Declaring that “the U.S. Postal Service is under unprecedented attack,” the presidents of the four postal unions have formed a historic alliance to fight back.

“A congressionally-manufactured financial crisis drains the USPS of vital resources,” the union presidents write in a proclamation [PDF] signed over the last several days. “Six-day delivery is under constant threat of elimination. The reduction of service standards and the elimination of half of the nation’s mail processing centers has slowed service and wiped out tens of thousands of good jobs. Post offices in cities and small towns are being sold or closed or having their hours cut back.

“Corporate privatizers seek to gain control over larger segments of postal operations – and to get their hands on the Postal Service’s $65 billion of annual revenue. The Postmaster General’s policies of subcontracting and degrading service are fueling the privatization drive,” proclamation declares.

“The four postal unions stand together to end the attack,” it says. “We stand with the people of our country in defense of their right to a universal postal service operated in the public interest.” The Postal Union Alliance commits the unions to work together to protect service and oppose the subcontracting of work and privatization of services.

It also vows to expand service to include basic banking, notary, check-cashing and other services; form a common front in the fight for genuine postal reform legislation, and “end the corporate welfare of excessive pre-sort discounts.”

The unions also pledge to organize join actions and encourage joint work at the local level; support maximum cooperation in the next round of contract negotiations, and build an alliance with the American people in defense of the public postal service.

APWU Mark Dimondstein called the formation of the alliance “groundbreaking.” The proclamation is signed by Dimondstein, President Fredric Rolando, of the National Association of Letter Carriers; President John Hegarty, of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and President Jeanette Dwyer of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association.

“We have agreed to work together to defend a beloved national treasure,” Dimondstein said. “Our efforts will benefit all postal employees and the people of this country who expect and deserve a vibrant, public Postal Service for generations to come.”