The Postal Service is delaying an effort to consolidate some mail processing facilities – putting on hold about 80 consolidations and 7 closures slated for this summer, according to the agency.
The Postal Service has been working since 2011 to reduce mail processing infrastructure costs and consolidate facilities to better match future demand, according to the agency. But the efforts had drawn fire from employee groups and some lawmakers.
"The decision to defer the next phase of the initiative was based upon operational considerations, and was made to ensure that the Postal Service will continue to provide prompt, reliable and predictable service consistent with the published service standards," said Postal Service spokeswoman Sue Brennan.
The delay is only temporary as the Postal Service plans to resume the consolidations in 2016.
"The Postal Service will continue to implement network efficiencies and pursue service performance improvements as it has always done," Brennan said.
The Postal Service announced on Jan. 5 that it planned to consolidate 82 processing facilities throughout the country, saving $750 million and affecting 15,000 employees. The Postal Service has already closed more than 140 facilities, eliminated 3,800 delivery routes, and reduced the operating hours at more than 9,700 post offices across the country.
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said in a statement she and a bipartisan group of senators have pressed Postmaster General Megan Brennan about the harmful effects of the mail processing center closures.
She said she also helped to host a recent round-table discussion on protecting rural mail delivery and Postal Service quality with other senators to highlight their concerns.
"Hopefully the Postal Service is now using this time to fully assess those impacts, and I'll keep pressing it to seek solutions that don't reduce mail service or hurt rural businesses and individuals," Heitkamp said.
