In response to a letter written by Congresswoman Martha McSally (R-AZ) the Deputy Postmaster General wrote that the USPS's plans for further consolidation remain in a deferred status. Congresswoman McSally's letter was signed by 30 other U.S. House of Representative members seeking an update on consolidation plans.
The DPG said the Postal Service was going to update the "feasibility studies" it conducted on facilities targeted for consolidation before they resumed any more plant closings. Prior to the DPG's letter postal management had insisted they were going to rely on data from studies conducted several years ago, before service standards were changed and mail processing operations reconfigured.
That's right - they were going to use data that has been proved over and over again to be not accurate (or should I say just downright false).
During the consolidation process in Ohio the USPS held community meetings all over the state to show the public how they decided on what plants would be consolidated. Many state and local officers attended those meetings to gain an insight into what information the USPS was using to choose plants for consolidation. I attended a dozen of these meetings and at every single one watched as postal management struggled to explain the facts & figures presented. It has been proven that this "data" was not only incorrect but most likely just plain made up. Management could not answer even the most basic of questions from members of the community, media, and union officials. Yet, they went ahead and consolidated eleven plants in Ohio and mail delivery has never been the same.
Even after management changed the delivery standards the mail cannot be processed and delivered in time to meet the new standards.
The DPG did not state when the update of the "feasibility studies" would occur so the one-year moratorium on more than 70 plant consolidations and closures that was due to expire in April is now in limbo.
I guess that is good news for postal workers and our customers. Service won't get any worse - it just won't get better. Everyone is still waiting for Congress to do something about postal reform. That wait has now lasted more than six years and nothing is expected anytime soon.
Terry Grant, President OPWU AFL-CIO
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