Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A proposal by the United States Postal Service could move mail processing machines to Rochester. Local leaders are joining postal workers in a rally to keep the processing here.
Frank Resetarits is president of the local American Postal Workers Union and says the process has been mostly secretive. "Not until recently did they actually own up that there was a study and a review going on," notes Resetarits. He adds the USPS has not specified what types of mail are going to be sent to Rochester for processing.
Resetarits says the USPS proposal would take out what's called a facer-canceller machine and move it Rochester. "What that machine does simply put is any mail that originates here in Buffalo that you put in your mailbox, in the dropbox, or over the counter at a station, any local mail that originates here, that is destined to go across town, or in the Buffalo area to stay in this area," explains Resetarits. He says if that's taken out, the mail will be sent to Rochester for partial processing, and then sent back to Buffalo for delivery, which he says will add an extra step. That could lead to longer delays for mail.
What else is at stake? Resetarits says that is unclear. "We don't have an answer only because there's been a secrecy about the type of mail that's going the volume that is going and they haven't even acknowledged that this machine will be taken out," he claims. "So once we determine the volume that will be going and get a full full explanation from the Postal Service, which we don't have at this point, we'll be able to equate volume into work hours."
Postal workers will be joined by area political leaders Friday morning for a rally across the street from the William Street processing center. Wednesday, a required public meeting on the proposal takes place at the Creekside Banquet Center on Union at William in Cheektowaga.