Mail carriers are losing their grip on the middle-class American Dream

Letter carriers who deliver mail, documents, and packages to homes and businesses are the face of the United States Postal Service (USPS), which is often considered the most trusted government agency, but they are being driven into poverty and out of America’s shrinking middle-class.

For decades, working as a letter carrier USPS was a solid ticket to the American middle class. But in recent years, that promise has become increasingly hollow for many postal workers, especially those in high-cost areas, who now find themselves struggling to make ends meet.

At a time when inflation and housing costs are rising, and healthcare premiums continue to climb, many USPS letter carriers are reporting financial hardship that leaves them in poverty despite working full-time.

Some have even resorted to sleeping in their cars or showering at union halls, unable to afford rent or basic necessities.

After nearly two years of talks, the union for letter carriers announced a poverty-level tentative agreement in October with the United States Postal Service, sparking a wave of outrage on social media.

According to a summary by National Association of Letter Carriers, the 42-month deal contains pathetic 1.3 percent annual wage increases, in addition to substandard cost of living adjustments, continued hyper-exploitation and surveillance, and the continuation of a restructuring program aimed at privatizing USPS.

With the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, signed by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2006, Congress saddled the USPS with a crippling requirement to pre-pay retiree health care costs, a provision which would be repealed with the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022.

The Republican plan was to inflict financial hardship on the USPS that would justify a privatization scheme.

“How did we get here?” asks Brian L. Renfroe, the National President of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). Renfroe, who was elected as president in 2022, represents over 285,000 active and retired USPS workers. “We’ve had a promise for a historic contract—something that would change the trajectory of our profession—but what we were offered were crumbs.”

This frustration reached a boiling point in 2024, as postal workers continue to grapple with the expiration of their contract—568 days overdue as of December 9, 2024.

Despite lengthy negotiations, the USPS proposed a mere 1.3% annual raise in a contract that had been marketed as potentially transformative. For some, this wage increase falls far short of the rising costs of living, especially in urban areas where rent and utilities often outpace earnings.

Many carriers and their local unions are waging a campaign encouraging members to vote against ratification of the tentative agreement and some are planning in the next union election to challenge Renfroe—who some say took a 19% salary hike form himself while deeming the 1.3% proposal a fair offer for his union members.

“I drive a 20-year-old car with nearly 300,000 miles on it just to get to work,” says Jonathan Morris, a letter carrier in Fort Worth, Texas. “And I still can’t cover my rent. It’s unacceptable.”

The dissatisfaction with USPS wages and working conditions has been building for years, exacerbated by the leadership of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump appointee who advanced policies that are detrimental to workers, the environment, and the quality of mail services.

DeJoy’s tenure has seen significant cuts to the workforce, increased mandatory overtime, and changes that have led to longer, more grueling workdays for letter carriers.

For many, these challenges are compounded by the difficult nature of the job itself.

Delivering mail in extreme weather conditions, navigating dangerous routes, and facing rising incidents of attacks on carriers are all part of the daily reality.

Attacks on USPS workers nearly doubled between 2019 and 2023, with about a sevenfold rise in the number of robberies, according to recent union reports.

In addition, many carriers work in un-airconditioned vehicles that reach sweltering temperatures, sometimes over 130 degrees, while management continues to push for faster delivery times with little regard for their safety.

“One of our own just died on his route last year,” says Corey Walton, a Nashville-based letter carrier. “He was 66, and we know he didn’t take the breaks he needed because he couldn’t afford to lose his retirement. That’s the culture management has created.”

While letter carriers have long been seen as part of the fabric of their communities—trusted to deliver not just mail, but a sense of connection and service—their working conditions have grown more difficult in recent years. The USPS, which once offered a reliable middle-class job with benefits and pension security, now struggles to keep up with the realities faced by its employees.

Over the past three decades, wages have stagnated, and benefits have been cut or diminished. What was once seen as a stable, union-backed job is now increasingly precarious. In 2024, the average starting salary for new letter carriers is just $19 per hour, with little room for growth. Some workers, particularly those in positions like the mandatory City Carrier Assistant, earn even less.

“People used to look at you like you were set for life if you worked at the post office,” says Walton. “But now, you’re just one paycheck away from disaster.”

The 1.3% wage increase offered in the latest contract has done little to quell the discontent. For many, it represents a failure of both union leadership and USPS management to address the systemic issues facing workers. The contract has sparked a groundswell of opposition within the ranks of the NALC, leading to a national “Vote No” movement, urging members to reject the proposal and push for better terms.

The discontent has led to a rise in grassroots activism, with rallies organized across the country in support of a better contract. Workers in cities like Fort Worth, Cincinnati, and Brooklyn have voiced their anger over the contract and the conditions they are forced to endure.

“People are pissed,” says Jonathan Morris of Fort Worth. “We don’t feel respected. We’re being treated like we’re disposable, and we deserve better.”

Union leaders, too, are feeling the heat. Some have expressed frustration with Renfroe’s handling of negotiations, with allegations that he failed to effectively advocate for members’ needs. Critics point to his absence from critical meetings and his delayed communication with the membership during the early months of the negotiations.

“I understand addiction is a tough battle, but you don’t disappear for over a month when you’re representing 277,000 people,” says one Brooklyn-based union activist, referring to Renfroe’s well-publicized struggle with alcohol addiction in 2023. “This is a moment where we needed leadership, and instead, we got silence.”

With the contract negotiations stalled and the dissatisfaction widespread, the future of the NALC is uncertain.

Some workers are pushing for more aggressive action, including strikes or other forms of collective protest. Others are eyeing the upcoming 2026 union elections, where prominent figures within the NALC plan to challenge Renfroe’s leadership.

Despite the mounting tensions, many letter carriers remain committed to the job they love. “It’s not about the postal service—it’s about the carriers,” says Walton. “We’re the ones that make it work, not the management sitting behind their desks.”

For now, USPS letter carriers are left in a precarious position—fighting for a better deal, but unsure where to turn for the support they need. The anger and frustration that have defined this period of unrest suggest that this is far from over.