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Mailmen Used to Be Middle Class. Now They’re Living in Poverty

More Perfect Union | January 23, 2026



USPS letter carriers tell us they’re sleeping in their vehicles and bathing at union halls because they get paid poverty wages. They were promised a historic new contract this year. Instead, they were offered 1.3% raises. Now they’re revolting.

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Written by More Perfect Union

Comments

This post currently has 48 comments.

  4. @Raf-v2u

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    Damn it

    WAKE UP and GET MAD

    The elimination and abolishment of the federal reserve and all central banking is the only cure

    CONGRESS SITS UNDER THE MONEY SPIGOT

    And they’re the ones that have to abolish it

    SO EITHER WE MAKE EVERY CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER SCARED FOR THEIR LIVES OR THEY WILL TAKE EVERYTHING

    Especially our freedom

  6. @AmericanWears

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    Middle class lifestyle is so dependent on where you live, your expenses, mainly the biggest one is housing. In my area you’d have to make over 100k to achieve it. In other areas it could be 40k.

  7. @bellasteppars8772

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    I worked ups plus years that’s exactly how they are. They strong arm their employees they bully them. They harassed they intimidate. They do all that stuff now the post office is the same. UPS is had these digital trackers on their people for years since the late 80s.

  11. @NatorDM

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    Honestly I think the post master general would love to take the entire mail service private and be paid by the government a massive amount to do so. So they seem to win in any version of this unless there are no strikes. But even then you just know ai and robots will start to replace people. Have y’all seen Atlas from Boston’s dynamics. That thing is a job killing machine and it’s coming. We need leaders that actually keep their promises.

  12. @tamaragraham6859

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    I own a magazine that people have to subscribe to. My dealings with my local post office have been the biggest pain in my ass. The bulk mailing person I've had to deal with literally told me that they hate my type of mail. My type of mail is why they still have a job. and I have a 7% non-delivery rate every month, which costs me several hundred dollars a month in losses. With that said, we need a public postal system that is not run by for-profit corporations. Let's fix it.

  15. @averageAmericanusa

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    I have a mailman he doesn't even speak English he doesn't understand it very well so they're hiring illegals to deliver our mail. I can't read English either I had to tell him what it said on the door it says please put packages inside door he said oh oh oh oh oh oh oh not good.

  19. @waltergeniusz2133

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    Here's the question have you noticed what is in your mailbox it's all junk mail they have you doing all your billing online now the mailman is basically delivering junk you basically take the stuff from the mailbox you either shred it or you throw it away since computers all companies want online billing pay there's really no deliveries it's not the same as it used to be also they all drive around in the little trucks I don't never see anybody walking anymore the old drive around in those little trucks and everything that they're delivering you is junk stuff people don't send out Christmas cards anymore your bills don't come in the mail anymore people don't write letters to anybody anymore

  22. @1714elijah

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    I work at USPS in a warehouse and yes, for the type of work we do, we do not get payed nearly enough. Raises are also based off of how much time you've spent there not based off of performance which is a huge blow to workers like me that are actually willing to work to keep the team afloat. On top of not getting payed enough, it's a struggle to get overtime because of how tired you are at the end of your shift. And because raises are based how they are, we have more people not willing to pull their own weight because they feel they're pay doesn't reflect the work. You guys should do a deep dive.

  23. @woostybrains

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    Since Nixon, postal management has been consistently anti-union. The big change IMO was that the unions became more timid after the air traffic controller firings. They started agreeing to contracts that protected older workers (“regulars”) at the expense of the younger (“subs”). This divide-and-conquer strategy on the part of management gradually degraded worker protections as older workers retired. I worked as a letter carrier in the 1970s and 1980s. Yes, it was considered a solid middle-class job.

  25. @arthurturner9398

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    I work in a union. Most of my co workers love Trump and the Republicans (no I do not like the Dems). They think Just because they have a decent job everyone else is lazy and do not want to work. My magic eight ball says there will be no union pensions for us and everyone else in 25-30 years. Americans love to screw themselves over and bitch about self induced problems.

  27. @mikeatback

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    This is why unions are just a bad idea. It sounds good but its like the equivalent of socialist or communist country. It has better chances of driving its ideals than a country would but it has similar issues.

  30. @mutualpeaceWayne

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    Funny how the name of this channel is the ultimate answer. If we stopped being so materialistic and self indulged (thus creating a perfect union), they wouldn’t have a choice. & We wouldn’t have to go on strike.

  31. @yawningpheonix

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    Just redistribute the wealth according to age, health, and applied skills. Even if there's no work to be done in a certain area you still deserve to live well. Billionaires do not need to exist. They can be financially cannibalized and their business roles automated.
    I plug my ears at any counterarguments and press your face against the window to look out at what you suggest we continue if you disagree.

  37. @weezerwookie

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    I delivered mail in 2006, it paid $15 which was a fine paying job, and career people made much more. Someone told me to stick with it. glad i stopped and went back to college.

  38. @jeromesalem4369

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    Truly scary. Used to be most people could live a middle class lifestyle without a problem. No more with automation and jobs going overseas and big retail like Amazon killing all the small stores. Mail barely needed these days, i can go a week or two without a letter because everything is online. Post office can't make the money to pay it's employees anymore. National debt 31 trillion will kill us all one day. 😢😢😢

  39. @crylokrebs9552

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    I’m a union leader in the middle of bargaining, and I am begging my members to care and speak up and file grievances. I can’t imagine being a neglectful president. It’s bullshit

  40. @barbaramcsloy8476

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    This is the American culture now. Every sector of society has the same problem. Screw the person below you because you may be noticed by your boss for saving money (which will end up in his bosses pocket).

  46. @JayBraddock

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    These haters are mad because they want to be lazy and not do there jobs they want higher pay and do not want to work for it. Our government employees in the higher ups LOVE US CITIZENS AN ALWAYS LOOKING OUT TO KEEP US ALL SAFE. The media lies, and workers lie because they are disgruntled, and other people are conspiracy theoriest. They lie about our LOVING, CARING, AND TRUSTING GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. The government loves us all and want us safe. LMFAO

  47. @JayBraddock

    January 23, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE,MTHE GOVERNMENT AND ITS EMPLOYEES LOVE YOU AND WANTS TO KEEP YOU SAFE IT IS ALL ABOUT YOUR SAFETY. THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T DO WHAT THESE HATERS SAY. THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS EMPLOYEES IS ALL ABOUT LOVE AND SAFETY FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND ALL OF US. STOP LISTENING TO ALL THESE HATERS THE GOVERNMENT LOVES YOU. THESE HATERS ARE ALL JUST BUMS AND DRUG BEADS AND TROUBLE MAKERS WANTING TO PUT OUR LOVING GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN A bad light.

Comments are closed.

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