In July, the U.S. Postal Service placed the Redondo Avenue center on a list of 139 facilities for potential closure. That list has since been narrowed to 12, although the Redondo Avenue is not on that short list, said Richard Maher, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service.
But union workers, who plan to demonstrate today, say the building still could be closed in the future.
About 998 people work at the plant moving mail into and out of the greater Long Beach area.
The protest is one of dozens that the American Postal Workers Union has scheduled nationwide today to exert pressure just before the mid-term elections.
Postal workers say that if the Redondo facility is closed, mail going into and out of the area would be delayed.
"We have two of the worst freeways in America feeding Long Beach," said Jesse Scroggins, president of the Long Beach chapter of the American Postal Workers Union. "You think you're getting late mail now. You'd really get late mail."
The Post Office said the Redondo location is not being considered for closure.
"It is
The closure of some postal buildings is a response to the decline in first-class, stamped consumer mail, which has occurred as a result of the rise in online bill payment, Maher said. Many local post offices no longer postmark mail, he said.
"By combining operations of nearby facilities it makes it more efficient," he said. "We don't believe service would be impacted. This type of centralized mail processing has been going on for years."
Scroggins said the 998 workers at Redondo could be unnecessarily transferred if the building is closed.
However, Maher said employees could be relocated to nearby areas if the building closes.
Tomio Geron can be reached at tomio.geron@presstelegram.com or at (562) 499-1292.
