Hickenlooper, Bennet Press USPS on Proposal to Consolidate Grand Junction Mail Center

Proposed plan could impact workforce and delay already slow delivery in mountain communities

'These changes must not negatively impact mail delivery speeds or add to existing workforce challenges.'

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet wrote to USPS Postmaster General DeJoy to express concerns about the recent proposals to consolidate the Grand Junction Processing and Distribution Center and the potential impacts on Colorado's workforce and mail delivery systems.

"We have serious questions regarding the recent proposal to consolidate Processing and Distribution Centers…" wrote the senators. "We are concerned that USPS's plan could impact local mail delivery when these delays occur, which is alarming when constituents already suffer from inconsistent and unreliable mail service."

The USPS proposal would redirect mail processing from Grand Junction to Denver and require the USPS to transport outgoing mail - including mail originating from and going back to Grand Junction residents - over 500 miles round trip, between Grand Junction and Denver for sorting.

In their letter, the senators also emphasized the impact the proposed plan could have on Colorado's workforce and called on the USPS to identify ways to promote workforce recruitment and retention.

To address the mail delivery and workforce concerns, Hickenlooper and Bennet asked USPS to consider the following questions:

• Has USPS outlined specific contingency plans to help workers from the various local processing centers safely navigate the routes to and from Denver in the event of inclement weather or other road hazards?

• How is USPS planning to overcome weather-related delays given regular inclement weather and other road hazards?

• How many households and businesses are currently served by the Grand Junction and Denver processing and delivery facilities? How many additional households will Denver serve under this new plan, including the households in Wyoming and Nebraska?

• What specific measures are USPS considering to help make sure the Denver facility is adequately staffed to accommodate the new incoming mail?

• What training will USPS provide personnel, including contractors and managers, if these plans are implemented, to ensure proper logistical processes are in place and to make sure workers maintain proper record keeping as the mail is transported between the local and regional facilities?

• How is USPS planning to ensure that there are no career-staff layoffs? Additionally, is USPS considering plans to help mitigate non-career staff turnover?

This letter is part of a continued effort by Hickenlooper and Bennet to resolve long-standing USPS issues and mail delays in Colorado. In December, the senators wrote to Postmaster DeJoy calling on the USPS to take immediate action to resolve persistent delivery issues across Colorado. The senators also invited Postmaster Louis DeJoy to tour a USPS facility in Colorado to see firsthand the ongoing service and delivery challenges that Coloradans experienced. In March, the senators met with DeJoy in person to discuss their concerns.

Find the full letter HERE.

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