With shouts of "U.S. mail is not for sale," nearly 50 local postal service employees spent part of their Columbus Day holiday on Monday morning in downtown Topeka, where they expressed their opposition to possible privatization of the nation's daily mail service.

The picket began just before 10 a.m. Monday in front of the former main post office at 424 S. Kansas Ave.

Leaders from local postal workers unions stressed there was no bill in Congress suggesting that privatization take place at this time, but they were supporting House Resolution 993, which would put elected officials in Washington, D.C., on record that they were against any possible privatization down the line.

Andy Tuttle, a letter carrier from Lawrence and president of the Kansas State Association of Letter Carriers, said members of postal service unions were "rallying" Monday for a national day of action on Columbus Day, when no mail delivery was scheduled.

Tuttle said the picket was held in part over concerns about a report from the federal Office of Management and Budget, which encouraged privatization.

Should the U.S. Postal Service be privatized, Tuttle said, it could result in "thousands" of local post offices being closed, along with higher prices, reductions in services and job losses. The cuts in service, he said, would be especially felt in rural areas and among older adults.

As an example, he said, people likely would have to walk a block or more to pick up their mail at centralized locations, maybe as late as 7 p.m. instead of morning and afternoon delivery.

Tuttle added that the U.S. Postal Service doesn't receive taxpayer money, but is an independent agency of the U.S. government.

He said there are approximately 600,000 employees of the U.S. Postal Service, while 7.5 million people are "employed in the mailing industry in some way." He said the mailing industry is a $1.4 trillion industry.

Connie Osterhaus, who works at a postal maintenance facility in Topeka, said a sticking point is a government mandate that the postal service "pre-fund" 75 years of retiree benefits.

She said if that mandate was removed, "we would be solvent and be able to thrive like we have in the past."

Letter carrier Raewyn Honeycutt, of Topeka, was among the picketers at Monday's event. She said she was against any move that might privatize the postal service, saying it would have an adverse effect on her customers, particularly those who are older.

"I love my customers," said Honeycutt, who was joined by her husband, Lonny Honeycutt, at the event. "I want to take care of them."