TULSA, Okla. — Postal workers union members picketed outside a south Tulsa post office Oct. 1 to advocate improving conditions for workers and customers alike.
Several union members in attendance told 2 News a recent U.S. Postal Service announcement keeping current jobs at the Tulsa mail processing center and modernizing equipment was misleading.
- Previous coverage >>> USPS mail sorting to stay in Tulsa, no longer moving to OKC
"They are still downgrading it to a (Local Processing Center) where it'll be just a packaging processing center. The mail is still going to go to Oklahoma City," APWU Tulsa Area Local 1348 President Julie Weare said. "We'll still have less equipment at our facilities so (we'll) have less jobs at our facility."
Tuesday's demonstration outside the South Sheridan Road post office location was part of the APWU's "Day of Action" across the country.
Tulsa mayoral candidate State Rep. Monroe Nichols also showed up to take part after a half-hour. Members told 2 News they invited both candidates. 2 News left 90 minutes prior to the demonstration's scheduled end.
One of those picketing was Debbie Cottrell, who last spoke with 2 News in March during a public meeting opposing mail processing in OKC.
"I was a current employee with USPS (for) 35 years," Cottrell said. "After I did the meeting, I feel as if I was targeted... I feel as if they gave me undesirable jobs so I retired onMay 31."
"I'm here today to stand for the people who still have a job there," she added.
A USPS spokesperson addressed the demonstration Tuesday:
"We respect our employees' rights to express their opinions and participate in informational picketing while off the clock."
Wednesday morning, USPS sent an updated statement:
"Through our Delivering for America investments, we have built capacity into our processing, logistics, and delivery infrastructure to meet customers' evolving mail and package needs. We are executing on strategies to pull together the people, technology, transportation, equipment, and facilities into a well-integrated and streamlined mail and package network. We have worked hard in the past three years to stabilize our workforce. We have converted more than 191,000 pre-career employees to career status since January 2021."
Cottrell said she has a warning for mail customers in Green Country. "We have a bad wrap already for our service. It's not gonna get any better," she said.
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