As the Washington Post observes, "Having slashed costs in almost every way Congress will allow, the Postal Service now seeks concessions from its employees in labor negotiations that began last Wednesday. Given that labor costs, at $56 billion per year, make up 78 percent of the company's budget, we think that management has a strong argument. No one would contend that postal workers lead a cushy existence. But their compensation is, in some respects, more generous than that received by others in comparable situations. They are protected by a no-layoff clause. The company pays 79 percent of each employee's health insurance premiums, as opposed to the 72 percent that other federal agencies pay. (The average private employer pays 70 percent.) Eliminating this discrepancy would save more than half a billion dollars per year. Given the declining volume of mail, it also makes sense to use more part-time and seasonal workers." Read more.
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