Cleveland, OH (September 16, 2009) – A representative of Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today delivered a letter to the Chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission Ms. Ruth Goldway.  In the letter, Kucinich expresses objections to closing local post offices without thorough discussion with the local community who would be most affected.  

September 16, 2009

Honorable Ruth Y. Goldway

Chairwoman

Postal Regulatory Commission

907 New York Avenue, Northwest, Suite 200

Washington, D.C. 20268-0001

Dear Chairwoman Goldway:

Thank you for holding field hearings about the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) plans to close post office branches in Ohio and elsewhere around the country.  I appreciate the Postal Regulatory Commission’s commitment to universal access to postal services and coming to Independence, in Ohio’s 10th Congressional District to hear from the people who will be affected by any post office closings.  

As you know, the USPS is considering 14 branch offices for closure in the Greater Cleveland Area, including 4 in Ohio’s 10th District. I have serious concerns about the process that the USPS uses to decide which branches will be closed.  

There is a history of a lack of communication between labor and management. Workers often see approaches to achieve more efficient operations in their work environment which management might miss.  Failure to effectively communicate with workers could blind the USPS to possible efficiencies and other improvements that would result in helping to keep branches open.   For example, the union leadership and USPS management recently had deep disagreements about the fate of the Airport Mail Facility (AMF), which was an excellent facility for handling mail.  It was only after my intervention at a Congressional hearing that the USPS agreed to keep the retail portion of the AMF Cleveland open.

I am also concerned about the effects of post office closures on those who depend on USPS universal services the most.  In particular, seniors and people of modest incomes are vulnerable because of their lack of access to transportation and the Internet. But when I raised concerns about the closures in a letter to Postmaster General John Potter, I received an August 20, 2009, reply stating that the Postal Service will not consider any demographic information about the customers that utilize the facilities under review.  I have enclosed the letter for your reference. We cannot protect universal access to essential services if we do not know who the facility in question is serving.

As the Postal Service moves forward with any plans to close local post office retail facilities, it must ensure that each post office and its relevant community are afforded a thorough examination of the impact on the people in their service areas.  In addition, I encourage the Postal Service to seek input from and work with local unions to ensure that universal access to the services provided to the local community remains intact.  

Please do not hesitate to contact my staff or me if you have any questions or wish to continue the conversation.

Sincerely,

Dennis J. Kucinich

Member of Congress

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