USPS – Postal Service going private?

The 68-year-old Rancho Cucamonga resident has built a friendship with Cindy White, his letter carrier for the past few years.

"When it would rain, she wouldn't put my mail in the box because she knew it would get wet. Instead she would wrap it in plastic for me to keep it protected," Williams said. "That's why I gave her Christmas presents."

But relationships like the one Williams established with his mail service carrier could be in jeopardy.

The U.S. Postal Service has intentions to increase the number of areas contracted out with independent delivery service operators.

Known as the Growth Management Program, the Postal Service is slowly allowing more delivery from private contracts, who would then subcontract employees to deliver mail in areas throughout the United States.

Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers agree and are asking that Congress do something about this.

"We are concerned the American public will see a difference in service," said William Young, president of the association based in Washington, D.C. "Pretty soon, America won't even know who their postal carrier is."

While many people don't have a relationship with their mail carrier, Young said there are many more concerns associated with the idea.

Safety issues, late mail, dedication and a carrier's background are just a few of the issues that could affect the public if the Postal Service allows more privately contracted carriers.

"There are rigorous background checks on mailmen. But these people (the subcontractors) who would deliver mail wouldn't know mail procedures," said Marla Maldonado, an Upland resident concerned about the contracting increase.

"I don't want just anybody to deliver my mail."

Maldonado's husband, John, has been a mail carrier in Orange County for four years. In addition to the safety issues she foresees, there is concern about his future as a mail carrier.

"If (the Postal Service) contracted out, they could pay cheap labor," said Marla Maldonado, 56. "Thousands of carriers could lose their job."

The main issues among mail carriers is replacement standards, service for the public, overtime hours, job security and mail handling, said John Maldonado, 52.

"This is the start of the downfall of the post office as we know it," he said.
But the Postal Service disagrees, saying the concept of contracting out within the department has always existed.

"Contracting new deliverymen is nothing new. We've been doing it since the beginning of the Postal Service," said Richard Maher, USPS spokesman.

The increase in contract use however, comes from the growing number of addresses throughout the country.

"New delivery routes have been established … those are addresses that weren't there a year ago," said Maher, who is based in Southern California.

This past year alone, there were 2 million new addresses, he said. But only about 10 percent of those are contracted.

"We will not be taking a current city carrier's route from him and putting it up to bid with a contract delivery person," Maher said. "No city carrier is going to lose his route."

Currently, about 2.5 percent of the country's routes are handled by contract personnel. But Maher said this is just one type of delivery the Postal Service is considering.

"We are asking ourselves, What is the most efficient way to provide our customers with the service they expect?" he said.

As for the concerns of safety expressed by the public, Maher said those contract services and their employees will be subjected to thorough background checks.

About four years ago, union members said they started seeing more steps toward private contractors in mail delivery throughout the country.

The most recent local attempt was in Orange County.

There are new luxury apartments where theaters used to be at the 5 Freeway and West Chapman Avenue that get their mail delivered by subcontractors, said Charlie Miller, president of Branch 1100 of the National Letter Carriers Organization.

"I talked to customers in (those) areas who said their delivery has been inconsistent and there have been some issues with contractors out there," Miller said.