Employees speak out about possible job cuts at the Tulsa mail processing center

TULSA - Hundreds of jobs are on the line at the U.S Postal Service's Tulsa Processing and Distribution Facility.

Officials at the national level have recommended closing it.

On Wednesday, employees heard the news for the first time.

Cynthia McNeilance is a long time postal employee, but she will be new to the Tulsa processing center. She just got a transfer.

"I will start there in approximately two weeks," McNeilance said.

She says she is not sure how long she will stay there.

"It's kind of a shock now with everybody, with this new hope of think that we're going to get better jobs with a little better hours to find out they are going to consolidate us with Oklahoma City," McNeilance said.

She thought things were looking good for the processing center when new jobs with better hours were posted. Now it could be shut down within a year.

Nearly 600 Tulsa jobs could be cut or moved to Oklahoma City, which means hundreds of employee's futures are in limbo. McNeilance says she will probably retire.

"I'm at least fortunate that I'm an old timer, those who are younger, it's really wreaking havoc on their lives, they don't know what to plan," McNeilance said.

The news also came as a shock for folks who use the east Tulsa facility regularly.

"Everyday we come and send our mail out here," Tulsa resident David Jordan said.

Jordan says the closure would inconvenience him, but he is more concerned about the employees.

"You get to know folks and we'll miss them, it's a human thing too you know?  You hate to see them lose their jobs," he said.

Right now local first class mail ships in one day, new delivery standards are in the works that would make that two days, slowing down mail and removing the need for the Tulsa plant.
 
"We will still fight and most of us feel like, we've got a year to change their mind but it's a long shot," McNeilance said.

The closing process could start as early as May or June, according to union reps.