Forty-seven members of Congress have signed a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe urging him to stand by his commitment to keep more than 70 mail processing facilities open until next spring.
“We believe it would be imprudent of the United States Postal Service (USPS) to close or eliminate processing of mail, at any facility, ahead of schedule,” the May 20 letter [PDF] says.
The letter was written in response to management’s decision to close or consolidate 71 mail processing facilities this year that were scheduled for possible consolidation in 2014.
Maintaining operations at the mail processing centers would allow Congress to take action on postal reform legislation, the letter said. “It is critically important the Postal Service not preempt Congressional action by unilaterally moving forward with elimination of overnight delivery, allowing for major shutdowns across the country of mail processing facilities,” the letter said.
The letter was initiated by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and was signed by numerous legislators who represent districts where facilities are set to close ahead of the timeframe the USPS announced last year. Rep. DeLauro has spearheaded efforts to prevent the closure of the Southern Connecticut Mail Processing Facility, said Bob Johnson, president of the Greater Connecticut Area Local. Her office has worked closely with Northeast Region Coordinator John H. Dirzius and the local on these efforts, he said.
The letter echoes requests by the APWU urging the Postmaster General to honor the commitment made to communities, lawmakers and postal workers, and encouraging legislators to move quickly to prevent the USPS from implementing the consolidations ahead of schedule.
In a May 16 letter to affected local and state presidents, Executive Vice President Greg Bell noted, “The Postal Service continues to use the lack of action by Congress to justify moving forward with its mail processing consolidations plan. By accelerating plans to close mail processing centers, the Postal Service intends to make saving these facilities a moot point.”
President Cliff Guffey praised the letter. “We are pleased that these members of Congress have recognized the urgency of the situation,” he said. “Accelerating the consolidations will unnecessarily disrupt the lives of employees, harm communities, delay service, and drive away customers,” he said.
“If management is preparing to close your plant and your representative has not signed the letter, we encourage you to find out why,” he added.
No one has any real concern for the useless postal service delivering sale ads as treasury checks are now direct deposit and trend of going paperless is being pushed by retail, financial, institutions, as well as government agencies which continues to decrease postal revenue.
Group playing expensive game. WHO PAYS BOTTOMLINE FOR THE MASSIVE DOLLAR LOSS AS SERVICES PROVIDED EXCEED DEMAND FOR A PAST NEED THAT POLITICANS HAVE NO CONCERN FOR NECESSARY COST CONTROLS TO ELIMINATE DOLLAR LOSS.
REALITY IS RESTRUCTING IS MANDANTORY; 6 DAY STREET DELIVERY IS A WASTED WITHOUT RATIONALE REASONING. SMALL ONCE NECESSARY COMMUNITY POST OFFICES ARE A WASTE AS CHANGING DEOMOGRAPHICS HAS CHANGED MANY TO SURBURBAN OFFICES WITHIN A 7-8 MILE RADIUS OF A LARGER HIGH LEVEL OFFICE IN NEARBY TOWN. TIME WILL FURTHER DIMINISH USE OF USPS AS A MEANS OF PERSONAL AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AND DELIVERING BULK BUSINESS JUNK MAIL IS HIGH DISTRIBUTION COST AND LOW REVENUE GENERATOR. NEED TO FOCOUS ON A MARKET IN DEMAND WHICH IS PARCEL DELIVERY.
ONLINE MARKETING WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE RESULTING OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE WITH FED X AND UPS TO CREATE USPS VALUE. POLITICANS NEED TO QUIT PLAYING POLITICS OR LET TAX PAYORS FOOT THE BILL AND CONTINUE TO HAVE A VOICE IN WASTING $$$$.
Recently city carriers in our office were ordered not to deliver parcels to the door in multi unit residences. How is this customer service? Why is management deliberately driving away business?
What we need is a Michael Moore to do a documentary for educating the public and get some steam on the story regarding what is really happening. It seems as though no matter what happens with APWU and NALC and NAPS, NMHU, all the members….NOTHING is big enough to stop the tsunami. This place needs help. The public has grown complacent and taking the USPS for granted, after all, it’s been here all our lives, can’t imagine what we’ll do when its gone. Its nothing we really think about until its over and then say…”WTF?” What burns me is that this place does not belong to corporate America, it belongs to us.
Congress Dems in feeling compelled to stop consolidation of processing plants should write a similar letter to thier colleagues in proceeding seriously in getting postal reform done. The postmaster suggests the postal service will run out of money this Octobetr if nothing is done. That means you don’t get a paycheck! Both sides of the aisle must come together to alleviate the ball and chain holding back the postal service from being self sufficient. It has been a recurring theme with Congress continually procrastinating and sheepishly side stepping this issue as though it’s not at a high enough level on thier agenda. They will wait until this crisis comes to a boiling over level as they do everything else. How crippling would it be with no mail delivery for this country. Are you going to work without getting paid? The fat cats in washington need to get off the pot and earn thier money! “GET ER DONE”!
I quit…
It looks like the following will happen to the services we want, need and rely on.
It will be a slow painful death like cancer or a relationship going down.
Gordon Lightfoot Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Wreck Of The U.S. Postal Service
Our Postal Service was founded in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin being our first Post Master.
