BEMIDJI, Minn. (KFGO) – Minnesota Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar are slamming the United States Postal Service’s response to their recent request to the Postmaster General to take immediate steps to address the concerns of constituents and postal workers who say agreements made with Amazon have overwhelmed the already-stretched postal system and pushed workers into dangerous and unsustainable conditions.
The Senators say Minnesotans across the state have reported delays in receiving critical deliveries such as medicine and paychecks, and that postal workers, particularly in the Bemidji area, are reporting chaos as they are told to prioritize Amazon packages over regular mail and a lack of staffing to meet USPS delivery standards.
The Postal Service said in its response that almost all mail and packages are being delivered daily, but Smith and Klobuchar say dozens of reports from across Minnesota contradict that claim and that the Postal Service’s own tracking systems are unreliable and riddled with false data.
Smith and Klobuchar say – contrary to USPS claims that it is ready for the holiday mail influx – only 24 of 112 vacancies for seasonal work have been filled, leaving the Minnesota-North Dakota District unprepared. In rural areas, they say, the district is currently only staffed at 60 percent.
The senators say the Postal Service’s response to their constituents’ concerns is unacceptable and that they’ll continue to push for a suitable resolution.
