Local mail processing centers gain time
Canton Repository – The U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday that it will not close or consolidate any post office facilities, including its processing centers in Canton and Akron, until at least May 15.
The announced moratorium is the result of an agreement with a group of about 17 U.S. senators, which includes U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Avon. Brown’s office said the senator, on a conference call today, will discuss details of the agreement and the legislation he plans to introduce to restore the Postal Service’s finances.
In September, the Postal Service said it would study whether it should shut down its Canton mail processing and distribution facility on Cleveland Avenue NW and move its operations to Cleveland to save money. It says doing so would affect 138 jobs, though postal unions say the figure doesn’t include dozens of other workers at the plant.
Postal Service spokesman David Van Allen said the study is expected to be finished in January, and it wasn’t yet clear when postal officials would decide whether to shutter the Canton facility. He said the Postal Service is on track to lose $14 billion this year.
In addition, Brown’s office said the Postal Service is considering closing the Northeast Waterworks post office in Canton at 1930 Spangler St. NE.
