Some customers, according to the union, are now going five or six days without regular mail service – as the holidays send delivery volumes to their peak.
U.S. Postal Service customers in Greater Portland are experiencing major delivery delays because of ongoing worker shortages and the prioritizing of packages over first-class mail, according to the union representing letter carriers.
A union leader and a local letter carrier say some customers are now going five or six days without regular mail delivery – at the busiest time of the year for the postal service, which has previously grappled with disruptions resulting from high package volume and a dwindling workforce. The USPS denies that any packages are prioritized over first-class mail, and said some delivery inconsistencies are unavoidable as resources are strained.
“There are extreme delays every day,” said Mark Seitz, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 92, which represents about 700 workers in southern Maine.