Reps. Schiff, Chu and Mayor Bogaard Urge U.S. Postmaster General to Reconsider Closing Postal Center

Hundreds attended a press conference at Pasadena City Hall about the pending closure of Mack Robinson Postal Center. -Photo by Terry Miller

Representatives Judy Chu (CA-32), Grace Napolitano (CA-38) and Adam Schiff (CA-29) held a press conference at Pasadena City Hall Monday evening to urge U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe to reconsider his decision to close Pasadena’s Mack Robinson Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) and the City of Industry P&DC. The three Congressional leaders were joined by Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, local leaders of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), union representatives from American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and the Letter Carriers Union, as well as postal employees and local business owners who will be adversely impacted by the closings. The three Congressional leaders released the following statements:
Rep. Judy Chu told the hundreds gathered “I am deeply troubled by the pending consolidation of the Pasadena and City of Industry mail processing facilities. Not only are the livelihoods of postal workers being turned upside down, but our small businesses and economy will be hurt by degraded mail services. I have consistently and strongly fought these mail processing center closures in our area and this is truly a sad development.”
Adama Schiff, who has been a long time supporter of union postal workers said “Today, we joined together with postal workers and community leaders to express our deep disappointment with the USPS’s short-sighted decision to close the mail sorting facilities at Mack Robinson. The closure of mail processing facilities in Los Angeles and across the county will result in the losses of thousands of good-paying jobs and impair the efficient delivery of mail. I will continue to urge the Postmaster General to refrain from this destructive course, and develop a more sensible and comprehensive solution to USPS’s poor financial health. It’s my hope that the out crying of strong community support for Mack Robinson might halt their plans.”
U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe announced plans in May to consolidate Pasadena’s Mack Robinson Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) and the City of Industry P&DC, jeopardizing the livelihoods of hundreds of local employees and threatening the timely delivery of mail throughout the entire region. According to the USPS plan, the Pasadena facility’s mail processing capacity will be dramatically reduced this summer through so-called “limited consolidation activity.”
Chu, Napolitano and Schiff have been outspoken advocates for the preservation of both the Mack Robinson and City of Industry’s P&DCs. The two facilities service countless local businesses and act as major arteries for shipments throughout Southern California.
-Photo by Terry Miller

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