The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Today's Front Page

September 16, 2010

Local postal jobs at stake, union says

USPS considering plan for consolidation

By Andrea Lannom Register-Herald Reporter

There could be a few changes in store for Beckley’s post office operations, officials say.

As part of national effort to reduce costs, the U.S. Postal Service is conducting a feasibility study on every processing center nationwide to see if consolidation is an option.

For West Virginia, the USPS is looking at the option of consolidating operations plants in Huntington and Beckley into Charleston’s processing plant.

“What we are doing right now is something that is nationwide,” Cathy Yarosky, communications program specialist at USPS, said. “We are severely in decline with mail and we are facing difficult times. We have to look at ways to save money and still provide customer service. Some of these plants are just sitting idle and it’s not financially responsible to keep them.”

Beckley’s feasibility study began in July and is not expected to be done before December or January. A major part of the study includes a public forum scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at Woodrow Wilson High School. Yarosky encourages individuals and businesses to attend.

“Nothing is set in stone yet,” she said. “We want to hear what the public has to say about this because this is a big part of the study.”

Retail counters and brick and mortar buildings will essentially remain the same; however, the immediate thing people might notice is seeing a Charleston postmark instead of a Beckley postmark. That is, unless people specify at the front counter that they want Beckley hand-stamped on their letters. 

Yarosky said there shouldn’t be any delays, saying Charleston would be able to handle the influx of mail. But Stan Morgan, president of the Beckley area postal workers union, disagrees.

“Beckley should be next-day delivery, but there is still a chance it could take up to two days,” he said.

Morgan also said there could be a drawback with jobs being transferred or cut.

“Approximately 10 full-time employees would have to transfer to Charleston,” he said. “There would still be three temporary jobs cut and part-timers would also notice their hours cut.”

As for public opinion, Morgan said he feels the public is widely opposed to the possibility.

“They don’t want to see the Beckley postmark eliminated, for one, and the big thing is job loss and transfers,” he said.

A decision or announcement is estimated by next spring 2011, Morgan said.

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