USPS Moving Forward on Plant Consolidations–Announcement Coming May 17th

Wait until next Thursday for word on that, Postmaster General Pat Donahoe said at a news conference this morning. That’s two days after the Postal Service’s voluntary freeze on any plant closings expires. Although many lawmakers want that moratorium to be extended, the Postal Service will go forward, Donahoe said in a brief interview after the conference. Although no wholesale closures are immediately in the works, “we’ll have some consolidations in the summer, the majority after the first of the year.” Donahoe said. “From a fiscally responsible standpoint, we have to move ahead on this. We’ve lost too much [mail] volume and we have to address the infrastructure.” The final plans, though, are still being hammered out, said Donahoe, who declined to say whether the Postal Service will offer buyouts or early retirement incentives to processing plant workers. The agency has scheduled an announcement for next Thursday, May 17.

Federal Times – Mail processing plant cuts to proceed this summer, Postmaster General says.

27 thoughts on “USPS Moving Forward on Plant Consolidations–Announcement Coming May 17th

  1. I want to retire, Although I only have five years service, it’s something. I haven’t had a vacation for two years and my knees are killing me. I have FMLA. I have over 400 hours in vacation leave and 200 in sick leave. What am I hanging around for? There is no peace, I am on a shift I hate and working with slave drivers as a mailhandler on in-bound. I asked for the week of Memorial Day off and was denied. I don’t think I will wait around for any incentive, FOR WHAT!! I have incentive to just kiss this place goodbye.

  2. HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa…Ha! IPDC, r you ready?? What? Terry couldn’t save your butts? What? Junior non vet stewards will bump senior military vets in the move? I don’t believe that!

  3. I have worked Govt. contracts most of my life, and been laid off many times. USPS is broke people! Get over it!
    What has to be done, has to be done!
    Its time to stop thinking of only yourself. Look at the big picture. If your loosing billions every year, something has to be done. USPS did not create email or online bill paying, so they have to adjust. PERIOD!!!

  4. @Bob28+, there are plenty of postal employees who avoid working at work. You’re obviously not paying attention to your surroundings.

    @Sue, you nailed it. The Postal NoService upper management at HQ, Area and District levels are making all of the postal workers who do their jobs look bad in the public eye.

  5. VERA will be for clerks soon, he wants us to go, saves billions, I go when I have screwed the USPS back for all the crap they dish out, windows?, eat the worst crap, and gas them out, Customer Service, screw them too!, make faces, drool, spit out that tobacco juice and let it stink !
    Miss all the scans you can!

  6. The Democrats had TWO years with a majority in Congress and the Presidency and they did absolutely nothing to help the USPS like throwing out the prefunding requirement

    Obama Care is what they gave us.

    Don’t pin this on the Republicans.

    Donahoe gave them an extension on the closings….Congress did nothing except want another extension.

    Full speed ahead Donahoe

  7. Are all of you postal employees? Or are some of you just idiots who have opinions ABOUT postal workers? Because, every postal worker I know that reports to work is a hard working postal employee and is under/not at all appreciated by management. Anybody that shows up to a job where they are treated in the manner that WE are treated not only deserves and earns every single penny they make, but should get the appreciation of the American public, and working people everywhere. The other thing I want to say, is that in these times, what we make is NOT a lot of money, and the falsehood about what great benefits we have is a myth that is continued by the far right, and people who have NO benefits in their job, and are jealous of anybody with ANY working persons benefits. I say if you have a problem with me getting a paid vacation, or retirement benefits (that are not as good as YOU believe they are) find a job with similar benefits, or form a Union, and Collectively bargain with management, thanks to President Obama, you DO have that right. My point is instead of trying to bring us down, raise yourself up, then maybe you can stop ragging on everyone who you think is doing better than you. One more thing, Postal employees, firemen, cops, teachers. nurses…all of these people are heros…the CEOs are NOT! Anyone who goes to work and provides a service to better the way of life for the american public is a hero not someone who slashes American jobs and sends them overseas, and makes 500 times the salary of the workers in his company.

