By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House Oversight chair Carolyn Maloney questioned Oshkosh Corp (NYSE 🙂 Corp if the company wanted to eliminate union workers in its decision to create the U.S. Next-Generation. South Carolina Postal Service vehicles for delivery.

Maloney, along with three others lawmakers, want Oshkosh documents by April 1, detailing Wisconsin’s decision to not build vehicles there. They also want Oshkosh to tell them how fast and how many vehicles they can make.

Oshkosh’s Defense made a initial $482million investment in the 10-year deal. But it could have a value of $6 billion or higher to allow Oshkosh to construct 165,000 new-generation vehicles.

Oshkosh refused to comment immediately.

Oshkosh’s South Carolina vehicle building decision was strongly criticized by the United Auto Workers union as well as some Democrats in Congress.

Ray Curry, UAW president, stated last month that workers and the environment rely on the USPS and Biden administrations to protect the next generation.

Maloney, along with four other legislators, asked the Postal Service Office of Inspector General to examine the USPS plan to purchase a new, mostly gasoline-powered fleet of delivery vehicles. This plan has been criticized by the White House as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.

According to OIG, the inspector general said that it would “be doing more work in response” to this request. OIG said in a report https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2022/RISC-WP-22-003.pdf that EVs could be a “good option” on many USPS routes.

USPS stated that its commitment to an electric fleet “remains ambitious given the urgent vehicle and safety requirements of our fleet, as well as our fragile financial situation.”