KOMU: The way mail is distributed could change in Columbia, MO, and U.S. Postal Service union workers are dissatisfied with the proposal.
The U.S. Postal Service held a public meeting with residents Thursday over potential changes to the way mail moves across the state.
Following a Mail Processing Facility Review, USPS came to the conclusion that the Columbia processing and distribution center’s services do not support its goals. USPS believes it would be more efficient if operations were covered by the St. Louis processing and distribution center.
This means mail, which is currently sorted by the Columbia facility, would be sent straight to St. Louis instead.
The plans are part of USPS’ 10-year Delivering for America plan, which involves the investment of $40 billion to “to modernize the nation’s aging postal network.”
While the USPS argues this would “better use resources, including space, staffing, processing equipment, and transportation,” Jim Marsden, president of the Central Missouri Area Local 7065 of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), said workers are displeased.
“They want to say, ‘Oh we’re moving forward, we’re moving forward,”” Marsden said. “I don’t know how you call this forward.”
Marsden said the dissolution of the Columbia facility is risky and could cause distribution problems.
“Your carrier is still going to come by every day, he’s still going to clear his case every day, but are we going to get the mail?” Marsden said. “Business mail, government, state government, the University of Missouri, we take the local mail out.”
