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Over 400 U.S. Postal Service workers could be laid off

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By Tiffany Y. Latta, Staff Writer 11:36 PM Sunday, September 25, 2011

SPRINGFIELD — Proposed plans by the U.S. Postal Service could result in hundreds of job losses in the Miami Valley and slow area mail service, union members say.

The proposed plans include laying off 120,000 employees nationwide, closing 3,700 post offices, eliminating Saturday delivery and closing mail processing facilities in Dayton, Cincinnati, Akron, Toledo, Chillicothe, Steubenville and Athens.

Smokey Stover and Helmer Semjonovs, who combined represent more than 200 postal service union members in Springfield, will host a rally 4 p.m. Tuesday at the City Plaza at Fountain Avenue and High Street to “Save Our United States Postal Service.”

Stover said if the proposed cost cutting measures are implemented they would “cripple and destroy” the U.S. Postal Service.

“We want to let (the community) know these rascals are out there and are after your postal service and if you let them you’ll never get it back,” Stover said.

Semjonovs, president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 3972, said if the Dayton processing center, which employs about 440 people, closes, a “couple hundred jobs” could be lost in the Dayton area.

He also said a clerk position in South Vienna would be cut, and mail in the Springfield area could be slowed by at least a day.

“When they closed the Lima plant and sent their mail to Toledo it delayed mail by three days and sometimes a week instead of the next day. But until it happens it’s hard to say. But you’re adding at least a day,” Semjonovs said.

The proposed plans come as the postal service is about to default on a federal mandate that requires the agency to pay $5.5 billion by Sept. 30 to the U.S. government to finance health benefits for future retirees.

Postal workers union support House Bill 1351 introduced by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) that would allow the agency to apply the billions of dollars in pension overpayments to meeting the postal service’s financial obligations.

Stover, who is president of the local letter carrier branch No. 45, said Congress and President Obama must intervene.

Local union members have also sought support from Steve Austria,  R-Beavercreek.

In a statement released Friday, Austria said his office is working toward a viable solution and wants to make sure area residents are informed about the changes that occur.

“As the United States Postal Service makes strides to operate in a more cost effective and sustainable manner, they must ensure that customers continue to receive reliable service, especially in the small towns and rural communities that depend most heavily on their services,” Austria said.

Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Springfield Postmaster Sue Vanzant declined to talks about the issue.

“I’m not allowed to comment. It’s so far out of my hands,” Vanzant said.

Stover said USPS should be allowed to fund retiree health benefits on a pay as you go basis like most businesses.

“No national company would choose to make pre-funding future retiree health benefits the highest priority in today’s economy, and no company would use all its borrowing capacity to do so. But that is exactly what the USPS has been forced to do.”

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