Lawmakers have postal workers backs in Wallingford

Wallingford, Conn. (WTNH) - Hundreds of postal workers turned out Wednesday night to a meeting in Wallingford, over plans to shut down the postal processing center there.

The postal workers attended in an attempt to save their jobs, and some of Connecticut's federal lawmakers were right by their side.

The southern Connecticut mail processing center in Wallingford is on the post office chopping block, as the US Postal service is trying frantically to stop hemorrhaging money.

"In 2000, five percent of Americans paid their bills online, today 50 percent and that will continue to grow," said Kimberly Peters, USPS. "We have go green initiatives. We have companies charging for hard copy to receive in the mail."

Among other cuts the postal service wants to shut down processing centers in Wallingford and Stamford, and handle that mail in Hartford. Seven hundred people work at the center in Wallingford and nearly 300 of them would lose their jobs.

However, the postal workers have some powerful backing as three members of Connecticut's congressional delegation turned the hearing into a pep rally of sorts promising to fight the cutback plan and save jobs.

"This decision would cost this region hundreds of jobs," said Rep. Rose DeLauro. "We can't afford the loss of hundreds of jobs. And without addressing the real cause of the postal services problems."

"The notion that delivery has not been effected by the changes that have already been made in our processing, and that delivery is not going to be affected, moving forward is an absolute fiction," said Rep. Chris Murphy.

"We are united. We are a team," said Sen. Dick Blumenthal. "We're going to work together. We are going to fight together. We're going to win for you."