VIDEO: Postal Workers Rally in Lakewood for HB 1351

Nearly 200 area postal workers from four postal worker unions met this afternoon at the to protest proposed cuts to the United States Postal Service.

Workers are lobbying for the passage of HB 1351, which would no longer require the postal service to fund future retiree health benefits for the next 75 years within one decade.

The postal service is the only federal agency required to pre-fund retirement benefits, Fredric Rolando, head of the National Association of Letter Carriers told NPR today. 

Protesters in Lakewood joined the thousands of postal workers that met at congressional districts across the nation to protest. 

Rolando said proposed cuts, including eliminating Saturday delivery of mail, are not necessary if the retirement requirements are eliminated.

"It's a choice, not a necessity," Rolando told the Huffington Post. "Someone is choosing to take our communications system apart ... That's what you're seeing discussed — the reduction of delivery days, the reduction in service standards, the consolidation of processing plants. It's just a dismantling of the service as we know it."

Kucinich, who was on-hand for the event, agreed.

“Postal workers are rallying to save universal postal service for the Amerivan people,” he said. “They are talking about closing post offices, laying people off, curtailing hours. None of that is acceptable. And you know what? It’s not necessary.”