MILWAUKEE (AP) – Five mail processing centers in Wisconsin are among the 252 nationwide that the U.S. Postal Service plans to close starting in April.

Centers in Eau Claire, Kenosha, La Crosse, Portage and Wausau are included on the closure list. The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service said Monday it is seeking to close the centers and slow first-class delivery next spring, citing steadily declining mail volume.

The cuts are part of $3 billion in reductions aimed at helping the agency avert bankruptcy next year. It would virtually eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day, a change in first-class delivery standards that have been in place since 1971.

The plant closures are expected to result in the elimination of roughly 28,000 jobs nationwide.

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