BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New York Congressman Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo) addressed concerns about current delays and the future of the postal service at the William Street mail processing facility on Wednesday.
Rep. Higgins heard concerns from nearly 5,000 residents and employees regarding the postal service throughout the calendar year.
(1/6) NOW: Mail backup in #Buffalo. A source sent me several photos included in this thread.
— Nikki DeMentri (@nikkidementri) August 23, 2020
These photos, taken today, are said to show only a fraction of the mail waiting at the #USPS William Street Postal Distribution Center.
One photo attached shows mail from 8/12.@WKBW pic.twitter.com/DBYmjtcjaC
“Visiting Western New York’s mail processing hub is an incredible reminder of the hard work and great care our Postal workers put into doing their job. That diligence, generation after generation, is what has built public trust and confidence in the United States Postal Service," Rep. Higgins said. "Unfortunately, Postmaster DeJoy’s actions have eroded that trust and made it increasingly difficult for workers to do their jobs. To plan for the future, facilities like ours in Buffalo need more equipment and investment, not less. We will continue to fight for the additional resources needed to help residents and businesses get the on-time U.S. mail delivery they’ve come to expect and deserve.”
Rep. Higgins made the following observations at the facility
- Postal workers in the Buffalo facility are working hard to process delayed mail but more people and equipment are needed to handle the increase in packages.
- The Postmaster General’s directive to not allow trucks to wait for all of the day’s mail, to not send extra trucks (no lates, no extras) and to pull sorters out of Buffalo is leading to delays.
- While thousands of delayed packages have been moved out of the Buffalo facility in the last week, thousands more remain. This includes fresh fruit sitting for weeks and 3-day Priority mail delayed for a month or longer.
- The USPS has promised but not delivered to Buffalo a used package sorting machine currently in Pittsburgh.
- There is not clarity on whether absentee ballots will be handled as First Class mail or bulk mail.
