About a dozen postal workers gathered Thursday in front of the Gainesville post office to protest the possible privatization of the United States Postal Service, an institution with nearly 250 years of history.
The demonstration, organized by the Florida Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, took place from 4:40 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the post office located at 4600 SW 34th Street.
It was part of a nationwide movement led by unions aiming to raise awareness about the potential negative impacts of privatization and to demand stronger protections for rural letter carriers.
“Our goal is to make customers that we deliver mail to every day see the potential of privatization. We’re asking them to call their representatives in Congress and tell them not to support the potential privatization. The House Resolution 70 opposes that,” said Dorothy Kelly, 55, vice president of the Florida carriers' association and a rural letter carrier.
The USPS serves approximately 169 million addresses across the country, including many rural communities that rely on the postal service to receive medications, checks, and other essential items.
Florida has about 6,500 rural letter carriers, according to Kelly, who delivers in small towns like Williston, Chiefland, Cross City, Micanopy, and McIntosh.
According to the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, privatizing the service would leave these communities behind, as private companies would likely prioritize more profitable areas.
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea [the potential privatization of the Postal Service]. Our customers love us. They know us. As a carrier, they’ve known me for years. I’ve kind of grown up with them and seen their children grow up. They trust me to deliver their mail, and they know it always arrives on time,” said Jackie Martin, 57, a city letter carrier with 31 years of service.
In March, USPS signed an agreement with the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, to cut its budget by billions of dollars and implement a voluntary retirement program that would eliminate 10,000 jobs. Unions and workers fear these steps could mark the beginning of a broader push toward privatization.
However, some business leaders and political figures believe privatization could make USPS more efficient and sustainable. David Steiner, the new Postmaster General and former FedEx executive, has said the agency is facing urgent challenges that require reform. President Donald Trump suggested the Postal Service should operate as a private company to improve its financial performance.
Jennifer Smith, 45, a rural letter carrier and the Florida Rural Letter Carriers’ Association District 6 president, warned that privatization could compromise service quality. “If it does get privatized, it will no longer be about customer service… If someone were to buy us, a lot would change, and I’m not sure how much longer mail delivery would even exist if we were bought by somebody else.”
Beyond economic concerns, rural letter carriers have also faced a rise in thefts and assaults. Since 2020, more than 2,000 crimes have been reported against postal employees, according to data from the carriers' association. In 2023, injuries caused by these attacks nearly doubled. Many of these crimes involve stolen keys, access to mailboxes, and check theft.
The Protect Our Letter Carriers Act (H.R. 1065/S. 463) aims to strengthen the safety of letter carriers amid the surge in robberies and assaults. The bipartisan bill proposes a $1.4 billion investment in safety measures, including replacing physical keys with electronic ones, installing more secure mailboxes, and imposing harsher penalties on those who attack postal employees. It also includes the assignment of specialized prosecutors to handle these cases.
The national carriers' association supports the legislation and has urged Congress to back it.
A 2024 study by the Pew Research Center found that USPS is one of the most well-regarded government agencies among Americans.
“We are a service. We deliver it to the American people. We do things no other delivery company in this country will do,” said Michael Holcomb, 40, a rural letter carrier.