Elected officials passed resolutions against it. Workers picketed in opposition to it. And now they’re waiting for results of a study that might move Bowling Green’s mail processing operations to Nashville.

The U.S. Postal Service is trying to save money by consolidating mail processing facilities, but people in communities across the nation, including Bowling Green, are protesting those consolidations. About 68 cities have been studied.

Some local postal workers argue a loss of those operations would cause mail delivery delays and would hurt the local economy. A consolidation would impact about 20 to 30 local jobs, said Denny Palmer, president of Local 455 union in Bowling Green.

The postal service says a consolidation would not impact mail delivery, said David Walton, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service Kentuckiana district.

“First, I would like to reiterate this is just a study, so give us time to get our results,” he said. “We stand by what we claim that it will not affect mail delivery - that it will be transparent to customers if that consolidation were to happen.”

Since the study was announced, local postal workers have held two pickets to raise awareness and show opposition to a move. City commissioners and the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce passed resolutions stating their support of keeping mail processing operations here.

“For us, it was a very easy decision,” Bowling Green Mayor Elaine Walker said. “If mail is slow in our area, then it hurts the people that live and work here ... we just wanted to make sure they are aware the local community is lockstep against this action.”

Chamber officials passed a resolution out of concern for the local economy and local mail service, said Jim Hizer, president and CEO of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce.

“The Chamber is always going to be interested in a situation that could lead to job loss,” he said. “I think that the community needs to be reassured that it will not negatively impact (mail) service in the area.”

Officials also are studying the mail processing facility in London. If approved, London’s mail processing operations will be moved to Lexington. Postal workers are asking the public to write letters to the postal service, voicing their opposition. About 60 people work at the London facility, said Gary Fox, president of the Daniel Boone Area Local union.

Fox has scheduled meetings with the local judge-executive, city council members and congressmen, he said.

“In my opinion, as far as (the postal service) is concerned, it’s a done deal. They’re just going through the procedures,” Fox said. “People are going to suffer. It’s going to hurt.”

London’s mail is already processed in Lexington on Saturdays and “that local mail takes six to seven days to get back to this area,” Fox said. “I expect the same thing to happen” if the study approves consolidation.

In Wilkes-Barre, Pa., officials held the same study and approved consolidation. Those mail processing operations will be split between Lehigh Valley, Pa., and Scranton, Pa. The Wilkes-Barre facility has about 220 employees and will be left with about 51 workers after the consolidation, said John Kishel, president of the Wilkes-Barre Area Local union.

“The loss of the postmark is a pretty big deal,” Kishel said. “Here in Wilkes-Barre, we’re a very proud community. We’re hardworking coal miners and proud of that postmark. Now they’re in the process of removing the mail from here.”

People in Wilkes-Barre showed opposition to the consolidation, holding several pickets, circulating a petition with 15,000 signatures and getting the support of elected officials. Kishel said the local union has gathered data showing mail service will be impacted - if a person gets a piece of mail on a Tuesday, they will get it on Wednesday or Thursday after the consolidation, he said.

“No matter how much the public is against it, no matter how much it probably will reduce service, the postal service when they make up their mind to do it, they’re going to do it,” Kishel said.

But postal officials did not approve a consolidation in Sioux City, Iowa. The mail processing center there would have been moved to South Dakota, and the study concluded that a consolidation would have hurt mail delivery in that area. Mail service would have been three to four days slower after a consolidation, said Kimberly Karol, president of the Iowa Postal Workers Union.

Local postal workers “got the support of the community, the Chamber of Commerce and senators. They got information out to them of how ultimately it would affect the community,” she said. “And that’s why they were successful in getting it stopped.”

In Bowling Green, postal workers are meeting with more elected officials, handing out opposition forms and directing people to their Web site, www.mymailmatters.com.

“We’ve sent two or three packets already full of form letters and probably hundreds and hundreds of postcards already,” Palmer said. “What we’re trying to do is get enough public outburst over this ignorance.”

Before the study is completed, officials will hold a public meeting where people can sound off about a possible consolidation. When deciding whether to consolidate operations, officials consider public input, Walton said.

The decision is “based on our data and, of course, included in that is information from the public,” he said. “But it’s not based on one certain area ... it’s an overall picture.”