USPS Jobs In Limbo After Abilene Mail Processing Center Set To Close
By: Gina Benitez
Updated: February 24, 2012
News of Abilene's mail processing facility closing has people like Gary Henderson concerned.
"With the time frame on that, it's still a big question mark," says Henderson.
Henderson is an independant contractor who delivers mail. Although he's not technically an employee of the United States Postal Service, he believes he may soon be out of a job.
Henderson says, "When? I don't know. I think it eventually will happen."
An exact date of the closing hasn't been announced. However, studies have been going on for about 5 months around the country and with most of those results in, the decision was made.
Arlene Sanchez, a representative from the Postal Service says, "Everybody is pretty disappointed. This is a really good plant with excellent employees."
She says it was a necessary change to keep the USPS afloat. 135 jobs will be affected, but that doesn't mean everyone will be laid off. Employees belonging to a union have labor agreements that will be followed.
"We don't want anybody to lose their job here. We're a huge family, we're a huge team. And there are opportunities," says Sanchez.
The closure won't prevent you from getting your mail, but it's possible it will arrive a little later than normal.
Sanchez says, "If you mail a letter in Abilene going to somebody in Abilene, it's going to get there overnight. If the service standard changes, that letter will take two days to get to Abilene instead of being overnight."
However, in the current state of the economy, Henderson has something else on his mind.
Henderson says, "It's a shame that our country is not able to retain jobs."
"With the time frame on that, it's still a big question mark," says Henderson.
Henderson is an independant contractor who delivers mail. Although he's not technically an employee of the United States Postal Service, he believes he may soon be out of a job.
Henderson says, "When? I don't know. I think it eventually will happen."
An exact date of the closing hasn't been announced. However, studies have been going on for about 5 months around the country and with most of those results in, the decision was made.
Arlene Sanchez, a representative from the Postal Service says, "Everybody is pretty disappointed. This is a really good plant with excellent employees."
She says it was a necessary change to keep the USPS afloat. 135 jobs will be affected, but that doesn't mean everyone will be laid off. Employees belonging to a union have labor agreements that will be followed.
"We don't want anybody to lose their job here. We're a huge family, we're a huge team. And there are opportunities," says Sanchez.
The closure won't prevent you from getting your mail, but it's possible it will arrive a little later than normal.
Sanchez says, "If you mail a letter in Abilene going to somebody in Abilene, it's going to get there overnight. If the service standard changes, that letter will take two days to get to Abilene instead of being overnight."
However, in the current state of the economy, Henderson has something else on his mind.
Henderson says, "It's a shame that our country is not able to retain jobs."
