Andrew West / news-press.com Members of the American Postal Workers Union picket Thursday in front of the Post Office in downtown Fort Myers. The postal workers believe that the Fort Myers' mail distribution center could be targeted for a merger with one in Sarasota. Such a merger, postal workers claim would result in slower, less reliable mail service for are area. Order Picture DELIVERING YOUR WORLD • Subscribe to The News-Press • Join our reader panel • Printer friendly version • Email this article

More than 100 U.S. Postal Service workers are marching in front of the downtown Fort Myers post office holding signs that read "Don't let our mail service fall apart."

They are referring to a list of 139 mail distribution plants across the country that are potential sites where mergers could be considered by the U.S. Postal Service. One of those plants is in Fort Myers.

Jim Lee II, a clerk at the Fort Myers distribution plant, works the night shift and came in today to picket, which started at 11 a.m.

"The volume of mail that comes through this plant that would be sent to Manasota (distribution plant in Sarasota), a smaller facility, is just going to delay everything," he said.

Chris Strang, a mail handler at the local distribution plant, said he's at the protest "so the service in Fort Myers doesn't leave. We want the public to know this could result in reduced service."

The postal service unions believe a consolidation of the Fort Myers plant with the Sarasota plant would result in slower ingoing and outgoing mail service.

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