Georgia Congressman Says Moving Columbus To Macon Will Cause Mail Delivery Delays
Filed under: consolidations, delivery, postal, press releases, usps
Rep. Sandford D. Bishop Jr., D-Ga. , issued the following press release:
July 29 2010
Washington, DC – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-2) today sent a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Representative Edolphus “Ed” Towns (NY-10), regarding the U.S. Postal Service operations transfer from the Columbus Customer Service Mail Processing Center to the Macon Processing and Distribution Center. In the letter, dated July 28, 2010, Congressman Bishop stated a series of concerns about the transfer and its negative effects on the Columbus area.
“Attempts by the Postal Service to improve productivity and increase efficiency have resulted in new procedures which have severely impacted postal service in the Columbus area,” wrote Congressman Bishop. “Especially impacted is mail originating from Columbus, Georgia and destined for Columbus, Georgia.”
Congressman Bishop expressed his concern that the new system will force mail to be postmarked in Macon, 96 miles away, before it can be sent back to Columbus to be delivered, adding up to three days to delivery schedules. In addition, the transfer was approved May 26, 2010 and the process was to be completed by the first of this month.
“According to conversations with mail employees at the Columbus mail facility, there have been significantly more delays with mail, even though the Postal Service study suggested there would be an improvement in service,” wrote Congressman Bishop.
While a study of mail delivery systems in the Columbus area was conducted, it did not include Fort Benning, which is scheduled, under the BRAC process, to greatly increase in size. This increase in population, combined with the 96+ miles of mail travel distance will only further mail delivery delays.
“It appears that the Macon facility, which now has idle equipment, cannot deliver mail to Columbus in a timely fashion,” added Congressman Bishop
GAO: Mail Processing Network Initiatives Progressing, and Guidance for Consolidating Area Mail Processing Operations Being Followed
Deteriorating financial conditions and declining mail volume have reinforced the need for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to increase operational efficiency and reduce expenses in its mail processing network. This network consists of interdependent functions in nearly 600 facilities. USPS developed several initiatives to reduce costs and increase efficiency; however, moving forward on some initiatives has been challenging because of the complexities involved in consolidating operations. In response to a conference report directive, GAO assessed (1) the overall status and results of USPS’s efforts to realign its mail processing network and (2) the extent to which USPS has consistently followed its guidance and applied these criteria in reviewing Area Mail Processing (AMP) proposals for consolidation since the beginning of fiscal year 2009. To conduct this assessment, GAO reviewed USPS’s Network Plan, area mail processing consolidation guidance and proposals as well as other documents; compared USPS’s actions related to consolidation of area mail processing facilities with its guidance, and interviewed officials from USPS, the USPS Office of Inspector General, and employee organizations. GAO provided USPS with a draft of this report for comment. In response, USPS provided technical comments that were incorporated where appropriate.
USPS has realigned parts of its mail processing network since the beginning of fiscal year 2009 and continues to seek additional opportunities to achieve its goal of creating an efficient and flexible network and realize cost savings. Specifically, USPS:
(1) eliminated all functions of the Airport Mail Centers, closed 9 of these facilities, and now uses the remaining 12 for other purposes, resulting in a realized cost savings of about $12.2 million in fiscal year 2009;
(2) reorganized the functions of the 21 Bulk Mail Centers into newly developed Network Distribution Centers, resulting in a realized cost savings of about $17.7 million in fiscal year 2009; and
(3) implemented 23 proposals to consolidate AMP operations and facilities and approved another 6 AMP consolidation proposals. USPS estimated an annual cost savings of about $98.5 million for the 29 approved and implemented AMP proposals.
Additionally, USPS officials stated that they plan to integrate the Surface Transfer Center functions into the Network Distribution Center network to further eliminate redundancy in transporting mail. USPS has developed specific program targets for the ongoing reorganization efforts of the Network Distribution Centers and estimated a cost savings of about $233.8 million for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 from reduction in work hours and transportation costs.
