BEMIDJI — U.S. Congressman Pete Stauber, who represents Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, has weighed in on the ongoing issues with the postal service that have been reported in Bemidji. His office also shared a letter it received from the U.S. Postal Service responding to his questions.
Concerns have been growing in Bemidji for several weeks regarding mail delivery and the working conditions of postal carriers, starting in November with a symbolic picket staged by rural carriers and eventually leading to a listening session on Dec. 5 hosted by the offices of U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar.
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Stauber, who has also been receiving calls to his office from community members and postal workers alike, had a staff member attend the meeting and shared that he had sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding answers to the issues reported.
Stauber described the USPS' response, dated Dec. 5 and shared with the Pioneer by his office, as “dismissive” and “extremely disappointing.”
“I sent a letter to Postmaster DeJoy with certain questions I wanted answers to,” he told the Pioneer. “I was very upset with the response, with how dismissive they were of the constituents I serve.”
In the letter, the USPS government liaison describes the reports provided by postal carriers to the media that they have been told to prioritize Amazon packages over other mail as “misinformation.”
“Let me begin by stating unequivocally that the U.S. Postal Service does not prioritize the delivery of mail or packages based on the customer or sender, including businesses such as Amazon,” the letter read. “This is an unfortunate and inexplicable falsehood that I regret seeing congressional offices also expressing publicly.”
In a release sent out by Senators Smith and Klobuchar after receiving their own responses from USPS, they said they have been told by USPS representatives that while a system-wide policy of prioritization does not exist, individual post office managers do have the discretion to prioritize packages over mail.
The USPS letter also refuted claims that rural carriers, who are reporting working 10- to 12-hour days while being paid for eight, are not being compensated for their work, explaining that the current volume of labor will be calculated into their next route evaluation.
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Stauber shared his frustration with the letter’s implication that the reports his office has been receiving are untrue.
“They were insinuating that the rural postal carriers were spreading misinformation and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Stauber said. “When constituents and (postal) employees call our office that’s not misinformation.”
The USPS letter also says that all mail pieces and packages across the district are “for the most part” being delivered daily, including in Bemidji.
“Some post offices are experiencing instances of delayed mail, which is typical during peak season, and we are mitigating and addressing those instances as they are identified,” it read.
Stauber expressed his disappointment with this response.
“The letter, in my opinion, offers zero solutions and it leads me to believe the postal service is going to carry on with business as usual,” he explained. “It just can’t be that way. We’re seeing mail delivered many, many days late. Rural Minnesota deserves mail service.”
'There's a problem'
For his part, Stauber believes the first step to addressing the problem is pressuring the USPS to admit there is an issue.
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“You have to admit there’s a problem, and I have encouraged the postal service (to do that),” Stauber said. “In this letter, they say ‘No, we don’t have a problem.' Well, the constituents are calling our office and so are the employees, so there’s a problem.”
Stauber said his next step is to determine the root causes of the issue, whether that’s staffing or a lack of preparation to handle the volume of packages.
“We know that right now rural carriers (in the postal district) are only staffed 60%, that’s simply unacceptable,” he said. “If it’s a recruiting problem, then how do we recruit more?”
With this, Stauber expressed concerns about the working conditions reported at the post office, and how that might affect both the current employees and the interest of future candidates.
“I think some of the cause (of hiring difficulties) is the word that’s getting out on the streets that maybe the postal service isn’t treating their employees well,” he said.
Stauber maintained his commitment to addressing the issue, saying that he would do everything in his power to work toward a resolution.
“I think there is a solution, but we have to be willing to come to the table and admit certain things may be going on,” he said. “I want our employees to be able to work at a job they’re proud of, and I want our constituents to get the mail on time. We’re going to work to expedite a solution to the problem.”
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