End of Saturday Mail Won’t Save Money, Union Worker Says

In an effort to climb out of debt, the US Postal Service will stop delivering letters on Saturdays beginning in August.

Will the strategy work? Thomas Henry with the Arkansas Postal Workers Union says ‘No.’

“Absolutely not,” he said. “The biggest financial problem the post office sees today is having to pre-fund retirees benefits.”

The postal service has cut hours and service at thousands of post offices nationwide. While the postal carriers’ contracts protect them from losing jobs, Henry says many are unable to move to areas where the jobs are available after facilities close or consolidate.

“If they don`t need a carrier in Fort Smith, they can move that person,” he said.  “Tell them ‘If you want to stay with the postal service you need to move to New York City, or LA, or Chicago’ or one of the big towns like that where they need carriers.”

Residents in both the River Valley and Northwest Arkansas say in this digital day and age, they don`t expect the reduction in service to have much of an effect on them.

“It`s convenient. You pay them when you want. It doesn`t cost anything,” Steve Pereira, of Fort Smith, said about online bill paying. “We`re all trying to save money, and unfortunately, it`s impacting this business.”

Some say this is a good way for the post office to save money.

“They can`t keep raising postage,” said Song Yang of Fayetteville.  “That`s not a good strategy.”

Still there are people who say they will miss Saturday service.

“That will be two days that I didn`t get mail, and if there`s a holiday it would be three days if it was on Monday,” said Christine Perceful.

US Senator John Boozman said he is disappointed the postal service has resorted to changing its delivery service and he “will work to limit the ramifications this decision will have on businesses and families who rely on the postal service.”