U.S. Senators Manchin, Capito send letter to USPS Postmaster General regarding Charleston postal processing facility transition

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito continue to press the matter regarding the United States Postal Service’s review of the Charleston Processing and Distribution Center after the findings recommend changes they say could hinder the state and its last mail sorting center.

The senators submitted a formal letter to the USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy expressing their concerns of the review that includes the recommendation for the Charleston processing plant in Southridge to transition into a Local Processing Center (LPC). The move would result in a reduction of jobs at the facility as well as the potential for service disruptions.

Part of the letter from the senators include the following:

“The loss of the only P&DC in West Virginia would have a negative impact on our constituents and leave our state at a competitive disadvantage. Based on the information that has been provided to us, the full scope of potential impacts on West Virginia’s postal services. While we understand the need for USPS to improve operational efficiencies, this should not come at the cost of West Virginia jobs and disruptions to service standards,” the Senators wrote in part.

“As USPS proceeds, we urge you to work with affected stakeholders, including relevant unions, state and federal representatives, and West Virginia customers, to address these outstanding concerns,” the Senators continued. “In the case of career reassignments, we ask the Postal Service to address the needs of impacted employees. Finally, we ask for proactive communication with postal workers about the impact of this MPFR on their careers.”

Since November 2023, directly following the review, the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 133 have been holding public information pickets and events to raise awareness to the public about how these changes could affect postal services.

Around 200 people came out to the most recent public meeting the union held at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center on Feb. 14. Over 30 speakers expressed their concerns during the event, many of whom have connections with the postal service.

Union workers say many of the postal processing operations at the Southridge facility would relocate to the Pittsburgh P&DC, as well as the Pennwood Place P&DC in Warrendale, PA.

The USPS’s initial findings indicated that the facility would need between $20 million to $30 million in investments to keep it operational and to turn it into an LPC. In addition, a total of 24 craft positions at the facility would also be impacted.

At least 58 other postal facilities across the country are also under a similar review by the USPS.

The following is the full letter by Senator Manchin and Sen. Capito:

Dear Postmaster DeJoy,

We are writing to express our concerns regarding the U.S. Postal Service (USPS)’s ongoing Mail Processing Facility Review (MPFR) of the Charleston Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) under the 10-year Delivering for America plan. As the MPFR’s recommendations are finalized, the Postal Service must do right by West Virginia: minimizing staffing reductions, addressing impacts to affected workers and proactively preventing any deterioration of service. The Charleston P&DC is the largest mail processing and distribution facility in the state, and we are pleased to see that USPS’ initial findings support keeping this critical facility open. However, we are disappointed to learn that the initial findings of the MPFR recommend a net reduction of jobs in West Virginia, and are concerned that the facility’s transition to a Local Processing Center (LPC) collocated with a Sorting and Delivery Center (S&DC) could result in service disruptions and negative effects on the local workforce. Further, we question whether USPS’ facility review truly shows that this is the best course of action, given the inconsistent and nonspecific answers that we and the public have received.

The loss of the only P&DC in West Virginia would have a negative impact on our constituents and leave our state at a competitive disadvantage. Based on the information that has been provided to us, the full scope of potential impacts on West Virginia’s postal services is unclear. While we understand the need for USPS to improve operational efficiencies, this should not come at the cost of West Virginia jobs and disruptions to service standards. We were proud to support the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (PL 117-108) because we know the importance of USPS to West Virginia communities and ensuring the Postal Service meets the challenges and needs of our modern economy. As USPS modernizes this facility, we urge the Postal Service to ensure this process minimizes short- and long-term disruptions to mail service and delivery.

Due to these recent challenges, we are particularly concerned that the initial findings of the MPFR call for a net reduction of 24 craft and 1 management positions. The initial findings also reference potential reassignments for career postal workers. We are also concerned about how USPS plans to prevent any service disruption during this transition period.

Furthermore, throughout the review process, USPS has not engaged with the public or postal workers openly and transparently. During the public review period, USPS held just one public meeting, which was initially scheduled during working hours on a weekday, only to be abruptly postponed four days before it was to be held and rescheduled for the evening of Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2024. In addition, despite identifying a potential reduction of 25 staff, we have yet to learn who will be affected, how USPS plans to relocate these workers within the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, or the cost of implementing the transition and staff relocation. As USPS proceeds, we urge you to work with affected stakeholders, including relevant unions, state and federal representatives, and West Virginia customers, to address these outstanding concerns. In the case of career reassignments, we ask the Postal Service to address the needs of impacted employees. Finally, we ask for proactive communication with postal workers about the impact of this MPFR on their careers.

We look forward to working together to ensure that USPS can continue to serve the people of West Virginia efficiently and effectively. We thank you for your attention to this matter.