New USPS Plan Could Keep Local Offices Open

A new plan could keep small town post offices open despite big service cuts in the U.S. Postal Service. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe says the plan would modify office hours in rural areas to match customer demand. 

Previously, as many as 3,700 rural post offices were slated for closure or consolidation beginning sometime after May 15. Local Postal Workers’ Union president Gerl McKinney says he doesn’t think the new plan will affect anything other than office closings. He says,

“As far as I know, the Paducah processing plant is still slated for its consolidation but smaller offices like Murray… they will probably cut back on the part time hours that are used in the office.”

McKinney says that means people who are used to seeing two customer windows open during the day may only see one. He says offices might also have shorter workweeks. The USPS now plans to seek regulatory approval for the new plan and get community input, which could take several months.