The notion of possible job losses at the Post Office comes with controversy.

The American Postal Workers Union held a rally in protest of the move.

And as Action News Reporter Reed Buterbaugh tells us postal workers fear the consolidation, would leave mail delivery around Greater Binghamton, slow as a snail.

Facing consolidation and a loss of jobs these postal employees oppose sending local mail to Syracuse.

Saying it would leave too many waiting too long..

"In keeping the Binghamton postmark we'll keep local mail local. It won't go to Syracuse. It won't go to Rochester," Ron Maida a maintenance clerk with the post office. "We'll keep a few more jobs here."

Armed with signs, they marched from the front of the post office on Henry Street.

To Hawley Street, where the Postal Service held a meeting to unveil its plan.

"To send that to Syracuse is ridiculous," said Carl Bettis, of the Postal Handlers Union Local 309. "When their own figures show that 55 percent of that 25 to 28 million pieces of mail stays right here locally."

Under the proposal, The Binghamton Post Office would no longer process internal mail.

Mail would go to Syracuse and then sent back here for delivery.

"The Binghamton processing plant ranks number one, number two, or number three in the Northeast region. Why would they want to take the mail from here?" Bettis said.

Sending mail to Syracuse instead of processing it internally isn't an indictment on the efficiency of Greater Binghamton post offices, but instead is a matter of basic geography.

"Where a large plant may be situated and surrounding plants and we look to try to maximize the capacity of the equipment in the larger facilities," said Michael Haggerty, a district manger with the post office.

Syracuse's close proximity to Utica, Watertown, and Binghamton would make it the region's centralized mail location.

Machines would be at full capacity, mail trucks and bins filled to the brim but leave the Binghamton Post Office with fewer faces.

The switch would only pertain to first-class mail, like personal letters and bills.

Bulk mail from companies and non-profit organizations would still be processed in Binghamton.

The Post Office will make their decision by July.