News

January 30, 2009

Postal Service might consolidate to economize

Study under way to see if W-B mail sorting can go to Scranton facility.

The U.S. Postal Service has launched a study into whether some mail-sorting operations at the Wilkes-Barre facility can be consolidated into the Scranton facility.

The study, initiated because the Postal Service is “facing declining mail volumes and growing deficits,” will be completed in about five months, and a public meeting will be scheduled to announce proposed changes, said Ray V. Daiutolo Sr., of the service’s corporate communications department.

The focus is on incoming-mail operations, he said, but he assured that “every attempt would be made” to move “career” employees to other facilities.

The Wilkes-Barre office on South Main Street employs about 200, including management and maintenance.

The economic downturn and a major decrease in mail volume “has left us with excess capacity of equipment, staff and facilities to process a declining volume. Given the fiscal realities and looming deficits, we must match our resources with mail volume,” Daiutolo wrote in an e-mail.

“This study is being done to identify improved efficiency through consolidation of some mail processing operations with the Scranton processing facility. It is too early to tell if that will be the case,” Daiutolo wrote.

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