On the basis of GAO’s analysis of 32 AMP proposals that were implemented, approved, or not approved since the beginning of fiscal year 2009, USPS has followed its realignment guidance by completing each step of the process and consistently applying its criteria in its reviews. GAO’s analysis found that it took about 6 months on average–a month more than USPS’s target of 5 months–to complete the review process from initiating an AMP proposal to making a decision. USPS officials noted the importance of the AMP decisions and the need to sometimes take longer than what the guidance suggests to ensure the correct decision. GAO also found that USPS consistently notified stakeholders when key steps of the AMP process were completed, such as when an AMP proposal was initiated, or public meetings were held. For each of the AMP proposals that GAO reviewed, USPS also consistently evaluated its four criteria related to AMP consolidations: (1) impacts on the service standards for all classes of mail, (2) issues important to local customers, (3) impacts to USPS staffing, and (4) savings and costs associated with moving mail processing operations.
USPS To Hold Public Meeting On Consolidating Easton, MD Mail Operations
EASTON, MD – The U.S. Postal Service will hold a public meeting to discuss its proposal to move some mail processing operations from the Easton Processing and Distribution Facility into the Baltimore Processing and Distribution Center.
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 15 at 6:00 p.m. at Easton High School in the Auditorium, 723 Mecklenburg Avenue, Easton, MD 21601. A summary of the proposal, the meeting agenda and presentation materials will be made available to the public on usps.com prior to the meeting.
With the deep decline in mail volume due to current economic conditions, the Postal Service has an excess of employees and equipment in some mail processing operations. A study was begun on March 16 at the Easton Processing and Distribution Facility to determine the feasibility of consolidating redundant operations to see if any efficiencies and cost savings would be achieved.
The study results support consolidating some mail processing operations that are currently being performed at the Easton Processing and Distribution Facility by taking advantage of available processing capacity at the Baltimore Processing and Distribution Center in order to increase efficiency and improve productivity.
While no final decision has been reached, Postal Service managers will give an overview of the reasons for the proposal and its possible outcomes, and will listen to community input and concerns. A summary of the proposal, a meeting agenda and presentation materials will be made available on usps.com.
Anyone who wishes to submit comments in writing can send them to:
CONSUMER AFFAIRS MANAGER
Baltimore District
900 E Fayette Street
Baltimore, MD 21233-9998
Public comments will be accepted through June 30, 2010.
Maryland Senators, Congressman Call Report On Closure of Easton Mail Facility “Unacceptable”
Filed under: Congress, consolidations, postal, press releases, usps
Senators, Congressman target failure of report to include impact on mail delivery service or to consult Eastern Shore residents, workers
U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin and Congressman Frank M. Kratovil (all D-Md.) today again expressed their concerns about the potential closure of the Easton Mail Processing and Distribution Facility in a letter to Postmaster General John E. Potter. They once again demanded additional opportunities for public comment on the closure and an explanation of how service to Eastern Shore residents will be affected.
In a letter to the Postmaster General dated May 19, Senators Mikulski and Cardin and Congressman Kratovil requested additional public information sessions be scheduled in Ocean City, Salisbury and Chestertown. In its May 28 response, the Post Office refused to grant the delegation’s request and failed to address residents’ concerns about how the facility closure will affect mail delivery.
“Our requests…are simple: first, schedule three additional public meetings, one each in Ocean City, Salisbury and Chestertown, in addition to the public meeting scheduled in Easton. Second, provide residents and business owners with detailed information about how the potential closure will affect their mail service. Finally, listen to the residents of the Eastern Shore, giving serious consideration to their needs. Then, and only then, should a decision be made about the fate of the Easton Mail Processing Facility.”
View the Maryland Delegation’s May 19 letter here:
http://mikulski.senate.gov/_pdfs/Press/May19EastonProcessingandDistributionFacilityLetter.pdf
View the Postmaster General’s May 28 response here:
http://mikulski.senate.gov/_pdfs/Press/May28EastonPostalFacility.pdf
The text of the today’s letter follows:
June 2, 2010
Mr. John E. Potter
Postmaster General
United States Postal Service
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, D.C. 20260Dear Postmaster Potter:
On May 19, we wrote directly to you requesting that the U.S. Postal Service schedule additional public information meetings at different locations on the Eastern Shore so that residents throughout the Shore would have an opportunity to express their concerns regarding the proposed closure of the Easton Area Mail Processing Facility.
