How could your mail be affected

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – New changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS) are set to begin on Tuesday.

The cost-saving measures aim to save $36 billion in the next decade, however the USPS says they’ll be able to preserve delivery times and give people more information on when they can expect their packages. This comes as part of the “Delivering for America” 10-year plan to modernize the postal network, achieve financial sustainability, and improve service quality across all mail and shipping categories.

Karen Read’s murder case retrial begins amid jury selection issues

The USPS says they’re streamlining networks, cutting work hours, and closing unnecessary facilities. While these changes are meant to be cost-saving and efficient, 22News spoke with one Chicopee resident who said these changes often hurt the people at the bottom.

“I’m not happy with how things are right now, but then again, change is inevitable,” said Michael Memnaugh. “It’s funny how the little guy always puts up with the most sacrifice.”

The Postal Regulatory Commission says the service is downplaying the effects these cuts could have, and they jeopardize the reliability of the USPS especially in rural communities like western Massachusetts.

They cite that 49.5% of zip code pairs will experience downgraded services for single-piece first-class mail, because the postal service “currently lacks a system” to accurately measure service performance at the five-digit level, as current standards are based on three-digit zip code pairs.

However, the USPS has stated “the majority of mail and package volume, including those destined to rural communities, originates in zip codes that are within 50 miles of a regional processing and distribution center”, and therefore can be processed more quickly.

Customers may consult USPS resources to understand expected delivery times for their mail. This is only the first phase of implementation, with the next phase taking place on July 1.

Local News Headlines

WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.