The U.S. Postal Service says it’s scrapping a plan that would have moved Missoula’s local mail sorting operations to Spokane. Postal union workers are celebrating the announcement.
The postal service announced the plan last spring, saying moving Missoula’s local mail sorting out of state would save money and improve efficiency. But postal workers and Montana’s congressional delegation pushed back, and that led the agency to pause the plan.
Now, the postal service says it’s canceling the move altogether. Missoula American Postal Workers Union president Robert Hopp says his members are feeling optimistic, but cautious.
“I’m excited, and it’s good news for now,” Hopp told MTPR in a phone interview. “But, something could come down the pipe tomorrow and they scrap this whole plan and change it again, so that’s what’s scary.”
Hopp says the revolving door of federal administrations has left postal workers hesitant to let their guards down. The USPS had projected that moving outgoing mail sorting to Spokane could have led to eight layoffs at the Missoula facility.
In a news release, the agency says its new nationwide efficiency plan will result in $3 billion in savings without the need to make changes in Missoula. Instead, the agency promises to invest up to $12 million in the facility, including deferred maintenance, new amenities for workers and upgraded equipment.
