Post office delays consolidating Knoxville processing services to Nashville
The United States Postal Service is delaying the consolidation of some of its Knoxville mail processing services to Nashville until 2025.
The change is part of the post office's Delivering for America plan, which will slash delivery costs and make the postal system more efficient. Operations from local processing centers - including Chattanooga, Johnson City and Knoxville - will be consolidated into large regional centers. In this case, that's in Nashville.
USPS predicted in a release that 32 Knoxville positions will be moved.
News of the decision to delay consolidation due to concerns came in a letter from a bipartisan group of U.S. senators. Almost 60 processing plants around the country were set to undergo the similar consolidations.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the delay is in direct response to elected officials' concerns.
The change will be seamless for customers and the Weisgarber Road main office will remain open.
Delay stems from elected officials' concerns
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, raised concerns about the consolidation and what he described as an "unsatisfactory" informational meeting between USPS representatives and community members.
Burchett wrote a letter to DeJoy saying the meeting was a waste of time.
"Worse, the arrogance on display by the USPS and its management during this so-called meeting or listening session is unacceptable," he wrote, adding that members of his staff reported valid questions were not answered.
Other Republican representatives from East Tennessee, Chuck Fleischmann and Diana Harshbarger, joined Burchett in a letter asking for final plans for the Knoxville, Chattanooga and Johnson City mail centers.
Postal workers were unhappy with changes
Post office employees are frustrated their jobs are moving. A USPS news release said there would be no career-level employee layoffs, but Steve Hutkins, the founder of the Save the Post Office worker advocacy group, told Knox News in January the claim is a technicality.
The consolidation means employees at Knoxville's processing and distribution center on Weisgarber Road could face the choice to move to Nashville, commute almost three hours there, transfer to another city or quit the post office altogether.
"That's what (USPS) is counting on," Hutkins said. "(Employees) will just have to leave and (USPS) will be able to say, 'We didn't lay anybody off, but unfortunately people decided they didn't want the job.'"
Evelina Ramirez, a USPS spokesperson, declined to confirm to Knox News how many employees would have to make that choice. A report from postal service administrators says they will work closely with postal unions.
Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnewsws.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Post office delays moving Knoxville processing services to Nashville
