(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – Union Leadership from the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) were joined by Federal, State and Local Elected Officials to publicly begin their fight to preserve mail services in Buffalo after a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) proposal to move mail processing to Rochester, why all argued will create delays in mail delivery.

As part of its 10-year strategic Delivering for America plan, the USPS is considering a consolidation of mail processing services at facilities across the Nation.  Buffalo is on a list of 29 sites under consideration as the USPS is currently reviewing a plan to move some operations currently conducted at the William Street Mail Processing Facility in Buffalo to Rochester.

Those who participated in a news conference held late last week outside the William Street Facility expressed concerns about the impact this would have on mail delivery in Western New York. 

APWU Buffalo and New York President Frank Resetarits said: “In the not-too-distant past, the Postal Service had an ‘on time’ delivery standard of (98%).  The current percentage is now (95%).  Sending mail that originates in the Buffalo area and is intended to be delivered in the Buffalo area to Rochester for partial processing is a recipe for delaying service to postal customers here.  The nine sites that have had their reviews completed, all have had machines taken out, which specialize in keeping the processing in the initial facility, prior to delivery.”

NALC Branch 3 President David J. Grosskopf, Jr. said: “The USPS’s lack of transparency relating to its ten-year plan and more specifically the public meeting being held for the review of Buffalo’s Processing and Distribution Center consolidation has not been done in good faith with Employees, Union Representatives or Federal, State and Local officials.  The Postal Service knows it has a problem with these types of consolidations as they have resulted in major service disruptions across the country.  Yet, they believe the public is naive enough to just think, the mail always comes through.  Over the last ten years, the USPS has slowed the service standard to the American public.  This consolidation of the Buffalo’s Processing and Distribution move to Rochester will further erode that standard and that is simply unacceptable to Western New Yorkers who rely on this public treasure.”

This is not the first time the USPS has tried to move Buffalo’s Mail Processing Facility to Buffalo.  In 2011, when the USPS included Buffalo’s facility on the list of closures, the Western New York Community fought back - and after a tough battle, in May 2012, it was announced the William Street facility would remain open.

U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins (New York-26), New York State Senator Tim Kennedy and Buffalo Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski joined the Postal Workers and Letter Carriers to express their concern about the USPS’s potential plans.

In a letter to the Postmaster General Congressman Higgins called for Buffalo to be removed from the list.

Said Higgins: “The relocation of operations from Buffalo to Rochester will result in delayed mail and diminished services.  We are calling on you to immediately remove Buffalo from consideration.  The USPS uses language like ‘modernization’ which doesn’t tell the full story of how services will be impacted and ultimately when changes are made it’s too late.  If you live in Cheektowaga and send a card to your grandchild in Lackawanna, that mail would go to Rochester first, adding transportation costs and slowing delivery.  That’s inefficient and the people of Western New York need to stand up and demand better from the USPS.”

During the news conference, Elected and Labor Leaders encouraged the public to voice their opinion again in support of preserving services in Buffalo.

Comments can be submitted online until February 15th (2024) at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/mpfr-buffalo-ny.

Residents were also encouraged to attend a public meeting hosted by the USPS at 3 p.m. on Wednesday (January 31st) at the Creekside Banquet Facility on Union Road in the Buffalo Suburb of Cheektowaga.

For More On This Labor News Story, Go To: The fight to save the USPS facility on William Street in Buffalo (wkbw.com)

Photos Courtesy Of The Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation, Via Facebook; and NALC Branch 3, Also Via Facebook.