(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) in Buffalo has circulated a memo that announced it has uncovered what it describes as a “shameful plan” to silence the public regarding the movement of processing Buffalo mail to Rochester.

This “despicable plan by upper-level Postal Management outside of Buffalo (will) take away the voice of the public regarding their concerns and opinions relating to the plan to move mail currently processed in Buffalo to Rochester,” wrote APWU Buffalo Local President Frank Resetarits in his President’s Report (Pictured Above Via Facebook).

“Our investigation has revealed upper-level Management, including our Plant Manager, was unaware that a contractual and legally required meeting with the public, was secretly scheduled to take place at a time, location and venue size for the public to assemble, with a maximum seating capacity of (125),” Resetarits said.

“In response, the American Postal Workers Union is demanding the (United States) Postal Service reschedule the contractual and legally required public meeting in another location that is larger, in a more convenient location, and at a time when the majority of the public is available,” he said.

More than 10 years ago, the United States Postal Service (USPS) floated the idea of closing the Buffalo Mail Processing and Distribution Center that's located at the Main Buffalo Post Office on William Street.  At the time, the USPS cited the need for it to save money, and the idea of consolidating mail operations into a more regional facility made sense to them due to reported declines in first-class mail use.

After several years of debate and study, the decision was made to leave the center open but move some weekend mail processing to the Rochester Processing and Distribution Center from the Buffalo facility.

While the Buffalo Facility was allowed to remain open, the USPS did not stop looking for ways to save money, including closing other Processing and Distribution Centers (including revisiting the idea of closing the Buffalo center).

Now, Buffalo appears to be among five cities planned to have their mail processing consolidated with other cities in their region.

The APWU Buffalo Local plans to hold an informational picket in front of the Main Post Office on William Street, as well as seek the support of a variety of Federal, State and Local Elected Officials and publicize the “Postal Service’s devious scheme” on Social Media, Resetarits also wrote.

For More On This Labor News Story, Go To: Postal Service To End Mail Processing In Western New York? (wblk.com)