| Documents | ||
| Final MPFR (Redacted) | 03/06/2024 | |
| Union Notification of Results | 03/06/2024 | |
| USPS Stand Up Talk | 03/06/2024 | |
| Union Notification of MPFR | 10/30/2023 | |
| USPS Stand Up Talk | 10/30/2023 | |
| USPS Press Release | 10/30/2023 | |
| Public Comment Summary | 11/30/2023 | |
| Initial MPFR Findings | 11/21/2023 | |
| Notice of Public Meeting | 10/30/2023 | |
| Notice of Intent to do MPFR | 10/21/2023 | |
| USPS Stand Up Talk | 10/18/2023 | |
| USPS Press Release | 10/18/2023 | |
| NEWS | OPTIMIZED COLLECTION | REPORTING | FAQ |
03/06/2024 - The USPS has announced plans to move forward with operational changes at the Lehigh Valley P&DC. While the USPS has not finalized these plans, or announced an implementation date, it appears these changes will involve moving all originating mail operations from the Lehigh Valley P&DC to the Harrisburg P&DC.
The redacted Mail Processing Facility Review (MFR) indicates the USPS anticipate a reduction of 84 employees. This includes 29 Clerks, 10 Maintenance, 39 Mailhandlers, and 6 Management. There is no reported impact to the Motor Vehicle Craft, at this time. The USPS, considering anticipated PSE reductions, places the Clerk impact has been reported as nine (9) career employees. It is hoped that this impact can be achieved through attrition (retirements and voluntary transferrs) and would not require involuntary excessing out of the facility.
NOTE: This MPFR report is NOT an impact statement. The MPFR does NOT count as notification of involuntary excessing. If the USPS determines that employees will be excessed out of the facility, they must notify APWU Eastern Region Coordinator AJ Jones. If there will be involuntary excessing within the facility, from one tour to another, they must notify the Lehigh Valley Area Local President.
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Under the current process, mail collected at local post offices is transpoted to the Lehigh Valley Processing Center (P&DC) where it is cancelled, and sorted. Mail going outside the Lehigh Valley Area is sorted to 3-digit breakdowns (ADCs) and shippped out to Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Newark, and other destinating facilities.
Local mail is kept at the LV P&DC. Letter and flats and run through high-speed sorting machines separating the mail to individual carrier routes, or to carrier walk, or delivery point sequence (DPS). Carrier Route mail must be broken down further by the carrier at the local post office prior to delivery. DPS mail is ready to be delivered without the need for additional sorting by the carrier. Usual turnaround for local-to-local mail is 1-2 days from drop of to delivery. Local-to-local mail collected today, will be processed today and, in some cases, delivered locally tomorrow
In the morning, MVS drivers take mail to be delivered to the associate office. Leter in the afternoon, and after closing, drivers return to the associate office to pick-up the mail collected that day so it can be brought back to the P&DC for processing. Under Optimizaed collections all afternoon and evening pick-ups from retail offices would be eliminated. The mail collected during the day would sit, overnight, in the local post office and would not be picked up until the next morning.
The small Highway Contract Routes (HCRs) would feel the biggest hit from Optimized Delivery as their runs would be eliminated. The morning runs might be taken from the HCRs and given to our APWU drivers who would need additional routes if their evening runs are eliminated.
There has been some conflicting information about the scope of Optimized Collections. Some say it will be implemented in every post office. Other claim it will only apply to offices more than 25 miles from the plant and yer others say that the minimum distance is 50 miles. Regardless of the criteria, Optimized Collections will slow down the mail. There is no way you can convince me that letter mail sit, overnight, will speed up delivery.
It does appear the Congress is puching back on Optimized Collections. With the 2024 Presidential Election on the horizon, they are concerned about how this will impact mail-in ballots. There are rumors circulating that Optimized Collections may be pushed off until 2025, but those are only rumors at this point.
