Postal workers upset with consolidation plan

OSHKOSH - Before landing in your mailbox, deliveries with the U.S. Postal Service go through a distribution center. There are currently five in Wisconsin, including locations in Oshkosh and Green Bay. Those two operations, however, could soon become one.

"The reality is, we have an excess of equipment, staff and facilities to process declining mail volume. Consolidating some postal operations only makes logical business sense give the economic realities," said Marge Oehlke, spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service.

The USPS proposal would shut down operations in Oshkosh and move the distribution and processing to the Green Bay center. Those who sort mail say there's too much to make it work.

"It is ridiculous. You're not going to be able to take all the mail from Oshkosh and sort it in Green Bay. It physically can not happen," said Jim Schumann, an Oshkosh postal worker.

Schumann and other members of the local American Postal Workers Union gathered Tuesday to discuss the situation. They all agree it will hurt the quality of service.

"Their (the USPS) spokesperson will tell you it will not disrupt service at all but it's so wrong. There will be earlier pickups and later delivery," said Dave Meier, president of the local American Postal Workers Union.

Oehlke says there will be no impact on service but changes need to be made. The organization has already lost more than $7 billion this year. She says consolidating the two facilities would save about $4.5 million a year and no one would lose their jobs.

"Employees who are currently working at the Oshkosh facility, if the process goes through, will be given transfer opportunities," said Oehlke.

Workers, however, worry they will have to move for those opportunities.

The Postal Service says it's taking steps to make sure the mail has a long-term future.

A public meeting on the future of the Oshkosh facility is set for November 23 at Reeve Union at UW-Oshkosh from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

You can also submit a comment the USPS in writing before December 8 to:

Consumer Affairs Dept., P.O. BOX 5011, Milwaukee, WI 53201-5011