Postal Service Could Save $7 Billion By Ending Saturday Mail Delivery
Postal Service Could Save $7 Billion By Ending Saturday Mail Delivery By Shawn R. Beals Hartford Courant
With a little help from Congress, the United States Postal Service could save up to $7 billion a year by ending Saturday mail delivery and restructuring retiree benefit funding, the second highest ranking postal official told the Hartford Postal Customers Council today.
Patrick R. Donahoe, Deputy Postmaster General, said the two topics could be the subject of a presentation by his boss to the U.S. Senate on Thursday.
"We're looking to make some substantial changes," Donahoe said.
Post offices would still be open on Saturdays, he said, and express mail would still be delivered. Keeping the buildings open but not delivering regular mail would make sure payments and business schedules would not be affected, he said.
The USPS will ask Congress to strike a law that requires payments to retiree health benefits be made in advance, instead of a pay-as-you-go system and a law that requires service to stay the same as it was when the law was signed.
Donahoe said the postal service is also increasing the options for customers to buy postage, like having stamps available at retail checkout lines for purchase "just like you buy a Snickers bar."
Union negotiations coming in the next year are also an opportunity for the postal service to save money, he said. Layoffs are not being considered, he added.
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