Postal officials argued, as they have in several lawsuits, that mail delays resulted from local supervisors misinterpreting and misapplying DeJoy’s reforms and that mail should have never been left behind. Marrero said, however, it was clear USPS management communications led to “conflicting signals or confusion” and messages local leaders gave to employees reflected how they “perceived the content of DeJoy’s expectations.”
“This demonstrates a stunning lack of uniformity and a high level of confusion at various points in the USPS hierarchy regarding the standards to be followed by USPS employees on the ground,” the judge said, later adding, “The court is left with little reason to believe that the USPS policy and operational picture will be any clearer for postal employees as the November election approaches.”
Front-line supervisors and employees have said they were simply following direction from headquarters when running trucks from processing plants on a set schedule, even if that meant leaving mail behind. It seems unlikely, some have said, that employees on the ground all misinterpreted DeJoy’s changes in the same way at the same time. Marrero specifically suggested the blame fell on management’s shoulders.