QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) -- The Quincy Mail Processing and Distribution Center will close by February 2013 under a new plan announced Thursday morning.
The U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead with cost cutting plans to close more than 200 mail processing centers, saying it can no longer wait for Congress to decide how to cut postal costs.
The Quincy facility has around 60 employees, who will be offered early retirement or jobs elsewhere in the region.
Operations from Quincy will be moved to Springfield, Illinois under the new plan.
The agency will consolidate 140 mail processing centers, including Quincy's, within the next year, including 48 this August. Most will occur next January and February, after the busy election and holiday mail season. Click here to see the full list of processing locations to be consolidated by February of 2013.
Another 89 closings would occur in 2014.
Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe says postal operations are simply too big given declining mail volume.
The Postal Service had previously planned to close 252 mail processing centers beginning this summer but was awaiting congressional action.
With Congress stalled over a bill, the mail agency say it is moving forward, but now over a longer timeframe.
Senator Dick Durbin spoke on the floor of the United States Senate regarding the status of postal facilities in Illinois following the Postmaster General's announcement that the Postal Service would begin the process of consolidating approximately 140 processing facilities across the country. Durbin pledged to continue work to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service offers the best possible service in Illinois and across the country while being fair to its employees throughout the consolidation process.
"Though I am glad that the Postmaster General listened to my repeated calls to keep Illinois jobs and Illinois mail in Illinois, I am extremely disappointed that the Postmaster General has chosen to close so many mail processing facilities in Illinois that have repeatedly proven their efficiency," said Durbin. "For nearly a year, I have been working in Congress to come up with a plan that would save Illinois from the worst cuts originally planned by the Postal Service, keep jobs in our state and help the postal service adapt to current economic realities. I believe we did that in the Senate. The House can still act on this bill and they should. The Postmaster General has assured me that as this process moves forward, every employee will have the opportunity to pursue another role with the Postal Service or accept early retirement incentives and that no facility will be completely closed before the end of the year. I wish more could be done, but without House action, we are at the mercy of the Postmaster General," Sen. Durbin said.
