Letter Carriers' Union and Congressional Democrats Clash Over Louis DeJoy
The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), the union of the men and women who deliver the mail, warned members of Congress last month not to advocate for the removal of members of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors, which the congressmembers had proposed as a precursor to removing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. In a March 25 letter obtained by the Prospect, NALC president Fredric Rolando says that members should not engage in “a bitter partisan fight over the Postal Service” at a critical juncture for the agency.
The letter, which has not been previously reported, reveals a tactical split over how to deal with DeJoy, a former donor whom President Trump chose to run the Postal Service last year. Many Democrats within the party base, as well as members of Congress, would like to see DeJoy fired, which can only be done by the Board of Governors. But the resistance from a key postal union to remove any sitting board members makes it hard for the Biden administration to maneuver even if they wanted to, functionally cementing DeJoy in place.
The letter does not explicitly endorse DeJoy, though it contains arguments similar to those that postal leadership advanced about increased service delays. In response to questions from the Prospect, Rolando maintained that “the letter is not an endorsement of any kind.” However, as members of Congress have noted, the board’s Democratic members have openly supported DeJoy. That could mean that even if Congress restores Democratic control on the board by confirming three of Biden’s nominees for open seats, there still wouldn’t be enough votes to oust DeJoy.
Sources inside the union expressed disappointment about their leadership’s actions. “I see the NALC as out of step with the public and progressive allies in Congress,” said one rank-and-file member, who preferred to remain anonymous because of their continued work within the union. “I would say most carriers want DeJoy gone, but there’s no platform for them to express that or organize it.”
Read more: https://prospect.org/politics/letter-carriers-union-and-congressional-democrats-clash-over-louis-dejoy/
(American Prospect)
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