USPS Charleston Processing and Distribution Center Story Archives - Page 3 of 3

USPS Delays Public Meeting Over South Charleston Mail Center

A public meeting to discuss the fate of the Mail Processing and Distribution Center in South Charleston and its 800 jobs has been delayed by the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s ten-year “Delivering for America” plan includes overhauling regional mail processing and distribution centers. Many believe that will either close or significantly reduce the facility in Charleston, moving the processing of most West Virginia mail to a facility in the Pittsburgh area.

On Jan. 12, 2024, the USPS announced a public meeting for Jan. 30, 2024, to allow members of the public to discuss the review. In a press release the USPS announced the delay, saying they needed more time to finalize their recommendations.

A date for the rescheduled meeting has not been released, but the organization said it would be in the next several weeks.

The Charleston Postal Workers Union Local 133 released a separate statement that read in part.

“Local union officials have persistently reached out to the postal service in efforts to obtain information they were to release on Jan. 23, 2024, to no avail. Numerous grievances have been filed throughout this MPFR process due to the postal service’s inability to abide by their handbooks and manuals that govern such movement. We will continue to work with our elected officials, the AFL-CIO and affiliate unions in the state to fight the Postal Service plans on moving your mail to Pittsburgh to be processed. The public survey is still available to take, and we encourage everyone to do so.”

The public may comment on the proposed changes at this link. View previous reporting on this subject here.

Senate Voices Support For South Charleston Mail Center Facing Downsizing

Amid controversy surrounding the potential closure of West Virginia’s only mail processing center in South Charleston, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution expressing their support of the center’s preservation.

A controversial plan to move West Virginia’s only mail processing center to neighboring Pennsylvania brought a storm of backlash for the United States Postal Service (USPS).

The fallout in late 2023 led USPS officials to suggest instead downsizing the South Charleston center, and moving select operations out of state. But lawmakers are critical of the idea because of the economic opportunities the center currently provides.

On Friday, the West Virginia Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 16, which expressed support for the center’s preservation in Kanawha County.

Sen. Eric Nelson Jr., R-Kanawha, said that the center’s location in West Virginia reduces shipping times for West Virginia, and provides important employment opportunities for West Virginia families.

“We’ve talked about so many economic benefits of new jobs here in the last three or four years,” Nelson said during the Senate’s legislative session on Friday. “Well let’s talk about job retention: 800 jobs and their families and those that they touch.”

The USPS will host a meeting at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center on Jan. 30, where it will accept public comments on current plans.

Nelson encouraged fellow lawmakers to attend the meeting and show their support for local postal workers.

W.Va. Postal Workers Union Waiting For USPS Mail Processing Center Sustainability Review

Despite positive political rhetoric, West Virginia postal workers continue to fight for the state’s mail processing facility’s future.

Despite positive rhetoric, West Virginia postal workers continue to fight for the state’s mail processing facility’s future.

A cloud of uncertainty continues to hang over Charleston Postal Workers Union Local 133 members. Union Vice President Tim Holstein said national union prompts and an examination of changes at similar facilities now hint that the probable United States Postal Service (USPS) plan is not to close, but to downsize the Charleston Mail Processing and Distribution facility and process West Virginia mail out of neighboring Pennsylvania.

“It’s just going to be changed,” Holstein said. “I use that word from its current operational state. That’s their word, that’s the Postal Service’s word that they’ve said.”

The South Charleston center employs about 800 workers, and about 500 are union members.

Holstein said even though U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., have been told by the USPS there will be no layoffs, the union has received no such notification.

“I think you’d leave that language open ended,” Holstein said. “So that, if you’re the postmaster, it comes back that you didn’t necessarily lie, you left the option open. And I think that’s what’s happening now.”

Holstein says the union’s big concern now is possible out-of-state job relocation.

“Pittsburgh and Pennwood are a good distance away,’ Holstein said. “You’re talking about individuals, families being uprooted, having to sell their homes during this economy. That’s going to put a lot of people in financial bind and hardships if that happens.”

Holstein said the union is also fighting to protect what he calls “the sanctity of the mail,” when it comes to public delivery times if distribution is moved out-of-state. He gave an example of a letter mailed from Elkview, West Virginia to nearby South Charleston.

“You’re moving a letter from Elkview to South Charleston, which normally would take one day, two days tops,” Holstein said. “Now, that potentially could take four days or more. It just doesn’t make sense to the union, and it doesn’t make sense to the general public.”

