Georgia Congressman tours Macon USPS office after complaints

Congressman Sanford D. Bishop visited U.S. Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center in Macon, to meet with management and tour the facility after complaints from residents.

According to Congressman Bishop, delays of service and removal of postal service equipment have been the top complaints.

“I felt it was appropriate and my obligation to come and see exactly what the situation is,” said Bishop.

He says because of the pandemic, the postal service needs to be properly staffed to avoid delays, and should hire seasonal staff earlier than November.

“So that it can be processed timely, and people can receive their life saving medications. They can have their business taken care of without incurring late fees,” said Bishop.

Bishop says with elections in November, the postal service must be equipped to handle the surge of mail in ballots. According to the Congressman, one way to do that is to keep the blue postal boxes accessible to the public.

“We don’t want to see the blue boxes moved. And those that were moved between July and now we would like to see them put back in place and they can know their ballots will be delivered to election officials on time”

Branch President for the National Postal Mailhandlers Union, Carlos Castellucci, says as a postal service worker, his concerns include the budget deficits caused by funding healthcare for retirees.

“Almost a $6 billion dollar payment that the post office has to make, and that has been putting us in the red every year since 2004,” said Castellucci.

Castellucci says Congress should take a look at the “Postal Reorganization Act” signed in the 1970’s which states the postal service should act as a business. He says the postal service is not a business.

“We are a service, we are called the postal service, so therefore we need to be acting like a service,” said Castellucci.

The President of the Union says the postal service should bring back overtime hours, because there aren’t enough workers, and add more equipment.

American Postal Workers Union President, Kwajalyn Cornelius-Grace, says most employees are working 10 to 12 hours a day.

“We are flowing mail through the system as quickly as possible,” explained Grace.

Grace says if you haven’t received your mail or package, you can track it online. She says for the November election, the College Street location will be ready.