The Postal Service is in trouble because of a 2006- law that requires the Postal Service to pre-fund the cost of retiree’s benefits for the next 75 years in 10 years time.
No other company or agency in America is required to do this.
In June 2011 legislation was introduced which will be the Wisconsin of the Postal Service if it becomes law. It will dismantle collective bargaining and forbid payment of severance pay to retirement-eligible employees. And reduce delivery services and close plants and post offices.
Another bill which would prevent the financial collapse of the USPS – without closing thousands of post offices, eliminating hundreds of mail processing facilities, delaying mail delivery, laying off 120,000 workers, cutting postal workers’ pay, or ending collective bargaining rights.
We are in the fight of our lives but people have voted wrong for too long and done nothing to help preserve their jobs over the years. People tell me it doesn’t matter what we do as we are doomed anyway.
Their mind is made up even before the studies are done.
All we can do is say we went down trying to keep our Eagle from drowning to keep service for the American people and jobs and benefits for the workers.
Many people will never give up until all services that help us including the Postal Service are bled and dead. Common sense is not in the makeup to improve the economy, only the rich get richer and the poor poorer.
Private companies will not deliver to the rural areas or inner cities and the elderly will not get their medications.
We will have a museum of our defunct Postal Service.
The Carpenters We’ve Only Just Begun
The Dismantling Has Begun
The Dismantling has begun with service reduction layoffs, closures and legislation.
Minds are made up before studies are even done with legislation ultraviolet as the sun.
Sharin horizons with every one for themselves, as long as it doesn’t affect me.
Talking it over with the few who care to say we went down trying.
And when the election comes we hope the better candidate will be the one so the dismantling will be the slower one.
The Dismantling Has Begun.
It is good to hear that everybody is happy now a days, that said i guess i need to start thinking about retiring from the Post Office.
just keep kicking the can down the road
Anything that congress says now should be ignored. Lipspeak is obvious here as the house of represenatives do not have the post office on their agenda thru the end of july. That leaves august and september to get something done. If it does not happen then it won’t happen until after the elections of 2014. The reality is that nothing is going to happen before the next presidential election as the republicans are going for broke here. They get a republican in the white house and the post office is privatized. If romney would of won it would of already happened. We are one republican away from corporate profit. Issa will never be voted out because he moved to a district that votes republican and that is how it works people. This is the divided states of america now and with that we are screwed. How about the federated states of america as united does not exist. We have lost our borders and terrorism is only beginning in this country. I just hope that someone will get into the white house that actually cares about the middle class.
there are 535 members of congress, 535 – 47= 488 who don’t give a rat’s rear end about you.
We need to get 2 amendments added to the constitution one for term limits for all congressmen and Senators and a second one for line item veto. We got nothing but lifers and royalty who think they own the American people.
These people sit around all day trying to figure out how to panhandle your money and get your vote. I never heard of a supreme court ruling that rejected an amendment to the constitution yet have you?
Get real only 47 members …LOL
over 70% of the American public wants Obama care repealed and that can’t get done
Why even waste time publishing a story like this.
Gota go and get ready….camera’s coming in a bit and must look good
These congressmen are right to be worried. There will be 71 fewer postal facilities for them to rename next year.
Jack Mihoff, The Donahoe and his predecessor have both given huge discounts to large mailers, below the cost that the service is allowed to charge. While there would not be enough to pay for the over funding of the retirement plans. It would be enough to keep the P.O. in business and self supporting.
So why does postal management give such large discounts to large mailer? Are managers being bought off by private industry? These are question congress should be asking.
Congress is responsible for this mess. I dont particularly want to defend the PMG, he’s made a pretty big mess himself, but I sense he has called Congress bluff many times and they are still waiting for the sky to fall. If the USPS is governed and ruled by Congress, they are simply NOT doing their jobs…..news to anyone?
Congress is an F’n joke!!! All they have done the last couple of years is try to prevent the PMG from doing what he has`to do to keep the PO afloat. Meanwhile, they sit on their asses and don’t do a damn thing about reform. WTF is Donahoe supposed to do???
47 out of 435 members.
Looks like it will be awhile before anything gets done.
Donahoe is trying to privatize. His hope is to be on the board after they do away with union carriers and pay everybody $15 per hour with no retirement, healthcare, sick leave etc. just like the CCA’s. McDonald’s carriers delivering mail.
Issa is a crying baby bitch with Arson and GRand Theft Auto as his contribution to the American Congress. A Felon!
Congress talks a good line !!! Words do not mean diddly crap unless they are followed by action ! It’s too damned late for me. I have to relocate but I’ll damn sure be voting to kick all their asses out for the next several elections ! The USPS management as well as the politicians are incompetent buffoons as far as I’m concerned
issa is the dick head
Issa has a plan. Shrink the network, privatize mail processing and leave the carriers remain as the only government run part of the USPS. There is big money in mail processing, but not in delivering to every address. Issa gets his pockets lined by private industry, all costs skyrocket….
AND THE USPS IS STILL LOSING MONEY.
This man is a piller of the US government and the morons around San Diego keep voting him in.
like congress is gonna do anything. what a joke!
I only see democrats.
Sounds like Donut-Hole got pissed off.