Threat Rattles Postal Center Security Bolstered Over Fired Worker

Fear blankets the Postal Service's Bulk Mail Center in Northeast Philadelphia after a fired employee returned to the center and allegedly threatened to kill a supervisor.

The incident on Thursday night - the same day a fired postal worker gunned down co-workers in Michigan - set employees' nerves on edge and led postal authorities to ask for round-the-clock police protection at the center, 1900 Byberry Road.

Wallace Beckett, an acting superintendent, confirmed that an employee had been fired and that police were guarding the grounds, but declined further comment.

According to sources at the Bulk Mail Center, a mail handler was dismissed on Tuesday after becoming embroiled in a shouting match with a supervisor over the legitimacy of a doctor's note. The mail handler had been out sick several days.

On Thursday night, the sources said, the fired worker stole back into the center, vowed to kill the supervisor and had to be physically removed from the premises.

Before receiving police protection, the center had little security except for a few computer monitors, employees said.

"Someone could come in here with a rocket launcher and there'd be nobody to stop him," said Bob Pitchalonis, a parcel keyer and director for Local 7048 of the American Postal Workers Union.

"Workers are being driven around the bend," added a truck loader for the Postal Service.

"We constantly have to put up with intimidation and harassment. I'm just afraid that one day someone's not going to put up with it anymore and we'll all get hurt."