IN WITH YOU, AND GEOFF BENNETT,
THANK YOU AS WELL.
>>> LET’S TURN TO MARK
DIAMONDSTEIN, THE PRESIDENT OF
THE AMERICAN WORKERS UNION,
APWU, REPRESENTING MORE THAN 2
200,000 EMPLOYEES.
JUST YOUR GENERAL REACTION FROM
WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE
POSTMASTER GENERAL FROM THIS
MORNING’S HEARING.
WERE YOU PLEASED?
>> IT’S HARD TO KNOW WHERE TO
START.
THERE WERE CERTAIN THINGS THAT
PLEASED ME, PARTICULARLY AROUND
MAIL BALLOTS.
IT’S EVERMORE POPULAR WITH THE
BEAM OF THE COUNTRY AND IN A
COVID TIME IT’S THE ONLY ONE
TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE CAN
HAVE ACCESS TO THE BALLOT BOX.
SO COMMITMENTS AND WORDS ARE
POSITIVE.
THOSE WORDS HAVE TO BECOME
DEEDS.
MY GENERAL REACTION IS A LOT OF
THE STATEMENTS WERE GENERAL.
A LOT OF THEM DON’T COMPORT TO
THE FACTS ON THE GROUND.
WE’RE HEARING THEY’RE NOT
ORCHESTRATED.
WE’RE HEARING FROM CUSTOMERS AND
WORKERS ALIKE THROUGHOUT THE
COUNTRY THAT THERE’S SERIOUS
PROBLEMS WITH DELAYS IN THE MAIL
FROM MEDICINES TO RETIREMENT
CHECKS TO PACKAGES, AND IT’S
VERY DISTURBING TO POSTAL
WORKERS.
OUR DNA IS TO MOVE THE MAIL AS
IF IT’S OUR OWN, TREAT IT AS IF
IT’S OUR OWN.
GET IT TO THE CUSTOMERS ON TIME.
WE’RE BEING TOLD TO LEAVE MAIL
BEHIND AND THE SYSTEM IS BACKING
UP SOME.
EVERY CUSTOMER KNOWS THAT.
TO TURN THIS INTO AN IDEA THAT
SOMEHOW THESE ARE ORCHESTRATED
COMPLAINTS REALLY IS A
DISSERVICE TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND AN INSULT TO ALL
POSTAL WORKERS.
>> MARK, SPECIFICALLY WITH
REGARDS TO THOSE MACHINES THAT
ARE ABLE TO HANDLE LARGE VOLUMES
OF MAIL VERY QUICKLY.
THE POSTMASTER GENERAL SAYING
THOSE MACHINES THAT HAVE BEEN
TAKEN APART, SOME EXCLUSIVE
VIDEO FROM NBC NEWS OF THE
MACHINES IN QUESTION.
THE IDEA THAT THE POST OFFICE
DOESN’T NEED AS MANY OF THESE
MACHINES.
WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS, WHILE
IN A GENERAL WAY EQUIPMENT DOES
COME AND GO AS TECHNOLOGY
CHANGES AND MAIL CHANGES, THAT
THIS IS AN ILL-TIMED CHOICE.
HERE WE ARE IN COVID.
MAIL VOLUME, LETTER VOLUME IS
LOWER, BUT YOU DON’T TAKE OUT
CAPACITY WHEN THINGS ARE THE
LOWEST.
WE HOPE AND EXPECT MAIL TO
RETURN.
WE’RE HEADING INTO AN ELECTION.
WE’RE HEADING INTO -- IN THE
MIDDLE OF A CENSUS.
WE’RE HEADING INTO A NEW HOLIDAY
SEASON NOT THAT FAR AROUND THE
CORNER.
WE THINK IT’S A MISTAKE.
IT’S PARTICULARLY CONCERNING
WHEN IT’S TIED INTO SOME OF THE
OTHER CHANGES.
THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ABOUT
THE ELIMINATION OR DRASTIC
REDUCTION OF OVERTIME.
THAT IS HAPPENING OUT THERE.
AND THAT’S REALLY A KEY
COMPONENT OF WHY MAIL IS BACKING
UP.
OVERTIME WAS RUNNING AT 15 OR
20%.
SOME OF THAT IS A LACK OF
STAFFING.
SOME OF IT IS COVID.
WE’VE HAD 40,000 PEOPLE IN THE
POSTAL SERVICE QUARANTINED SINCE
MARCH.
SOMEBODY HAS TO MAKE UP FOR
THOSE HOURS OF WORK.
IF YOU JUST ARBITRARILY TAKE OUT
15 OR 20% OF THE HOURS OF WORK
AND THE MAIL IS STILL THERE,
THEN IT DOESN’T GET WORKED.
THOSE THINGS HAVE TO BE
CORRECTED.
WE DID NOT HEAR THOSE KIND OF
COMMITMENTS THAT ARE REALLY
GOING TO REVERSE THOSE POLICIES.
THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT MAIL FOR
THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, NOT JUST
ABOUT BALLOTS, AS IMPORTANT AS
THEY ARE.
DON’T TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
WE’RE GOING TO FIX THIS FOR
THREE MONTHS AND THEN WE’LL GO
BACK TO DELAYING YOUR MEDICINES,
YOUR CHECKS, ALL YOUR
INFORMATION ALL THE WAY TO YOUR
BIRTHDAY CARDS THAT ARE JUST AS
IMPORTANT TO SOME PEOPLE AS
ANYTHING ELSE.
I SEND MY BIRTHDAY CARDS TO MY