USPS Board backs down on eliminating Saturday mail delivery.
Although disappointed with this Congressional action, the Board will follow the law and has directed the Postal Service to delay implementation of its new delivery schedule until legislation is passed that provides the Postal Service with the authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule. The Board believes that Congress has left it with no choice but to delay this implementation at this time. The Board also wants to ensure that customers of the Postal Service are not unduly burdened by ongoing uncertainties and are able to adjust their business plans accordingly.
The Board continues to support the transition to a new national delivery schedule. Such a transition will generate approximately $2 billion in annual cost savings and is a necessary part of a larger five-year business plan to restore the Postal Service to long-term financial stability. According to numerous polls, this new delivery schedule is widely supported by the American public. Our new delivery schedule is also supported by the Administration and some members of Congress.
It appears that the USPS is banking on a change in the law governing their operation that will eventually allow its management to phase in the cost saving delivery reorganization. If the USPS could make decisions like other businesses, they could certainly reorganize their business to be profitable.
After all, they have a pretty amazing business. Who else can say that they stop at every single address in the US 6 times per week? Not FedEx or UPS come close to this amount of deliveries. Hopefully the USPS will be able to make the necessary changes in their business to become competitive into the future.
