Letter to Patrick Donahoe, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service - Butterfield Seeks Answers to USPS-Proposed Changes at Rocky Mount Mail Processing Plant

Letter

Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today sent a letter to United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe seeking specifics on the impact of the upcoming change in mailing processing operations at the Rocky Mount Processing and Distribution Facility. In his letter, Butterfield expressed concern over how the proposed changes will affect employees of the Rocky Mount facility and the customers it serves.

Butterfield wrote, "While many Americans have adopted electronic forms of communication, there are still areas of our nation, including many parts of my district, which have not received the benefit of widespread broadband connectivity and are highly dependent on the reliability and certainty of postal services. Beyond the important mail processing services the Rocky Mount facility provides, it is also a major employer in an area that continues to recover from the most recent economic downturn.

"My constituents and others working at or receiving mail serviced by the Rocky Mount Processing and Distribution Facility are concerned about the practical implications of the proposed changes. I share those concerns and write to request you provide answers to the following questions by Friday, July 11, 2014."

Congressman Butterfield received a letter from USPS last week announcing its intent to move forward with network rationalization of mail processing operations. These changes will affect up to 82 USPS sites nationwide, including its Rocky Mount facility. The USPS cited a $26 billion financial loss, which they attribute to the decline in First-Class mail revenue, wage and benefit inflation, and increasing operating costs, as the reason for the proposed changes. Consequently, the network rationalization could result in employees being reassigned to another USPS facility.

Butterfield's letter to Postmaster General Donahoe follows.

July 8, 2014

The Honorable Patrick R. Donahoe

Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer

United States Postal Service

475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW

Washington, DC 20260

Dear Mr. Donahoe:

I write in response to the June 30, 2014 letter from your office regarding the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) network rationalization of mail processing operations. I understand that as part of this nationwide plan, several North Carolina postal facilities, including the Rocky Mount Processing and Distribution Facility in my congressional district, will be impacted.

I am very concerned by the proposed changes and what impact they will likely have on the employees of the Rocky Mount facility and the customers it serves. While many Americans have adopted electronic forms of communication, there are still areas of our nation, including many parts of my district, which have not received the benefit of widespread broadband connectivity and are highly dependent on the reliability and certainty of postal services. Beyond the important mail processing services the Rocky Mount facility provides, it is also a major employer in an area that continues to recover from the most recent economic downturn.

My constituents and others working at or receiving mail serviced by the Rocky Mount Processing and Distribution Facility are concerned about the practical implications of the proposed changes. I share those concerns and write to request you provide answers to the following questions by Friday, July 11, 2014.

When will the announced changes commence at the Rocky Mount Processing and Distribution facility? By what date will those changes be fully implemented?
What operations, which employees and how many jobs at the Rocky Mount facility will be affected by the announced network rationalization? How many employees are expected to remain at the Rocky Mount facility?
Specifically, how will displaced employees be accommodated during and after the transition of operations to the Raleigh Processing and Distribution Center?
If immediate positions are not available for displaced employees, how will they be compensated?

I look forward to your response.

Thank you very much.

Very truly yours,

G. K. Butterfield

Member of Congress

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