Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Major US Postal Workers Union Endorses Biden for President
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
August 15, 2020

Share

WASHINGTON — A major union representing U.S. postal workers has endorsed Democrat Joe Biden for president, a move that comes as President Donald Trump has acknowledged starving the postal service of money in order to make it more difficult to vote by mail in November’s election.

The National Association of Letter Carriers, which represents 300,000 current and retired workers, said Thursday that Trump has long been hostile to the Post Office. His administration has called for an end to collective bargaining rights, proposed service cuts and has eyed the possibility of privatizing the functions of the agency.

But those actions have escalated since the start of the pandemic, with the administration taking “steps outside of the public eye to undermine the Postal Service and letter carriers,” said union President Fredric Rolando.

Biden, on the other hand, “is – was – and will continue to be – a fierce ally and defender of the United States Postal Service,” Rolando said in a statement announcing the endorsement of the former vice president and his running mate, Kamala Harris.

Trump has repeatedly railed against the suggestion that more people should vote by mail as a result of the pandemic, which he argues without offering evidence will lead to widespread voter fraud. While Trump casts his own ballot by mail, the post office has increasingly been in his cross-hairs as Democrats advocate voting by mail.

The agency’s new leader, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a former supply-chain CEO and a major donor to Trump and other Republicans, has pushed cost-cutting measures to eliminate overtime pay and hold mail until the next day if postal distribution centers are running late.

Trump’s Ramped up Animosity Toward the Postal Service Drew the Attention of His Predecessor, Barack Obama

And recently there have been substantial mail delivery delays.

In an interview on Fox Business Network, Trump explicitly noted two funding provisions that Democrats are seeking in a coronavirus relief package that has stalled on Capitol Hill. Without the additional money, he said, the Postal Service won’t have the resources to handle a flood of ballots from voters who are seeking to avoid polling places during the coronavirus pandemic.

“If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money,” Trump told host Maria Bartiromo. “That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting; they just can’t have it.”

Trump’s ramped up animosity toward the postal service drew the attention of his predecessor, Barack Obama, who said it amounted to an unprecedented effort by a president to “ kneecap the postal service” to protect his reelection chances.

“What are Republicans doing where you are so scared of people voting, that you are now willing to undermine what is part of the basic infrastructure of American life?” Obama said on the Campaign HQ podcast, which is hosted by his former campaign manager David Plouffe. “I mean, it’d be the equivalent of ‘We’re not going to repair highways because people might drive to the polling places…so we’ll just let massive sinkholes in the middle of, uh, the interstate linger, because we’re worried that folks might use those roads to vote.’”

The letter carriers union, which is one of several representing postal workers, said it consulted with its members before announcing the endorsement. The American Postal Workers Union previously endorsed Biden in June.

“The Postal Service must not be allowed to fail,” Rolando, the union president, said. “NALC is proud to stand with Vice President Biden and Senator Harris in November and beyond.”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

‘We Will Kill You Dead’: Florida Sheriff’s Stark Warning to Demonstrators

Kings County Sheriff Announces Retirement After Nearly 30 Years in Law Enforcement

7 hours ago

General Mills to Remove Artificial Colors From All Its US Cereals and Foods

7 hours ago

‘Who’s Running the White House?’ Trump Brings Back ICE Raids on Farms, Restaurants

U.S. immigration officials on Tuesday walked back limits on enforcement targeting farms, restaurants, hotels and food processing plants just...

6 hours ago

6 hours ago

‘Who’s Running the White House?’ Trump Brings Back ICE Raids on Farms, Restaurants

6 hours ago

Granite Park Eviction Lawsuit Heads Toward Trial

Mark Kismet, 50, who is considered at-risk went missing on Friday, June 6, 2025, in Clovis near Harlan Ranch is still missing according to the Clovis Police Department on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Clovis PD)
6 hours ago

Missing Clovis Man Found Dead. No Foul Play Suspected

Kings County Sheriff Dave Robinson announced he will retire on November 24, 2025, ending a nearly 30-year career and prompting the county to consider options for his replacement. (Kings County SO)
7 hours ago

Kings County Sheriff Announces Retirement After Nearly 30 Years in Law Enforcement

7 hours ago

General Mills to Remove Artificial Colors From All Its US Cereals and Foods

7 hours ago

US FDA to Shorten Review Time for Drug Developers Under New Voucher Program

7 hours ago

Physician Warns Fresno County Supervisors About Jail’s Medical Provider, Private Equity Co.

7 hours ago

Houthi Official Says Group Will Intervene to Support Iran Against Israel

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend