Is the Dallas Main Post Office about to close?

yykg0b, says:

Once again, the union (APWU) is trying to incite the public in an issue that does not have merit. The two facilities are less than 20 miles apart. The NTX facility is a newer facility with a greater capacity for mail processing and has room for expansion (if needed). When the NTX facility was built, the volume trend in Dallas and the surrounding cities was growing rapidly and the capacity of the Dallas plant to process mail was being taxed. Due to a downturn in the economy and the corresponding drop in mail volume and the increased efficiency of the automated mail processing equipment the need for two facilities so close together is not warranted. As far as a predicted degradation in service, this is another union generated lie to place fear into the hearts of the public. ZIPS 750 through 753 and portions of 754 falls within the overnight service goal of the USPS. The belief that the combining of the two facilities could cause delays in the processing and delivery of the mail is ludicrous. Want the APWU is TRULY concerned about is the potential loss of union member due to the displacement of their members to other crafts within the USPS. With the loss of members comes the loss of dues for the union, OH WELL. What may people do not realize is the APWU has a no lay off clause for any of their members that pass the 90 day probationary period. As the APWU members are displaced (excessed), they have the opportunity to move into different crafts (jobs) within the Post Office. So, the bottom line is the APWU is afraid of loosing membership dues. Their members will have the opportunity to change crafts in order to remain the part of the postal family. APWU, why don't you try telling the WHOLE truth for once instead of your version that is designed to raise the public outcry and keep money in your coughers?

gregad1325, says:

yykgob Its just like mgmt to blam everything on the union it sounds like you dont touch the mail but still make over 60,000 grand a year... if you want the truth i'll give you the truth...the postal service doesn't have any more new employees and everyone knows how to do their job,,,yet we still have all these managers sitting around trying to justify their jobs by harrasing the people who do the work...why dont you do us all a favor and quit and at the same time take the other 60,000 non mail handlers with you then maybe we wont have to close shops around the country

Shopsteward11030, says:

Responding to yykg0b:

There are several errors in your comments which would lend me to think that you do not even work for the Postal Service. There is a layoff off protection clause in the contract but it is after 6 years of service not 90 days. Clerks can not specifically be excessed into the letter carrier craft. Letter carriers nationwide are going through route reviews due to the loss of mail volume. Routes are being condensed and lengthened, thereby eliminating carrier positions. That will leave an excess number of carriers that will be dealt with through attrition, which leaves no room for clerks to be placed.
The larger problem seems to be that 30% of the workforce in the postal service makes nearly 50% of the payroll and never touch the mail. The Postal Service is top heavy and needs to reduce managerial numbers. In the last ten years the postal service has eliminated 150,000 craft positions while management ranks grew by 10%!! There currently are 7 employees for every manager service wide. That is an atrocious number is needs to be brought in line. The other issue is the restraint that congress has applied to the USPS regarding pre-funding of retiree healthcare costs. This comes to about 5 billion dollars a year. Meaning last year the postal service would not have lost any money and this year the projected loss would be minimal. The reduction of workhours and the increase in performance have been excellant, but there is much to be done. It must start with congress (the house of representatives will this week pass HR 22, releaving this requirement for 3 years) and postal management must be pared down in line with the number of employees. The unions have been saving the postal service from itself for years and will continue to do so. Contact your Congressman!!!

Granny, says:

So this ISN'T about the mail after all. It's about the unions.

PaleWriter, says:

Hmmm? I would think the City Fathers would be interested in the Tax revenue they will lose if the facility migrates AND Unions lose jobs?

Don't think me prudish when I consider the vile disregard Postal misManagement has for the livelihood of their underlings.

Nor does the USPS care for your business. If you want a stamp go to a kiosk.

Have you considered why Postal Officials intentionally backlog queues in local offices by not properly staffing window clerks to 'streamline' customers away?

There is NO shortage of window clerks.

misManagers shuffle them out of sight doing nonsense jobs to purposely make you wait in line. They then claim under-staffing knowing you'll fall for it hook, line and sinker.

Reality? The PO doesn't want (and they think they don't NEED) your business.

The Post Office cuddles up to mass mailers without any regard for the American Institution they have inherited and are caretakers of.

You have a right to get angry.

Granny, says:

Interesting. We're obviously in different time zones. I can't imagine standing in line at a post office: I haven't done it for years. I print out postage at home, and buy stamps online as well. The stamps are delivered to my door in a day or so.

Maybe my experience is part of what's happening throughout the system: more and more of us have no need to go to the Post Office.

tdog10, says:

It seems like the bigger issue that we can all relate to is the loss of a major employer to Coppell... why isn't the Mayor all over this one?

joe55, says:

To the poster who said that all APWU members have lay-off protection after 90-days, this is simply false. Read Article 6, paragraph 2 of the contract. Six years of service are required. The postal unions are in the fight of their lives to protect the jobs of these workers. What few people realize is the elimination of Saturday delivery would result in one of the worst wave of layoffs in US government history.

dms3dallas, says:

Closing the Main Post Office on DFW Turnpike might not be a bad thing. They could turn the property into a great RV park with indoor parking. This might give the US Post Office a chance to reinvent itself into an efficient organization.

spdracer, says:

While at the main Richardson PO several months ago, I heard that the main Dallas PO was going to be shut down. The clerks also believed that many PO workers were being transferred to distant offices to try and accelerate the attrition.

I’ve always viewed the PO as more of a community service than a for profit business. I think the PO provides some threads of connection within a community or neighborhood, particularly where the mail-person walks from home to home.

For me the PO is still the most convenient way to mail most of my packages. I also appreciate the fact that my mother can still walk to her neighborhood office and buy stamps and mail letters.

I’ve made my share of trips downtown late at night to mail a gift or pay a bill. I’ve always been surprised by the number of patrons late at night. I think the loss of the Main Post Office would be another step in the wrong direction. And I seriously doubt that even the most efficient organization could deliver mail to almost every address in the country 5 or 6 days a week and still make a profit in this economic down turn.

LateNightLarry, says:

@Jesus Valadez - "I have to stand in line because of that retarded rule of "no packages over 13 ounces" in the drop boxes"

Jesus, you can blame Homeland Security for that rule, not the USPS. It actually only applies to mail that can move by air, Priority Mail, not media mail, but some clerks don't take any chances.

Personally, I don't think the rule makes a whole lot of sense, because 12 ounces of any high-powered explosive can do some serious damage to a plane. Thirteen ounces will just do a bit more.