Over 200 people showed up to express their opinion on proposed changes to the postal service in Springfield. USPS announced they plan to change the Springfield Processing and Distribution Center to a Local Mail Processing Center.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Tonight over 200 people showed up to express their opinion on proposed changes to the postal service in Springfield. USPS announced they plan to change the Springfield Processing and Distribution Center to a Local Mail Processing Center. According to USPS this means "transferring some mail processing operations to the St. Louis P&DC in St. Louis, MO. This would mean a significant percentage of the mail collected locally will travel across the wider USPS transportation and processing network over significant distances..." 

In a presentation tonight by USPS officials, they confirmed that no plans have been made yet and that no career layoffs would be happening. However the President of APW Local 239, Johnny Bishop, says this means employees would be moved to different positions, or asked to move to each Chicago, or St. Louis. 

"So you can pick up your family, your kids, and move doctors, everything's got to change, or you can just find another job," said Bishop. "So that's that's the options they leave us with when they impact employees."

Attendees tonight expressed concerns about their small business sending packages on time and important medications being shipped when needed. Many pointed out that it makes no sense for mail sent within Springfield to be sent all the way to St. Louis when it could stay in the Capital City. 

"We need to see that that service strengthened, not undermined and certainly not cut and so, you know, this is a significant cut for our community, for our businesses, for our residents," said Erin Conley, Ward 8 Alderwoman. 

Several dozen current and former USPS employees attended the event and said the change would delay mail across Central Illinois, especially for rural communities. They say this could mean important mail like ballots and bills could be delayed 3-4 extra days. 

"If my neighbor is in the hospital and I want to send him a get well card, it's going to go to St. Louis before it goes to St. John's," said Teresa Bennett, former USPS employee and Pleasant Plains resident. "I might as well send him a sympathy card because who knows what going to happen by the time he gets the card." 

USPS officials say this change is happening in processing centers across the country, and it won't delay mail. Tim Norman, Strategic Communications Director for Illinois USPS, says they plan to spend a significant amount of money upgrading the facility. 

"It's a good thing that's happening with the Postal Service because for 15 years we have not addressed a lot of things with processing plants and other facilities," said Norman. "For example in Springfield we are going to be investing five to eight million in the plant." 

Many state and local legislators have contacted the postal service to express concerns with this plan. Norman said no decisions have been made yet and that all public comments will be considered. 

You can still give feedback to USPS through this link. 

Copyright 2024. WANDTV. All Rights Reserved.