Postmaster Louis De Joy plans to strip away and relocate many back-end functions, like sorting, early next year as the U.S. Postal Service seeks to consolidate some functions at larger buildings. The Andover Post Office is among the 200 affected nationwide. Under the planned arrangement, Andover postal carriers will have to travel to Woburn to pick up the sorted mail for delivery.
According to an executive of the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, De Joy’s purpose for creating Sorting and Delivery Centers is to reduce transportation and mail-handling costs, while providing postal customers with additional services. The idea is that this will allow for easier standardization and management of operations, while improving building and operating conditions for employees. However, this initiative actually burdens the carriers with additional gas expenses, commuting time, and stresses on their home lives.