On May 28, we received a response from your staff member, Marie Theresa Dominquez, VP of Government Relations and Public Policy, and the message was clear: the Postal Service is taking a one-size-fits-all approach to the mail service needs of Maryland’s unique Eastern Shore and hiding behind “process.” No additional public meetings will be held prior to completing the Area Mail Processing Study that could lead to the facility’s closure. Ms. Dominguez maintains that only one meeting is warranted, despite the Eastern Shore’s unique geography, its citizen’s dependence on mail service, and the outcry of local residents and their elected representatives. We are deeply disappointed by this response.
The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a region where people still rely heavily on the mail service. If the Easton facility closes, a letter mailed from Ocean City to Chestertown would have to be routed through Baltimore, which would add to the letter’s travel time. Coupled with the summer traffic and wind restrictions along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, mail service would be delayed even further. The Area Mail Processing Study makes no mention of these considerations. It fails to address how the Easton facility’s closure will affect the delivery of mail on the Eastern Shore. It refers only to how much money it will save. For these reasons, we consider the preliminary study unacceptable.
We also find it unacceptable that, despite assurances that a final decision had not been made and that public input is desired through June 30, the U.S. Postal Service has informed the workers at the Easton facility of its closure. This is a violation of the public trust.
Our requests, as we wrote to you on May 19, are simple: first, schedule three additional public meetings, one each in Ocean City, Salisbury and Chestertown, in addition to the public meeting scheduled in Easton. Second, provide residents and business owners with detailed information about how the potential closure will affect their mail service. Finally, listen to the residents of the Eastern Shore, giving serious consideration to their needs. Then, and only then, should a decision be made about the fate of the Easton Mail Processing Facility.
We strongly urge you to reconsider your response to our request and right the wrongs we’ve outlined here. We look forward to hearing back from you within the week.
Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator
Benjamin L. Cardin
United States SenatorFrank M. Kratovil, Jr.
Member of Congress
USPS Puts AMP Study For Two Facilities On Hold
Area Mail Processing study for the following facilities are currently on hold:
Daytona Beach, FL P&DF to Mid-Florida, FL P&DC
Atlanta, GA P&DC to North Metro, GA P&DC
The Postal Service began an Area Mail Processing (AMP) study to determine if efficiencies could be increased by consolidating mail processing operations performed at the Daytona Beach, FL Processing and Distribution Facility with those performed at the Mid-Florida, FL Processing and Distribution Center and the Atlanta, GA Processing and Distribution Center with those performed at the North Metro, GA Processing and Distribution Center.
While conducting the study, the Postal Service determined that there are other factors that need to be addressed before proceeding with the study.
When the Postal Service decides to resume this study, all stakeholders will be notified.
Mojave Post Office Mail Processing Operations Moving To Bakersfield
MOJAVE, CA — As a result of a study begun in Sept., 2009, the Postal Service has made the decision to move mail processing operations from the Mojave Post Office to the Bakersfield Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC). Local mail service will not be affected by the move.
Sierra Coastal District Manager Kerry Wolny said, “Given the drastic decline in mail volume the Postal Service has experienced, we must take action to reduce the size of our mail processing network. Consolidating operations and placing our people where we need them is necessary if the Postal Service is to remain viable to provide mail service to the nation.
“The consolidation makes sense given the fiscal realities,” added Wolny. “The Bakersfield P&DC has the capacity to handle the additional workload and we can realize significant savings by shifting operations there.”
The transition is expected to be completed in June, 2010. Some employees may be reassigned to the Bakersfield P&DC or to other vacant positions as a result of the move.
“I am confident the transition will be smooth and transparent to our customers and they will continue to receive the same excellent service they always have,” said Wolny.
Full retail services will still be available at the Mojave Post Office and the Mojave Business Mail Entry Unit will remain open for large volume business mailers.
Ohio Senator Calls For Investigation Of Proposed Consolidation Of Postal Facilities in Lima
The office of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio issued the following press release:
February 18, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown called for an investigation on the effects of a proposed consolidation of U.S. Postal Service facilities in Lima. In a letter sent this week to David C. Williams, the Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Brown requested more information on the Area Mail Processing (AMP) Study that is being conducted in the Lima area.
