Postal union expresses concerns about possible changes, USPS assures center won’t leave Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Update: While the United States Postal Service offered reassurance that their facility in Wichita won’t move, concerns remain from the local American Postal Workers Union about a possible change that’d move mail-processing operations to Kansas City, Mo.

“The USPS is correct that they have not “officially” placed Wichita on the “list” of facilities to take processing away from.  They recently did this to Tulsa, OK (moved to OKC) and are in the process of doing it to North Platte, NE (moving to Denver),” union president Christin Pruitt explained in an email to 12 News, responding to a statement that USPS provided following the initial report on union concerns. “Unless the public puts sufficient pressure to stop it, we WILL be moved to KC just as their presentations show.”

The USPS sought to dispel concerns with a statement you can read below in the previous “update” to the initial report.

Update: In response to Tuesday’s report from the president of the local American Postal Workers Union and concerns about the potential for Kansas’ only mail processing facility to be moved from Wichita to another state, a spokesperson released an official statement on behalf of USPS, saying that there are no plans for such a move.

You can read the full statement below:

There are no plans to move the facility in Wichita, KS to another state. For nearly two and a half centuries, the Postal Service has adapted to meet the evolving needs of its customers.

The Postal Service uses a vast network of people and advanced technologies to collect, process, transport and accurately deliver the nation’s mail and packages in an increasingly digital world.

We are the heart of the $1.58 trillion United States mailing industry and we process and deliver 44 percent of the world’s mail.

The Postal Service is a fundamental part of our nation. For more than 240 years, we have bound the nation together, and today we deliver mail and packages to American homes and businesses six and seven days a week. We have one of the best last-mile delivery networks in the world, which enables commerce, provides a powerful channel for marketing and communications, and sustains the e-commerce economy. Our reach is unparalleled; delivering nearly half of global mail volume, and goods and services to more than 160 million addresses across the country; and ninety-nine percent of the population has a Post Office within 10 miles of where they live.

With our Delivering for America Plan, we’re making a commitment across the nation for upgraded facilities, vehicles, equipment, and more. Further, through our Delivering for America investments, we have built capacity into our processing, logistics, and delivery infrastructure to meet customers’ evolving mail and package needs. We are executing on strategies to pull together the people, technology, transportation, equipment, and facilities into a well-integrated and streamlined mail and package network.

Thousands of postal workers in different cities across the country rallied on Tuesday to request for better staffing and mail service.

In Wichita specifically, of the American Postal Workers Union are worried that proposed changes made by the U.S. Postal Service could lead to Kansas’ only mail processing facility being moved out of state.

The rally by postal workers follows a FactFinder 12 Investigation in late September that looked into the proposal and the potential negative impacts it could have on mail delivery speeds in rural areas. The U.S. Postal Service is trying to get back in better financial standing by saving up to $3 billion annually. In part of this effort, USPS is putting more of an emphasis on regional hubs.

Christine Pruitt, the President for the local American Postal Workers Union, said those proposed changes could end up moving the mail processing facility in Wichita out of state. Currently, the Wichita facility is the only mail processing plant in Kansas.

“We are actually the only ones left processing here in Wichita,” said Pruitt. “They want to move our mail to Kansas City, Missouri. Think about how much longer that is going to take to get your mail delivered if they ship all of it in a truck to Kansas City to get it processed.”

A CBS report states that mail would be delivered within two to five days if the proposed changes are approved, but in some rural areas, delivery could take an additional half day or full day to arrive.

Pruitt argued that the five day delivery time frame would not start until the mail reaches Kansas City. She added that because of this, people living in rural areas could see their mail delivery delayed further than just five days.

“The five days is just when it gets back to Wichita as the transfer station,” said Pruitt. “When we are talking about rural delivery, we are talking that it could be 10 to 12 days from the time they mail it in Wellington until it gets across the street in Wellington. That’s unacceptable.”

The APWU and the local mail carriers union said they do have a plan in place to ensure that they have workers on each shift every day handling mail-in ballots with the November 5 election coming up.

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