Update on Management's Network Modernization Plans

(This article first appeared in the March/April 2023 issue of The American Postal Worker)

As previously shared, management’s planned network changes consist of two main aspects: 1) creation of larger carrier delivery units with package machine sortation capacity, called Sortation and Delivery Centers (S&DCs), and 2) creation of approximately 60 regional sort centers (including realigning many of the current BMCs to regional sort centers and expanding and/or reconfiguring a number of existing processing plants).

Management is continuing to move forward with their plans, although needed concrete information requested by the union, including any impact on staffing and potential excessing, has not yet been forthcoming -- in violation of the National Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The APWU has continued to engage in meetings with HQ management, including craft specific meetings. The union leadership’s goal is to protect our jobs, keep dislocation of and inconvenience to our members to a minimum, and protect and improve service to the public. The union has received some positive “verbal” commitments and is working to secure a written framework agreement.

As of the writing of this article in early February only two S&DCs are up and running – Athens, GA and a specialized package delivery unit in Brooklyn, NY. More S&DCs are scheduled to open in the coming months. Atlanta, Richmond, Indianapolis, and Charlotte are the management targets for the first regional processing facilities. The union has not received any official notification when these regional centers will open.

Our union contract affords employees vital protections – no lay off protections, limits of 50-mile excessing (only if sufficient duty assignments can’t be identified within 40-miles), and timely notification to the APWU Regional Coordinators of any excessing events (which must include proper supporting documentation to support the excessing event).

Update meetings will continue to be held with all the national officers and locals directly affected by these management changes.

As the network modernization plans come more into focus, information will continue to be shared in future editions of this magazine, the APWU website, and other means of communicating directly with our members. ■