The battle to keep Oregon’s rural post offices open continued today with a rally in Scappoose.
Although Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley on Friday claimed credit for saving twenty of Oregon’s post offices from closure, twenty one more are still scheduled to be shut down by the end of the year.
The postal service cutbacks across the country are taking place to close a deficit that was caused not by financial losses in the postal system, but by a legislative change that forced the postal service to fund health benefits for all its workers for seventy years into the future. The postal service is the only institution, public or private, that has this requirement, and the current deficit is roughly equal to the amount withheld for future medical payments.
KBOO labor reporter was at the protest in Scappoose today, and spoke with some of the participants.
- KBOO