New equipment brings hope, signals longevity for Springfield Postal Distribution Center

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – New equipment is being installed in the Springfield Postal Distribution Center, giving employees hope that its outgoing letter service will not be halted.

“I don’t believe our office is going anywhere. We’ve done good work,” Johnny Bishop of the American Postal Workers Union told WAND News.

For months, there have been fears that the center would see major cuts, possibly costing jobs. But now the new equipment installation is being seen as a signal that the facility's doors will not be shuttered.

“I’m really sure it’s not,” Bishop said. “In fact, with us, we got a new parcel machine, so we get to start working on more parcels. We’re going to be a main hub for doing these.”

The facility is also obtaining a new cancellation machine, which will be installed next month.

Bishop met with Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) for a roundtable on how to strengthen the Postal Service in Central and Southern Illinois.