By Roger Adkins, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The USPS has confirmed plans to transfer outgoing mail processing operations from the Charleston Processing and Distribution Center to facilities in Pittsburgh and Warrendale, Pennsylvania.
There will be no layoffs of “career” positions as part of the plan, but 23 “craft” employees and one supervisor will be reassigned to the Pennsylvania facilities. A career employee is a full-time employee. Craft employees are represented by the American Postal Workers Union.
The announcement came Tuesday, after months of deliberation by the USPS and concern from local employees about the potential loss of jobs and the impact on service at the Southridge facility located at 1000 Centre Way.
According to the USPS, the move is part of a $40-billion investment strategy to upgrade and improve postal processing, transportation and delivery networks in the United States. The postal service says it plans to modernize all mail operations at the Charleston location.
The consolidation comes after the USPS conducted a months-long review of the facility and solicited public feedback on the facility’s future — with much of that feedback coming in the form of opposition to the proposal.
According to the USPS, the facility will remain open and will be modernized as a Local Processing Center. The changes are part of the Postal Service’s 10-Year Delivering for America plan to improve organizational and operational processes.
