Tulsa’s mail sorting facility is on the chopping block again as the U.S. Postal Service resumes a consolidation plan.
Tulsa Postal Workers Union President Charley Mose said the problem is a federal law passed in 2006 requiring the postal service to fund retiree health care well in advance.
"They gave us 10 years to fund that for 75 years in advance," Mose said. "We're paying approximately $5.5 billion a year to fund that. Other than that, we've made a profit every year."
A round of closings from 2012 to 2013 saved $865 million a year. The postal service estimates this round will save another $750 million a year.
If the closings continue as planned, Tulsa’s plant would be closed by next October. Arlene Sanchez with the postal service said local mail going across the state for processing is normal.
"There's mail that goes from the Oklahoma City plant to Tulsa every day," Sanchez said. "Yes, right now there is mail that is processed in Tulsa that is local, but there's also mail that's processed in Oklahoma [City] that's local to Tulsa that they get every day."
From 2012 to 2013, the postal service closed 141 facilities nationwide. In this round of consolidation, 82 will close.
