LAS VEGAS -- What do you think of when you hear the term "going postal?" For some, it's just a slang term, but for hundreds of postal workers, it's offensive.

On Thursday, postal workers protested outside Goin' Postal shipping centers in the Valley.

The sign might say it's “Your friendly neighborhood shipping center,” but it makes dozens of postal workers want to go -- protest.

Members of the American Postal Workers Union want the Goin' Postal sign to go down.

“I think it's degrading for us to hear that, because that's not the way postal workers are,” said postal worker Jovita Olive.

Union members said the slang delivers a negative connotation with historic baggage.

“It goes all the way back to shootings in Oklahoma City some years ago. If you look in the dictionary, it's a very violent term,” said union worker Terry Stapleton.

The owner of Goin' Postal in northwest Las Vegas said the protesters are putting too much weight on the phrase.

“As far as going back to the violent shootings, we're not trying to belittle that or make fun of that in any kind of way,” said Goin’ Postal owner Bryan Lawe. “It's just a whimsical name, a franchise we bought into, and I think we're the farthest thing from being derogatory.”

Lawe said he's been in business for nearly four years and has a healthy relationship with the United States Postal Service.

He even said he has the stamp of approval from local customers.

“I think it's catchy. It probably brings business. It's a good little slogan,” said customer Cindy Casiere.

But protestors said there's nothing clever or comical about the term “going postal.”

Protesters were outside all three Goin' Postal locations in the Valley Thursday.

There are more than 700 franchises nationwide.