GAYLORD - Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, will not allow the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to minimize service in his district under any circumstances, said John Marcotte, president of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), Gaylord, following a meeting in Washington, D.C. June 30.

In January, USPS officials began an Area Mail Processing (AMP) survey tracking service and efficiency in the 497 ZIP code areas. The survey, which was finished at the end of April, needed approval at the national level. Officials proposed closing the Gaylord mail sorting department and moving it to Traverse City.

“My staff and I met last week with representatives from the Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union,” Stupak said Wednesday. “I expressed a number of concerns, including the importance of continued uniformity of postal service throughout northern Michigan.

“The Gaylord facility is vital to uniform postal service throughout northern Michigan,” he added. “I will continue to monitor the situation and will hold the (USPS) accountable for any changes in service that they may propose.”

Marcotte, a 12-year USPS employee, along with APWU Secretary/Treasurer Amy Owen of Gaylord, were invited to join Stupak in Washington, D.C. June 30. Lori Sheltrown, congressional aide to Stupak, and Tom Day, senior vice president of Government Relations, U.S. Postal Service, also attended the meeting to discuss the possible move.

According to Marcotte, Day agreed to give the results of the AMP study to Stupak, though he asked them not to be released to the public. According to Stupak's Press Secretary Alex Haurek, as of Thursday they had not yet received the AMP study.

While the USPS claims the change will save $320,000 to $340,000 in transportation savings, Marcotte claimed the savings are not related to Traverse City. Rather, Marcotte said Monday, the savings are the result of the USPS not driving to Iron Mountain to pick up mail which used to be processed in Gaylord.

According to Marcotte, the $150,000 the USPS will save by purchasing a new more efficient mail sorting machine, has nothing to do with the move from Gaylord to Traverse City.

“We've (Gaylord) been asking for one for five years,” Marcotte said. “We can't get one, but if they get our mail they're getting the new machine.

“It is cheaper to do mail here,” he contended.

In fact, he claimed, “It's going to cost more money to move to Traverse City.”

What will be affected is service and consolidating what Marcotte referred to as the “most efficient plant in the most efficient district in the Great Lakes area.”

Marcotte remembers when late mail was processed the same day and went out the next morning. Now, he said, Gaylord has to process the mail like Traverse City does and wait until the following day.

“I've seen first-class mail sit,” he added. “When I first started that was a no-no.”

According to Marcotte, Day said he'd look into the lowering of service in the 497 area and if it doesn't make sense, they (USPS) won't go forward

“I walked away confident,” said Marcotte. “He (Rep. Stupak) shook our hands and thanked us for being there.

“He led me to believe it's not another government thing they're going to ram through.”

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