Washington, D.C. (August 24, 2020) – Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – made the following statement today:

The U.S. House of Representatives should be commended for passage of the Delivering for America Act, H.R. 8015, with a vote of 257-150. This bill, introduced by Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-12), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight & Reform, provides the Postal Service with $25 billion in emergency appropriations to suspend any changes to service standards through the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, ends the ban on overtime to ensure deliveries are made on time, and ensures that election mail is treated as first class mail.

The measures in the Delivering for America Act are crucial for LIUNA’s brothers and sisters in the National Postal Mailhandlers Union (NPMHU) and for every individual in our nation. NPMHU members across the country report that draconian changes instituted by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who came to office in July and has no direct experience with the Postal Service, are seriously undermining the USPS. His new directives called for removing sorting machines used for sorting first-class mail, barring overtime regardless of need, and restricting truck deliveries - resulting in undelivered mail left behind at facilities. This has led to significant delays in delivery.

H.R. 8015 will also provide critical protection to help ensure a safe and secure presidential election as millions more Americans will be relying on mail-in ballots due to the pandemic.

LIUNA urges the U.S. Senate to quickly pass H.R. 8015 to give the dedicated men and women of the Postal Service the resources they need to get through this uncertain time in our country’s history.

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The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build America.