The Houma convene was a of hundreds national orderly by the National Association of Letter Carriers, the American Postal Workers Union, the National Postal Mailhandlers Union and the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association.
The groups' affirm that USPS' projected $9.2 billion bill shortfall this mercantile year could simply be shored up by repealing a part of the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. The law requires that USPS flue about $5.5 billion annually by 2016 in to a early retirement health-insurance account that would set in reserve sufficient to pay benefits for 75 years. Since 2006, the retiree gain account has scarcely doubled, totaling more than $42 billion, according to Mar 2011 total from the Postal Regulatory Commission.
Protesters mentioned that without the responsibility of the 2006 law, the Postal Service could residence its evident expenses without slicing services, jobs or branches.
"This would simply enable the Postal Service to ave access to its own money," mentioned Laura Pontiff, of Houma, who has been a e-mail conduit for 17 years.
Several proposals to save the Postal Service have flush given Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe voiced progressing this month that the group would not be able to make its next $5.5 billion health-care gain payment, that is due Friday, and that debt could force it to close down by the winter.
Donahoe has referred to removing Saturday delivery, shutting 3,700 locations and laying off 120,000 employees. A Republican offer would enable the Postal Service to break association contracts, paving the way for as many as 200,000 layoffs.
Last week, the Obama administration department voiced its opponent to violation the association contracts. Alternative suggestions add slicing Saturday mail service, raising the cost of stamps, using $7 billion from the agency's allowance account and postponing the annual $5.5 billion health-insurance payment.
No Terrebonne or Lafourche post offices are on the list of those that could be closed or consolidated, according to a Sept. 15 let go from the American Postal Workers Union. Louisiana branches on the list add a few in Lafayette and New Orleans.
At the rally, James Taylor, a Houma proprietor who worked as a e-mail conduit for 40 years and late in 2009, disturbed about the future of branches in Gray, Bourg and Montegut.
James Cobb, of the National Association of Letter Carriers, helped coordinate the rally. The Houma resident, who has worked is to Postal Service for 24 years, mentioned the work merger is assured that the bill will pass the Senate with small burden if it clears the House.
During the rally, he mentioned the bill is only two congressmen partil of the 218 signatures it needed. Cobb mentioned he got a e-mail from U.S. Rep., Jeff Landry, R-New Iberia, that seemed understanding of the bill, but the congressman done no undertaking to validate it.
A Landry orator did not say this sunrise either the congressman would encouragement the bill but expressed fears about a short-term answer to the financial woes.
"Congressman Landry recognizes that the United States Postal Service is vicious to commerce, and short-term solutions only flog the can down the road," mentioned Millard Mul. "The Postal Service needs a long-term, viable trail to go on its key service is to American people."
Reed Ordoyne, clamp boss of the local National Association of Letter Carriers branch, waved a pointer that says, "H.R. 1351 = jobs," a travesty on the "Drilling = Jobs" pointer that Landry hold as President Barack Obama summarized his $450 billion job-creation offer before Congress progressing this month.
"We're confere! nce all from leading cutbacks to the penury of the United States Postal Service," Ordoyne mentioned of the probable repercussions of not fleeting the bill. "I indeed admire my job. That's because I'm here."
Staff Writer Cara Bayles may be reached at 857-2204 or at cara.bayles@houmatoday.com