USPS to End Partnership with Staples

The American Postal Workers Union says that the US Postal Service is ending its cooperation with Staples in March.

According to app.com, Staples spokeswoman Carrie McElwee acknowledged more than 500 Staples sites are impacted. “Customers will continue to have access to shipping services through its relationship with United Parcel Service,” she added.

The US Postal Service (USPS) started a shipper program with Staples by setting a mini post office in each Staples store. The deal was expected to bring customers flexibility and postal service some extra cash. However, the mini post offices were staffed by Staples employees. A protest against the relationship has been launched by the union since 2014 with an appeal for boycotting Staples.

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USPS states the termination is in accordance with an order issued by a National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge on November 8. USPS also claims the order requires it to discontinue its retail relationship with Staples.

The postal union maintains the Staples deal was part of a “scheme” to privatize postal operations and shift services away from neighborhood post offices to Staples locations.

“This is a big win,” said Mark Dimondstein, Union President in a statement. “Staples is out of the mail business which they should never have gotten into.”

A 2016 audit by the Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service shows that approved shippers did not always charge the correct postage for mail. Shippers also have other customer service issues, including failing to fill out certified mail information correctly. The report also says that some sites in the program were willing to accept packages with hazardous materials, such as cologne, lighters, and aerosol sprays.

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