Postal union questions closings

The local union that represents U.S. Postal Service counter employees is not pleased with talk of closing four Chattanooga post office branches.

Earlier this month, the postal service announced 400 potential closures across the nation in an effort to narrow a $7 billion budget shortfall. Four offices out of the 24 in Hamilton County were on that list.

Now, the president of American Postal Workers Union Local 192, the union for about 400 of the 800 customer service workers in Chattanooga, says the closures ultimately will cost jobs, increase wait times for customers and hurt communities that enjoy post offices within short distance of homes and businesses.

"The big reaction among our members was that we were worried about losing our jobs," said union President R.J. Hoffman. "And we know that customers will experience lines out the door. The postal service has already been cutting jobs left and right."

Postal Service officials contend declining mail loads have forced the agency to make tough decisions about how best to balance income and expenses. The recent economic downturn, combined with increasing use of e-mail, has slowed mail load, said Beth Barnett, a Nashville-based postal service spokeswoman.

"We simply can't afford to maintain as many offices as we currently do," Ms. Barnett said. "We've got to make some tough choices, and this is just one of many things we are trying to do to control our costs."

Customers interviewed outside the offices eyed for closing said they didn't want to see their branches shut down.

"I don't like leaving checks in my mailbox, so I am here probably here two times a week," said Frank Lala, outside the Murray/Lake Hills branch. "It's going to be a hardship on me. I live off Social Security, so the gas (to get to the next nearest post office) will be a hardship."

Mr. Lala said he thought the Postal Service had mismanaged itself into its current state.

"It's mismanagement. ... they are always in debt," he said. "Just like the government and the schools, they are always in debt."

Ms. Barnett said no decision on the post office closings has been made. Any conclusion reached by Postal Service personnel must be seconded by the Postal Regulatory Commission, whose members are appointed by the president. Before that, however, town hall meetings to hear concerns will be held locally, she said.

To cut costs, Ms. Barnett said, the Postal Service has offered early retirements, frozen hiring and executive pay and cut costs by merging delivery routes. She said customers may notice different delivery times and new letter carriers in the coming weeks as routes are adjusted to account for lightened delivery loads.

But Mr. Hoffman said the Postal Service could do more to cut costs among higher-paid administrators. The agency didn't offer incentives with earlier employee buyout offers, he said, but a looming round of early retirement offers is expected to come with a $15,000 incentive, he said.

If the Postal Service offered an attractive buyout to high-paid middle managers, costs could be cut while not affecting customer service and possibly keeping branches open, he said.

"If they trimmed the fat in middle management, they could really save a lot of money," Mr. Hoffman said. "We've got too many middle management positions."

He estimates many of those jobs come with salaries in excess of $80,000 a year.

TOWN HALL MEETINGS

The U.S. Postal Service will hold meetings to discuss the four potential closures in the Chattanooga area.

* North Chattanooga: 5 p.m. Sept. 30, Chattanooga Little Theatre Centre, 400 River St.

* Murray/Lake Hills: 7 p.m. Sept. 30, Hillcrest Elementary, 4302 Bonny Oaks Drive

* East Lake: 5 p.m. Oct. 1, Temple Baptist Church, 3204 Clio Ave.

* Highland Park: 7 p.m. Oct. 1, St. Andrews Center, 1918 Union Ave.

Source: American Postal Workers Union, Local 192