Commissioner Phil Diamond (District 1) is warning that hundreds of jobs in Orlando could disappear, if the United States Postal Services (USPS) proceeds with consolidating the back office operations of the Orlando Florida Processing and Distribution Center near the Orlando International Airport, into the Mid-Florida Processing and Distribution Center in Lake Mary.
Diamond, who raised alarm bells on Monday said, he has written the USPS objecting to the potential consolidation of services and also to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer requesting that he gets involved to help save the jobs that could be lost.
“I object to, and request the Postal Service, not proceed with any such potential consolidation,” Diamond wrote in a letter to Paul Bernicchi, Manager, Consumer & Industry Contact, USPS. “If the Postal Service is not willing to cancel consideration of this potential consolidation, I request that the period to submit comments and information be extended …”
The Commissioner’s letter to Bernicchi cites several reasons why the study ought not to proceed and if it does, why the period for comment and information ought to be extended. These include, inadequate information on the proposed study, the harmful effects on businesses located in the area should consolidation take place, lost of 200 jobs from the consolidation and the associated negative effects on the city of Orlando.
Diamond said that, while he had attended a recent public informational meeting of the USPS to voice his concerns, “no one from Mayor Dyer’s office attended….let alone Buddy Dyer… and no comments have been received from the Mayor’s office about this (USPS) proposal.”
When contacted for a comment, the Mayor’s Office said, Commissioner Diamond’s letter was delivered yesterday and that “it is going through the process that all the Mayor’s mail goes through.”
