USPS - Postal workers ready for fight (Easton)

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EASTON They could lose their jobs, but they will not go without a fight.

The American Postal Workers Union Local 4321 hosted a meeting May 23 about the United States Postal Service proposal to move its Easton Processing and Distribution Facility to Baltimore. The meeting drew about 100 people, including local delegates and representatives from U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski's office.
On its website, the USPS said if the Area Mail Processing study, which started March 16, is feasible, the postal service would hold a public meeting for the community. A meeting is scheduled from 6 until 8 p.m. June 15 at the Easton High School auditorium. The USPS would consider that feedback in any final determination, according to its website.

But the general consensus at the meeting concluded that the USPS has already made its decision and that the worker's input may not count for much. Beverly Collins, vice president of APWU 4321, rallied the group Sunday to fight for their jobs.

"They're trying to make it off the backs of the blue collar workers and that can't happen," she said. "If we're going down, we're going down fighting. We're not handing it to them on a silver platter."

More than 130 people work at the Easton facility, which serves about 100 post offices on the Eastern Shore of Maryland from Galena to Crisfield. Closing that facility would affect everyone on the shore, said state Sen. Richard Colburn, R-37-Mid-Shore.

"It's absurd not to have a distributing center here," he said. "We can't afford to lose jobs."

Colburn, along with Reps. Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, R-37B-Talbot, and Adelaide Eckardt, R-37B-Dorchester, pledged their support in keeping the center open.
That support, Collins said, is the worker's sole hope.

"Unless the government nips this in the bud, we're driving to parts unknown," she said.

Some workers, like James Soles, who has worked for USPS for about 22 years, are willing to relocate. Others, like Collins, who has worked for the service since 1987, are not. Still others those who are part-time or who have not worked for the service for six years, will not have that option.

"My concern, as a non-protected employee, is what will they do with us?" said Tomasene Woolford of Easton, who is a part-time flex employee. "I don't know. Will they lay me off?"

During the meeting, questions and rumors, abounded. Until the public meeting, the workers will not know their future.

"Nobody is telling us anything," Collins said. "They want to wipe us out."

According to its website, the USPS experienced unprecedented losses last year and cumulative losses are expected to reach $238 billion in 2020. Of the service's 32,000 post offices, 6,000 have revenues exceeding expenses.

The rest are under water.

In response to the losses, the service cut 115 million work hours last year, instituted a salary and hiring freeze, and closed six administration offices. It has also consolidated mail processing centers, and has about 60 studies listed online, including the one in Easton.

Last week, U.S. Sens. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md. and Mikulski, along with U.S Rep. Frank Kratovil, D-Md-1st, penned a letter to USPS officials that urged four meetings instead of the one scheduled next month. On Sunday, Bart Kennedy, a representative from Mikulski's office, said USPS officials said the process only allows one meeting.

Mikulski, he said, considered allowing one meeting arrogant. Still, the key to saving the facility, Kennedy said, is to prove that the center is vital to local businesses.

Bonnie McCaslin, who has worked for the service since 1987, has worked on her days off passing out a letter that opponents can sign and send to the USPS consumer affairs manager. The Talbot County Chamber of Commerce has 900 of those letters for their members, she said.

Last week, McCaslin said, she mailed 1,153 letters and she has about 500 more. The goal is 5,000 support letters, she said.

If Easton's facility closes, that would leave nothing on the Eastern Shore for mail processing and could slow delivery time, she said. In 2004, when Colburn ran for Congress, his mailers which he mailed from Baltimore arrived on his constituents' steps the day after the election.

Criticisms of fraud, waste and inefficiency on the western shore dominated the meeting, as did criticisms of the USPS's studies.

"They'll say something then do something totally different," Soles said.

And as for jobs, McCaslin said there are almost 200 out-of-work, but paid, postal employees in the Baltimore area who are ahead of the Easton workers, if they lose their positions.

"There are about 15 jobs here on the Shore (including Delaware)," Collins said. "We're not following jobs to Baltimore."

In addition to the loss of jobs and a possible delay of services, Easton would also lose its postmark and bulk mailing rates for local businesses could change, according to the union.

People interested in submitting comments may send them to: Consumer Affairs Manager, Baltimore District, 900 E. Fayette St., Baltimore, MD 21233-9998.
More information is available through Collins at 410-714-4439 or e-mail saveeastonmailprocessingfacility@yahoo.com.