GAYLORD - Hoisting signs and handing out flyers, members of the local American Postal Workers Union (APWU) protested potential Postal Service consolidation plans they believe could cost the area jobs and delay mail delivery.

About 20 union members stood outside the Commerce Boulevard post office Thursday as part of an APWU nationwide day of picketing. Similar pickets took place at more than 100 locations nationwide, said Amy Owen, secretary/treasurer of the local APWU.

The issue stems from an Area and Mail Processing (AMP) Survey of potential consolidation of the local processing and distribution center with Traverse City by the USPS.

Union members marching outside the Gaylord branch said they fear such consolidation will lead to closing of the center. Customers overheard expressing concern on the issue were advised to contact Congressman Bart Stupak's office.

The picketers are convinced any closing would have a negative impact on the community by taking good-paying jobs out of the area's struggling economy.

Acting Postmaster at the Gaylord Branch, Bob Cherwinski, confirmed approximately 80 of the 120 post office employees work in the processing and distribution center. Cherwinski directed other questions regarding the issue to the Jim Mruk, spokesman for the USPS Great Lakes Region.

"There are no plans to close that center," said Mruk. "We're looking at if there are any operational efficiencies that can be had by moving (processing and distribution) to Traverse City."

According to Mruk, no decision has been made.

"The study is still under review at our national headquarters in Washington, D.C. Before a decision is made we have to have a public input process, meaning we'd have to schedule a meeting in Gaylord for public comment on the proposal. No such meeting has been scheduled," he added.

Local APWU President John Marcotte believes the USPS has let the issue drag on much longer than required by the USPS to address the AMP, which he said began in December 2005.

"The timeline to complete this was in July. They had 30 days after June 30 to make a decision," said Marcotte.

Mruk said the study has been reviewed at district and regional USPS levels, but national review is not complete.

Marcotte contends the outcome of the study to close plants was engineered by USPS headquarters a year before the study.

Political pressure to eliminate such excess processing has thrust the Gaylord location into the issue, when the focus should be on metropolitan areas, said Marcotte.

"They have a lot of excess capacity in the Post Office in large metropolitan areas. They're under pressure to consolidate," said Mruk. "They pick a lot of little places that would be easy to shut down so (the USPS headquarters) can say they did something."

Despite the fact the study is still under review, Marcotte believes actions by the USPS indicate the processing and distribution center could be closed. He pointed to the practice of hiring "casual" employees - who have restricted work years, are paid hourly and draw no benefits - and failure to replace equipment here as such evidence.

Also befuddling Marcotte is his claim the USPS's payout of nearly $700,000 to settle grievances filed by the union for hiring casual workers instead of full-time employees with the money going to career employees the union represents.

"Whatever money they are saving by not hiring they just flushed away," he asserted.

According to Marcotte, the last "career" employee hired at the Gaylord branch was in 2000, heightening employee workloads. Owen said there have been no layoffs due to a no-lay clause protecting the union members, but that casual employees are hired in lieu of full-time workers when vacancies open.

"I feel terrible for these workers. They are working side-by-side with full-time employees and getting paid about half as much with no benefits," said Marcotte of the approximately 20 "casual" workers at the Gaylord branch.

Stupak: Postal Service study ‘fatally flawed'

GAYLORD - Congressman Bart Stupak was not available to comment on the issue prior to the Herald Times deadline, but his press secretary provided a copy of a letter Stupak sent to Tom G. Day, the Senior Vice President of Government Relations with the United States Postal Service. The letter followed a July 26 meeting where Stupak discussed the Area Mail Processing (AMP) study being conducted with regard to the Gaylord mail processing facility.

In the letter Stupak wrote:

"After reviewing the preliminary AMP Study and speaking with USPS representatives, I remain convinced that the current AMP study is fatally flawed, and fails to reflect the real costs and consequences of relocating the mail processing operations at the Gaylord facility."

"Based on the serious problems which have occurred throughout the AMP process, I think it is clear that the Gaylord AMP study is not a credible assessment and should not lead to any reduction in work or staff at the Gaylord facility."

Stupak lists factors he believes the study does not consider, which would favor the Gaylord facility:

· Gaylord's record of efficiency as reflected by USPS's own records, indicate Gaylord averaged 1,296 mail pieces per hour compared to the Traverse City facility averaging only 1,019 from 12/05 to 6/06. The letter states these numbers translate to higher payroll costs for every piece of mail delivered.

· Deliberate decisions to understaff Gaylord and deny the post the latest equipment despite the existence of under-used Advanced Facer Canceling System (AFCS) downstate. "Gaylord has been denied a level playing field, and is now being judged in an unfair, "apples to oranges" comparison."

· Previous changes made without benefit of the AMP study which suggest to Stupak a deliberate effort to undermine Gaylord's position in advance of the assessment.

· Postal customer needs to take priority in any realignment and currently the majority of Northern Michigan enjoys one-day service made possible by the "efficiency of the Gaylord facility."

· Stupak also wrote that, according to his understanding of USPS regulations, the Postal Service must complete the AMP process within 180 days. The letter initiating the Gaylord AMP study is dated Dec. 19, 2005 meaning the time limit has passed without any decision - a result Stupak believes is out of compliance with USPS regulations.

Press Secretary Alex Haurek could not verify if Stupak had received an official response to the Aug. 1 letter but said the congressman was assured by the USPS there will be a public meeting before any decision.

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