“I remain concerned that USPS simply cannot maintain an adequate level of service if the consolidations occur, which would only serve to reduce the use of USPS in Ohio,” Brown wrote in a letter to Williams. “In addition to a degraded level of service, this consolidation could displace many workers and their families. Not only could many Postal Workers be forced to move great distances to preserve their jobs, but they would leave a social and economic void in the communities from which they have been uprooted.”
AMP studies investigate the potential to streamline USPS services by consolidating service locations. Brown previously requested data on the effect of an AMP decision. He wrote to the Inspector General to formally request that data, and express concern over the effect of an AMP decision on Lima families.
Full text of the letter appears below:
February 16, 2010
Inspector General David C. Williams
United States Postal Service
1735 N. Lynn St.
Arlington, VA 22209-2020
Dear Inspector General Williams:
I am writing in regard to the ongoing Area Mail Processing (AMP) Study in Lima, Ohio.
Over the past four months, I have raised a number of issues with the United States Postal Service (USPS) in Ohio about the proposed consolidation of USPS facilities in Lima. I remain concerned that USPS simply cannot maintain an adequate level of service if the consolidations occur, which would only serve to reduce the use of USPS in Ohio. In addition to a degraded level of service, this consolidation could displace many workers and their families. Not only could many Postal Workers be forced to move great distances to preserve their jobs, but they would leave a social and economic void in the communities from which they have been uprooted.
I have asked the Ohio USPS for data and analysis that would shed light on the impact of the consolidations, and have received neither. I am therefore formally requesting the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General conduct an audit of the AMP study in Lima, Ohio.
Please review this request and provide me with your comments. If you wish to discuss this request, please contact me or Patrick Jackson from my staff at (202) 224-2315.
Thank you for your attention to this request.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
United States Senator
Postal Service Updates Consolidation Initiative – 162 Post Offices Remain On List
No final decisions have been made
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today filed an update with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) indicating that 162 offices remain under review for possible consolidation under the station and branch consolidation initiative. That is six fewer from the last update in December. No final decisions have been made regarding specific office consolidations.
Today’s filing with the PRC updates a review process begun last summer that initially examined about 3,300 stations and branches in urban and suburban areas, focusing on facilities in relatively close proximity to one another where consolidations might be feasible without compromising customer access.
“Consumer behavior is changing. It is important for the Postal Service to adjust to the shift,” says Dean Granholm, vice president of Delivery and Post Office Operations. “We will continue to provide easy access, but changes to our retail network are essential to our ability to continue to provide the safe secure and fairly priced postal services that Americans have counted on for 234 years.”
With more than 36,000 Post Offices, stations, branches, contract and community post offices, the Postal Service has the largest retail network in the United States. Always on the lookout for convenience, though, many Postal Service customers are choosing to access postal services and purchase stamps via alternative access – locations other than a Post Office.
More than 56,000 locations such as supermarkets, drug stores, and other retailers sell postage and selected postal services. Nearly 18,000 ATMs dispense sheets of stamps. It is the online alternative at usps.com, where you can get shipping information, purchase and print postage 24/7, that customers find most convenient. In 2009, nearly 30 percent of postal retail transactions were conducted in locations other than a Post Office.
The Postal Service receives no tax subsidy to operate the nation’s mail service. Revenues from the sale of postage, products and services fund its operations. Last year, the Postal Service reported a loss of $3.8 billion. A number of new initiatives have also been undertaken to build revenue, including Flat Rate Priority Mail pricing and the introduction of greeting cards for sale at about 900 select Post Offices.
As part of the consolidation process, the Postal Service has filed periodic updates with the Postal Regulatory Commission identifying the retail stations and branches that remain under consideration. Today’s filing does not represent a final decision on consolidation. No facility-specific final decisions have been made as a result of this initiative.
Click here for the list http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/stationbranchop.pdf
OIG Audit: USPS Can't Rationalize 'Network Rationalization'
APWU News
Echoing APWU criticisms, a recent audit by the USPS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded that after more than five years of initiatives aimed at streamlining the mail-processing network, the Postal Service has failed to establish criteria for identifying consolidation opportunities. The USPS has made only limited progress in implementing Area Mail Processing consolidations in the Processing & Distribution network, the Jan. 7 report says.
