The U.S. Postal Service will consolidate its 461 mail-processing plants in phases, beginning with 140 through early 2013, followed by another 89 in early 2014.
The Olympia mail-processing plant is still proposed to be closed in the first phase and the Tacoma plant in the second phase.
“We revised our network consolidation timeline to provide a longer planning schedule for our customers, employees and other stakeholders, and to enable a more methodical and measured implementation,” Patrick R. Donahoe, postmaster general and chief executive officer of the Postal Service, said in a statement.
Although consolidations will begin this summer, no consolidations will take place between September and December because of the election and holiday mailing season.
The Postal Service expects its consolidations to save about $2.1 billion annually, but cut up to 28,000 employees.
rboone@theolympian.com
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