US Postal Service to operate on normal schedule over Juneteenth federal holiday

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Postal Service says while it fully supports the new Juneteenth National Independence Day Act making June 19 a federal holiday, it will be unable to stop operations this weekend.

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"Unfortunately, it is not possible to cease the operations of the Postal Service to accommodate an observance over the next 24-48 hours," USPS said in a statement. "We are part of the nation’s critical infrastructure and our customers are relying on us to deliver our essential services."

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USPS says it will operate on June 18 and 19 on a normal schedule saying that shutting down operations would lead to disruptions to customers.

Officials say the USPS will "discuss future recognition of this significant new holiday with our national Unions, Management Associations, and other stakeholders, consistent with our collective bargaining and consultative obligations."