The U.S. Postal Service will stop offering services at Staples store locations after AFSCME and other labor groups applied intense pressure.
The Postal Service said it will mothball the four-year arrangement with Staples by the first week in March. That decision came after the National Labor Relations Board and an administrative court ordered an end to the program. The American Postal Workers Union filed the NLRB complaint, arguing postal employees could do the work being outsourced to Staples.
“The Staples pilot was an acceleration in the privatization of retail services and a direct assault on our jobs,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “It was time to draw a line in the sand.”
AFSCME has a long history of opposing the privatization of public services. Go here to learn why we believe it’s unwise to privatize public services. AFSCME is also tracking the proponents of privatization in Trump’s cabinet and transition team.
Advocates for privatization spin a great yarn about how great it is. They’ll say private companies can do the job better and cheaper than government. Truth is privatization often leads to increased costs for the public and reduced accountability to the taxpayers footing the bill. So don’t believe the hype.