The U.S. Postal Service's new postmaster general and CEO, David Steiner, voiced his opposition to privatizing the agency in communications to employees Thursday.
"I do not believe the Postal Service should be privatized or that it should become an appropriated part of the federal government," Steiner said in a video message. "I believe the current structure of the Postal Service is a self financing, independent entity of the executive branch."
Steiner, who took his post Tuesday, is settling into his role as questions swirl around the financially struggling agency's future. President Donald Trump has floated several potential changes over the past year, including placing the Postal Service within the Commerce Department or even privatizing the agency. The postmaster general's message adds to the mix of Postal Service employees, lawmakers and stakeholders who have come out against such a measure.
Steiner previously served as a member of FedEx's board of directors and was CEO of Waste Management for 12 years. In communications to employees, he highlighted his private sector logistics background while expressing optimism for the Postal Service's future as an independent agency.
"I am confident that we will be able to demonstrate that the Postal Service can operate successfully under this structure in meeting the financial and service performance expectations of the nation, and in so doing justify and preserve our independence far into the future," Steiner said in a Thursday letter to employees.
Improving the Postal Service's on-time delivery reliability — an ongoing struggle amid the agency's network overhaul — is a key step in reaching those goals, according to Steiner. He said in the letter that showing customers stronger performance on a sustained basis will drive long-term revenue growth.
Steiner added that recent overhaul efforts have brought the Postal Service closer to private sector logistics practices, a core priority for Louis DeJoy during his tenure as postmaster general. The new leader also highlighted increased competitiveness as a result of changes in pricing and product strategies through the years, but he didn't rule out introducing his own adjustments to in-progress initiatives.
"As I evaluate our major programs and strategies, I will assess and determine what modifications through our approach will best serve the Postal Service, our employees and our customers, and I will ask for your help and your thoughts in that process," Steiner told employees in the video.
