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Outside of the Springfield post office on East Cook Street, over 100 members of the American Postal Workers Union marched on May 3 with signs outside calling for information transparency about the future of Springfield’s distribution center and the future of the postal service across Illinois.“We know what we’re prepared for and what we have to work on now,” American Postal Workers Union Springfield branch president Johnny Bishop said. 

The fate of Springfield's Package Distribution Center

Springfield residents had until April 10 to fill out a survey to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to voice their opinion on the changes before the USPS changes would start. 

During the picket line, Bishop said National Postal Mailhandlers President of the Springfield branch, Jeff Bridges, was informed impacted numbers were in for the Springfield distribution center, but the actual number was not given by USPS.

More:Central Illinois residents may soon see increased delays in receiving their mail

Springfield’s mail processing and distribution center has been a hot-button issue for central and southern Illinoisians who will be impacted by the proposed changes from the United States Postal Service. The changes, part of the decade-long plan, would send have local mail sent from Springfield to St. Louis, Missouri, to be sorted and processed. The processed mail would then return over state lines back to the inbox in Illinois. 

The plan would change 58 processing and distribution centers into smaller local processing centers, including Springfield’s distribution center. 

At the picket line, union workers from across the state shared their passion through signs and chants to "Dump DeJoy" and protect the importance of local mail service.

“I hope the postal service will go back to the negotiation table and realize the impact that it’ll cost (Illinois),” Local 0001 Chicago APW member Michelle Elliott said. “It’s not that easy to just jump up and relocate, because you have to think about your homes, your doctors and your kids in schools.”

Springfield is farther down on the list to find out the future of where central Illinois mail goes, and city officials are still waiting to receive an answer.

“We have not heard anything,” Springfield Chief of Staff Mike Disco said. “A letter has been sent and legislators have sent letters too to Postmaster General DeJoy.”

State legislators are working against the changes proposed by the USPS.

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, with Reps. Eric Sorensen, Mary Miller and Nikki Budzinski cited the life-threatening situations Illinoisians could face because the USPS is trying to save money in a letter to Postmaster General DeJoy.

On May 1, Illinois Comptroller Susana citing concerns of the downsizing of Springfield’s distribution center would affect important documents like checks and taxes. In the letter, Mendoza continued that without analysis to ensure there would be no delay in packages, the shift should not happen.

“My office sends out about 11,000 checks a day to home health care workers, childcare providers and other state providers and vendors,” Mendoza said. “Even a one-day delay could cause serious hardship for these providers and businesses.”

Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher, Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, and nine other Springfield alderpersons also rebuked the proposed changes in March.

More:'Shortsighted' plan to change mail process in central Illinois draws ire of residents

'It defies logic'

The postal service said the two-day delivery will not be affected under the proposed new changes, but some are questioning the efficiency of the changes.

“The (USPS) changed the delivery standards,” Illinois Postal Workers Union President Bob Gunter said “Why did they add another day onto delivery – if this is such a good deal and is going to get the mail delivered faster. They know the mail isn’t going to get delivered faster.”

USPS also asserts that the changes going into effect will save the company between $1.7 to $2.2 million annually with the plan with no layoffs but job "impacts"; instead at the Springfield location, 18 jobs will be “impacted” by these post changes in the local office. 

“I really feel the United States postal service is truly an an American treasure,” Gunter said. “They’re going to move the mail to St. Louis two hours away and sort the mail – then bring it back another two hours and try and tell us that’s going to be more efficient? The mail is going to be delivered faster? We know that’s not true. It defies logic.”

Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for the State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@gannett.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted