UPMA – 01/25/17 – On January 23, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order imposing a freeze on the hiring of “executive branch” federal employees. Over the past forty years, four times similar executive orders were issued, three times during the term of President Carter and once at the outset of the Reagan Administration. None of those four hiring freezes were interpreted as being applied to the United States Postal Service. 

The USPS released the following statement relating to President Trump’s Executive Order: 

The Postal Service provides an essential service to the people and businesses of the United States, and is a critical part of our nation’s infrastructure.  In view of our independent status, past Executive Orders imposing hiring freezes on Executive Departments and Agencies have not applied to the Postal Service.  We have reached out to the Administration to discuss this matter.

United Postmasters and Managers of America