WHEN THE POST OFFICE WAS ALL PATRONAGE IT WORKED:

Postal Service asks Congress to allow 120,000 layoffs, overhaul benefits (Laurie Segall, August 11, 2011, CNNMoney)

Hundreds of thousands of postal workers could soon lose their jobs, or face drastic changes to their benefits.

According to documents obtained by CNNMoney, the United States Postal Service is appealing to Congress to remove collective bargaining restrictions in order to lay off 120,000 workers. It also wants congressional approval to replace existing government health care and retirement plans.

The post office claims it needs to eliminate 220,000 positions, or more than 30% of its staff by 2015, but only 100,000 of those positions can be made through attrition. The other 120,000 must come from lay offs, according to the documents.

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