USPS Proposes Consolidating Mail Processing To El Paso

The United States Postal Service has proposed consolidating mail processing to El Paso.

Members of the American Postal Workers Union are stamping this possible change with disapproval.

?Keep the mail here, keep the mail here,? was a chant heard Monday morning outside the main Las Cruces post office location.

Bottom line, picketers say consolidation would mean up to 300,000 pieces of mail, daily, would be trucked to El Paso, then back to Las Cruces for delivery.

“Las Cruces is going to lose its identity of a postmark,? Pat Reyes, president of the Local 402 American Postal Workers Union, said.

USPS spokesman Peter Hass disputed that, saying Las Crucens could still obtained the local postmark by simply asking for it at the Las Cruces post office. He told ABC-7 the intent in any of the changes proposed is to maintain the same level of service and mail delivery.

That is at the center of Reyes’ protest.

“The biggest concern is the service to costumer, and the delay of mail and getting them the very good service,? Reyes said. ?I don?t think we can actually accomplish that by having to do work over there in El Paso.”

Some residents say the mail is already slow enough, and this move could make it even slower.

“If it just makes things longer to get in your mail, or makes time longer, then I wouldn’t really approve of that,? a woman said.

Others say consolidation could do more harm than good.

“The mail’s already suffering because everything’s e-mail and online anyway, so cutting your services isn’t going to do any good if you’re trying to expand things, or survive,” a man said.

Reyes says she fears what the change could mean for local jobs and also says it is frustrating if Las Cruces has to depend on El Paso for yet another service.

“For any job openings to ever happen here in Las Cruces for the post office is almost, is just doesn’t exist anymore,? Reyes said. ?That’s very sad because anybody wanting to look for a job is not going to find it here.”

The consolidation is only being considered at this time.

A public town hall meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 8 at the Days Inn, located at 901 Avenida de Mesilla. It starts at 5:30 p.m.