Sorensen, LaHood Urges Postal Service to Protect Jobs in Peoria
PEORIA, IL – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) and Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) are calling on the United States Postal Service (USPS) to protect jobs at USPS’s Peoria Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC). In a letter sent to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Sorensen and LaHood question USPS’s consideration of moving these jobs to the South Suburban P&DC in Bedford Park, Illinois which will hurt working families and may increase delivery times for residents.
“While we are pleased to hear that USPS is planning to invest in new equipment and upgrades to the Peoria facility, any proposal that would jeopardize timely mail delivery, diminish customer service, or risk local jobs is unacceptable,” the Members write. “Our constituents rely on the services provided by USPS, and our local postal service centers are important cornerstones of our community.”
Members of the Peoria community can provide public comment on this issue on Wednesday, February 21st at 12:00 PM at the Peoria Main Library located at 107 NE Monroe St., Peoria, IL 61602.
Read the full letter here and below.
Dear Postmaster General DeJoy,
As the elected Representatives for Peoria, Illinois, and surrounding areas, we write to you with serious concerns about the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Mail Processing Facility Review (MPFR) of the Peoria Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) facility.
As you know, the Peoria P&DC facility employs over 120 people. The potential decision to move good-paying, high-quality jobs from downstate Illinois to the South Suburban P&DC in Bedford Park, Illinois, will harm working families in our region and likely have a negative impact on the downstate economy.
While we are pleased to hear that USPS is planning to invest in new equipment and upgrades to the Peoria facility, any proposal that would jeopardize timely mail delivery, diminish customer service, or risk local jobs is unacceptable. Our constituents rely on the services provided by USPS, and our local postal service centers are important cornerstones of our community.
In order for us to better understand the potential impact on our constituents, we ask you to answer the following questions with a response by March 29, 2024:
- How many jobs and families in the Peoria area are expected to be impacted by these potential changes?
- What guarantees can you provide that moving operations to the South Suburban P&DC will improve efficiency and achieve quicker mail delivery?
- For employees unable or unwilling to move from Peoria to Bedford Park, which is over 150 miles away, what efforts are USPS taking to provide retraining programs or alternative opportunities within the postal service?
As you collect public comments, we urge you to consider the concerns we have heard from our constituents and local stakeholders about the potential impact on downstate Illinois jobs and mail service. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Eric Sorensen, Member of Congress
Darin LaHood, Member of Congress
Congressman Eric Sorensen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.
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