The NALC has organized over 250 Fight Like Hell rallies across the country, all protesting against multiple threats to the union, including Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” DOGE planning to lay off ten thousand workers, and the Trump Administration’s ambitions to privatize the USPS.

A privatized USPS would create a myriad of problems for both the American people and Letter Carriers. Currently, the USPS is under the jurisdiction of Congress, which is held accountable by representatives elected by the American people. A privatized USPS would only be held responsible to private shareholders, who will most definitely reel back services in both rural and low-service areas, areas that need the USPS the most. In Seattle, a privatized USPS would mean higher shipping prices, an issue that would only contribute to Seattle’s high cost of living compared to other cities.

After speeches and remarks from representatives of multiple labor unions, the NALC Branch 79 rally attendees, both letter carriers and NALC supporters in the hundreds, marched around Westwood Center in West Seattle in the cold, dreary Seattle weather, with a resounding message:

THE US MAIL IS NOT FOR SALE!

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“The Postal Service is more than just a delivery system—it’s part of the backbone of our democracy, our economy, and our communities. It’s older than the country itself! Benjamin Franklin was appointed as the first Postmaster General in 1775, before we even declared independence. And for nearly 250 years, the Postal Service has connected every corner of this nation, no matter how rural, no matter how small the town—because the mail belongs to the people, not to billionaires that only care about profits.

“The White House is now pushing to move the Postal Service under the Department of Commerce. That might sound like just a bureaucratic shuffle, but let’s call it what it really is—the next step toward privatization! And we know what privatization means: higher costs, worse service, and abandoning rural America because it simply isn’t profitable to deliver to those communities.”

Justin Claussen, NALC Branch 491 Steward

Other speakers provided experiences of how essential the postal service is, including a firefighter speaking on how postal workers are sometimes the first to call 911 for citizens in an emergency situation, especially with elderly people. When asked how many mail carriers have had to call 911, many hands were raised in the crowd, putting perspective on the fact that carriers do more than just deliver mail.

Many speakers touched on the topic of rural Americans being affected by the potential privatization. Mark DeBelts, another member of Branch 491, commented to news sources, “If the privatization came around, it would affect maybe 55 million rural communities, and we as South Dakota, we live in a rural community. So, it would affect everybody.”

Claussen would end the event motivating attendees to start connecting with other members saying, “this fight won’t be won by individuals, it will be won by a movement” and by building working-class power.

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