Congress Blocks End to Saturday Mail Delivery Service

Diamond Bar and Walnut residents bummed about the planned end to Saturday mail delivery service this summer will get more time to ponder the possibility.

The U.S. Postal Service's Board of Governors recently announced that because Congress recently blocked the implementation a new national mail delivery schedule, the federal agency could not move forward with plans to alter service.

The schedule, which would have gone into effect the week of Aug. 5, called for mail delivery to be cut to Monday through Friday.  Package delivery was to be Monday through Saturday under the proposed plan.

“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 Postal Service’s Board of Governors said in a news release. “The Board believes that Congress has left it with no choice but to delay this implementation at this time.”

In 2012, Postal Service labor unions collected a million signatures on a petition protesting proposed measures to downsize the agency.  Those measures included initiatives to eliminate Saturday service and a call to close facilities, including a mail processing center in the Redlands.

Most Americans support the elimination of Saturday service based on numerous polls, according to the postal service’s board.

So does the board, officials said, adding that the new national delivery schedule would generate around $2 billion in cost savings annually. 

“To restore the Postal Service to long-term financial stability, the Postal Service requires the flexibility to reduce costs and generate new revenues to close an ever widening budgetary gap,” board officials wrote in a statement. “It is not possible for the Postal Service to meet significant cost reduction goals without changing its delivery schedule – any rational analysis of our current financial condition and business options leads to this conclusion.”

In response to Congress’ delay, board officials have directed management to push to reopen negotiations with postal unions and meet with management associations to cut workforce and administrative costs.

The board also asked management to look at other ways to raise revenue, including possible rate hikes for Postal Service products.

Should Congress move forward with cutting Saturday mail delivery? Tell us what you think in comments.