MANATEE — A controversial plan to move mail processing and distribution operations from the U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Manatee to Tampa is going to get another look.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan said Tuesday his office has secured an agreement with the USPS Office of Inspector General for a review of the postal service’s decision to cut 59 local positions and move processing operations to Tampa.
Buchanan was critical of the postal service’s announcement in March of the job cuts at the Manasota center on Tallevast Road. The postal service said a review revealed that moving processing to Tampa would save money and proposed to have the changes in place by April 2010. The announcement drew criticism from local union members as well as Buchanan, who criticized the lack of transparency in the studies. Calls to the postal service were not returned Tuesday.
Buchanan said the agreement with the inspector general’s office for an independent review of the plan will help ensure “no postal workers will unnecessarily lose their jobs or be relocated.”
The congressman also said the audit of the plan would ensure that service in the community would not suffer as a result of the changes. If the plan goes through, mail will come to the Manasota center, be sent to Tampa for sorting and sent back to Manatee for delivery.
“The community has a lot at stake,” Buchanan said in written statement. “This audit will help us determine if in fact the consolidation will save money and improve service. If not, it shouldn’t happen.”
An audit will be welcomed by local Manasota American Postal Workers Union members, said the branch’s president Jim DeMauro. He called local opposition to the plan “substantial,” saying union members in nine week gathered the signatures of 14,000 people opposed to the consolidation.
“I believe the inspector general’s office must see something there to audit this, because they don’t do it every time this happens,” said DeMauro. “I think they recognized the public opposition, as well as the lack of transparency in the study that led to this decision.”
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