Louis DeJoy, the current Postmaster General, has implemented a ten-year plan for the United States Postal Service (USPS) that has resulted in slower mail delivery, increased prices, and reduced operating hours at rural post offices.
To understand these changes, we spoke with Porter McConnell from the Save the Post Office Coalition, a group hosted by Take on Wall Street. The coalition, comprising around 300 organizations—including unions, faith groups, retired postal workers, Indivisible chapters, MoveOn, and Color of Change—is focused on protecting and expanding the postal service. So, did DeJoy come in with an agenda to privatize the USPS?
“He was smart enough to avoid using the ‘p’ word,” McConnell said in an interview with Corporate Crime Reporter last month. However, the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a report about the broader state of government that explicitly called for USPS privatization. This report came out over a year before DeJoy’s appointment in 2020. The idea of privatization faced significant backlash, prompting a task force led by Steven Mnuchin to avoid the term in their recommendations for USPS. But the underlying policies suggested they were headed in that direction, ultimately weakening the USPS and making it ripe for privatization.
How did DeJoy’s policies contribute to this trajectory? When he took over in June 2020, the effects were immediate. One of his first policies mandated that postal trucks would leave on time, regardless of whether they were full. This change led to mail delays, as previously, trucks would wait until they were fully loaded. DeJoy also eliminated overtime, a critical component of USPS culture, which further slowed operations.
Another point of contention was his push for consolidation of sorting facilities, leading to decreased mail delivery standards, particularly in areas like Atlanta, Georgia, and Richmond, Virginia, where mail service declined by 10%. This consolidation meant that mail might have to travel to another state for sorting, resulting in longer delivery times. Additionally, these changes raised concerns about job security, as some postal workers might be forced to travel long distances for work, leading to attrition.
DeJoy’s restructuring has caused public backlash, particularly in areas heavily reliant on USPS, where services by private carriers are limited. Critics suggest that DeJoy’s approach leads to a “death spiral,” where reduced service quality and higher prices prompt customers to seek alternatives, further weakening USPS. Yet, instead of addressing these issues, DeJoy appears to justify them by claiming that “snail mail is dead.”
Despite these criticisms, McConnell and the coalition focus on results rather than personal attacks. They believe that if DeJoy adopted policies to protect and expand USPS, they would support his tenure. However, his actions have shown little evidence of such a shift. While he did launch a pilot check cashing program, it was designed in a way that ensured its failure. Despite attempts to modernize, his approach has been largely detrimental to the postal service.
DeJoy’s management style has drawn increasing scrutiny from both Congress and the public. Many Senators, regardless of party affiliation, are frustrated by the poor service constituents report. These concerns have become more vocal, especially after the passage of the Postal Service Reform Act in 2022, which many hoped would address USPS’s operational issues. However, DeJoy’s continued focus on downsizing and consolidation has led to a bipartisan outcry against his policies.
While the coalition hesitates to call for DeJoy’s removal, they emphasize that their priority is USPS’s future. They would prefer a Postmaster General willing to adapt and evolve to ensure the postal service’s longevity. However, given DeJoy’s track record, it seems unlikely he will pivot from his current path.
