It makes sense to me that across the country the need for mail sorting lines would diminish with time, and the most economical practice would be to move some of the ones in good order to locations where broken or worn out ones went down.
Boston area postal employee here.My
facility does flats (magazines) and parcels (our main business) while letters go to another facility. 6 flat sorter
machines, one now taken apart while another is used only when necessary.
High speed letter and flat sorters are
used by USPS along with parcel sorting.
People mailing fewer letters. Bills
paid online.Birthday greetings expressed
on Facebook instead of via cards.
More delivery points but less volume.
Retiring employees either not replaced
(attrition) or replaced by new employees
with less pay, fewer benefits.
Overtime was sharply cut off but may be
restored.
I dispatch trailers.
Amer Postal Workers Union endorsees:
2016 Clinton (initially Sanders)
2020 Biden (initially Sanders)
We tend to keep politics off the workroom
floor due to Hatch Act but some of
my fellow employees do support Trump.
First class monopoly on letters.
Competition on other classes.
Cannot strike but can collectively bargain.
Mandate to fund retirements well into the
future.
Virus has hurt us re: business and some sick-outs but are considered essential employees.
Some mail from other facilities was shifted to us.
Calls to shut down local offices were met
by protests.
Universal service to every home instead of
“Drive 30 miles to pick up your mail”.
Less mail though.I took a trip for 6 days
but failed to “hold my mail”.When I got back my box had..one third class letter.