

“That is an effort aligned with our efforts, as whereas we’ve completed a fantastic deal, there may be far more to be finished,” DeJoy wrote.

Critics of the settlement worry unfavorable results of the cuts will likely be felt throughout America. Democratic U.S. Rep. Gerald Connolly of Virginia, who was despatched the letter, mentioned turning over the Postal Service to DOGE would end in it being undermined and privatized.

“This capitulation could have catastrophic penalties for all Individuals — particularly these in rural and exhausting to succeed in areas — who depend on the Postal Service daily to ship mail, drugs, ballots, and extra,” he mentioned in an announcement.

USPS at present employs about 640,000 staff tasked with making deliveries from interior cities to rural areas and even far-flung islands.

The service plans to chop 10,000 staff within the subsequent 30 days by means of a voluntary early retirement program, in line with the letter.

Neither the USPS nor the Trump administration instantly responded to emails from The Related Press requesting remark.

The company beforehand introduced plans to chop its working prices by greater than $3.5 billion yearly. And this is not the primary time hundreds of staff have been lower. In 2021, the company lower 30,000 staff.

Because the service that has operated as an unbiased entity since 1970 has struggled to steadiness the books with the decline of first-class mail, it has fought calls from President Donald Trump and others that or not it’s privatized. Final month, Trump mentioned he could put USPS underneath the management of the Commerce Division in what can be an government department takeover.

The Nationwide Affiliation of Letter Carriers President Brian L. Renfroe mentioned in an announcement in response to Thursday’s letter that they welcome anybody’s assist with addressing among the company’s greatest issues however stood firmly in opposition to any transfer to denationalise the Postal Service.

“Widespread sense options are what the Postal Service wants, not privatization efforts that can threaten 640,000 postal staff’ jobs, 7.9 million jobs tied to our work, and the common service each American depends on each day,” he mentioned.

DeJoy, a Republican donor who owned a logistics enterprise, was appointed to steer USPS throughout Trump’s first time period in 2020. He has confronted repeated challenges throughout his tenure, together with the COVID-19 pandemic, surges in mail-in election ballots and efforts to stem losses by means of price and repair cuts.