Kelly Arpin held a sign asking management to “Do the Right Thing,” last night at the Holiday Inn in Marlborough.
She wants the U.S. Postal Service not to close the Central Massachusetts Postal Processing and Distribution Center where she works by the end of the year.
“They are cutting in the wrong areas,” said Arpin who is a mail handler at the center in Shrewsbury. “They have cut us two-fold and management hasn’t been cut at all.”
The proposed cuts are part of the U.S. Postal Service’s nation-wide plan to close a network of processing facilities including the one in Shrewsbury near the corner of Main Street and North Quinsigamond Avenue.
In September, the postal service announced their plan to close 250 facilities across the country, reduce mail processing equipment by as much as 50 percent, which would dramatically decrease the nationwide transportation network, adjusting the workforce size by as many as 35,000 positions, and revising service standards for First-Class Mail, according to the postal service. They also plan to close 3,700 post offices across the country.
The proposed consolidation in Greater Boston District would save the $7.7 million which would result in the loss of 96 jobs across the district which includes areas east of Springfield.
“They have old ideas and they are still using old technology that audits each piece of mail,” Arpin said.
State legislators U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester and Worcester City Councilor Kathleen M. Toomey attended the meeting last night.
“People are saying if the center is making money, why are we closing the one in Shrewsbury,” said Dennis Tarmey communications programs specialist, Greater Boston Postal District. “We are looking at the whole district and trying to make the best decision right now. We wanted to hear feedback from the community and get their ideas and questions, but nothing is going to be done right away.”
Tarmey said there is moratorium legislation on making any decisions until after May 15, 2012.
“That’s why we are having these public meetings to get input, but even we close one post office, it will take a lot of planning and restructuring,” he said. “Nothing will happen overnight.”
The proposed cuts to the Greater Boston District include reducing 96 positions and saving about $7.7 million in employee and management jobs, maintenance and transportation costs, Leary said.
Mail volume has declined by more than 43 billion pieces in the past 5 years and is continuing to decline. First-Class Mail has dropped 25 percent and single piece First-Class Mail—letters bearing postage stamps—has declined 36 percent in the same time frame, and nearly 50 percent in the past 10 years. The decline has created substantial excess capacity within the postal processing network.