Greensboro, NC -- They came armed with signs pleading to save the U.S. Postal Service.
We found a handful of demonstrators at the downtown Greensboro post office who are fighting against layoffs and cutbacks to fend off debt.
Richard Koritz with the National Association of Letter Carriers says there's no need for mass layoffs that could leave postal workers in a dire situation.
"They are scared of losing their jobs in this process because the jobs that are coming along, as you well know now, are Wal-Mart or McDonald's top jobs that people can not make a living on even if they're working a full work week," Koritz said.
Dr. Phillip Rubio, a professor of history at North Carolina A&T says the postal service would not be in debt if not for a Congressional requirement to pay $5.5 billion annually to support retirement benefits.
If not for that he says the postal service would have posted a $611 million profit over the past four years. They've done so despite the fact mail volume has dropped significantly.
Koritz and the demonstrators suggest the Postmaster General is off-base for recommending 120,000 layoffs and the end of Saturday mail service.
They want Congress to return the money the postal service has paid toward retirement benefits. They say it's the only federal or private agency required to put out such a payment.
Their ultimate fear is the government will decide to privatize mail service. Dr. Rubio says the U.S. Constitution mandates a public mail service.
WFMY News2