Congressman Poe’s Statement on Beaumont Postal Facility Closing
Beaumont, Texas, Apr 20 -
Through Rain, Snow, Sleet and Darkness of Night
Yesterday my office began receiving calls regarding the closure of the Regional Encoding Center (REC) in Beaumont. My staff immediately went to work to inquire if the impending bad news was in fact true. When my office attempted to obtain information from the US Postal Service (USPS) regarding the alleged REC closure, none of the high level postal representatives admitted to being aware of plans to close the facility. It appears the decision to close the REC occurred with little or no notice to the community.
Today, I have sent a letter requesting a straight answer from the USPS. The talk on the street is that the REC would be closed in November of 2007 as a result of a drop in productivity, caused by Hurricane Rita. The Beaumont REC has consistently been ranked as one of the top ten facilities in the country due to the efforts of more than three hundred career employees and five hundred temporary employees – reason enough to keep it open.
I am strongly opposed to closing this facility. I have been working to keep the REC open since the first rumors started making the rounds last March. I spoke with the USPS and they said they would keep us informed and I expected them to keep their word.
In May of 2006, I signed a letter with other Members of Congress asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to make changes in the realignment procedures of processing, distribution and bulk mail centers. A GAO report showed that stakeholder input was not being adequately considered. A failure to keep the public informed seems to be a pattern of the USPS.
Then in June, my office again communicated with the USPS when rumors resurfaced and we were advised that there were no plans to shut down the operation. Again, we were promised to be kept in the loop.
I am extremely disappointed with the failure of the USPS to keep community stakeholders, including those who work for postal facilities, informed of plans that will affect them. I believe the citizens of Beaumont deserve an opportunity to voice their grievances when decisions that could lead to cutbacks or changes in mail service in Southeast Texas are made.
The USPS bureaucrats in Washington, who make decisions that affect jobs in the community and the mail service, have a duty to communicate with the people and get public input before they close the Post Office doors in the darkness of the night.
April 21st, 2007 at 8:49 am
So,whats your next step?
April 22nd, 2007 at 12:36 pm
I think it is a shame that the Postal Service doesn’t care any more than this about it’s employees. There are hundreds of people and families that this will affect, and it seems no one is fighting for them. Maybe what needs to happen is a complete change in management. If there are problems at the REC doesn’t it seems to follow that the problems would begin at the top?
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:52 am
Tough Shit!!!!!!!
April 24th, 2007 at 4:45 am
The congressman mentions that the Beaumont REC is consistently in the top 10 - I am assuming in productivity. However, there are only 10 RECs remaining so although this sounds wonderful, it means nothing.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:24 am
All Remote Encoding Center employees–and especially transitional–know when they are hired the job is not 100% permanent and that the job may be gone tomorrow.
Congressman Poe, obviously, knows little about Remote Encoding Centers. While I agree the USPS is notorious in not communicating with employees or stakeholders properly, he and his cohorts in congress need to know what they are talking about before they make statements that are inaccurate and soapy.
There are two super RECs: one in Salt Lake City UT, the other in Wichita KS. There is no such thing as a regional encoding center. Both Salt Lake City and Wichita process images from all over the nation and even these two may not be kept open. If one works at a REC, the job is not secure. If a REC has pi$$ poor management like Wichita, the REC is in danger of closure.
April 27th, 2007 at 8:29 am
The USPS did not tell anyone at the beaumont Rec that there would be no jobs available in this area because of the hurricane Katrina transplant’s. Employees of the REC will be about 500 to 750 miles away from our community if we accept the jobs that they are offering with the exception of a few employees. Seems the USPS could have taken that into consideration.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
We did know that it was a temporary situation, but why Beaumont and why now? Our area has spent the past year and a half recovering from Hurricane Rita and we don’t need this added stress of losing our jobs. Many REC employees came back to work within two days of the storm & lived in homes without electricity (which means no A/C in 100 degree weather), no water, no gasoline available, standing in line between shifts for ice and food, etc., in order to keep the REC up and running. This kind of dedication should speak volumes about our determination to be the best. I feel we warrant and have definitely earned the right of being one of the last two RECs to stand. Obviously, the authorities in DC don’t care about that. Eenie meenie, miney, moe, which REC should be next to go. Throw a dart at a map……it’s BEAUMONT!!
Also, what they don’t tell anyone when they are offered a PTF position is that if the REC closes the job we may be offered may be in a facility that only guarantees 2 hours per day, one day per week, and that’s IF the postmaster or manager puts us on the schedule that week. When offered the position of PTF, we’re told that if the REC closes we are guaranteed a position within the postal service, but hide the real truth. Some people gave up full time jobs elsewhere to take the position with the belief they would have a steady schedule elsewhere if the REC closed.
May 6th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
It’s Earl’s Fault. Always was, Always will be.
May 8th, 2007 at 10:42 am
We all knew that it was temporary, and yes, it does seem like a crap shoot on who goes next. Just be thankful you had them this long. Ours closed 2 years ago, as far as I know, all every career position got a job, maybe not what they wanted at the time, but they got one. We have all survived, you will too, but the anger is still there no matter what. I feel bad for the TE’s, they get nothing for their hard work, and some were at our REC for the entire 11 years it was open.
Our congressman tried to help too, but it didn’t work, others have tried too, but they all closed anyway. Good Luck if this politician can do it, but I think he is just blowing smoke to make himself look good.
May 8th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
What Cory said is correct; I used to work at the Wichita REC and had to leave because of the poor management. It seriosuly got so bad that I quit my $13.63/hr job to go work at my university for $6.50/hr.
Judging by all the people who are leaving or who were fired in the past six months, I would say they’re in some serious danger.
As a TE, no one is safe.
May 19th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
What a damn shame. If the Bmt REC had decent management it would be the flagship of the RECs. But, NOOOoooooooo. It has a bunch of stupidvisors running around like chickens with their heads cut off each trying to outdo the others in order to move up to the next level of their screwy pecking order. Now see what it got you, Earl? Are ya happy now? How about it, Nancy? Do you still feel like you are the teacher and the TEs are children under your control? Fools. You get to go elsewhere. The real workers lose their jobs. The sh-theads move on. Pity. That’s our Government at work folks.
January 22nd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
You guys are dead-on about Wichita’s POORLY managed REC. Having worked there last year, I am just astonished that the mail actually arrives at it’s destination. Well, at least most of the time.