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Staples Won't Be Post Office Destination In Michigan

DETROIT (WWJ) - It first drew the ire of postal workers across metro Detroit and the country last winter, and now, it appears Staples will not be going ahead with the planned opening of some 1,500 postal outlets in its stores nationwide.

One of the issues at hand for unionized postal workers was that Staples office supply chain of stores had no plans to employ postal workers at the postal outlets within their stores.

Regina Favors, legislative director with the American Postal Workers Union in Detroit, spoke with WWJ's Jon Hewett about the decision.

"The plan was to put it in all of their stores, which would be to our detriment, taking postal jobs but using it and not using postal employees to do it," said Favors.

Favors believes the change of heart from Staples stems from a recent referendum from the American Federation of Teachers Union to boycott the store chain as part of the proposed deal.

She says the outcome is a win-win situation.

"Their gaining business and we're keeping our job," Favors said.

Staples will, however, be maintaining some 80 postal outlets used during a pilot program in four states last year -- which will now remain open as part of a Post Office approved "shipper" program.

In April, mail carriers gathered in protest in Clawson and Dearborn, holding an informational protest to voice their opposition to a plan to put postal counters in over 1,500 Staples stores nationwide.

They gathered carrying signs that read, "Don't Staple My Mail."

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