MILAN, Ill. — Local USPS employees and community members are speaking out against potential changes to the Milan processing and distribution center. On Tuesday, Feb. 6, the Postal Service held a community feedback meeting on its mail processing facility review.
Proposed improvements include $6 million for new sorting equipment and facility renovations. The point of contention is the possibility transferring some mail processing operations from the facility in Milan to Des Moines.
"Changing the distribution center and sending it to Des Moines, it doesn't make sense. Bring the mail to us," 40-year mail handler Ken Bragg said. " On our facility we work, we get the job done. And that's the difference, we care," Bragg added.
USPS says no career employee will be laid off due to the changes, but some attendees voiced concerns about employees being relocated.
"You guys stressed that there's not going to be any layoffs, but you're underplaying the reassignment of employees," mail handler Murielle Weeks said.
"Also, something that they're not talking about is whether or not Des Moines, who's already got delayed mail, are they equipped to handle all of our mail in addition to the mail that they already have? I do not believe that they are," Weeks said.
USPS says efficiency could increase by transferring a large portion of mail to Des Moines. Former USPS employee Bob Evans thinks the system is already bad, and this would only make things worse.
"My sister is elderly, she uses a walker," Evans said. "She's gotten mail four times last three weeks. My old boss is probably having a cow because he used to say 'it's the United States Postal Service.' We're not giving anybody service anymore," he added emphatically.
Two other points were brought up by community members, as well as Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati. The first one was that 2024 is an election year, and Rayapati questioned if it was smart to send mail-in ballots from Illinois to Des Moines, and then back to Illinois.
The other point was that many people get their prescriptions by mail, and some worried that sending mail to Des Moines first will delay deliveries, potentially creating a health concern
No decision on changes has been made yet. The Postal Service says it could publish the findings of the review in as early as a few weeks.
For those who aren't able to attend the in-person meeting, written comments can be left for the USPS here. Comments must be sent in by Feb. 21.
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