Holstein also has concerns for job security of the non-career postal employees at the facility.

“They get 40 hours per week or more,” Holstein said. “Basically, they have no set schedules and no days off. They’re limited with health insurance, retirements and things like that. They’re basically a supplemental workforce, but the postal service draws their career employees from non-career roles.”

Holstein said right now, there are still more questions than answers.

“It’s not positive that things are going to change,” he said. “Or it’s not positive that things are changing.”

Holstein said the union expects to have answers when they see the USPS facility review results next week, right before Christmas.

In asking the USPS for comment, WVPB received an emailed statement on the issue that reads:

“The facility review will not result in the closure of the facility or career employee layoffs. The goal of this review is to improve customer service and to achieve significant cost savings through operational precision and efficiency. Business mail entry, Post Office, station and branch retail services are not expected to change, and delivery services will not slow down as a result of this review. The Postal Service will work closely with its unions and management associations throughout the facility review and will continually monitor the impact of any changes that are implemented and will adjust plans as necessary and appropriate.”

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito Presses USPS Chief On Future Of Charleston Facility

Capito had some pointed questions composed in a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about West Virginia’s mail processing center.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito had some pointed questions composed in a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about West Virginia’s mail processing center.

Faced with downsizing nationwide, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is conducting a review of the Mail Processing and Distribution Center in South Charleson and its 800 jobs. DeJoy’s ten-year “Delivering for America” postal transformation plan includes overhauling regional mail processing and distribution centers and “leveraging” existing sites in the process.

DeJoy has said there will not be layoffs at the facility. Capito said people can “read between the lines on what that really might mean.”

“Are you going to be transferring jobs and you’re not going to get laid off, but you have to move?’ Capito said. “Are you going to bring other jobs that are low paying jobs that you can take, and therefore nobody would get laid off? You can see there’s a lot of gray area there.”

In the letter, Capito said she understands the need for the USPS to review its operations and to improve upon them. She asked that USPS conduct the review “without any preconceived notions as to specific outcomes such as those noted in an initial announcement.”

Capito submitted written questions to Dejoy, asking for responses by December 14. Among the questions raised:

1. While you stated that there will not be any layoffs, there could be transfers to other centers. Could these potential transfers be out of state?

2. If some functions are removed from the center, could those employees’ roles be downgraded, could they have lateral position options, or could they have other options aside from transferring if their function is moved from the center?

3. How is operational efficiency defined? Is it purely as a means to save on costs without significant service changes? If so, how are significant service changes defined?

Leaders with the American Postal Workers Union Local 133 continue to believe the probable plan of the USPS is to close or downsize the facility and process and distribute West Virginia mail out of Pennsylvania, highlighting Pittsburgh. About 500 positions at the center are union jobs.

The union is staging informational pickets on Thursday and Saturday. There is an upcoming public meeting scheduled on the facility review.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting reached out to USPS for comment but as of publication of this story had received no response.

Manchin Speaks With Postal Chief On Processing Center; Union Sets Pickets

Union leaders say while federal employees cannot strike, they can set up informational pickets, and two are scheduled.

Leaders with the American Postal Workers Union Local 133 continue to believe the probable plan of the United States Postal Service (USPS) is to close or downsize South Charleston’s statewide Mail Processing and Distribution Facility and process and distribute West Virginia mail out of Pittsburgh.

Over the weekend, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., released a statement regarding a conversation he had with U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on the center’s future.

“I just had a productive call with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about the Mail Processing Facility Review of its Charleston Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) facility,” Manchin said in the statement. “The South Charleston facility will not have one single employee laid off, and instead deliver major investments to the facility to better meet the demands of the public and the market.”

Manchin’s statement did say there are “continued efforts to keep West Virginia’s postal facility in the state.” It also continued to “encourage every West Virginian to submit comments to the USPS (public survey) at the link here opposing changes to the West Virginia mail processing facility.”

Postal Workers Union 133 Vice president Tim Holstein said experience tells him to be wary.

“We’ve got this message before,” Holstein said. “It’s kind of like, look at what this hand is doing, not what this hand’s doing. So we’re still concerned, we’re still in a fight.”

