ALBANY, GA (WALB) -
Saturday mail delivery may stick around longer than expected. Congress is pushing for six-day delivery to remain in tact, over the objections of the post master general.
For now getting your mail on Saturday is a luxury. "I love getting my mail on Saturday," says Leila McKinney.
McKinney says an empty mailbox on Saturday is not something she wants to see. "I get my CVS Caremark prescription in the mail and sometimes it comes on Saturday. That's something I need becomes sometimes I'm out of it," she said.
But Post Master General Patrick Donahoe has pushed for its elimination - which is set to take effect the first week in August as a cost saving measure for the struggling service.
"Where we need help from Congress is some of the legislative issues like health care, like not getting in the way of the 6-to-5 day, we need to make those changes," Donahoe said.
Recently the US House passed a bill that would require the postal service to continue its Saturday delivery through the rest of the fiscal year. Much to the displeasure of Donahoe who made this statement last month.
While Donahoe contends Seventy percent of Americans say they will support five day mail delivery, there are still those who are all for it to continue like the National Letter Carriers Union which released an ad campaign pushing back against the elimination of Saturday service.
"Just waiting to see what happens," said Donahoe. "But I'll keep checking my mail on Saturday and on Sunday if it rains. But the postman never stops," he said.
Now the US Senate will debate if there will, in fact, be a delay on pulling the plug on Saturday delivery. One thing is for certain, not everyone will be pleased.
The National Letter Carrier's Union claims the elimination of Saturday delivery would slash 80,000 postal jobs, mostly jobs held by rural and city letter carriers.
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