  8. I agree with the last guy. If you can accept an early out with 20,000 and are able to go, then go. I would rather get a part time job doing something I actually enjoy doing instead of going into the “hell hole” everyday and watch the “magic of the post office”. Working in the window used to be fun, not any more. People are complaining everyday about the lousy service they get. We try every day to do the best we can to help these people, but the same problems happen day after day. There is no real customer service anymore. Window Clerks are yelled at everyday by unhappy customers for having to stand in line for 20 minutes at a time because there is only one clerk in the window while one is in the passport office doing passports. Where I am we are stretched to the limit all day and upper management refuses to listen or even try to help. I am looking forward to retirement. I have never worked at a place where it is so unorganized and run by people who have no clue what to do. So if you can go, get the hell to the exit and RUN!

  9. Clerks aren’t the problem, it’s the Mdo’s and Sdo’s and Ties. Too many indian chiefs at a higher pay scale. They don’t get the mail out, clerks/carriers/mail handlers do. Fmla isn’t the problem. Some folks have real issues, and are in need of intermittent leave. It’s the cleks who don’t work when they’re actually at work, the sdo’s who don’t take corrective action that are the problem. And the union (whose fees keep hiking up) protects those lazy people. It’s folks in the tower thinking stupid stuff up just to justify their positions that are the problem, who are totally clueless about mail processing. It’s eliminating day shift and paying too many people night time differential that’s the problem. It’s posting too many weekdays off bids, having to pay folks Sunday premium. All of this b.s. along with declining mail volume and high gas prices/cost of living is killing the p.o….And while I understand that it is ones prerogative to work as long as he wants, if you’re financially able to retire, why don’t you?! Do you love it there that much?! If by retiring I could prevent some younger clerks from being laid off, those who are just starting their lives…..I totally would!

  10. If the mail volume is “so low” i would like to know why in the plant i work westchester area are hiring PSE’s left and right? And Donohue never mentions anything about all the hiring they are doing.

  11. Consolidate processing plants and decrease your payroll by offering an incentive to leave. With a smaller work force the same amount of mail will still be processed. In about 5 months the PO has made back it’s incentive money back and have a much reduced payroll to pay. I wish I could make an investment where in 5 months I,m making 15% on my money guaranteed.

  12. IF THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE, THEY HAVE TO ACT FAST, PUTTING ASIDE ALL PRESSURE AND POLITICS, OTHERWISE EVERYTHING WILL BURN OUT. SHAME ON ,SHAME SHAME

  13. Sam,there are 4 in my office who are all on FMLA and they pick and choose when they want to come to work. and when they come to work, they pick and choose what they want to do. how can you get rid of them?

  14. start today closing of saturday delivery,close unnecessary plants ,give buyouts as soon as possible and get rid of those who donot want to work

  15. Here’s the game plan: Keep excessing until you quit, or go bankrupt! They will not buy your home, like they do for Management. In this economy, how many times can you afford to buy and sell your home?

  16. The PM’s will go, that 20k is a Wad?, about 5,000 or so may take it, too baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!

  17. Inspector19, you are right, the PMG is trying to scare clerks and mailhandlers into going with squat, after these VERA / early outs, the next ones will be offered more, a lot more, will not leave, unless it is an offer I cannot refuse!

  18. PMG Donahoe has no credibility. I dont think this guy can even go through a McDonalds drive thru without changing his mid before he picks up his food.
    My only question is will the FBI be downsized next???

  19. Donahoe goes from one extreme lie to another! Just last week, he made a statement, he had said nothing about closure, now he’s stating by the summer he will start consolidations of postal facilities! Pleease President Obama, if you care amything about thousands of americans keeping their jobs and mail to continue being delivered to every househld, please step up to the plate and do somethng positive! First start by replacing Donahoe!

  20. the congress is going to raise CSRS,FERS, and FEHB costs after election,federal workers will get at least 5% paycut when increases are fugured in. Issa wants to get rid of supplemental retirement payment too. If facist republicans win in november, good luck to any decent union workers, one percent continue to take over the global monetary system,and the world.

  21. The incentives will arrive soon, but think long and hard, it’s not worth it to the recipient. All you have to do is work 2.5 more years or perhaps finish up the new contract and that indeed is a much better deal in the long run. And it’s for life!

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