Union Gap Post Office may be closed

UNION GAP -- The U.S. Postal Service may close several of its branches in Washington by year's end, including one in Union Gap.

"We've been experiencing some very significant financial problems and are operating at a very significant deficit," said Ernie Swanson, a corporate communications specialist in Seattle. "We're looking at all sorts of ways to cut costs."

The Union Gap Post Office at 3514 Main St. is the only one in Yakima County being considered for closure -- at least for the initial round of cuts mandated by headquarters, Swanson said. Five other post offices have been identified in Spokane, Tacoma and Seattle.

Before any office is closed, Swanson said the Postal Service will commission a study to analyze the condition of the buildings, the number of daily retail transactions and the volume of mail that goes through the facility each day. The Postal Service will also review whether the level of business has changed over time.

"On the surface, it appears we could close the (Union Gap facility) and not have a significant impact on the community," Swanson said. "We're at the very early stages of this."

He said the Postal Service is trying to find ways to serve the public without making any significant or negative changes in service. If the Union Gap office does close, its employees would be transferred to other facilities.

It was not immediately known how many postal employees work in Union Gap. Calls to the local postmaster were not returned Friday.

Last year, the Postal Service lost $2.8 billion nationally, and this year, it could lose $5 to $6 billion, Swanson said.

As more people rely
on e-mail to communicate with friends and family and on the Internet to pay their bills, mail volume has steadily decreased. It is anticipated to decline by 12 percent to 15 percent this year.

The national recession also has had an effect on the volume of mail and packages, Swanson said.

The postal service study will take a few months to complete. Letters and surveys about the potential closure will be mailed this summer, and a town hall meeting may be scheduled in Union Gap and other communities, Swanson said.

Besides the closures, the Postal Service has enforced other cost-saving measures since 2008. They include readjusting carrier routes, removing collection boxes and reducing the number of times mail is collected at the boxes.

Through April, the Postal Service has also reduced its work hours by 50 million nationwide. Much of this was done by leaving vacant positions unfilled, Swanson said.

He noted that other Pasco and Seattle-area offices may close as part of separate cost-saving initiative.

"We're trying to do all
this without changing services to our custom-
ers. That's one of our
foremost considerations," Swanson said.

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 509-577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.