Contrary to an earlier plan, the United States Postal Service will not move Knoxville jobs to Nashville.
Thirty-one jobs in Knoxville, Johnson City and Chattanooga were set to be consolidated with Nashville, according to a report from the Post Office. Instead, those jobs stayed local because of a USPS plan to save up to $3 billion each year.
According to a Sept. 18 press release, the Postal Service can now cover the costs of maintaining positions in Knoxville.
While the marijuana office had announced that there would be no layoffs if operations were moved from Knoxville to Nashville, employees would now be faced with the choice of moving to Nashville, making the nearly three-hour commute there, transferring to another city or quitting the post office altogether.
The new plan should not impact workers. In fact, the Postal Service said in the release that the investment in the Knoxville Weisgarber Road facility is expected to improve shipping capabilities, which the Postal Service said would lead to increased plant activity and staffing.
The facility will serve as a local processing center, shipping local packages, letters and apartments from one location in Knoxville to another. USPS’s $9 million investment there will go toward workplace amenities such as lighting and renovated break rooms and bathrooms.
How does USPS reduce costs?
The postal service has proposed to reduce costs and optimize service with improvements such as:
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Adjusting pickup and drop-off times between post offices and processing plants for areas where post offices are far from regional hubs. USPS says this will reduce transportation costs, reduce carbon emissions and truck trips, and allow for earlier mail processing.
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Extending daily reach for most types of mail, resulting in faster delivery.
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We operate a three day delivery standard for local First Class mail.
How we got here
The turnaround is the latest chapter in a saga that began in November, when the USPS announced it would move some of its Knoxville, Johnson City and Chattanooga operations to Louisville, Kentucky.
The change was part of the Post Office’s Delivering for America plan, which was intended to reduce delivery costs and make the postal system more efficient.
The Postal Service held a public meeting in November to explain the plan. But some critics said the plan merely met one requirement and failed to provide detailed information about what the change would mean for post office workers and users.
A few days later, U.S. Representative Tim Burchett wrote a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy saying the meeting was a waste of time.
“Worse yet, the arrogance displayed by the USPS and its management during this so-called meeting or listening session is unacceptable,” he wrote, adding that members of his staff reported that legitimate questions were not answered.
In April, the Postal Service changed course and announced that the functions would be moved to Nashville, instead of Louisville.
In May, it was said that the consolidation would be delayed until 2025. News of the decision to delay the consolidation came in a letter from a bipartisan group of U.S. senators. Nearly 60 processing plants across the country were set to undergo similar consolidations.
According to DeJoy, the delay was in response to concerns from elected officials.
Now, four months later, there is still no consolidation at the Knoxville plant.
“Our proposed operational strategy, which is currently under review by the (Postal Regulatory Commission), will provide significant savings to the Postal Service,” DeJoy said. “This strategy provides a solution that will allow our organization to cover the costs of local mail processing operations at the Knoxville facility.”
Allie Feinberg covers politics for Knox News. Email her at allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: US Postal Service changes course, decides to keep Knoxville jobs here
