MISSOULA — The United States Postal Service (USPS) made the decision earlier this year to move Missoula postal operations to Spokane.
U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) convened a press conference in Missoula on Wednesday, May 29, to announce his latest efforts to combat the USPS decision.
United States Postmaster Louis DeJoy has temporarily halted the plan to relocate Missoula’s operations to Spokane.
DeJoy signed a letter on May 9 to U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), agreeing to pause the movement of processing operations associated with the Mail Processing Facility Reviews until at least January 1, 2025. He also committed to informing senators of any future plans regarding these moves.
Sen. Peters, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has been actively opposing mail consolidation in his state, much like Sen. Tester in Montana.
Sen. Tester raised concerns about the USPS plan when reviews began in January. He subsequently wrote a letter to DeJoy in February, expressing doubts about the benefits for Montanans.
On May 2, Sen. Tester proposed a new bill — the Protecting Access to Rural Carriers for Every Location (PARCEL) Act — that would legislate specific requirements regarding mail processing operations.
- Local processing centers cannot be moved out of state.
- USPS must conduct geographical reviews of mail delivery routes before any changes.
- USPS must seek public input before making any alterations.
“The decision would not have stood up under any of those three criteria,” Sen. Tester affirmed at the press conference on Wednesday. The primary concern from the public and postal workers is the impact on rural mail services if operations were moved to Spokane.
While USPS claims that the change won’t affect mail delivery times, Sen. Tester remains skeptical. He believes the standard delivery format would be impacted by the distance to Spokane.
American Postal Workers Union Local 113 President Robert Hopp, who also spoke at the press conference, conveyed the current concerns of postal workers in Missoula.
“The plan is not received well locally, and we keep communicating this, yet they persist,” Hopp remarked. “The situation is disheartening, especially for newer employees at risk of losing their jobs.”
Hopp expressed optimism due to the backing of Sen. Tester, the Missoula City Council, and the community.
Missoula City Council President Amber Sherill, a speaker at the event, highlighted the resolution passed in January urging USPS to reconsider the move after listening to the worries of postal workers.
“We depend on these services and the jobs they provide in Missoula,” Sherill emphasized.
While USPS stated that career jobs would remain unaffected during the transition, there was no mention of part-time workers. Regardless, Sen. Tester and Hopp remain cautious about trusting Postmaster DeJoy.
“I believe DeJoy is a lost cause,” Sen. Tester commented. “I don’t think he is truly aligned with the best interests of the United States Postal Service.”
Both Tester and Hopp advocate for expanding postal service locations, hiring more staff, and investing in rural mail services to enhance the USPS business.
“I think the postmaster wants to degrade the service until it’s essentially non-existent, but it needs improvement,” Hopp added. “We used to have guaranteed overnight delivery, but all that has been gradually eroded. We are heading in the wrong direction.”
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