Fort Smith mail processing to move to Fayetteville

The U.S. Postal Service announced late Thursday (April 28) its decision to consolidate mail processing operations from Fort Smith to the Northwest Arkansas Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC) in Fayetteville.

Consolidation is estimated to result in 35 lost jobs in the Fort Smith area, and the process is expected to be complete in October.

USPS officials announced Dec. 3 they were studying the consolidation option. This marks yet another attempt by the USPS to close or consolidate the Fort Smith processing operation, which employs about 70.

During a lengthy and contentious public hearing held Feb. 24 in Fort Smith, Arkansas USPS District Manager David Camp said moving the operations to Fayetteville would save about $1.7 million a year and cause the relocation of 35 jobs. When pressed by community leaders and postal workers gathered at the hearing, Camp refused to explain how moving large volumes mail back and forth between Fort Smith and Fayetteville would cut expenses by $1.7 million.

“I question the credibility of the results,” Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders said in February of Camp’s research, adding that he “does not fully trust” a process that does not allow postal workers and community leaders to see Camp’s data until after the Dallas office has reviewed it and made a recommendation.

Sanders, contacted late Thursday, was even more frustrated with the decision because he and City Administrator Ray Gosack met Tuesday with Camp to provide more evidence about the need to keep intact Fort Smith’s operation. Sanders said he and Gosack explained that the 200 new jobs expected from Golden Living and the 600 jobs from Sykes will create more demand for postal services.

“We told him there would be increased, particularly with Golden Living, there would be increased billing and other things going out,” Sanders said. “We talked to Camp tuesday, and he gave no indication that any decision had been made and gave us the name of the individual to send information to about the new jobs.”

Sanders said the next step will be to review options for appeal, and move quickly on the options available. USPS Customer Relations Coordinator Leisa Tolliver-Gay said the decision announced Thursday is final, and no appeals are possible.

Sanders also said the issue would be front and center during a Washington D.C. Congressional visit planned for next week.

“We will definitely take this up with our Congressman (U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers), and also with Ross (U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott),” Sanders said.

Through his spokesman, J.R. Davis, Womack “expressed disappointment” that mail sorting operations are leaving Fort Smith. Womack said the only way the move will be a positive is if it truly does create “legitimate and meaningful savings.”

In the Thursday statement from USPS, Camp said the move would result in “significant” savings.

“Given the drastic 20 percent decline in mail volume the Postal Service has experienced since 2007, we must take action to reduce the size of our mail processing network. Consolidating operations and placing our people where we need them is necessary if the Postal Service is to remain viable to provide mail service to the nation,” Camp noted in the statement. “I understand our employees’ concern over this move, but the consolidation makes sense given the fiscal realities. The Fayetteville center has the capacity to handle the additional workload and we can realize significant savings by shifting operations there.”

Some employees may be reassigned to the Northwest Arkansas Processing & Distribution Center or to other vacant positions as a result of the move.

“This move will not cause any changes in local mail delivery,” said Camp. “Letters mailed to local addresses will be delivered the next day, the same as before. I am confident the transition will be smooth and transparent to our customers and they will continue to receive the same excellent service they always have.”

As a result of the consolidation, service to zip codes 722, 728 and 749 will change from overnight to 2-day. Service from the Fort Smith area will improve from 2-day to overnight for the 726 area.