Postal union leader sees few problems in Greater Lansing

As nationwide concerns set in over delays in the U.S. Postal Service ahead of an expected record-breaking number of mail-in ballots for this year’s General Election, a postal union official sees little problem locally.

“There just hasn’t been much of an impact on our people,” said Lisa Jackson, president of Central Michigan American Postal Workers Union Local No. 300. “I know people are concerned, but if ballots are mailed early, we really shouldn’t see delays or problems in delivery services.”

And that’s a sharp contrast to a narrative developing nationally and being circulated by U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, among others, who claimed this week that postal delays are the “number one issue” being raised by residents in her district, which includes Ingham County.

“USPS leadership should have to publicly explain their recent staffing and operational changes that have led to mail slow-downs, and directly respond to American’s urgent questions about getting mailed prescriptions, carrying out normal business and making sure absentee votes are counted in November, Slotkin, D-Holly said.

Some 94 mid-Michigan constituents and a total of 300 across the district have contacted Slotkin’s office with postal concerns in the last two weeks, which represents about a third of constituent contacts, Slotkin’s spokeswoman, Hannah Lindow, said Tuesday. But Lindow could not say how many were specifically about delivery delays.

Sen. Gary Peters’ office also cited some 7,000 mail complaints recently received in Michigan.

A New York Times story declared that the country was in the midst of a “postal crisis” following the appointment of Republican mega-donor Louis DeJoy to postmaster general. Nationally, mail-sorting machines and drop boxes have been removed, overtime hours have been cut and delays have reportedly become increasingly commonplace.

Those delay-inducing budget cuts from DeJoy are designed to mitigate billion-dollar losses, but they’re also raising concerns (particularly among Democrats) about a delay-driven crisis that could disenfranchise a record number of citizens who will vote by mail in the November election.

(DeJoy said today he has postponed planned changes to the operation of the Post Office until after the election.) Meanwhile, 20 state attorneys general, including Dana Nessel of Michigan, are working together on litigation to try to stop proposed changes in the Post Office.

In Michigan, more than 6,400 of 10,600 rejected absentee ballots were turned away this month because they arrived after Election Day, The Detroit News reported. Residents and politicians are becoming increasingly concerned that the pattern could repeat on a larger scale in November. 

Officials at the Michigan Postal Workers Union and Slotkin share similar concerns: Cuts to overtime and the removal of sorting machines have led to a backlog of mail in processing facilities across the state.

Agency officials, accordingly, have warned states — including Michigan — that it may not be able to meet their deadlines for delivering last-minute ballots. And with DeJoy’s appointment and continued national opposition to mail-in voting, ballot concerns are still brewing statewide.

Slotkin’s office claims that dozens of her local constituents have reportedly been impacted with delayed Social Security checks for older residents and a slowdown in prescription drug delivery. Absentee ballots are naturally another large area of concern, which is why Slotkin supported efforts to have DeJoy testify and explain the delays before a Senate committee on Friday.

“Enough is enough,” Slotkin said. “The House Oversight Committee, which oversees the U.S. Postal Service, should come back to Washington as soon as possible to hold a public hearing.” Meanwhile, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called back the House from a recess for a Saturday session to vote on legislation to block Post Office reforms.

Republicans, in turn, have accused Democrats of needlessly politicizing a federal cost savings.

But as long as Lansing-area residents send off ballots early, there shouldn’t be problems with their votes being properly received and counted in time for the upcoming election, Jackson said.

“We still have people working overtime,” Jackson added. “My only concern would be people waiting until the very last minute, but we’re still working to keep things moving as normal.”

Mail from Lansing, even if sent within city limits, must first head to a sorting facility in Grand Rapids before being rerouted to the capital city, Jackson said. The removal of an automated sorting machine in Lansing also reduces daily sorting capacities, but the USPS has dealt with a historically smaller number of deliveries in recent years, especially during a global pandemic. One local carrier today said that before the pandemic he was delivering about 2,000 pieces a day. He said it’s closer to 300 now.

Employees in Lansing will continue to work overtime to ensure mail (including ballots) is delivered in a timely fashion, Jackson said. Alternatively, residents are encouraged to deliver their ballots directly to their local clerk’s office to ensure a speedier trip to their end destination.

Still, she said, if Lansing postal carriers can handle the usual annual rush of Christmas and Mother’s Day cards, they can also handle a sharp increase in mail-in ballots for this November.

Lansing, however, appears to be an outlier compared to the rest of the state. Officials at the Michigan Postal Workers Union said that some of the busier USPS facilities in Grand Rapids, Detroit and Port Huron are starting to look more like warehouses than processing centers. And since mail from Lansing always gets stuck in Grand Rapids, that could make an impact locally.

“Nowadays, it’s like being set up for failure,” said Roscoe Woods, legislative director for the Michigan Postal Workers Union. “This is what I fear: An overt mission to degrade public confidence in this agency, really turning it into a tool for political ends and voter suppression.”

Woods said processing centers statewide are struggling to handle a “tremendous volume” of mail under new federal policies that have slashed overtime hours and forced delivery vehicles to leave warehouses at set times every morning, regardless of whether all mail has been loaded.

The removal of at least four large sorting machines in recent months has also reduced the Postal Service’s ability to process thousands of envelopes an hour, leading to obvious delays. Woods said packages set to arrive on Saturday were still sitting in his warehouse on Monday.

A number of employees with underlying health conditions have also left the agency amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Woods added. And the elimination of sorting machines and reduction in overtime hours have only further reduced the agency’s ability to keep up its usual pace, he said.

Still, like officials in Lansing, Wood remains confident that postal workers will overcome hurdles.

“We will deliver. We have and will continue to prepare for this. Yes, I have my concerns, but I’d also tell every American not to worry because we can and will expedite these ballots,” Woods said. “The people working for this agency who are on the ground are going to make it all work.”