Report: Mail delays piled up after changes
WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Louis Dejoy’s controversial midsummer operational directives delayed nearly 350 million pieces, or 7 percent, of the country’s firstclass mail in the five weeks they were in effect, according to a new report published Wednesday by the Senate’s top Democrat in charge of postal oversight.
Only a month after taking charge of the U.S. Postal Service, Dejoy implemented stricter dispatch schedules on transport trucks that forced workers to leave mail behind and prohibited extra mail trips, leading to well-documented mail bottlenecks.
Managers under him also cracked down on overtime, which postal workers commonly rely on to complete routes, though Dejoy has denied having a role in those cutbacks.
The report depicts an agency whose leadership was barely prepared to implement the new policies, didn’t anticipate the upheaval they could cause and is still trying to find its balance as the November election draws near and millions of people continue to experience longer wait times for their mail and packages.
Before the changes, the Postal Service routinely delivered more than 90 percent of the nation’s firstclass mail on time, according to an analysis of USPS data by the office of Sen. Gary Peters, D-mich., the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Two weeks later, on-time delivery rates hovered near 83 pecent, ensnaring prescription medications, benefits checks and ballots in midterm elections.
On-time rates continued to deteriorate, the report said, falling as low as 81.5 percent the week of Aug. 8. And in crucial regions that could decide the November election, service declined even more, falling 20.4 percentage points in Northern Ohio; 19.1 percentage points in Detroit; and 17.9 percentage points in Central Pennsylvania.
“The results of my investigation clearly show that Postmaster General Dejoy’s carelessly instituted operational changes to the Postal Service resulted in severe service impacts that harmed the lives and livelihoods of Michiganders and Americans,” Peters said in a statement. “I have repeatedly made it clear to Mr. Dejoy that his actions have had consequences for many of my constituents and people across the nation. My report shows his decisions were reckless and caused significant harm to the American people.”
The Postal Service didn’t respond to a request for comment.