Schumer Receives Assurance USPS Has No Plans To Further Consolidate Pitcher Street Post Office In Utica - Schumer, In Personal Meeting With Postmaster General, Stressed Importance Of Pitcher Street & Vowed To Fight To Keep Mohawk Valley Postal Hub Alive And Well

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that, after his push, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has assured him it has no plans to sell, lease, or further consolidate operations at the City of Utica's Pitcher Street Post Office. Schumer has long fought to keep the Pitcher Street location, which serves as the Mohawk Valley's regional postal hub, alive and well. In January, during a one-on-one meeting, Schumer urged the new Postmaster General, Megan Brennan, to keep the City of Utica's Pitcher Street Post Office open for business. Schumer said the facility was too important to both the Mohawk Valley region, and its 100 employees, to be shuttered. Schumer said that while he recognized the importance of making cost-saving reforms in order to preserve the Post Office's vital services, closing the Pitcher Street location would have been a major blow to the community and the center's employees.

"Receiving concrete assurance that the Pitcher Street Post Office will remain open is a major win for Utica businesses and residents who rely on it for timely and reliable mail service," said Schumer. "This commitment from the U.S. Postal Service will enable everyone in the region to breathe easier regarding the future of Pitcher Street."

Schumer's request to Postmaster General Brennan came after he successfully secured a commitment from outgoing Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in 2012 that the USPS would keep the Utica facility open following postal reforms in 2011. Schumer previously went to bat for the Pitcher Street location after it was revealed in 2011 that the USPS was studying whether to close or consolidate it. To continue this push, Schumer called on the incoming Postmaster General to keep the center thriving and open as long as possible.

In 2011, under the USPS proposal, Schumer argued that closing the Utica plant, a nationally ranked facility, would negatively impact the quality, productivity and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service. Schumer joined local officials to argue that, in addition to putting up to 100 jobs at risk, service standards would be negatively affected. While some operations were ultimately consolidated into Syracuse in 2012, thanks to Schumer's efforts the Pitcher Street Post Office remained open for business. Schumer said that while the bulk of processing operations were consolidated to Syracuse in 2012, he urged Postmaster General Brennan to continue to ensure the Post Office and remaining functions stayed intact at the Pitcher Street facility as long as possible. Pitcher Street is a large facility which still retains carrier operations, window service, and limited administrative offices. A complete closure of the Pitcher Street Post Office would reroute mail service to surrounding areas, decreasing lead time and detouring consumers and business alike that expect service to remain efficient.

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