Michigan postal workers joined colleagues nationwide on Thursday to rally to protect union jobs and oppose postal privatization. With the theme “U.S, Mail, Not For Sale – Day of Action,” thousands of postal workers and supporters were expected to rally in most states.

In a letter to Congress, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced plans to cut 10,000 USPS jobs and President Donald Trump has proposed merging the Postal Service with private shippers under the Commerce Department.

Michael Mize is president of the Michigan Postal Workers Union. He says this fight affects everyone.

“The Postal Service belongs to the public,” Mize said. “It does not belong to the billionaires, the people that want to tear it apart and make money with it. They want to take it from us, from the people, so that they can make money and charge all of us more money.”

As of May 2023, Michigan employed nearly 12,000 postal carriers, ranking among the top states. Nationwide, USPS remains a major employer of veterans, with more than 70,000 on staff in 2024.

DeJoy plans to reduce losses close to $100 billion by cutting jobs through voluntary early retirements as USPS partners with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to “modernize” operations.