Hunger Strikers Set Up Camp on National Mall, Demand 6-Day Mail Service

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)In yesterday’s early morning cold, two men stood outside a tent on the National Mall, adjusting and re-adhering signs to the four sides. Kevin Cole -- a postal technician in his 24th year of work in Anaheim, CA -- and Jamie Partridge (below at left) -- a recently retired letter carrier from Portland, OR -- are on a six day hunger strike and vigil to protect six-day postal service and the 80,000 jobs it provides. Cole and Partridge, who both participated in a 10-day hunger strike earlier this year ("'Save Our Post Office' Hunger Strike Launched," UC 6/25/2012), say they’re planning to keep up the fight in the wake of proposed legislation that would stop Saturday mail delivery. In their home towns both activists are involved with a coalition called Communities and Postal Workers United (CPWU), and say other CPWU members from San Francisco and Staten Island will be joining the action on the Mall today. The group plans to hold press conferences and actions at the White House on Thursday and in front of the US Postal Headquarters on Friday, but agrees the fight against proposed cuts needs to happen on the local front across the country as well. “We’re going to have to escalate the local actions” says Partridge, who attended Monday's Council meeting with NALC 3825 President Ken Lerch. Partridge reported that occupations and protests at post offices scheduled for closure in Portland, OR and San Francisco and Berkeley, CA have already yielded some success and he is hopeful that “at some point workers will feel courageous enough to take workplace action” like occupations of work sites. Check out Postal Workers United on Facebook for updates as the hunger strikers continue their vigil through Saturday. -report/photo by Julia Kann