Postal workers rally to save their jobs

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Western New York postal workers joined with thousands of others across the country Tuesday in staging a rally to save jobs. The unions say they have a solution to the postal service money crisis.

The rally was just one of 500 staged by postal workers across the country to "Save America's Postal Service." Workers had signs declaring, "Stick together, no consolidation, no closing, 1351."

1351 is the House bill postal workers believe could solve the daunting $8 billion deficit facing the postal service -- returning the billions of dollars postal unions say has been overpaid under a 2006 law for future retiree benefits.

Robert McLennan of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 3, said, "The postal service has overpaid into the pension fund by $75 billion, and we're also pre-funding future retiree health benefits for the next 75 years."

But the postmaster general and many, primarily Republican, lawmakers in the House say the way to solve the postal service crisis is to cut back on service, slash jobs, and close post offices, such as Buffalo's William Street Post Office.

Congressman Brian Higgins says he, Kathy Hochul, and Louise Slaughter are staunch supporters of 1351.

"And what this legislation does is seek to rectify that injustice and calculate these benefits in a fair and equitable way to give solvency to a place, as has been said before, doesn't take from the taxpayers," said Rep. Higgins.

Higgins believes the bill can pass because, he says, Americans have a fundamental sense of fairness.