Sen. Brown urges action to save postal service jobs

Sen. Brown urges action to save postal service jobs

WASHINGTON

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Avon, on Tuesday called for quick action to save postal service jobs in Youngstown and across Ohio.

In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Brown urged the Senate to pass postal reform legislation that would restore the USPS to fiscal solvency.

Brown has cosponsored the Postal Service Protection Act, which preserves Saturday mail delivery, restricts the closure of rural and urban post offices, and protects mail processing facilities.

The legislation would eliminate the federally-mandated requirement that the postal service prefund 75 years worth of future retiree health benefits. This mandate costs USPS $5.5 billion annually and has accumulated 50 years’ worth of pension funds to date.

Last week, the USPS announced plans to close nine processing and distribution centers in Ohio, including Youngstown, despite a moratorium scheduled to last until May.