OPINION:
The Washington Times editorial “Boycotting the boycotts” (Web, Sept. 5) about the “Stop Staples” movement is incorrect from start to finish. Our campaign against a no-bid deal that established “postal” counters in Staples stores continues to gather support. That’s because the American people don’t want to see their national treasure, the U.S. Postal Service, fall into the hands of a struggling private company that makes decisions based solely on its own bottom line.
Moving post offices into private stores such as Staples won’t improve mail service; it will weaken it. When you drop off your letters and packages at Staples, those packages often sit in unsecured containers while the store clerk who accepted them goes off to find an ink cartridge for the next customer. In California, one of the test sites for the program, the hours at U.S. Post Offices have already been cut. If Staples “postal” counters remain — or flourish — it will only be a matter of time before post offices are closed entirely.
What will happen when Staples (which plans to close 140 stores next year) shuts down the store in your neighborhood? Unlike the Postal Service, Staples has no obligation to provide service to every community.
Moving post offices into Staples stores also replaces good, living-wage jobs our communities need with high-turnover, low-wage positions.
To build a vibrant Postal Service that will thrive for generations, we must keep post offices open longer and expand services — by providing broadband Internet access, notary and basic financial services, to name just a few.
MARK DIMONDSTEIN
President
American Postal Workers Union
Washington
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