The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

May 18, 2012

Mankato mail-processing center to lose work force

North Mankato post office gets reprieve--for now

By Tim Krohn Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — The U.S. Postal mail-processing center in Mankato is officially slated to be all but shuttered by February 2013.

The facility has been targeted since last summer as part of a massive consolidation effort and the Postal Service this week issued its final official list of 140 facilities to be consolidated.

The building will continue to be used by the USPS, but most of the about 100 jobs will leave Mankato.

A mail-processing clerk at the top of the wage scale earns about $53,000 a year, and overtime opportunities can drive wages higher.

“The building will be used as a transportation hub and some limited processing and as a business mail entry unit,” said USPS spokesman Peter Nowacki.

“But the sorting, the bulk of the jobs and the bulk of the work, is moving to Minneapolis,” he said.

The same fate is hitting similar facilities in St. Cloud and Rochester.

While the processing facility’s fate is sealed, the North Mankato post office has gotten a reprieve — at least for now.

“There are no plans at this time to close the North Mankato office,” Nowacki said.

 He said studies to close some post offices have been put on hold.

As for employees at the mail-processing center, Nowacki said many will have the opportunity to bid on jobs elsewhere or for the remaining jobs in Mankato. He said the USPS is also in talks with the union to create a retirement incentive plan for some employees.

“In the past 10 years, the Postal Service has reduced jobs by 240,000 and has been able to avoid layoffs. We’re hoping to do that in Mankato.”

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