BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The United States Postal Service has released the initial findings of its Mail Processing Facility Review (MPFR) for its facility on William Street in Buffalo.
The USPS announced that as part of a $40 billion investment strategy to "upgrade and improve the Postal processing, transportation, and delivery networks," it is conducting an evaluation of operations and potential future uses of its Buffalo Processing & Distribution Center.
"This specific facility review will inform the best allocation of resources and strategies to improve customer service and to achieve significant cost savings through operational precision and efficiency," USPS said in the review.
In addition, USPS said the review "was initiated to evaluate what role the facility will take in the redesigned postal network and to assess potentially moving some of the mail processing operations from the Buffalo P&DC to the Rochester P&DC in Rochester, NY."
The initial findings from the review include:
Facility Future
- The William Street facility is currently a Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC), the review supports keeping the facility open and modernizing it as a Local Processing Center (LPC).
"The Buffalo LPC will be a critical node to the unified movement of mail and packages across the regional processing and transportation ecosystem in a logically sequenced manner and will benefit from the expanding services the Postal Service plans to deploy to increase its revenue and enhance its role in this community. The facility will offer expanded and streamlined package processing and distribution capabilities in the local market and new workplace amenities for USPS employees," the review says.
- The USPS would invest between $25 million and $35 million into the LPC to prepare it to serve "as an important contributor to operations in today's economy and far into the future."
- The business case supports transferring mail processing outgoing operations to the Rochester Processing and Distribution Center.
- The consolidation of the William Street facility from a P&DC to an LPC may allow it to be collocated with a Sorting and Delivery center (S&DC).
Postal Employees
- The USPS says there will be no career employee layoffs as part of the initiative.
"The numbers presented here reflect data available as of October 6, 2023, and are subject to change until the completion of the facility review. Our ongoing analysis will include quantifying the time it will take to refurbish the facility and prepare it for the services and functions as an LPC and quantifying the appropriate workforce necessary to efficiently staff the LPC. We expect that the increase in these services and functions may require additional employment positions which could mitigate some of the reductions identified below," the review says.
- 18 craft and 3 management positions are projected to be eliminated once the initiative is completed, due to the transfer of outgoing operations.
"All bargaining employee reassignments will be made in accordance with the respective collective bargaining agreements," the review says.
Estimated Cost Savings
- The USPS says it is projected to save $2.5 million to $3.3 million annually once the initiative is complete.
| Annual Transportation Savings | $1.0M - $1.3M |
| Annual Maintenance Savings | $830K - $1.1M |
| Annual Mail Processing Savings | $420K - $550K |
| Annual Management Savings | $270K - $360K |
Local Customer Considerations
- The USPS says that retail and other services currently available will not change, business mail acceptance will remain the same, a local postmark will continue to be available at retail post offices, delivery times of mail to residences and businesses should not change because of the review.
Commercial Mailers
- The USPS said mailers who presort mail will continue to receive appropriate postage discounts and mailers who drop ship to a Destination Sectional Center Facility (DSCF) can expect no changes, if the MPFR is approved.
This is a story that 7 News brought you earlier this month when Rep. Brian Higgins issued the following statement regarding the Mail Processing Facility Review (MPFR):
“Make no mistake, moving operations from Buffalo to Rochester will result in delayed mail, job cuts, and diminished services. That means late packages, prescriptions, and checks for Western New York businesses and residents. The United States Postal Service is trying to sneak this by Buffalo. We will fight to preserve operations and services at the William Street mail processing facility and we need the community to join us.”
In 2011, USPS included the facility on a list of closures and Higgins fought against the closure. In May 2012 the Postmaster announced the facility would remain open.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is also calling on USPS to provide answers on "the potential impact of such a move to Buffalo’s mail service, postal workers, businesses, and community."
“Let me be perfectly clear: any plans to alter operations at Buffalo’s William Street Postal Facility that would undermine local mail service or create undue hardship on our dedicated postal workers should immediately be stamped ‘return to sender.’ We need full transparency from the USPS — ASAP — about any new proposals to alter mail operations so all stakeholders can assess their potential impacts. Western New Yorkers rely on the mail for daily life, whether it be for packages, letters, checks, prescription medications, or communications with loved ones, and the public and our local postal union workers deserve and need full transparency from USPS. Given what we have seen in the past as a result of USPS’s proposal to consolidate processing facilities, including previous plans to close this facility in 2011, which I helped stop, there is good reason for serious concern this could negatively impact mail service for Western NY. So, Attn. USPS, because this is addressed to you – community service, community input, and the needs of our workers and the top tier mail service in Western NY need to come first, no excuses.”
Just last week, local elected leaders and the local postal unions were calling to "Save Our Service."
“That we don't want that processing and distribution center moved from William Street. We want it kept right where it is,” declared Dave Grosskopf, president, National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 3, Buffalo.
“Make no mistake, they want to close this,” said Congressman Higgins. “This nonsense about keeping part of the facility open, or certain functions in there, this is the first step toward an elimination of that facility in the great tradition that has here in Buffalo in Western New York.”
“Part of the problem is the lack of transparency by the postal service. We came across a list back in August that listed Buffalo as having mail sent to Rochester. The postal service denied the existence of that list from August until about a month ago,” explained Frank Resetarits, president, American Postal Workers Union, Buffalo.
“The public needs to understand the loss of that processing center and how it will literally decimate your mail service here in Western New York,” described Grosskopf.
A public meeting was scheduled for January 31 to discuss the initial findings of the review but the USPS postponed the meeting.
The meeting has been rescheduled and will be held on February 27 at 6 p.m. at the Creekside Banquet Facility at 2669 Union Road in Cheektowaga.
You can submit written comments at the following link through February 15.
You can find the full initial findings on the USPS website here.
