Bemidji mail carrier pickets solo to protest USPS privatization

BEMIDJI — Nationwide, postal carriers are demanding fair contracts, worker safety and a stop to the privatization of the United States Postal Service.

In Bemidji, one postal carrier took it upon himself to begin picketing on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

Jay Tody, 24, is a Bemidji mail carrier who was elected branch president of his local postal carrier union earlier this year. Tody picketed symbolically on his own, without the support of his union or employer, but said it’s important for people to realize what could happen in rural areas if the post office becomes private.

"All the cool little postal stories, like the mule train to serve the reservation down in the Grand Canyon, and the bush pilots in Montana and Alaska," Tody said. "All of that would go away because it's no longer profitable."

President Donald Trump made comments late last week that reiterated his desire to privatize the Post Office, with some talk of firing the Postal Service’s board of directors and embedding it into the Department of Commerce.

Tody, who even in his personal life is passionate about the mail, explained privatization could allow unprofitable deliveries, such as those in rural areas, to fall to the wayside. He compared it to the pinch Bemidji felt in late 2023 from the Amazon package delivery rollout.

“I mean, we are a prime example of what privatization would look like,” Tody said.

The Postal Service has operated independently of the White House since the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, which was passed by Congress in response to a nationwide mail strike.

The Postal Service is about one year older than the U.S., established in 1775 as a federal institution. It’s authorized by the Constitution to serve every American business and household, and it is one of the most popular parts of the federal government, with a 72% approval rating according to Pew Research.

UNI, which represents mail carriers internationally, said attempts to privatize postal service elsewhere significantly impacted rural communities, among other issues.

“We have seen the perils of privatizing postal services in Europe, which have led to reduced services, increased prices, job losses, and cut off rural communities where it is unprofitable to deliver mail,” said UNI General Secretary Christy Hoffman in a news release.

“Instead of privatizing USPS, Trump should be supporting the Postal Service to seize opportunities in e-commerce, expand services, particularly to marginalized and remote communities, and safeguard a precious, public-owned, communication network that is ultimately irreplaceable.”

Larissa Donovan

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KAXE

Last month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced House Resolution 70, which states the House of Representatives is opposed to privatizing the Postal Service. The National Postal Mail Handlers Union is urging all members of the House to co-sponsor.

Tody said he’ll be standing in front of the Bemidji post office with his sign every morning before his shift starts “until he gets bored of it,” with hopes of organizing a day of action in the coming days.