LETTER: A postal plea

To The Men and Women of Boston University,

As the General President of Boston Metro Area Local 100, The American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, I feel it is necessary to inform you about an urgent matter regarding your post office within the university.

Let me preface my remarks with the following. The American Postal Workers Union (circa 2008) notified the American public in Boston and surrounding towns of a United States Postal Service management initiative to close local post offices and the consequences for doing so. We alerted the public through op-eds in many newspapers throughout the Boston area, as well as going to the State House where we presented our concerns to elected officials and the Boston City Council.

Though we are always apprehensive about such plans and the impacts they will have on our membership, our immediate concern focuses on our ability to continue to provide quality service to the citizenry of America; and in that regard our track record is exemplary.

Now, you may ask, how does this affect me, a university student from Boston or Seattle, or any city or town in the USA, as well as a host of countries throughout the world? Well, your local post office is on the list to be reviewed for permanent closure.

The United States Postal Service, one of the most venerable institutions in America, is being systematically dismantled by the ‘powers that be’ and the results will be disastrous for the American public. By closing your post office, you will now be forced to go to a post office further away, and the additional customer impacts will certainly delay your business dealings at that post office.

Millions of Americans depend on their local post office to send and receive checks, legal documents and, of course, letters and packages from family and friends. Your local post office also serves you as the first line of defense in protecting the sanctity of your mail. The questions asked by your local window clerk are designed to protect the public through coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. One only has to recall one of the darkest days in our history ‘- September 11, 2001 ‘- and the subsequent biochemical attacks on our mail service. The quiet heroics displayed by postal workers during the anthrax attack showed America the character, strength and resolve of our membership. That continues today as we keep the lines of communication open throughout the United States and the world.

However, those in positions of authority within the Postal Service will tell you they’re looking to close your post office because of factors such as ‘low mail volume’ and the current economy. But, much of the Service’s dilemma is due to deficient forecasting and poor financial practices. It is important that you know the Boston University Post Office provides the Postal Service with a tidy profit. In fact, after expenses the BU Post Office is expected to provide the Service with $172,509 profit in the fiscal year of 2009. So, one must ask, if the Postal Service is supposedly bleeding money, why would it consider closing a profitable operation?

I don’t think Ben Franklin, the first Postmaster General, would approve of what is happening to the service he established and envisioned.

This American tragedy is not about who is to blame, however. It’s about how we, as Americans can stop the destruction of our Postal Service.

We ask that you please contact university officials as well as local politicians to let them know you strongly disagree with the Postal Service’s plans to close your post office.

In the early part of September we will be leafleting your campus to further inform you of our collective plight. We ask for your activism and for you to help us, the American Postal Workers Union, to keep our Postal Service strong as our forefathers intended. Let’s not let them down. It’s that important!

Sincerely,

Moe Lepore, General President

Boston Metro Area Local 100

American Postal Workers Union, ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ AFL-CIO