NEWS: Sanders, Welch, Balint Demand Answers from Postmaster General DeJoy on Plan for Montpelier Post Office, Addressing Postal Worker Safety Concerns, and Restoring Agency's Ability to Meet Vermonters' Basic Needs

Letter

Dear Postmaster General DeJoy:

We write regarding the unacceptable response by your agency to serious worker safety concerns
and service disruptions following the closure of the Montpelier Post Office, caused by the
devastating summer flooding in Vermont.

Since July, the Montpelier Post Office has been operating out of a series of temporary locations,
which most recently consisted of two mobile units positioned on River Street in Montpelier.
Despite messaging to the contrary, these mobile units remain inoperable, with no power to
sustain air conditioning in the summer, heat in cold fall temperatures, or lighting needed to work
inside. While these mobile units have been completely unacceptable in terms of providing a safe
workplace for your postal employees, they allowed for continued service needed by Montpelier
residents. Now, your agency intends to close these temporary mobile units by the end of this
week with no stated plan to reopen services in Montpelier. This abandonment of your employees
and customers is completely unacceptable and must be rectified immediately.

Therefore, we ask that you 1) provide workers, post office box owners/holders, retail customers,
municipal leadership in Montpelier, and us with a firm timeline for reopening services in
Montpelier that are safe, heated, electrified, and indoors by Friday, November 3; 2) immediately
notify USPS employees of their options to be placed on paid administrative leave, reassigned to
nearby post offices, or otherwise made whole; and 3) reopen retail and post office box operations
in Montpelier no later than Monday, November 13 in a temporary location agreed upon with the
American Postal Workers Union.

While these requests today center around the immediate crisis of the planned closure of the
temporary location in Montpelier, our concerns do not end there. People are already suffering
from so many other unavoidable tragedies stemming from Vermont's summer flooding. We urge
you to take the necessary steps to restore Vermonters' faith in your agency and the critical
federal government services you provide.

First, we ask that you work closely with the General Services Administration to move as
expeditiously as possible to reopen the permanent post office facility in Montpelier. Next, we ask
that you respond quickly and accurately to any requests from the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) regarding the official complaints filed by your employees regarding the
unsafe working conditions they have been subjected to since July.

The problems in Montpelier reflect a failure of national management that has become a pattern in
our state. For years, the Postal Service has left many of our rural communities unheard and
underserved. We have consistently expressed our concerns over ongoing staffing shortages and
extreme mail delays across Vermont, as well as the lack of proper resources for the USPS sorting
United States Congress

WASHINGTON, DC 20510-4504

facility in White River Junction. Notably, this facility remains understaffed and under resourced
and faces an uncertain future. Postal workers, and the Vermonters that rely on them, deserve
better.
In order to assess the Postal Service's commitment to its mission, employees, customers, and
Congress, we request responses to the following questions no later than November 17, 2023:

1. July's flooding exposed vulnerabilities in USPS' disaster mitigation, response and
recovery.
a. Does the Postal Service have a plan to respond to major natural disasters? Please
provide us with copies of any disaster mitigation, response, and recovery plans
being used by the agency.
b. If USPS does not have a disaster response plan, is the agency in the process of
creating one?
c. What steps is USPS taking to account for the Postal Service's response failures
during recent disasters?
2. As detailed above, Montpelier's temporary facilities have been entirely unfit for postal
workers and customers.
a. What is the process within USPS to ensure proper working order of mobile units
before they are sent out to communities?
b. How does the USPS seek feedback from postal workers and customers on the
safety and accessibility of temporary facilities, including mobile units, and what is
the process for providing replacement locations or units to communities in need?
c. Please provide us with documentation of any and all complaints the USPS has
received regarding the Montpelier Post Office, including all temporary facilities.
3. The unwillingness from USPS to communicate clearly and promptly with the Vermont
delegation and our constituents is unacceptable.
a. How does the Postal Service go about gathering community input to inform its
relocation decision-making, pursuant to 39 CFR § 241.4? What actions have been
taken so far?

Under your leadership, we have seen a persistent deterioration of USPS service and an
intentional undermining of the very mission of your agency, which has demoralized your
workforce and undermined Americans' faith in your ability to meet their most basic needs. The
City of Montpelier, the State of Vermont, and the United States as a whole need a functioning
Postal Service.

We ask that you respond to each question included in this letter by the dates requested and
appreciate your prompt attention to these urgent and important matters.

Sincerely,

Source