The USPS board of governors has approved a management request to move forward with plans for a five-day delivery schedule as well as to file an advisory opinion with the Postal Regulatory Commission.
The five-day schedule is part of a wider USPS ten-year plan intended to avoid what the service has projected to be a $238 billion shortfall brought about in part by declining mail volume. Moving from a six to five-day schedule, as well as restructuring USPS obligations to pre-fund retiree health benefits would require legislative changes.
The American Postal Workers Union called the projected shortfall "outlandish," and said the five-day delivery plan was an "ill conceived reaction to declining mail volumes."
According to USPS an internal task force has spent several months weighing stakeholder input and refining its proposal to address mailer concerns. It cited results from several polls indicating public understanding or support for a five-day delivery schedule if it would ensure a viable Postal Service in the long term.
The proposal – which USPS estimates could save $3.1 billion — would be to discontinue street delivery and blue box collections on Saturdays, but maintain Express Mail service seven days a week and post offices currently open on Saturdays would maintain existing hours.
