The U.S. Post Office will close the mail distribution plant in Paducah sometime after May 15. The USPS announced the closure after a months long study on downsizing. The Postal Service is merging the plant’s operations with the Evansville, Indiana plant. Local American Postal Workers Union President Gerl McKinney says the loss of the Paducah facility will be bad for local businesses. He says,
“I really don’t think people understand how much it’s gonna cost them in extra time and probably late billing fees and things like that that are gonna happen. It’s gonna change the way a lot of small businesses do business.”
McKinney says the closing also means local postal workers will lose their jobs. He says,
“Best guess right now is the net loss of 35 clerk positions in Paducah, will happen, and probably 12 to 15 maintenance positions. So were looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 48-50 positions.”
USPS representatives say Union workers can transfer to other facilities, but with closures across the country those positions will be hard to come by.
