Buffalo's William Street mail processing facility will remain open for at least three more years, according to Senator Charles Schumer. Schumer says Postmaster General Patrick Donohoe informed him of the news this week.
Under a cost-cutting reorganization plan, the Postal Service wanted to shift processing work to a similar facility in Rochester, eliminating 700 local jobs and ending overnight local delivery. Mail sent locally would have been processed in the Rochester facility and then sent back to Buffalo.
But Schumer says recently-passed Senate legislation sets standards for mail delivery that prohibit the closing of centers that deliver overnight regionally. That could mean only a few dozen processing centers close nationwide, instead of the 252 originally proposed.
"How do you save money if I mail a letter in Buffalo to somebody who lives across the street from me [where] if they closed the Buffalo facility, that letter would have to be driven to Rochester, processed, and then brought back to Buffalo for delivery?," asked Rep. Brian Higgins, speaking to WBFO and AM 970 Thursday afternoon.
The Postal Service is struggling to close a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, but its plans to close Buffalo and other processing centers have met with widespread opposition nationwide.