Hawaii's main mail processing center won't be on the list of potential cuts as the U.S. Postal Service seeks to cutback next year.
But four post offices are still on the possible chopping block, and first class mail and periodicals are likely to take a day longer to deliver.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at post offices throughout Hawaii, but everyday mail usage and postal revenue is on the decline -- first class mail volume is down 20 percent over 5 years, projected to lose another 50 percent by 2020.
"A lot of things we would normally send through the mail is now internet,” said Red Hill resident David Harthcock, “but at the same time you order stuff online that you want to come through the mail."
To cut back on operating costs, the U.S. Postal Service now aims to close more than 250 mail processing centers -- not Hawaii's.
“On the mainland changes may be much more significant,” said Duke Gonzales, U.S. Postal Service spokesperson. “Here in Hawaii we just have the one major processing plant, and we're not going to be affected as far as closing the facility. Realigning our operations, though, may change the way that we do our mail processing within the plant, everything from transportation aspects to postal personnel and the equipment that we use. There may be some impact to our postal personnel, we're still working out what the changes might be. We've always done our best to make sure that we take care of our employees and try to find opportunities for our employees -- if that means changing them to a different shift, moving them to a different location.”
The U.S. Postal Service also wants to slow the delivery of first class mail and periodicals by an extra full day.
"It's going to affect us a lot because the slower the mail the tougher it is for business because they depend on quick shipping," said E-Bay seller Rona Scull.
Priority, express and parcel timelines are expected to remain the same. Large-volume mailers can also shave delivery time by presorting and dropping off by earlier deadlines.
"If they can realign their operations and mesh with us, then we might be able to find a way to eliminate the impact to them entirely," Gonzales said.
Rates are going up a penny per letter in January, constrained to hikes of no more than the consumer price index. The U.S. Postal Service says it's asking Congress for allowance to grow rates faster. Customers are supportive.
"If that's the answer, that's the answer,” Scull said. “I'd pay it no matter what. I like the convenience, I like the prices, I like the flat rate boxes, and it still to me is the cheapest deal in town."
Meanwhile a decision is expected soon on the fate of four post offices on a possible closure list that was put out prior to the processing center closures and mail-slowing announcement: one on Kauai, in Hanamaulu outside of Lihue, the site serving Kalaupapa, the Nuuanu location in Chinatown, and the office in the city of Kapolei.
"We received quite a bit of feedback from customers, from community leaders and did a lot of our own research," Gonzales said. “We're close to making decisions but we're going to hold off until after the holidays."
