Protestors in New Windsor
NEW WINDSOR – Postal workers in Newburgh, New Windsor, Poughkeepsie and beyond rallied for the American Postal Workers’ Union “Day of Action” on Thursday.
The union’s collective bargaining agreement will be up on May 20 so postal workers from around the Hudson Valley rallied to raise awareness and gain support for the continued operation of post offices that are in danger of being shut down as part of a consolidation initiative.
Postal workers in the area are not only concerned with the end of the overnight delivery of First Class mail in January, but are also concerned with Mid-Hudson’s Postal Mail Processing Center closure that is due to occur on July 25. The facility at Stewart Airport is not being totally shut down; postal service officials maintain.
Due to national moratoriums and a ‘no layoff clause’ that dictates that workers who are removed from a plant be offered a job within 50 miles of their original position, some jobs have been protected, said Diana Klein, director Local 3722. However, with consolidation of plants, there is not always a job available within 50 miles. Klein said that the Mid-Hudson facility used to employ about 600 workers and if it is consolidated to Albany in July, will only employ 19 people.
Klein said one of the criteria that is meant to be followed for purposes of consolidation is that either services increase, or cost savings occur; neither of which will occur in the Mid-Hudson consolidation and it is baffling postal workers.
“The service hasn’t increased because what used to be an overnight service is now three, four or five days and they’re not saving any money; so, why did congress tell them to stop,” said Klein. “You can’t keep closing. You’re not following your own instructions. Your own instructions say you have to be saving money and you can’t be doing it and it says you have to increase service and you’re not doing that either. So, nobody can understand why there hasn’t been a stop put on all these closures and consolidations.”
Postal workers are urging interested people in the public to contact their congressional representatives and Senator Charles Schumer. They are hoping Schumer can achieve the same results he did in Buffalo in the Mid-Hudson with community support.
