Postal Workers plan actions at Staples stores Thursday

Staples and the U.S. Postal Service have cut a deal that will replace full-service post offices with privately run post offices inside Staples stores. These knock-off post offices will not be staffed with Postal Service employees.

This back-room deal jeopardizes the mail service, local post offices and thousands of middle class jobs, postal workers say. That’s why the American Postal Workers Union is organizing “Stop Staples” events nationwide Thursday, April 24.

In the Twin Cities, a protest will be held Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Staples store in Har Mar Mall, 2100 N. Snelling Dr., Roseville.

“The APWU supports increasing our customers’ access to USPS services, but we insist that postal work must be performed by uninformed postal workers who have sworn an oath and are trained to protect the safety and security of the mail,” the union said. “We are calling on the USPS and Staples to staff the counters with postal employees.”

The APWU’s Stop Staples campaign has the backing of the National Association of Letter Carriers, as well as the mail handlers’ and rural letter carriers’ unions.

Visit the Stop Staples Website for more details and to sign a petition in support of the campaign.