Helena postal workers today again will picket and protest against possible changes that would move outgoing mail sorting operations from Helena to Great Falls.

The protest will begin at the N. Harris St. post office at 11 a.m. before moving to the Capitol. The event is being held in conjunction with an American Postal Workers Union national protest against U.S. Postal Service consolidation plans nationwide.

APWU Assistant Director Gregory See, APWU Business Agent Brian Dunn and Local 649 President Janet Kosnik will participate, along with local postal workers.

Union members and other critics say the move will cause unreasonable delays to Helena's postal service and also sound the death knell for the Queen City's postmark.

A Postal Service spokesman has said the agency will not decide whether to shift operations until early 2007. He's said the change won't be made if it affects the level of service provided to the community.