NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
When Edward Dyer started work as a letter carrier 18 years ago in New York City, job security was one of the selling points.
“It was one of the most secure jobs that people looked up to,” said the Bronx resident who has a route in Manhattan. “You didn’t need a college degree, you could get a job paying a good amount of money, plus benefits that you need to raise a family,”
Dyer’s job supports a family of five, and has helped pay for his oldest daughter’s college tuition. Despite almost two decades of seniority under his belt, Wednesday’s announcement that Saturday service is being eliminated has made Dyer fearful. He worries that the job won’t last long enough to get him to retirement as he has always assumed.
“Once they do this, they can make any change they want,” he said. “I don’t know what it’s going to turn into. Is it going to cut from five days down to four days or three days? I need another 20, 25 years to get to retirement. I don’t know if it will be there that long.”
Dyer’s union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, vows to fight the plan, arguing the Postal Service doesn’t have the authority to eliminate a day of service without Congressional approval. But the Postal Service says it has authority to go ahead with the plan, and members of Congress haven’t yet said they will pursue any action to stop the agency.
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