At 7 a.m. on a gloomy, wet Saturday morning, bustling employees work diligently at the Fremont Post Office.

Blanketed in fluorescent light, a sea of people clothed in navy and gray-blue uniforms scurry about the office, sorting parcels of all shapes and sizes.

Letter carriers adhere to their respective cases to sort mail in preparation for the day ahead.

Walking five to eight hours outside every day is normal for Jaspal Handal, a letter carrier with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for over 23 years, who says he is grateful for the work he does.

Due to the economy, there is a greater possibility of layoffs or whole post office shutdowns looming overhead.

Recently, the Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe asked Congress for legislative assistance to help make the USPS reflect a more modern business model.

“Based on current revenue and cost trends, the Postal Service must reduce its annual costs by $20 billion by 2015 to return to profitability,” according to a Sept. 2011 press release from the USPS.

A major part of these cost issues stem from a requirement that has the USPS pre-funding around $5.5 billion of future retiree benefits annually. The USPS is seeking the freedom to scale back those payments, as well as end Saturday delivery.

They are also looking to close more post offices in addition to the 223 post offices that are slated to close or be partially consolidated by mid-2012.

Dedicated to his work, Handal takes pride in his job and embodies the postal mission through California’s temperamental climate.

“Bad weather doesn’t automatically make it a bad day for me,” says Handal. “The way I see it, it’s just a part of the job. If we didn’t deliver the mail during bad weather, someone else would.”

Born and raised in the small, rural town in northern India called Lukhi, Handal worked as a farmer until he married another Indian immigrant and came to Hayward looking for a better life.

After working at a metal stamping company for eight years, the company began reducing benefits for its workers.

He considered working for the Postal Service, as some of his friends had been informing him of the advantages.

In 1989, Handal secured his first job as a letter carrier and began working for a post office in Livermore.

“This is a stable job with good benefits,” says Handal. “I’ve raised my family doing this.”

A family man at heart, the letter carrier is a proud husband and father of two.

Handal, who moved to the Fremont Post Office several years ago, is a T6, which means he works five days a week covering at least five different routes. He picks up a single route from other carriers every day, which enables postal workers to have a five day workweek and allows the USPS to still offer six-day delivery.

Handal is also a Shop Steward, one of the representatives for the Fremont office to the National Association of Letter Carriers.

As Handal sorts his mail for the day and distributes some time-off request cards for employees in the office, he reminisces about earlier days of postal work.

“In the old days, letter carriers might have asked one of their customers to use their restrooms during the route, but that doesn’t happen anymore,” said Handal. “If I need to use the restroom I will find a local business to ask, or I will wait until the end of the day,” he added with a chuckle.

Walking the ins and outs of every court and cul-de-sac, Handal lugged a blue bag full of mail and parcels from house to house.

The nearly 58-year-old man showed no signs of fatigue, but only displayed a sense of determination to complete his duties as a mailman.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to not have any problems with pain or aches during my career,” said Handal. “I enjoy being able to be outside and on my own for most of the day, and it is definitely good exercise.”

Although the USPS has no official motto or slogan, there is an inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York City that reads: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

Although the mailman is grateful for his job, there are inherent risks associated with being a letter carrier that go beyond wear and tear, however.
One of the most prolific stereotypes is the issue with dogs and their affinity for the ankles of mailmen.

“We all carry pepper spray to deter dogs and [it gives] us time to get away safely if we are being attacked,” said Handal.

“In 23 years, I’ve only had to use my pepper spray twice,” he added calmly.

Physical dangers may be limited, but working for the USPS in this day and age means having the possibility of layoffs.

Handal doesn’t seem to worry about these issues too much, as he only focuses on the job he has to complete.

Although delivering mail everyday may seem like a job that could quickly become monotonous and stale, Handal assures that it’s quite the opposite.

“This job requires my full attention throughout the entire day, so I am not bored,” said Handal.

“Attitude” is what makes an extraordinary mailman, Handal said with a smile on his face. “Having a positive attitude helps keep me focused, and allows me to do my job better every day.”