Canton to keep post office jobs

CANTON (AP) — A proposal to move about two dozen post office jobs from Canton to Akron may get a “return-to-sender” stamp.

Canton Area Local Postal Workers’ Union President Carmine Russo said he has learned that U.S. Ralph Regula, a Navarre Republican, was able to pass legislation that would keep the jobs in Stark County.

A provision in the fiscal year 2008 budget bill directs a congressional review of the Postal Service’s Area Mail Processing consolidation plans for several locations nationwide, including Canton. That plan had called for relocating some of the work from Canton to Akron.

“It’s like Christmas came early for us,” Russo said. “We feel very confident that the GAO investigation will reveal that the $1 million savings that the post office claims it will get by consolidating the Akron and Canton facilities is not accurate.”

Regula, who is retiring in January, said he was happy to try to keep the work in Canton.

“This legislation will protect the postal workers in Canton well into 2008 who are understandably concerned about their jobs should a consolidation plan move forward. We now have a window of opportunity to either stop consolidation or to find a more acceptable alternative,” Regula said.

The proposed move was part of a two-year mail proficiency study by the Postal Service. The study determined the sorting work could be done at a cost savings in Akron where a larger center is located.