NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Around 100 picketers protested outside of the New Castle Post Office on Friday.

The group voiced concerns about how a possible closing would affect the community and other smaller post offices in the area.

"We have a couple hundred jobs on the line, in addition to service to the community being impacted,” said David Wigley, president of American Postal Workers Union Local 227.

Last month, the U.S. Postal Service announced to its employees and unions that it was conducting a study to determine whether to consolidate the New Castle mail processing operations into Pittsburgh's general mail facility.

The U.S. Postal Service said they are only studying consolidation as an option.

“No decisions have been made at all at this time,” said Tad Kelly of the U.S. Postal Service. "The facts are that I have announced, and I continue to say, we have a feasibility study to look at the possibility of moving some mail processing operations from New Castle to Pittsburgh.”

The reason why the study is being done? Kelly said, in 2008, six billion less pieces of mail came through the system.

“We are facing unprecedented low levels of mail volume, and deficits in the postal service nationally, due to the downturn in the economy," Kelly said.

Kelly said officials will take months to complete the study.

The center handles about 1.8 million pieces of mail daily. It opened in 1982.