By Fred Pace, HD Media
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — At a public meeting Wednesday evening about proposed changes at Charleston Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC), many raised concerns about those changes, and what it means for the 800 people who work there.
“My machine’s not on the list to be retained,” said Kaleb Cecil, who works at the P&DC, where he operates an automated parcel and bundle sorter. He said he is worried about losing his job.
“There’s two of us on duplicate machines on my [shift], and that encompasses 16 clerk craft jobs alone, not counting the mail handler jobs that load our machine. So when they say only 24 career craft jobs will be eliminated, I just don’t believe them. I have a wife and kids to support, and this is my livelihood. This is how I put food on the table.”
About 150 people attended the meeting, held at the Coliseum’s Little Theater, to voice concerns on a plan by the U.S. Postal Service to transfer some operations now being handled by the Charleston P&DC to a two similar USPS centers Pittsburgh and Pennwood Place, Pa.
Postal officials estimate that 24 career workers and one manager would be transferred from Charleston to the Pennsylvania facilities.
