According to the Associated Press, US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy recently sent a letter to Congress outlining plans to cut 10,000 jobs and billions of dollars from the US Postal Service (USPS) budget. He will collaborate with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to achieve these cuts.

The Department of Government Efficiency will assist USPS in addressing "major issues" within the $78 billion agency, which has struggled to stay operational in recent years.

In the letter, USPS cited mismanagement of retirement assets and workers' compensation programs, as well as regulatory constraints that "hinder normal business practices." The plan includes eliminating 10,000 jobs within the next 30 days through voluntary early retirement programs and shutting down more than 6,000 service locations.

The plan was initially announced in January during the final days of the Biden administration, but the estimated number of job cuts was not disclosed at the time.

USPS currently employs about 640,000 workers, responsible for deliveries ranging from urban centers to rural areas and even remote islands. The agency had previously announced plans to cut annual operational costs by over $3.5 billion. This is not the first round of layoffs—in 2021, USPS slashed 30,000 jobs.

Massive Strike Erupts

On March 23, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) called for nationwide strikes, with local rallies held at key hubs under the slogan "Hell no!"—a direct protest against efforts to privatize USPS, a move associated with Trump-era policies. This strike could reshape the future of the US postal system and severely disrupt cross-border logistics.

According to NALC data, 60% of USPS mail processing still relies on manual labor, as automation alternatives remain underdeveloped. Rushed reforms could destabilize the entire postal network.

The strike is expected to affect all 50 states, with critical hubs like the Port of Los Angeles facing package backlogs. Sellers on platforms like Amazon and eBay may experience 3-5 day shipping delays, with urgent shipments potentially delayed by over a week. About 40% of parcel processing capacity could be impacted, and logistics costs are projected to rise by 25%.

If the strike leads to port shutdowns, it could trigger a domino effect, further crippling supply chains.