Proposed changes at Missoula post office ignite criticism, concern (2024)

A U.S. Postal Service review of Missoula’s mail-processing facility has sparked local concern about the potential move of some work to Spokane.

Opposition to the proposed transfer, including from Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines, drew a response from the USPS seeking to “dispel myths” about the review ahead of a public meeting on Friday.

“There are mistruths and false narratives regarding the improvement and investment the Postal Service has proposed at the Missoula facility,” wrote Jeffery A. Adams, USPS vice president of corporate communications, in a letter released last week. “The fear that mail service will be adversely affected is wrong. Most local mail travels out of state, and local-to-local mail will stay within the current two-to-three-day delivery standard.”

The review is still underway and no final decisions have been made, Kim Frum, USPS strategic communications specialist, said in an email. Community members can learn more about the proposal and provide comments during a meeting at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 15, at the DoubleTree by Hilton at 100 Madison St., in Missoula. The public can submit comments online through March 30 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/mpfr-missoula-mt.

In January, the USPS announced it would evaluate Missoula’s Processing and Distribution Center as part of its 10-year Delivering for America plan, which outlines a complete overhaul of the processing network. The review includes considering whether moving some mail processing from Missoula to Spokane would increase efficiency, according to a press release on Jan. 10.

The USPS expects retail service and acceptance of bulk business mailings at the Missoula facility to stay the same, and changes would not lead to the layoffs of career employees, the release said.

Tester and Daines wrote to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in February, expressing concerns that moving processing out of Montana would lead to job losses and delivery delays.

“I share the concerns that Montanans have voiced in response to this review and oppose any plans that would reduce workforce, capacity or delivery standards for Montanans,” Tester wrote. “I urge you to immediately halt any proposal to move Missoula operations to Spokane and refocus efforts on improving delivery standards in rural America.”

“While I appreciate the efforts of the USPS to modernize and improve services, I urge you to maintain existing operations at the Missoula [processing and delivery center] as part of any future plans,” Daines wrote. “Rerouting mail to a facility over 200 miles away will likely lead to increased service delays, decreased customer satisfaction and job losses in Missoula.”

On Feb. 26, the Postal Service released the initial results of its review, which support renovating the Missoula facility into a local processing center and moving some mail processing to Spokane, according to a press release. The USPS provided few details of how much work would be transferred but stated “a significant percentage of locally collected mail will travel across the wider USPS transportation and processing network over considerable distances to reach its final destination in a more efficient manner.”

A USPS document released on March 6 gave additional details, including expected layoffs and costs to convert the Missoula facility. Transferring mail-processing operations to Spokane would lead to the layoff of an estimated eight employees, the document said.

Once converted to a local processing center, the Missoula facility would sort incoming mail and continue other “destination” operations, according to the USPS. The postal service plans to spend $10 million to $15 million in renovations, deferred maintenance and infrastructure for new electric delivery vehicles.

Over the last two months, members of American Postal Workers Union Local #113 have raised concerns about what the changes could mean for Missoula workers and the local mail service. At the Missoula City Council meeting on Feb. 26, current and former employees, along with some residents, spoke out against moving processing to Spokane.

“It’s over 200 miles, three and a half hours on a good day and two mountain passes away. How this will improve mail delivery standards, one can only imagine,” said Shawn Harding, a Missoula USPS employee and union communications specialist. “If USPS management’s Delivering for America plan is executed, how much longer will it take for our businesses and citizens to receive crucial deliveries via U.S. mail?”

Harding asked for the mayor’s and council’s support and encouraged people to show up to the public meeting on March 15.

A week later, the council unanimously passed a resolution supporting mail processing in Missoula and opposing plans to move the work out of state.

“It not only keeps jobs here in Missoula, but it really has a huge impact on how quickly mail will be delivered,” said Gwen Jones, Ward 4 council member, during the meeting on March 4. “There are some very vulnerable populations that rely on efficient mail delivery for receipt of and payment of bills or medications, all sorts of important things.”

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