Holstein said while federal employees cannot strike, they can set up informational pickets, and two are scheduled. The first is Thursday Dec 7 from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Charleston main post office on Lee Street. The second is this Saturday, Dec 9, from 10 a.m. until noon on Jefferson road in South Charleston, near the South Charleston Recreation Center.

Holstein says until he sees verification of DeJoy’s statement to Manchin, he won’t believe it.

“Until I see this major infrastructure that’s going to come to the facility,” Holstein said. “My local is supposed to be notified of any work that takes place on any building or any potential work that’s supposed to take place on any building. And we have not seen anything. “

DeJoy’s ten year “Delivering for America” postal transformation plan includes overhauling regional mail processing and distribution centers and “leveraging” existing sites in the process.

The facility employs 800 people. About 500 are union workers.

Holstein said while federal employees can not strike, they can set up informational pickets, and two are scheduled. The first is Thursday December 7 from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Charleston main post office on Lee Street. The second is this Saturday, December 9 from 10 a.m. until noon on Jefferson road in South Charleston, near the South Charleston Recreation Center.

“That’s something that we’re going to be looking at,” Holstein said. “Possibly toward the end of this week. we need to make sure that our timeline fits with the (USPS public) survey.”

WVPB has attempted to contact USPS for comment. We had received no response at the time of publication.

Fight Intensifies Over Fate Of Charleston Mail Processing Center

Postal Workers Union Local 133 information strongly hints that the probable plan is to close or downsize the Charleston facility and process and distribute West Virginia mail out of Pittsburgh.

If the current Postmaster General has his way, West Virginia may lose its only mail processing center. U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was appointed to the post in 2020 by former President Donald Trump.

DeJoy’s ten year “Delivering for America” postal transformation plan includes overhauling regional mail processing and distribution centers and “leveraging” existing sites in the process.

Tim Holstein is vice president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 133 in Charleston. Holstein said union information from the national level coupled with gauging similar situations elsewhere strongly hints that the probable plan is to close or downsize the Charleston facility and process and distribute West Virginia mail out of Pittsburgh.

“What we believe will happen is we shall receive notification of something right around December 24, or 22nd, somewhere the week right before Christmas,” Holstein said.

Holstein said when it comes to physical downsizing, many of Charleston’s mail sorting machines have already been removed over the past year.

“What we’re being told is that those machines are being moved to mega facilities on loan, that we would receive a machine back in its place,” Holstein said. “Now, personally, I don’t know if that’s going to happen. If they’re already taking machines out of the building, and they’re slated to downsize the amount of mail that we run now, one could only expect and forecast what the future would hold.”

The downtown Charleston facility employs 800 people, about 500 are union workers. Holstein said closure would have a ripple job loss effect.

“There’s also other local postal unions that could be affected as well,” Holstein said. “Including the Mail Handlers Union and the National Association of Letter Carriers. The Postal Service has a lot of employees that start off at part time and temporary work. So, how many part time jobs are going to be lost?”

The state’s congressional delegation and Gov. Jim Justice are all working to keep the center open, to save jobs and keep mail service on time.

In his Wednesday media briefing, Justice blamed some of the postal facilities challenges on the current Biden Administration, although the 10-year transformation plan comes from a Trump appointee. Justice hinted at a possible resolution.

“It’s going to cause disruptions. It’s going to cause lateness,” Justice said. “However, I think there’s a potential relocation evaluation going on.”

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, said in a press release that there is no reason to move West Virginia’s mail processing facility to another state.

”I will do everything within my power to prevent the loss of this facility,” Manchin said in the release. “The U.S. Postal Service should reverse its deeply flawed and misguided plan to conduct a Mail Processing Facility Review of its Charleston Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) facility, which would disproportionately harm a vital lifeline for the people of West Virginia.”

Holstein said if the closure happens, West Virginia would be one of only four states in the nation without a regional processing and distribution facility. He said the union’s plan going forward is to intensify public awareness, and perhaps more.

“As federal workers, we’re not allowed to strike,” Holstein said. “But we can do things called informational pickets. When we do decide to do that, I want as much media here as I can.”

The U.S. Postal Service has struggled with operational costs over budget in the recent past. Holstein thinks this possible fiscal correction will backfire.

“The union believes that this plan was flawed from the beginning,” Holstein said. “In another five, six years, it’s going to be changed back and all this will have been wasted and it has to be reverted.”

Visit the link to the USPS portal for public comment on the possible facilities shake-up.