Facing an unprecedented drop in mail volume and a $13 billion deficit this year, federal postal officials want Congress to approve a plan that would eliminate a hallmark of American mail — Saturday delivery.
“The postal service has, like a lot of businesses, been experiencing an acute financial crisis,” said Beth Barnett, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service’s Tennessee district, which includes North Georgia. “We are continuing to lose volume. We are continuing to lose revenue.”
While most residents of North Georgia and Southeast Tennessee say trimming mail delivery from six to five days is not a terrible inconvenience, U.S. Postal Service workers say the decision could put many area jobs on the line.
“This is not the solution to the Post Office’s financial woes,” said Avery Duncan, who has carried mail in Chattanooga for 11 years and is a union representative with the National Association of Letter Carriers. “We will have a reduction in force. I am worried about my job.”