FT. LAUDERDALE, FL – Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association will engage in informational picketing at 17 locations across Florida on Wednesday, June 27 to protest a growing policy of the U.S. Postal Service to contract out to private firms and individuals the delivery of mail in urban and suburban areas, the NALC announced today.

Picketing in Florida on June 27 will occur in Daytona, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, Jupiter, two locations in Miami, Melbourne, Ocala, Orlando, Pensacola, Punta Gorda, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Venice and West Palm Beach,

NALC National Business Agent Judy Willoughby said the Florida demonstrations are part of many planned throughout the nation to bring the attention of the public to this new policy that will diminish service to postal customers and endanger the future viability of the Postal Service.

Willoughby said the pickets will be held outside post offices or in neighborhoods where mail is currently being delivered by someone other than a federal postal employee.

NALC National President William H. Young said letter carriers in Florida “have witnessed first hand this destructive policy of the Postal Service to outsource the delivery of mail to low-wage, no-benefit, part-time contractors instead of career government employees who have gained the trust and respect of American families for the past 118 years.”

“This policy must be reversed quickly before more damage is done,” Young said.

NALC’s effort to fight privatization of mail delivery has gained strong support in Congress. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) has introduced The Mail Delivery Protection Act of 2007 (S. 1457) to outlaw most contracting out, and in the House of Representatives, Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) has authored H. Res. 282, which would condemn the practice and which urges the Postal Service to halt the practice immediately.

The locations and times of the Florida picketing on June 27 are:

Daytona	Main Post Office, 500 Bill France Blvd, 4-6 p.m.
Ft. Lauderdale	Artesia Condos in Sunrise, 136 Ave & Flamingo Rd, 4-7 p.m.
Ft. Myers	Downtown Post Office, 1350 Monroe St, 4-6 p.m.
Jacksonville	Main Post Office on King’s Road, 4-6 p.m.
Jupiter	Main Post Office, 1095 Military Tr, 5-7 p.m.
Melbourne	The Montecito development in Satellite Beach, South Patrick Dr & Tortoise Dr, 5 -7:30 p.m.
Miami	Across from Dadeland Mall, Kendall Dr and Dadeland Blvd , 5-7 p.m.
	In front of the South FL District Office, 16000 Pines Blvd at Dykes Rd, 5-7 p.m.
Ocala	Main Post Office, 400 SW 1st Ave, 3-5:30 p.m.
Orlando	Baldwin Park development, Maguire Blvd and Bennett Rd, 5-6:30 p.m.
Pensacola	Nobles Station, 7150 Tippin Ave, 3-5:30 p.m.
Punta Gorda	Main Post Office, 130 East Marion Ave, 4:30-6 p.m.
St. Augustine	US 1 at King St, 5-6:30 p.m.
St. Petersburg	Main Post Office, 3135 1st Ave N, 4:30-6 p.m.
Tampa	Airport Post Office, 5201 W Spruce, 4-6 p.m.
Venice	Main Post Office, 350 W Venice Ave, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
West Palm Beach	Main Post Office, 3200 Summit Blvd, 5-7 p.m.