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Post Office announces layoffs, closings

By on February 24, 2012

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – In an effort to save the ailing U.S. Postal Service, the agency announced Thursday new plans to close or consolidate 223 mail processing plants, putting some 35,000 jobs on the chopping block beginning in late May or June.

The move, projected to save $2.1 billion, is part of the Postal Service’s broader efforts to save $20 billion over the next three years.

Not all of the workers affected by the plant closings will lose their jobs. Many will be offered posts at other processing plants, some miles away and some in other states. Some workers will be urged to retire.

The agency cannot close any facilities until May 15 after the moratorium on closures end. The Postal Service originally agreed to the moratorium to give lawmakers time to pass legislation to save the agency. But to date, those efforts have been very slow.

The Postal Service says that it faces $18 billion in losses by 2015 if nothing is done.

The U.S. Postal Service is in dire straights and deep debt due to declining first-class mail volume and a congressional mandate to prefund retirement health care benefits.






2 Comments

  1. Joyce

    April 1, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    Who cares???? They are a bunch of lazy uneducated and rude workers anyway. HAHA for them.

    Reply

    • Marty

      April 17, 2012 at 5:47 pm

      That is a very general comment Joyce. Many also have college degrees. Don’t group everyone together, that is not fair. How educated are you for making a comment like that, people are losing their jobs which does not help an already weak economy.

      Reply

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