The Postal Service will be changing the designation of the Nashua PMPC to a L&DC no sooner than ninety days from the April 21, 2005 notification letter, or after mid-July 2005.  The change in designation of the Nashua facility will compel the Service to adhere to National Agreement requirements regarding casual employment percentages and limitations, but allow the Postal Service to work categories of mail other than priority mail in the facility.

The Postal Service has provided notification via an April 21, 2005 letter to the Northeast Regional Director of the NPMHU of an intent to change the designation of the Nashua, NH Priority Mail Processing Center (PMPC) to a, 'mixed-use' facility called a, "Logistical and Distribution Center (L&DC)" effective "no sooner" than 90 days from the April 21 date of the letter (exactly ninety days would be July 20, 2005).

The change in designation of the Nashua facility from a PMPC to an L&DC will provide the Postal Service with the right to process any variety and class of mail in the Nashua, NH facility while marking the end of the Service's right, in accordance with the PMPC Memorandum of Understading (MOU) to employ 25% casuals around the calendar year.  As most of you know, the same PMPC MOU, while allowing the employment of a high percentage of year-round casuals, mandated 100% Full-Time Regular Mail Handlers in PMPC's.  Therefore, the designation 'flip' of the PMPC will also allow the Postal Service to employ Part Time Flexible Mailhandlers (PTF's) as opposed to career casuals.  The change of designation will also end the prohibition of processing only priority mail in the Nashua facility.

The Postal Service has not provided any concrete plans or intentions regarding what other types of mail will be worked in the new L&DC, or exactly when, after July 20, 2005, the Service intends to officially 'flip' the facility.  I have scheduled meetings with the NH/VT District Lead Plant Manager Lawrence Montgomery, to discuss details with him regarding what the Service's intentions are regarding the change in designation of the Nashua, NH facility.  I promise you that I will share these details with you as soon as I become apprised of them.

Our experience with the Postal Service regarding designation changes, garnered mostly from the designation change in the Springfield, MA L&DC (formerly PMPC) that has occurred during this calendar year, has been that the Postal Service has in the past repeatedly delayed the actual date of designation change.  In Springfield, the actual designation change date was delayed several times due to a variety of factors, from hiring delays, to a delay in delivery of the new Automated Parcel and Package Sorters (APPS), to software application glitches associated with the installation and acceptance of the APPS machines.  Since the Postal Service has yet to officially notify the Union of any changes in the processing of any mails associated with the current PMPC, soon to be L&DC, in Nashua, it is impossible at this writing to provide you with any concrete details on how the switch in designation of the Nashua facility will affect other operations in and around Local 301.

The reason for the change in designation was explained by the Postal Service as an ability to, " expand our ability to process other classes of mail at this location and to take advantage of existing equipment and operational windows".
Please continue to watch your Bulletin Boards and consult this web page for further details.