The Postal Service has announced that it reduced the number of retail stations and branches it is considering closing to 413.
Mail volume is projected to be down this year by 20 billion pieces over 2008 and USPS said it has removed over $6 billion in costs in 2009.
Cost cutting efforts as the USPS moves toward a $6.4 billion loss for fiscal 2009 have included cutting over 100 million work hours – about 57,000 positions, halting construction of new postal facilities, closing six district offices, route adjustments, a hiring freeze, reducing staffing levels, selling off redundant facilities, adjusting work hours, consolidating mail processing operations and freezing executive salaries.
The American Postal Workers Union is cautioning members that the number of facilities being considered for closure remains in flux, citing a USPS release filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission saying that the list of 413 "does not represent a final decision."
According to that filing list is a "subset" of about "750 stations and branches that, as of September 2nd, remain as candidates for discontinuance review."