Over the weekend, postal workers gathered in force to vocalize their resistance to whispers of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) facing privatization. The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) organized a rally in a united stand for the USPS's future, drawing support from both local officials and the public. In the midst of this collective apprehension, the organization's president Paul Peterman voiced concerns about how privatization could upend services, particularly for those situated on the fringes of society.

With signs and a resolve as robust as the very institution they're defending, these demonstrators congregated at the crossroads of Eastern and Sunset. They chanted a simple, but potent message: "U.S. mail is not for sale." According to KTNV, Peterman elaborated on the potential impact, "The USPS always takes care of that last-minute delivery. That's the last mile to rural communities. That's the last mile to to island off the coast of Alaska that private companies are not going to deliver to, or if they do, they're going to charge an exorbitant rate," a statement obtained by the News3LV.

This outcry comes on the heels of the Department of Government Efficiency's unsettling announcement that the USPS would slash 10,000 jobs, fueling speculation about privatization under the Trump administration's reform plans. USPS worker Drew Banfield summed up the sentiment when he told KTNV, "A nation without the Postal Service is a declining nation."

According to KTNV, Rally attendees aren’t just worried about the symbolism of such a shift, they’re bracing for the tangible aftermath that could ripple through cost and accessibility of postal services. Drew Banfield expressed his concerns, saying, "The first thing that would happen is costs would go up 50 to 100% overnight," and pointed out that, "If the United States Postal Service was privatized, the dollar would become the bottom line. Stamps will go to $2 overnight, packages will double." These hikes, workers argue, would cast a long shadow over those in remote areas, potentially obstructing the delivery of essentials like medication and personal goods.

Michael Green, a UNLV Professor of History explained the financial headwinds USPS has faced, attributable in part to dwindling mail use due to technological advancements such as, "Email, Zoom, texting... all of these other means of contact have reduced their footprint, so to speak." Green said in an interview with KTNV. Interestingly, despite the fiscal attrition, USPS remains a cornerstone of American life, delivering 376 million pieces of mail daily with a workforce that includes 73,000 veterans.

Government officials, including Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley and Representative Dina Titus, have thrown their support behind the postal workers. "I'm not here as the Mayor of Las Vegas, but I'm here to support all of you and every citizen not only in Nevada but in the United States. We need our postal service, our letter carriers, and our rural post offices and they are in jeopardy and that cannot be allowed," Mayor Berkley stated, as reported by News3LV. Titus reaffirms this position, emphasizing the essential nature of the services provided by postal workers and the danger of reducing the workforce to nothing but efficiency metrics.