Report: Postal unions threaten protests over Staples retail centers

Framingham, Mass. – Unions representing employees of the U.S. Postal Service are reportedly threatening protests in response to the opening of new Postal Service retail centers in dozens of Staples stores. The unions say that the centers, which are staffed by Staples employees, unfairly replace unionized workers with lower-paid, non-union Staples workers and may lead to expansion of the centers to more Staples stores, affecting union jobs at nearby post offices.



Union leaders reportedly do not want to close the centers, but have them staffed with unionized postal employees. So far Staples CEO Ronald Sargent has not met union requests for a meeting, and reportedly there will be protests at Staples stores in the San Francisco and San Jose, Calif., markets.