Andrew West/news-press.com Pat Davis-Weeks, a national business agent with the American Postal Workers Union, demonstrates Thursday in front of the post office in downtown Fort Myers. The postal workers think that the Fort Myers mail distribution center may be targeted for a merger with one in Sarasota. Such a merger, postal workers claim, would result in slower, less reliable mail service. Order Picture CONTACT For concerns or questions about potential changes to the U.S Postal Service's Mail Processing and Distribution center in Fort Myers, call (877) 7-OURMAIL. DELIVERING YOUR WORLD • Subscribe to The News-Press • Join our reader panel • Printer friendly version • Email this article

"Don't let our mail service fall apart," read union picket signs carried by more than 150 U.S. Postal Service workers who marched Thursday outside the downtown Fort Myers post office.

The signs referred to a list of 139 mail distribution plants — including one in Fort Myers — that could be targeted by the U.S. Postal Service for consolidation. Operations at the facility off Daniels Parkway would be shifted to Manasota Processing and Distribution Center in Sarasota.

The move would lead to one- or two-day delays in mail delivery and the loss of the Fort Myers postmark, postal workers say. Roughly 300 to 400 people work at the Fort Myers plant.

Workers nationwide staged protests Thursday over the plan aimed at streamlining processing facilities. The postal service last year announced plans to consider consolidating 10 processing plants. Officials later expanded the list to include 40 plants, then 139 in documents filed in July with the Postal Rate Commission.

Although the Fort Myers plant appears on the latest list, postal service spokesman Gary Sawtelle said Thursday that the facility will not be closed.

"Our unions have every right to do an informational picket, and we respect that right," Sawtelle said. "But there are no plans to review Fort Myers at all; it won't happen. Could there be 20 years from now? Maybe. But as of now, it's not."

Jeff Cohen, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers, said his office is monitoring the situation.

"Every indication we have had is that the Fort Myers facility is not being looked at, but you can bet your bottom dollar that if that was to change, we would be wildly making the case for why it needs to remain in Lee County," Cohen said.

Lee County Commissioner Bob Janes agreed.

"If it were a real genuine emergency at this point, I would ask my colleagues if a letter of interest to the protest is in order, but it's not even under review at this point," Janes said.

"I can't imagine any of my colleagues, including myself, would support moving the (distribution plant) up there. But it is just very, very premature to lead that charge right now."

The American Postal Workers Union thinks the Fort Myers plant is under review, or else it wouldn't be on the list, said Mike Sullivan, president of the Suncoast area local APWU.

Sullivan said a proposal to merge St. Petersburg outgoing mail into a Tampa facility wasn't presented to the public until union members made it known. But Sawtelle presented a Dec. 15, 2005, letter to The News-Press showing the union and local officials were notified before anyone, and then the public soon after.

Jack Baldwin, who has worked at a post office in Key West for 20 years, was at the picket and fears Fort Myers will suffer what happened in Key West 10 years ago. The postmark there was eliminated so mail is trucked to Fort Lauderdale, at times delaying mail by two to three days, he said.

Consolidation would not mean a loss of jobs because of union contracts, but it would mean workers would have to move to Sarasota or some other Florida plant, union leaders say.

Lee County business owners are worried about the prospect of losing the Fort Myers plant.

"That would be very inconvenient," said Remy Fenelus, owner of Remy's Custom Design, which makes custom clothing. "And if it's not going to be here, it's not going to be nice for us. I send packages, letters to my customers, and I use it every day."

Anita Cereceda, who owns Local Color clothing boutique and Pier Peddler souvenir shop on Fort Myers Beach, said fast postal service is essential "because it's your reputation and your business integrity on the line. If you tell somebody, 'I'm mailing it out today, you should receive it in three days,' if they don't, people will give you a day here and there but after two days they're looking for it."

She said she uses the mail frequently because people often visit the Beach on vacation and then call back from their hometowns for orders.

The push to revamp postal service operations has been driven by a dropoff in the volume of first-class mail, such as letters and other single-piece stamped mail, as Americans turn to the Internet and e-mail for correspondence and to pay bills, order goods and file taxes. First-class mail dropped off from 103.5 billion pieces in 2000 to 97.9 billion in 2004, according to the 2004 postal service annual report.

— The News-Press staff writer Dick Hogan contributed to this report.

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