Postal Service: Employee Issues Associated with the Potential Closure of the San Mateo IT Center
Highlights
While the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) rationalizes its infrastructure, it is weighing a proposal to close and sell its Information Technology (IT) center located in San Mateo, California. According to USPS, closing the IT center and selling the facility should save USPS about $74 million over the next 10 years and result in increased efficiency. All IT union employees and about half of IT management employees will be offered the opportunity to relocate with their jobs to other postal IT centers. The San Mateo IT Center also houses an Accounting Service Center whose functions and staff are to be moved into leased space in the San Francisco Bay Area. GAO undertook this study to, among other things, identify the process USPS is following in making its decision about closing the IT center and determine the impact such a closure would have on IT employees at the center.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| United States Postal Service | Before the Service makes its decision regarding whether to close the San Mateo IT Center, the Postmaster General (PMG) should direct the IT Department to review and update the economic assumptions and analyses used in the San Mateo Decision Analysis Report and make revisions, if appropriate, to better reflect current economic conditions and recent plans to automate and reengineer its field accounting activity. |
In a memorandum to San Mateo IT Center employees dated March 2003, USPS announced that it had a continuing need for IT operations in San Mateo and had no plans to close the facility at this time. However, if in the future USPS considers closing the San Mateo facility, USPS committed to update the DAR, as GAO recommended, before making any decision regarding the disposition of the facility.
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| United States Postal Service | If the Service decides to close the San Mateo IT Center, the PMG should consider, during discussions with the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) regarding the IT center's closure, offering to help bargaining unit employees find jobs if they decide to remain in the Bay Area. |
In a memorandum to San Mateo IT Center employees dated March 2003, USPS announced that it had a continuing need for IT operations in San Mateo and had no plans to close the facility at this time.
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| United States Postal Service | If the Service decides to close the San Mateo IT Center, the PMG should consider, during discussions with APWU regarding the IT center's closure, offering some assistance--such as resume preparation and review services--to the trailing spouses of bargaining unit employees who decide to relocate to another postal IT center. |
In a memorandum to San Mateo IT Center employees dated March 2003, USPS announced that it had a continuing need for IT operations in San Mateo and had no plans to close the facility at this time.
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| United States Postal Service | If the Service decides to close the San Mateo IT Center, the PMG should consider providing some assistance--such as resume preparation and review services--to the trailing spouses of Executive and Administrative Schedule employees who decide to relocate to another postal IT center. |
In a memorandum to San Mateo IT Center employees dated March 2003, USPS announced that it had a continuing need for IT operations in San Mateo and had no plans to close the facility at this time.
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