Pickets hope to stop Postal Service plan

FLINT (WJRT) (WJRT) -- (10/18/07)- A post office picket has dozens of people braving today's wet weather in a show of support.

A plan to consolidate parts of the Flint post office operation with those in Pontiac could soon cost Mid-Michigan dozens of jobs.

"Why take something that's not broke and break it down and try to remold it and make it someplace else?" asked APWU Local 271 President Debbie Lutz.

"They've put their lives on hold for the Postal Service. And now they want to take them farther away from their children?"

Of course, that's one side of this one.

Those picketing share mainly two big concerns;  suspected delays in service  and the possibility of moving up to 100 workers to a mail-processing center in Pontiac.

USPS spokeswoman Shannon LaBruyere told us the plan may mean changes for some employees, but would lead to an overall benefit for customers. "The Postal Service understands that these kinds of issues are passionate. People feel very strongly about them," she said.

Nevertheless, it still boils down to business.  "The Postal Service has to look at how much mail volume we have and how much processing capacity we have and try to make those two amounts meet," LaBruyere said.

As for the picket, she called it an understandable reaction to a tough business situation.

The Postal Service hasn't reached a final decision. Managers will consider public comment through the first part of November, before moving forward with any plan to consolidate services.

You have your chance to weigh-in on this one.

The Postal Service will host a public hearing Monday, October 22, at 7:00 p.m., at the U-M Flint Northbank Center.

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