From Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton:
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) received a response to her most recent letter to the United States Postal Service (USPS) about delayed and undelivered mail in the District of Columbia. September 2021, Norton noted that the eight wards remain in contact with their office by late and undelivered email. USPS described several actions it is taking. Norton said it will continue to monitor USPS in DC for the effects of the promised improvements.
Follow the Norton letter and the USPS response.
September 1, 2021
Sherry Harper
Postmaster, District of Columbia
United States Postal Service
Washington, DC, 20260
Dear Harper Postmaster:
I write because residents of the eight neighborhoods in the District of Columbia continue to contact me by late, undelivered email.
As you know, in April I sent a letter to Eddie Masangcay, DC’s acting postmaster, about problems sending mail to the district. He responded that the U.S. Postal Service “sought to hire additional employees … to deliver mail as quickly as possible given the circumstances.” Given that a large number of residents continue to contact me by late, undelivered email, I request that you provide an update on the hiring process, as well as an update on what other steps you are taking to address shipping issues. of mail to the district.
I appreciate your attention in these matters and I ask you to respond in writing before September 8, 2021. “
September 8, 2021
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-5101
Dear Norton Congressman:
This is in response to your September 1 letter about the mail delivery service in Washington, DC
I understand your concerns about inconsistent delivery in Washington and sincerely regret any frustration or inconvenience your voters may experience as a result. Rest assured that the U.S. Postal Service is doing its best to provide a timely and efficient delivery service.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in employee absences and a reduction in employee availability, which continue to affect our delivery operations. As you know, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides postal employees with up to 600 hours of emergency leave for federal employees (EFEL) in response to the ongoing pandemic. Congress enacted the law with the understandable consequence that employee availability would be affected, especially for federal agencies.
Under federal law and our collective agreements, the positions held by surpluses are reserved for the eventual return of absent employees, and the size limits of our workforce cause the necessary work to be absorbed by the remaining workers. Periods of high employee absences affect operations as managers and supervisors work to balance employees ’available work hours with operational demands. This will continue until employees return from sick leave.
In response to this situation, we are using a number of measures to alleviate delays and provide a more consistent service. They include lending employees to affected offices, authorizing high levels of overtime, and closely monitoring unscheduled absences. Carriers available in Washington have been working their day unscheduled each week and have the option to work on Sundays. In addition, we have been working diligently to fill vacancies and to strengthen our additional staff of carriers. Since early April, we have added 87 urban transport attendees to Washington; however, retaining our supplementary staff remains a challenge.
The district of Maryland, of which Washington is a part, continues to contract extensively
strategies for reaching potential employees for local operations, including, but are not limited to, regular job postings, advertising on social media, and, in the near future, displaying banners at post offices and hosting fairs face-to-face work. . Our goal is to increase employee availability by returning our existing employees to service and increasing our complement by hiring.
Despite the current challenges, you can be sure that the Washington management team
Post Office, which I run, is committed to providing your constituents with the best possible service every day. This commitment extends to our workforce, as our dedicated employees work 24 hours a day to alleviate delays and deliver mail as quickly as possible. We also seek to be sensitive to the community. Just yesterday evening, Eddie Masangcay, who has served as Postmaster for the past few months, joined me in a virtual meeting with the 6E Neighborhood Advisory Committee to discuss participants ’mail delivery issues. We will continue this responsiveness and maintain our strong focus on service.
If I can help with other postage issues, let me know.
Yours faithfully,
Sherty L. Harper
Executive Postmaster