David Steiner, a former CEO of the nation’s largest waste administration firm who at the moment serves on the FedEx board of administrators, is poised to take over management of the U.S. Postal Service, turning into the nation’s 76th postmaster common.
The announcement of Steiner’s appointment, which heightened considerations from postal unions over attainable efforts to denationalise the USPS, was made Friday by Amber McReynolds, chairperson of the USPS’ Board of Governors, throughout a gathering of the unbiased group that oversees the service.
“We anticipate that Mr. Steiner will join the organization in July, assuming his successful completion of the ethics and security clearance processes that are currently underway,” McReynolds mentioned.
Friday’s announcement by the the Board of Governors comes as President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk’s Division of Authorities Effectivity have raised the concept of privatizing the almost 250-year-old Postal Service, which has confronted monetary challenges amid a altering mail combine and different points.
The selection of Steiner has been seen by the postal unions as a harbinger for attainable privatization of some or all the venerable quasi-public establishment, which is basically self-funded and has a mission to serve each tackle within the nation — almost 167 million residences, companies and submit workplace packing containers.
Postal unions have held protests all through the nation over potential privatization, job cuts and probably ending the common service obligation.
Associated | Gutless Postal Service chief bends to DOGE with 10,000 job cuts
Brian L. Renfroe, president of the Nationwide Affiliation of Letter Carriers, mentioned Steiner is not only any government from the non-public sector however somebody who sits on the board of one of many Postal Service’s prime opponents.
“His selection isn’t just a conflict of interest — it’s an aggressive step toward handing America’s mail system over to corporate interests,” Renfroe mentioned in a press release. “Private shippers have been waiting to get USPS out of parcel delivery for years. Steiner’s selection is an open invitation to do just that.”
Renfroe’s union represents 205,000 energetic metropolis letter carriers and round 90,000 retirees.
Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Staff Union, which represents greater than 220,000 USPS staff and retirees, likened the appointment of Steiner to a fox guarding a hen home.
“FedEx has a very different agenda than the public postal service. And they’re a major competitor of the United States Postal Service,” he mentioned. “I’m not talking about any attributes of an individual, but to me, that’s the last type of person you will put in charge of the public institution as the anchor of the mailing package industry in the country.”
Steiner, who will depart the FedEx board, mentioned in a written assertion that he admires the general public service mission of the USPS and known as it “an incredible honor to be asked to lead the world’s greatest postal organization.”
“I believe strongly in maintaining its role as an independent establishment of the executive branch,” mentioned Steiner, who served as CEO of Waste Administration Inc. from 2004 by October 2016.
In a written assertion, McReynolds known as Steiner “the correct particular person to steer the Postal Service at the moment to make sure this magnificent and historic group thrives into the longer term.”
“Dave is a highly regarded leader and executive with tremendous vision, experience and skill that can be applied to the long-term mission and business needs of the Postal Service,” she added. “Our Board looks forward to working with Dave as he takes on the core mandates of providing universal and excellent service for the American public and doing so in a financially sustainable manner.”
Associated | The Postal Service may very well be Trump’s subsequent casualty
The Postal Service is within the midst of a 10-year modernization and cost-cutting plan that started in 2021 beneath Postmaster Louis DeJoy, who resigned in March. The plan is an try and cease losses on the company, which has a finances of about $78 billion a yr and is usually self-funded, together with by stamps and packages.
Often known as “Deliver for America,” the initiative has acquired markedly blended opinions. Whereas postal officers contend it has led to main effectivity enhancements, some members of Congress have criticized it for resulting in mail delays, unsustainable postage will increase and declines in enterprise.
Apart from privatization, there’s additionally been speak of probably shifting the USPS beneath the management of the U.S. Division of Commerce.
The selection of Steiner was first reported by The Washington Submit.
