HAMPDEN – Starting this week, the U.S. Postal Service has shifted some of its mail processing from a local plant to one in southern Maine in an effort to improve efficiency and reduce costs in a sagging economy.

Employees and union representatives at the Eastern Maine Processing and Distribution Facility, however, are concerned that the change will mean less work – and, consequently, fewer workers – in Hampden.

At question is what is known as “standard class flat mail” for ZIP codes that begin with 044, 045, 047 and 049, which has been processed in Hampden for at least the last 10 years. Now, that mail is being sent to the

Southern Maine Processing and Distribution Center in Scarborough.

Tom Rizzo, a USPS spokesman for Maine, said in an e-mail sent Friday that the USPS facility in Hampden is a newer and more state-of-the-art facility better equipped to sort more efficiently.

“We will continue to review opportunities to consolidate duplicate operations at Eastern Maine with operations at the Southern Maine plant,” Rizzo said.

Richard B. Reed Jr., president of the Bangor Area Local 536 of the American Postal Workers Union, wrote a letter that was sent to a number of its customers indicating that the switch will adversely affect mail delivery.

“The mail is shipped by truck between [the two facilities] and the extra travel time would add an automatic one day to the delivery process in the best-case scenario,” Reed wrote. “The employees here at EMP&DF do not feel that is in the best interest of the customer.”

Reed also wrote that the changes are likely to result in layoffs at the Hampden plant. Several attempts to reach Reed by telephone this week were unsuccessful.

Rizzo was not specific when addressing potential job losses.

“Any decisions regarding career postal employees will be made in accordance with our collective bargaining agreements. Employees will be repositioned into other jobs as a result of the mail consolidation activities and in accordance with the collective bargaining agreements.”

A letter from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins to U.S. Postmaster General John Potter showed her concern about shifting some processing to southern Maine, including delays in mail delivery and job levels at the Hampden facility.

She urged Potter to consider carefully, saying the changes could mean “costly delays throughout Central, Eastern, and Northern Maine. Although the USPS maintains that these changes will result in little or no delay, local business owners who have first-hand experience with similar modifications believe delays could reach 3 to 5 days.”

“These extensive delays would be expensive and impractical for both businesses and individual customers,” she said.

Collins cited the Bangor Chamber of Commerce as an example. She said the Chamber experienced “significant delays” in the delivery of its monthly newsletter when the publication was processed in Scarborough rather than in Hampden. She said the delays can prevent the approximately 1,100 businesses who use the newsletter from receiving time-sensitive material soon enough to act on it.

Rizzo said he understands that there may be frustration about the changes.

“We must abide by our collective bargaining agreements with the unions representing our employees,” he wrote. “Appropriate notification and discussion was and will be provided with the union leadership. Any decisions regarding career postal employees will be made in accordance with those agreements.”

Irvine Marsters Jr., president of the Bangor Letter Shop, also recently sent his own letter to U.S. Postal Service brass and members of the Eastern Maine Postal Customer Council, a group he used to co-chair.

Marsters said service already has deteriorated for many Eastern Maine customers and he was particularly disappointed that local representatives were not contacted before decisions were made by USPS.

“Suffice it to say that there is an increasing disconnect between the USPS district representatives and the business community in Eastern Maine,” Marsters wrote.

Hampden Town Manager Sue Lessard said the town first heard about the change in a letter from the union president, which she thought was strange.

“I’m not sure we would have known otherwise,” Lessard said this week, although she admitted that she wasn’t surprised that the postal office didn’t notify town officials. “We aren’t happy that they are going to move processing. I’m not sure how it makes sense to send mail down to southern Maine only to have to send it back.”

Rizzo said the USPS would continue to monitor business conditions and look for additional opportunities to increase efficiency of processing.

erussell@bangordailynews.net

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