Postal workers rally in Cincinnati to defend USPS amid DOGE cost-cutting efforts and privatization talks

CINCINNATI — Postal workers across the nation rallied Thursday advocating for the defense of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) as a public service.

Their call to action comes in response to a request from the Postmaster General for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to review where the agency could improve its operating costs.

Earlier this week, Postmaster Louis DeJoy clarified his request to DOGE in a letter to Congress. Among them are a review of leases of 31,000 retail centers, regulations that hinder normal business operations, plus workers comp and retirement plan structures.

However, many postal workers are raising concerns over potential cuts and privatization talks.

Michele Hoskins, a postal worker for over 30 years, protested in the West End with dozens of union members from the American Postal Workers Union.

Meet some of the postal workers protesting the cuts:

"If they break the postal service up and sell it off to all these billionaires that want a piece of the action, the American people will not get their mail," Hoskins said.

Last week, the USPS said it is aiming to reduce its workforce by about 10,000 employees (1.5%). It aims to do that in part through a voluntary early retirement offer.

Linda Eschenbrenner accepted the offer, retiring at the end of next month instead of the end of the year, and taking $15,000.

She said the upheaval at the federal level was a driving factory.

"It's scary to think about working all these years and them trying to take away what you've been working for," Eschenbrenner said.

Don Hoffrogge, president of the Greater Cincinnati Ohio Area Local American Postal Workers Union, said as the workforce gets smaller, efficiency may become the next metric.

"We're moving to all that volume with less people. And then the cry will be, ‘See, they're not being efficient enough, privatize it,’" Hoffrogge said.

Privatization could reduce service and increase prices for customers, especially in more rural areas, Hoffrogge said.

The USPS reported a loss of $9.5 billion last year. The controllable losses decreased.

“Over 80% of our current year net loss is attributed to factors that are outside of management's control, specifically, the amortization of unfunded retiree pension liabilities and non-cash workers' compensation adjustments,” the USPS said.

Meanwhile, several lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee have voiced their concerns in a letter, saying "this back-room agreement” between Postmaster Louis DeJoy and Musk’s DOGE sets off “alarm bells about this Administration’s plans for the Postal Service’s role as a cornerstone public institution.”

The lawmakers have called for a hearing on the plans.

DeJoy, however, told Congress earlier this week that DOGE's involvement targets specific business obstacles.

On Sunday, March 23, the National Association of Letter Carriers will hold additional rallies across the country, including in Cincinnati.