This week, the United States Postal Service announced plans to consolidate 18 of the country’s major postal sorting facilities in the coming months. Postal union officials say the move could reduce mail in some areas by nearly 100 miles, further delaying delivery.
Proponents of rural communities also expressed concern that plant integration plans could cause problems for farmers. Depends on livestock delivery..
Eighteen integrated email processing centers are located nationwide, including a factory in Erie, PA. Wausau, Wisconsin; Huntsville, Alabama; Gainesville, Florida; Newberg, NY; Paducah, Kentucky; Seattle, according to the American Postal Workers Union (APWU). APWU said that emails previously sent to these plants will be redirected to other facilities.
In a statement to NBC News, the USPS said it was “trying to reuse” the integrated center.
In a statement, Japan Post spokesman Kim Fulham said restructuring has been under discussion since 2015 and is part of a larger plan to increase efficiency. The integration will be completed by November, Frum said, “leading to more efficient and reliable performance in our factories.”
However, veteran postal workers said the integration meant that mail in some areas would be rerouted to facilities that could take longer to reach by truck.
“These integrations will lead to further postal delays,” said Lori Cash, a 23-year veteran of postal services, president of APWU’s Western New York area locals. “This integration plan will create difficulties, especially for our small rural community. They are always hit. Some of these integrations reroute emails up to two hours away. Means. Additional 1, 2, or 3 days of service change for delivery. “
Cash said the plan was to integrate New York’s Mid-Hudson postal sorting facility in Newburgh with an 90-separated Albany postal sorting facility. So, according to Cash, letters previously processed in Newberg could be on the truck for another 90 minutes to arrive at Albany’s new sorter, which could delay delivery.
According to critics, the integration of the two Wisconsin plants could result in similar delays. According to APWU, Wausau’s postal processing plant will be integrated with a facility in Green Bay, about 100 miles away. It’s a two hour drive by truck.
APWU president Mark Dimondstein said he was worried that the integration plan would put additional strain on mail delivery systems in multiple regions.
“The previous factory closure and consolidation was a complete failure, only shutting down services, slowing mail and disrupting workers’ lives,” Dimondstein said in a statement. “Last year, the public relied on postal workers and was shown to deserve the prompt, reliable and efficient service promised under the law. Additional factory integrations alike for postal workers and customers. Postal management should instead focus on the restoration of quality services that people deserve. “
Matt Hildreth, Secretary-General of Rural Organizing.org, a local advocacy group based in Columbus, Ohio, said: .. “
Farmers in particular cannot tolerate the significant email delays they experienced in the summer. Postmaster Luis Dejoy implements new policy According to Hildress, the delivery of livestock was delayed. In some cases, delays have killed chicks and other animals shipped by mail. FedEx and UPS do not deliver livestock.
He has an integration Last year’s problem.. “I haven’t read anything [the Postal Service] “At this point, the statement looks good,” Hildress said. “There is a deliberate attempt to break the post office so that private companies can complain about it breaking down.” It seems. “
The post office said in a statement that the integration of postal sorting facilities would not delay express mail or priority mail and would not result in a temporary dismissal. According to a statement, Japan Post plans to “reuse” 18 facilities facing consolidation “for the processing of luggage due to the increased amount of luggage.”
Japan Post also said it is working to increase efficiency by procuring 138 parcel processing and sorting machines and leasing 45 annex facilities near the postal facility.
The three candidates for President Joe Biden’s post office board will move to vote in the Senate this week after being approved by the Senate National Security and Government Affairs Committee. Candidates Anton Hajar, Amber McReynolds and Ronald Straumann were approved with an 8-4 vote.
If they are identified, they are on a board that will help determine DeJoy’s fate. Candidates did not indicate at a confirmation hearing whether they would support DeJoy’s dismissal. Since taking office as Postmaster General last summer, Dejoy has been accused of his role in slowing mail delivery, and several prominent members of the House of Representatives, including Senator Tammy Duckworth, have called for him. Removal.
Long-time postal workers like cash want the post office to be able to return to the business of delivering mail on time.
“Our focus has always been to reach our customers and connect people with our products, services and communications,” Cash said. “Now everything is about revenue, everything is about money, and the part of service is lost. You’re driving away customers and they can’t deliver email.”