Undeterred by steady rain and biting wind, approximately 50 postal workers and supporters gathered Sunday at the Overlook Stage in Smothers Park to voice strong opposition to a reported federal proposal they say would dismantle the United States Postal Service.
The rally, part of a coordinated nationwide movement led by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), brought together city and rural carriers along with postal clerks from Owensboro and Madisonville. Similar rallies took place across the country on Sunday as members of the NALC responded to a rumored executive order to privatize the service.
Although no order has been signed, NALC members say they “oppose any plans to eliminate the USPS leadership, abolish regulatory oversight, and carve up postal operations” because such a plan would jeopardize millions of jobs and disproportionately harm rural and vulnerable populations.
“If privatized, this service would be reduced, fragmented, and ultimately less reliable,” warned William Calhoun, a city carrier in Owensboro. “The USPS delivers mail to every address in the country six days a week — in rain, snow, heat, and darkness — in every corner of America.”
Calhoun delivered a speech that traced the evolution of the Postal Service from Benjamin Franklin’s appointment as the first Postmaster General in 1775 to its transformation into a self-funded federal agency after the 1970 postal workers’ strike.
He criticized the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which required the USPS to pre-fund retiree healthcare 50 years in advance — an obligation he said no private company faces and a policy that, while repealed in 2022, caused long-term financial damage.
“The failure to turn a profit isn’t because the Postal Service can’t be profitable,” Calhoun said. “It’s because we were given an impossible financial burden. … Even now, in the first quarter of 2025, we’re seeing things improve.”
Founded in 1889, the NALC represents 295,000 active and retired letter carriers nationwide and is rallying against what it calls an “illegal and unconstitutional” proposal. They warn the plan could eliminate the USPS Board of Governors and Postal Regulatory Commission, risking the stability of 7.9 million jobs tied to the mailing industry and threatening essential services like medication and ballot delivery — particularly in rural areas.
“Some want to see the Postal Service sold off to private companies,” said city carrier Alex Sehon. “These companies see the Postal Service as a commodity. They think it can be run for profit, even if that comes at the expense of service to the public.”
Sehon emphasized the stark contrast between private delivery companies and the public service ethos of USPS.
“For rural Americans — people who live far from city centers, sometimes hours away from the nearest post office or grocery store — the Postal Service is more than just a delivery service,” he said. “It’s a connection to the outside world.”
He warned that elderly and disabled residents, many of whom rely on letter carriers not only for mail but as one of their few human interactions, would be severely impacted by privatization.
“We’re not just out there delivering letters and packages,” Sehon said. “We’re delivering a connection. We’re delivering a sense of belonging.”
Sehon also pointed to growing concerns over postal worker safety and the impact of rising temperatures on letter carriers — concerns that could worsen under privatization.
“Every year on record is hotter than the one before. And letter carriers are spending more time than ever working out in those conditions,” he said. “We need support. And we need Congress to act.”
The NALC supports two key pieces of legislation currently in Congress: the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act, which would increase penalties for crimes against postal workers, and a proposed OSHA heat safety standard to protect outdoor workers.
Justin Bolin, NALC Branch 234 Vice President and a mail carrier for four years, echoed those calls.
“Privatization is not just wrong — it’s illegal,” Bolin said. “There are steps to this process, and we’re here to make sure it doesn’t happen. “We are out here to fight. And as we can see from the weather today — neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these carriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Multiple speakers emphasized that any changes to the USPS structure must be made by Congress — not the president alone.
“Significant changes to the Postal Service would require an act of Congress—not an act of the president, Calhoun said. “If Congress wants to privatize the Post Office, that’s their decision to make. I don’t agree with it, but they alone have that power.”
The NALC also argues the Postal Service must not be held to the same profitability standards as private corporations. Its mission, they say, is service — not profit.
“Privatizing the Postal Service isn’t just about profits—it’s about turning our backs on the elderly, the disabled, and the millions of rural Americans who depend on the Postal Service to stay connected,” Sehon said. “We cannot let a system that has served this country for more than two centuries be dismantled in the name of profit.”
