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Postal Service Considers Closing Processing Centers

DETROIT (WWJ) - The financially struggling U.S. Postal Service has announced that it is considering closing most of its mail processing centers across the country, including six in Michigan.

Detroit's Fort Street center is on the cut list.

WWJ Newsradio 950 spoke with American Postal Workers Union Detroit Area President Christopher Ulmer, who said the closure would be bad news for Detroit.

"That shuts down probably, I'm gonna say 2,000 jobs in the city of Detroit, 2,000 well-paying jobs in the city of Detroit," said Ulmer. "It affects all that commerce down in that area. It will be a devastating blow to the city," he said.

Ulmer said some workers at the Fort Street Post Office will retire and others may transfer to other centers.

Without these processing centers, Ulmer said the USPS will no longer be able to offer first-class, next day delivery.

"They want the right to let it take three days to get there, which we think destroys the service," he said. "It's a race to the bottom, not a race to the top. We should be improving service and increasing our efficiency."

The other processing centers in Michigan on the list for possible closure are in Lansing, Kalamazoo, Jackson, Saginaw and Iron Mountain.

The postal service has been forced to downsize because of a drastic decline in customers.  Saturday serivice may also be eliminated.

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