Memorial Day Message from President Ronnie Stutts

Today, on Memorial Day, we remember the men and women who lost their lives while serving in the US Armed Forces. Without their sacrifices, our country would be a very different place. We thank all of our military personnel, past and present for their service and their sacrifices.

Memorial Day also marks the unofficial start of summer when family and friends typically gather to celebrate with cookouts and other outdoor activities. But our celebrations this year are tempered by the realities of a global pandemic, which has changed the way we work and interact with others.

As rural carriers, we are fortunate not to be among the 38.6 million Americans who have had to file for unemployment benefits since mid-March. Throughout the pandemic, our craft has proven once again our value to the Postal Service and the American people. We have delivered critical goods and supplies and, as you know, parcel volume continues to increase. We are working closely with the Postal Service to find solutions to some of the issues created by this development.

The National Board and I have worked hard to ensure that during the pandemic rural carriers can work safer and that operational challenges can be met while protecting the craft. On May 20, we extended five COVID-19-related MOU’s through at least July 17.

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