Union fat cats don't deliver

The Postal Service expects to lose about $7 billion this year because of declining mail volume and about $5.4 billion in payments it must make to prefund future retiree health benefits. The agency employs about 583,000 workers.

It is working to cut its ranks through attrition, and postal officials are expected to detail plans to eliminate about 7,500 administrative and management positions. They may also consider offering early-retirement incentives to other employees. It was announced that Saturday mail delivery service will stop in August.

I believe we have yet another fine example of the unions putting themselves out of business. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Postal Service employed 24,410 postmasters as post office supervisors as of May 2011. These postal workers earned an average annual wage of $62,080, or $29.85 an hour. The top 25 percent earned $76,750 or more, with the top 10 percent making $84,890 or higher. The bottom 25 percent earned $51,810 or less, with the lowest-paid 10 percent making $34,960 or lower. Postmaster pay can depend upon the size of the post office and performance on the job.

Now let’s take a look at the one of the many unions that control postal service employees. The National Postal Mail Handlers Union, or NPMHU, according to their website, has no less than 50 members, and that’s just to run the union.

The total compensation for just 10 of the 50 comes to about $1,817,128.00. Remember, this almost $2 million is only 10 of about 50 workers at NPMHU and there are other unions representing other workers of the U.S. Postal Service. While the top 10 "fat cats" of one union live well, the bottom 25 percent of actual postal workers only earned $51,810 or less, with the lowest-paid 10 percent making $34,960 or lower.

Congratulations, postal workers, you’ve paid your dues faithfully and for what? The elimination of about 7,500 administrative and management positions, but don’t think for a minute that by cutting administrative and management positions it won’t affect you as letter carrier. Who’s going to pick up the work done by the reduced 7,500 positions?

Even though Saturday mail delivery will stop and you’ll be rewarded with that extra day off, think about those top 10 executives who take your union dues, you know, the ones who take home almost $2 million collectively, and ask yourself when was the last time they walked a route delivering the mail? I believe postal workers deserve better and I don’t believe union "fat cats" can deliver, mail or otherwise.

Gregory Gardner

Yuma