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Ongoing Changes and Improvements

Ongoing Changes and Improvements
By Bobby Bock
NAPS Southeast Area Vice President

Over the past 42 years, I have seen firsthand the transformation of the Postal Service. As of now, one major transition is from letters to parcels. This transition necessitated changes in how parcels are processed, shifting from manual labor on conveyor belts to using advanced machinery to move parcels through the system. Additionally, changes have extended to the reconfiguration of postal plants and networks, with a notable move toward mega Regional Mail Processing Centers.

One such facility, the Palmetto Plant, is located outside Atlanta and spans approximately 1.2 million square feet. Since its opening, the plant has faced numerous challenges; addressing the issues in Atlanta has been one of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s priorities for some time.

During a recent Zoom meeting, I was brought up to date on Atlanta’s service issues and was told current problems mainly pertain to incoming mail. I am personally familiar with these issues—Priority Mail sent from my home in central Florida took six days to arrive in Atlanta. Hopefully, these issues will be fixed sooner rather than later.

Regarding delivery, the agency is rapidly transitioning to Sorting and Delivery Centers (S&DCs). The integration of various crafts into these centers is relatively straightforward. The process is more uncertain, however, for EAS employees. These employees are given selection sheets to choose their new positions, hours and days off, generally based on postal seniority and veteran preference status.

Additionally, the new fleet of postal vehicles is beginning to roll out to the S&DCs. It is of the utmost importance to ensure the protection and maintenance of this fleet in order to support the Postal Service’s ongoing improvements.