ST. LOUIS — Dozens of U.S. Postal Service workers and supporters rallied in downtown ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ on Thursday against plans by President Donald Trump to cut thousands of workers and billions of dollars from the public service’s budget.
The protest came in response to plans by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to cut 10,000 workers, as well as comments by Trump that he could put the USPS under the control of the Commerce Department, in what would be an executive branch takeover.
The American Postal Workers Union, which represents about 1,500 local postal workers, said the cuts would undermine their workers’ rights and degrade mail delivery service across the country as part of an effort to ultimately privatize the historic public agency. USPS currently employs about 640,000 workers tasked with making deliveries from inner cities to rural areas and even far-flung islands.
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William Brady, center, president of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Gateway District Area Local for the American Postal Workers Union, leads a group of protesters in a demonstration against the privatization of the Postal Service on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. "We're the one entity that you will probably see everyday because everybody in this country gets mail and we want to keep it the peoples public postal service," Brady said.
“The Postal Service has been around for 250 years, and we deliver to everyone with an address,†Bill Brady, president of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Gateway chapter of the APWU, said outside the region’s main post office in downtown ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. “If they privatize the service, they will only deliver mail when it is profitable.â€
The protests are the latest in a series of local demonstrations in recent weeks against unprecedented cuts to federal public services by Trump, his billionaire advisor Elon Musk, and Musk’s task force, the Department of Government Efficiency. The Trump administration has said the cuts by DOGE are aimed at trimming government spending. But they have included the sudden dismissal of thousands of probationary employees, suspension of federal funding for research and welfare programs, and plans to fire tens of thousands more workers at several agencies.
Hundreds of researchers, doctors and students recently protested near Barnes-Jewish Hospital against Trump cuts to public funding for scientific and medical research. More than 200 federal workers with the AFGE and their supporters rallied in Florissant against planned mass layoffs they said would hurt public services and violate their workers’ rights. And last week, about 300 U.S. military veterans and supporters rallied outside the John J. Cochran Hospital in north ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ against a planned mass layoff of employees in the Veteran Affairs administration, which provides health care and other services to millions of military veterans.
The protest Thursday was visited by local Democratic politicians, including Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and Comptroller Darlene Green. The National Association of Letter Carriers, which represents about 1,600 local mail carriers, plans to hold another rally Sunday to protest against cuts to the USPS, said John McLaughlin president of the NALC ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Branch 343.
The USPS in recent years has faced complaints over rate hikes and service delays amid challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, surges in mail-in election ballots and efforts by DeJoy to stem losses through cost and service cuts. DeJoy, a Republican donor who owned a logistics business, was appointed to lead USPS during Trump’s first term in 2020. The agency cut 30,000 workers in 2021.
DeJoy now said the agency will cut 10,000 employees in the next 30 days through a voluntary early retirement program.
Robbie Robertson, an IT worker in the USPS for 17 years, said such cuts under DeJoy were to blame for mail delays in recent years. She said the agency needs more public support to retain workers and improve its services.
“This is the people’s post office,†Robertson, of west ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County, said in an interview. “It belongs to the community. It does not belong to the billioniares.â€
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Photos: United States Postal Service workers hold protest over fears of privatization
William Brady, center, president of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Gateway District Area Local for the American Postal Workers Union, leads a group of protesters in a demonstration against the privatization of the Postal Service on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. "We're the one entity that you will probably see everyday because everybody in this country gets mail and we want to keep it the peoples public postal service," Brady said.
United States Postal Service clerk Sahaar Webb, far right, joins demonstrators to protest the potential privatization of USPS on Thursday, March 20, 2025, outside the post office in the Downtown West neighborhood of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.
"Fight the power," said Jay Ozier, of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, as he holds a sign up to passing cars during a protest against the privatization of the United States Postal Service on Thursday, March 20 2025, at the United States Postal Service office in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. " I don't work for the postal service but I'm out here to advocate for them," Ozier said.
April Johnson, of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, leads protestors in a prayer before a demonstration against the privatization of the United States Postal Service on Thursday, March 20 2025, at the United States Postal Service office in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. Johnson has worked with the United States Postal Service for over 20 years and serves as steward for the local chapter of American Postal Workers Union.
Postal worker Ahmena Gayfreld, of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, participates in a protest against the privatization of the United States Postal Service on Thursday, March 20 2025, at the United States Postal Service office in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. "I have the most wonderful customers," Gayfreld said. "My career was a life saver."
Pins are stuck to a jacket worn by Walter Barry, of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, during a protest against the privatization of the United States Post Service on Thursday, March 20 2025, at the United States Postal Service office in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. Barry worked for the United States Postal Service for over 40 years before he retired.
Amir Stone, of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, holds up a sign along side other United States Postal Service workers as they protest against the privatization of the governmental agency on Thursday, March 20 2025, at the United States Postal Service office in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. The small group of demonstrators held signs and chanted in response to cuts to other governmental agencies prompting fears that the United States Postal Service could be privatized.
William Brady, President of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Gateway District Area Local for the American Postal Workers Union, leads a group of protesters in a demonstration against the privatization of the United States Postal Service on Thursday, March 20 2025, at the United States Postal Service office in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. "It's going to effect our customers more than anybody," Brady said.
Protestors hold signs and chant during a demonstration against the privatization of the United States Postal Service on Thursday, March 20 2025, at the United States Postal Service office in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. The demonstration was held in response to talks by President Donald Trump that the governmental agency could be privatized.
Jessi McCool, center left, of Creve Coeur, participates in a protest against the privatization of the United States Postal Service on Thursday, March 20 2025, at the United States Postal Service office in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. The demonstration was held in response to talks by President Donald Trump that the governmental agency could be privatized.
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones leads protestors in a chant during a demonstration in front of the United States Postal Service office on Thursday, March 20 2025, in the Downtown West neighborhood in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. The small group of postal workers and local labor activists gathered on the front steps of the office to advocate against the privatization of the governmental agency.
Post-Dispatch photographers capture hundreds of images each week; here's a glimpse at the week of March 9, 2025. Video edited by Jenna Jones.
