The continued service interruptions across Montana by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) must end, says U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who called on USPS to hire more workers.
“To be clear, I am grateful for the dedicated staff who are putting in countless extra hours to get mail to letter boxes and deliver packages across the state and support USPS employees,” Sen. Daines wrote in a Sept. 14 letter sent to USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “I urge you to do everything in your authority to prioritize addressing workforce shortages in Bozeman and elsewhere in Montana.”
Specifically, Sen. Daines pointed to lapses in service due to staffing shortages in the Bozeman area, Carbon County, and across the state, noting that in recent weeks, he’s received dozens of calls from constituents concerned about consecutive days of missing mail and packages, and some weeks-long delays, according to his letter.
“Across the board, Montana businesses are struggling to grow and retain their workforce,” wrote the senator. “I appreciate efforts thus far to bring staff into Montana on an interim basis; but I request you provide my office with a synopsis of what measures are currently in effect.”
More broadly, Sen. Daines urged USPS to work with the Board of Governors and the broader postal workforce to develop innovative long-term solutions to the problem both in the Bozeman area, as well as other similarly impacted rural areas in Montana.
“Like you, I have full confidence that this situation can be resolved by the ingenuity of postal employees who fulfill a critical constitutional obligation every day, rain or shine,” he wrote DeJoy. “Your organization is central to the health and prosperity of my state, and I remain a committed supporter of the USPS.”