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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Save our mail service!

That's the message local postal workers want to get across.

Monday afternoon Colorado Springs postal workers conducted informational pickets to spread the word about the postal services' plan to slash spending by consolidating distribution centers.

The plan could send parts of the processing and distribution center to Denver, which would mean local jobs lost and slower mail delivery.

"350 jobs would be lost in Colorado Springs if the center moves to Denver," Chuck Bader, treasurer for the local Postal Workers Union, said.

Workers took their battle cry to the United States Postal Service Mail Processing and Distribution Center on Fountain Boulevard in hopes of informing the public about the situation and letting people know what they can do about it.

"They don't want to see their post office closed," Bader said. "It's a vital part of our community. It has a lot to do with sustaining local jobs, taking care of our veterans, ensuring overnight delivery. There's so many things involved."

Bader said the consolidation plan would not only effect employees, but also the many citizens who rely on the local postal service.

"People could have late payments on billis, late payments on mortgages and they'll be penalized for that," he said. "They have no control over that."

Retired postal worker Lewis Samuel said he is devestated by the thought of a local post office closing.

"We take pride in our service," he said. "After working for the postal service for nearly 24 years, the last thing I want to see is them go belly-up. I'm going to do whatever it takes."

Lewis is just one of the dozens of postal workers who are protesting the possible mail processing plant closure. He and Bader both said the financial struggles the USPS is facing could be avoided.

"The thing that caused the financial problems was Congress," Bader said. "In 2006, they signed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act that requires the postal service to pay $5.5 billion every year to pre-fund future retirees' health benefits. If you eliminate that law, we would be in a positive cash flow."

In addition to Monday's protests, workers are also holding a public meeting Friday evening at Mitchell High School to help inform the public of the danger to the proposed cuts.

The Friday meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. and is open to the public, is designed to gather a contingent of people who don't want mail service cut and rates to go up, in addition to the impending job cuts.

Local workers will also be rallying Tuesday at the Briargate office, Thursday at the downtown office and Friday again at the Fountain processing plant. Those three rally's will all be from noon - 1 p.m., and the Tuesday/Thursday rallys will happen again from 4-5 p.m.

The ailing postal service is on the brink of bankruptcy, and the changes are meant to save the organization money.