“Stakeholder opposition” and resistance to service downgrades were the primary factors that delayed or resulted in the disapproval of Area Mail Processing (AMP) studies, the report concludes. Although the economic downturn is a problem, additional challenges include “facilities with long-term leases, workforce inflexibilities, facility data consistency and reliability, and lack of a comprehensive network plan,” the audit says.
There is a “lack of specific criteria” the Postal Service can consistently apply nationwide, the report notes. “Additionally, the Postal Service has cancelled some AMPs without providing their rationale.”
The OIG’s Audit Report on the Postal Service’s Network Rationalization Initiatives [PDF] is a study of the “effort to streamline mail processing and transportation infrastructure” between Fiscal Years 2005 and 2009. The OIG says that the USPS has made progress, but acknowledges that stakeholders are likely to question the credibility of the program.
“We have questioned the validity of the so-called ‘right-sizing’ programs from Day One,” said APWU President William Burrus. “The plans have had many different names, from ‘Evolutionary Network Design’ to ‘Network Integration Alignment,’ to ‘optimization’ to ‘realignment.’ Now the OIG has found that the latest version, the ‘Rationalization Initiative,’ can’t be rationalized.”
The audit reports that 13 AMP consolidations have taken place, including two facility closures during the period in question. Sixteen others have been “approved,” while 39 proposed consolidations have been cancelled. Another 30, some of them announced nearly four years ago, are listed as “active,” which means a final decision has not been made.
“Between FY 2005 and 2009, the Postal Service made progress in its efforts to streamline its mail processing and transportation infrastructure; however, management has been unable to adjust resources to fully offset mail volume declines, resulting in a deteriorating financial condition,” the report says.
In response to a decrease of approximately 35 billion pieces during the period, the report says the USPS has:
Reduced approximately 205.2 million work hours — the equivalent of 117,273 employees — with the majority in mail processing and customer service functions.
Reduced 37 million highway contract route (HCR) miles, (but overall transportation expenses increased by $1.5 billion).
Closed 68 Airport Mail Centers and 12 Remote Encoding Centers.
Realigned the Bulk Mail Center (BMC) operations with no BMC closures, and
Consolidated 13 Processing & Distribution Centers, including two plants that have been closed.
Postal management agreed with the OIG findings, the report concludes, and agreed “to re-evaluate and document the criteria used to identify consolidation opportunities annually.”
“USPS consolidation programs have not been designed with service in mind,” said APWU Vice President Cliff Guffey. “The APWU will continue to point out the negative effect closures and consolidations will have on mail service to the public.”
After a lull for most of 2008, postal management began initiating AMP studies in great numbers at the end of the year and through 2009.
WV Senator Jay Rockefeller Urges USPS to Keep All Wheeling Processing and Distribution Center Employees
Washington, D.C. – Senator Jay Rockefeller has sent a follow-up letter to the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Western Pennsylvania District Manager, Charles P. McCreadie, voicing his continued opposition to possible consolidation of operations at the Wheeling, West Virginia Post Office into the Pittsburgh Processing and Distribution Center. As part of the consolidation, the post office plans to eliminate at least 6 positions at the Wheeling facility.
A member of Senator Rockefeller’s staff was present at the Postal Service Public Meeting at Wheeling Park High School to submit Senator Rockefeller’s letter for the record. Last year, Senators Rockefeller and Byrd sent a similar letter to Mr. McCreadie expressing concern over the Area Mail Processing (AMP) study that occurred.
In his letter to the District Manager, Senator Rockefeller said:
“I strongly encourage the Postal Service to reevaluate its decision. Retaining all mail processing functions – including those performed with the machines for processing, cancelling, and sorting mail – is vitally important to the Wheeling community. In addition, I believe that the Postal Service should examine the possibility of expanding operations at the Wheeling facility. Its employees have a proven, efficient track record of productivity that should not only be valued by the Postal Service, but would also support the Postal Service’s goals of reducing costs and restoring financial viability.”
Click here for a copy of the letter
Background:
Last year, the U.S. Postal Service conducted an Area Mail Processing (AMP) study for the consolidation of certain functions of the Wheeling Post Office into the Pittsburgh Processing and Distribution Center. Senators Rockefeller and Byrd both expressed fear that this consolidation would result in job losses and service delays for Northern Panhandle residents.