VIDOR, Texas — Vidor community members are voicing their concerns for city post office employees who are working with no air conditioning in the sweltering Southeast Texas heat.
Patrons and post masters are dealing with stuffy conditions, and it could be quite some time before things start to cool off again.
Managers at the post office told 12News it could be months before the air conditioners are back up and running. Employees said they have been working in the heat for five weeks.
Arthur Montalvo goes to the post office in Vidor every day.
“The minute you open that door, I mean, that heat just hits you,” Montalvo said.
Montalvo described the heat inside the office as unbearable since the air conditioners went out. He feels bad for the employees and does not know how they manage to continue working.
“I don’t see how they can conduct business and do it properly,” Montalvo said. “I mean after a while the heat gets to you.”
On Tuesday, one of the portable air conditioning units inside the post office showed it was 91 degrees.
Carrie Vincent also visits the post office every day. She feels the postal workers don’t deserve to work in the hot conditions.
“Today was an eye opener for me because as soon as I drove up, their door’s open, so I guess it’s cooler outside than it is in there,” Vincent said.
One manager said it could be 26 weeks before the post office gets a new air conditioning system due to supply chain delays and material shortages.
12News reached out to the US Postal Service. They responded saying in part, “local management is taking necessary steps to resolve the matter,” and “portable air conditions and cooling fans have been strategically placed throughout the facility until the necessary repairs are made.”
With that particular post office being the only one in Vidor, Montalvo feels that not having air conditioning is a burden on patrons and employees.
“It’s just a bad situation,” Montalvo said. “I wouldn’t want to be working back there, that’s for sure.”
Customers and postal workers hope to get the air conditioning units back running soon. They feel the issue just emphasizes that the post office needs to be refurbished.