WASHINGTON -- Saturday mail delivery is not going away ... for now. The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service said April 9 that the Continuing Resolution passed by Congress to fund government operations included restrictive language that prohibits implementation of a new national delivery schedule for mail and packages, which would consist of mail delivery Monday through Friday and package delivery Monday through Saturday, and which would have taken effect the week of Aug. 5, 2013.
In early February, the Postal Service announced that it would be ending Saturday mail delivery as a cost-cutting move.
"The plan to end Saturday delivery is a disastrous idea that would have a profoundly negative effect on the Postal Service and on millions of customers. It would be particularly harmful to small businesses, rural communities, the elderly, the disabled and others who depend on Saturday delivery for commerce and communication," National Association of Letter Carriers president Fredric Rolando said at the time.
"Although disappointed with this congressional action, the board will follow the law and has directed the Postal Service to delay implementation of its new delivery schedule until legislation is passed that provides the Postal Service with the authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule," the governors said. "The board believes that Congress has left it with no choice but to delay this implementation at this time.
It added, "The board continues to support the transition to a new national delivery schedule. Such a transition will generate approximately $2 billion in annual cost savings and is a necessary part of a larger five-year business plan to restore the Postal Service to long-term financial stability. According to numerous polls, this new delivery schedule is widely supported by the American public. Our new delivery schedule is also supported by the administration and some members of Congress."
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