TUPELO - The U.S. Postal Service's decision this week to move Tupelo's outgoing mail-processing operations to Memphis starting Oct. 1 has sparked outrage among top elected officials and postal workers alike.

The consolidation will strip six jobs from the local economy and eliminate the Tupelo postmark for most mailings. But it will save an estimated $181,000 annually for the cash-strapped USPS, which is why the federal agency made the move despite stiff opposition.

On Thursday, one day after the USPS announcement, those who criticized the proposal during its months-long study phase again spoke out - this time to denounce the final outcome.

"I am beyond outraged about USPS' decision. If this is the way they think handling the mail should go, maybe it's time we take a look at their business model," said U.S. Rep. Travis Childers, D-Miss. "It is unacceptable for six hard-working north Mississippians to lose their jobs, and I resent our postage not being processed right here in Tupelo."

On Nov. 20, Childers had sent a joint letter to the USPS along with U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, both Republicans, citing concerns about a potential consolidation and its impact to the economy.

Cochran and Wicker expressed disappointment Thursday upon hearing the news. In a statement to the Daily Journal, Cochran said he expects the USPS to make "this transition as easy as possible for the postal employees who will be affected by this move."

In his own statement, Wicker praised Tupelo postal workers for their "proven, efficient record of productivity" and said the USPS knows of his strong opinion on the matter. He went onto say that he "will be monitoring the implementation of this consolidation for any adverse impacts on quality and service."

USPS spokeswoman Beth Barnett said affected postal employees will not lose their jobs. Instead, they'll be reassigned elsewhere.

But Tupelo workers don't yet know whose jobs are in the cross hairs, said Patience Davis, a mail processor.

"There is a lot of speculation as to whether they're going to repost every job and have us all reapply and the bottom six get reshuffled," she said, "or if they'll just get rid of the afternoon shift. It might be based on seniority. They're not telling us anything."

Davis said 12-15 people work the outgoing processing shift; some are part time, others full time. All likely will be affected, said Amanda Berryhill, a Tupelo postal worker and the Union president for TennTom Area Local 1280.

Berryhill, who described the mood among local workers as "somber," called the consolidation a bad decision; Davis agreed.

"We all feel like it's a huge mistake," said Davis, who had publicly opposed the consolidation during its study phase. "We're disappointed and upset. At least we went down swinging."

Mail is processed in Tupelo at the Thomas Street branch, which includes sorting, categorizing, stamping and shipping letters and packages originating from communities whose ZIP codes begin with 388.

As part of the plan, those functions will occur in Memphis.

"Now a letter being sent from Verona to Tupelo has to go through Memphis first," Childers said. "What stupidity and wastefulness. This is going to do nothing but cut jobs and slow down the mail in the rural communities I serve to protect."

Barnett countered that Memphis has incredibly fast mail-processing machines able to handle large volumes of mail quickly. Customers should not expect delays, she said.

But they will lose the Tupelo postmark, getting one from Memphis instead. Those who bring mail to the local post office customer service desk and request a Tupelo postmark can continue to get it, however.

Tupelo Mayor Jack Reed Jr. and Lee County Board of Supervisors President Darrell Rankin said they, too, were disappointed about the consolidation.

"I know the Postal Service has challenges," Reed said Thursday, "but I felt we had made a convincing case for keeping these jobs here in Tupelo."

Said Rankin: "Not everything is about the bottom line. They say they'll save $181,000. Yeah, but you cost us six jobs."

Contact Emily Le Coz at (662) 678-1588 or emily.lecoz@djournal.com.