SOUTH CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Union postal workers are speaking out with their paychecks in limbo. A postal union spokesperson says four of their unionized USPS employees have been removed from their work schedules indefinitely.
According to APWU Local 133 Vice President Tim Holstein, four of their employees received letters stating:
“This letter is to inform you that, due to the needs of this facility, you will not be scheduled to work effective Saturday 5/4/2024 until further notice. If you have any questions feel free to contact your supervisor. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
The USPS announced last month that they are investing $23 million to modernize the Charleston Processing and Distribution Center into a Local Processing Center. But while the plan was under review, the USPS said that jobs could be born created and eliminated.
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Holstein added that the plant is significantly behind on mail processing and deliveries. By his account, as many as 280 boxes of mail, some as old as April 30, are waiting to be delivered.
He says ever since the USPS announcement last month, the mail is coming in at a faster rate than the staff can process it.
“I’ve never seen mail done this way. The public’s mail. They entrust us to do a job to deliver that mail they paid for. A service they are provided. We’re not doing it. We’re failing,” Holstein said. “It’s a failure. It’s an epic failure all the way across the board.”
Bob Kuhl says schedule changes at the plant have made processing for the staff much more difficult.
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“I know there’s mail that’s been in there for a while. As in days. It used to be we processed all day and night if that’s what it took to get the mail out the next morning. I don’t see that happening anymore,” Kuhl said.
USPS sent a statement to 13 News saying, “There are no ongoing delays at the Charleston Processing and Distribution Center and no staffing reductions. Any recent concerns due to weather and network issues…are being rectified by local management. We are also actively working with our union partners to improve employee availability levels.”