Keith Combs, President of the American Postal Workers Union Detroit District Area Local (APWU-DDAL), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed how the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 has created a new day for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
Recently signed into law by President Joe Biden, the law will save the USPS $27 billion over the next 10 years and eliminates a requirement for USPS to prefund health benefits for its employees. The financial burden of the pre-funded healthcare created undue anxiety for the USPS, Combs said. The APWU pushed for the law during the Obama administration, but the Republican-led Congress refused to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, he added.
Combs said the recent passage of the Postal Service Reform Act shows elections matter. He commended postal workers for their work providing vote-by-mail services during the 2020 presidential election.
Combs also discussed morale at the USPS under the leadership of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who was appointed by President Trump. He said DeJoy has done much to degrade service at the USPS, which has frustrated his membership. The APWU wants to get DeJoy out of the way so postal workers can better do their job at providing great service to the public, he added.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.