Your mail service

The story, “Mail processors picket over changes” (BDN, Nov. 15), portrayed the people holding the informational picket in front of the Bangor office of the U.S. Postal Service as disgruntled employees. The picket was not about jobs or pay, it was merely a way to bring to the attention of the public what is going on with their mail service. Tom Rizzo, the U.S. Postal Service representative, spoke eloquently of outstanding service scores on service tests performed by an independent source. What Mr. Rizzo failed to mention is that the mail that is tested is treated differently than the regular mail.

It cannot be disputed that Eastern Maine Processing and Distribution Facility and in turn the postal customers are receiving their mail late from southern Maine. As the signs held by the pickets stated, we feel service should come first. The distance the mail has to travel to be processed in Scarborough vs. Hampden makes good service to the customer impossible.

In regard to the most recent decision by the USPS to send Saturday’s mail to Scarborough, Mr. Rizzo stated that it was a more modern facility. It is in fact a newer facility, but the machinery used to process the Saturday mail is the same machinery that Hampden has. It isn’t a matter of speed or efficiency; it’s a matter of volume. The Maine District USPS needs the volume of mail to justify its new facility so service takes a back seat.

Richard B. Reed Jr.

president, Local 536

American Postal Workers Union, Bangor