Press Release from GOP Congressman Tom Petri, representing  Wisconsin’s 6th congressional district

In a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, Rep. Tom Petri called on the U.S. Postal Service to immediately halt the transfer of processing and distribution work from Oshkosh to Green Bay.

Concerned that the decision to close the Oshkosh facility was unjustified, Petri had asked the post office’s Inspector General to study the issue.  The findings, released July 29, found that cost savings from the move would be less than anticipated and confirmed suspicions of Petri and others that adequate capacity did not exist at the Green Bay facility in terms of floor space and machine capacity to process the additional mail.  The Office of the Inspector General “also found that service may be impacted, in direct contradiction to assurances I had received in a letter earlier this year from the former Lakeland District Manager,” Petri wrote.

“These findings have renewed my belief that USPS has failed to conduct a fair and well-rounded study that is based on merit,” Petri wrote.  “I understand the USPS is facing economic challenges and needs to operate in an efficient manner; however, any consolidation of facilities must be done in a fair and objective manner that results in what is best for USPS and the citizens it serves.  So, again, I strongly urge USPS to halt any further action on the consolidation of the Oshkosh facility until the USPS can clearly verify the legitimacy of the Oshkosh AMP (Area Mail Processing) study and the decision to close the Oshkosh facility.”