FedEx board member David Steiner to lead US Postal Service
David Steiner, a member of the FedEx board of directors, has been appointed as the next postmaster general and CEO of the United States Postal Service, the letter carrier's board of governors announced Friday.
Steiner is set to replace former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who resigned in March, and current acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino.
'Dave is the right person to lead the Postal Service at this time to ensure this magnificent and historic organization thrives into the future,' board Chair Amber McReynolds said in a press release.
Steiner's appointment has already faced pushback given his ties to FedEx, a leading private competitor of USPS. Union leaders were quick to denounce Steiner, The Washington Post first reported Tuesday, arguing that his appointment further encourages the privatization of postal services.
'His selection isn't just a conflict of interest — it's an aggressive step toward handing America's mail system over to corporate interests,' Brian Renfroe, the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said in a statement. 'Private shippers have been waiting to get USPS out of parcel delivery for years.'
Shortly before stepping down, DeJoy announced plans to eliminate 10,000 USPS jobs in March, and he also confirmed the agency is working alongside Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. USPS is made up of roughly 650,000 employees.
DeJoy, who assumed his post in June 2020, was met with animosity from both sides of the aisle during his tenure. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike criticized him for not allowing them to visit USPS postal facilities. DeJoy also faced backlash from Democrats in response to his handling of postal services during the height of Covid-19.
Now, Steiner is set to assume the position amid growing uncertainty within the agency.
'I deeply admire the public service and business mission of this amazing institution, and I believe strongly in maintaining its role as an independent establishment of the executive branch,' Steiner said in a press release. 'As the entity with the largest union membership in the United States, I look forward to engaging with the unions and management associations to ensure that together we create a world-class employment experience.'
Steiner previously served as CEO of Waste Management and was a partner at law firm Phelps Dunbar. Pending background and ethics checks, Steiner will join USPS in July.
Steiner was selected by the USPS' board of governors, who are presidentially appointed.
President Donald Trump has floated privatizing the Postal Service — or merging it with the Commerce Department — in the past. The Washington Post reported that the board of governors had selected finalists, and Trump made the final call on the next postmaster general.
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