Blog

MEDIA ADVISORY: Sanders, Welch, Balint to Hold Rally on Restoring Montpelier Post Office and Postal Issues Across the State

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 4 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) on Monday, January 8 at 12:30 p.m. will hold a rally with members of the Montpelier community and the Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience on the effort to restore the state capital’s post office.

“The residents of Montpelier need and deserve a restored post office in their community – just as Vermonters in every corner of our state deserve reliable service and postal workers deserve the safe and fair working conditions,” said the Vermont Congressional Delegation.

Since the catastrophic flood damage this summer, more than five months ago, the Montpelier Post Office has operated out of a series of temporary locations, including two trucks that failed to provide safe working conditions for employees or reliable service to the community. The delegation has worked in partnership with everyone from individual Vermonters, households, farmers, and businesses, to state leaders, fellow members of Congress, federal agencies, and President Biden to respond as efficiently and effectively as possible to flood recovery efforts. In October, Sanders, Welch, and Balint sent a public letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy calling on him to restore postal service in Montpelier, protect worker safety on the job, and address the deterioration of service across Vermont and in rural communities across the country.

In November, USPS closed these temporary units in Montpelier without satisfactory notice to its employees, the Delegation, or Vermont state leaders, and without providing a sufficient and timely plan to restore full operational service to Montpelier.

Details
What: Postal Rally with the Vermont Congressional Delegation
When: 12:30 p.m. ET, Monday, January 8, 2024
Where: 87 State Street, Montpelier, in front of the old post office
Who:
Senator Bernie Sanders
Senator Peter Welch
Representative Becca Balint
Ben Doyle, Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience
Impacted Montpelier residents

Press RSVP: Media members must RSVP by contacting press@sanders.senate.gov.

Note: All attendees must follow Vermont Department of Health guidance and monitor symptoms. Attendees are encouraged to take a rapid COVID-19 test prior to the event.