WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden are calling on Postmaster Louis DeJoy to urgently address troubling deficiencies found among U.S. Postal Service (USPS) operations in Maine. The letter follows the release of a recent U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report, requested by Senator Collins and Congresswoman Pingree last year, that found over 150,000 pieces of delayed mail across five mail delivery units in Southern Maine.

“The USPS is a lifeline for Mainers, from delivering paychecks and medical supplies to connecting loved ones. We have heard frequently from constituents in recent months that deliveries have slowed or even stopped for days at a time, prompting concerns about missing essential mail,” the Delegation wrote. “Unfortunately, the OIG’s report confirmed major deficiencies at all five locations surveyed, impacting mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions. On one morning in March 2023, more than 150,000 pieces of delayed mail were found across the delivery units. Put simply, this is unacceptable.”

In their letter, the Maine Delegation requests that Postmaster DeJoy address these deficiencies and provide an update on implementation of the OIG’s recommendations to improve service and conditions at the surveyed locations and implement previously recommended actions to retain staff. 

The letter is available here and copied below. 

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Dear Postmaster DeJoy,

We write today concerning recent audits completed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) at five delivery units in Southern Maine and request an update on efforts to address recommendations outlined in the OIG’s report.

The USPS is a lifeline for Mainers, from delivering paychecks and medical supplies to connecting loved ones. We have heard frequently from constituents in recent months that deliveries have slowed or even stopped for days at a time, prompting concerns about missing essential mail. Unfortunately, the OIG’s report confirmed major deficiencies at all five locations surveyed, impacting mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions. On one morning in March 2023, more than 150,000 pieces of delayed mail were found across the delivery units. Put simply, this is unacceptable.

USPS management must urgently address the deficiencies identified in the report. In addition to its findings, the OIG included ten recommendations to improve service and conditions at the surveyed locations. We support implementing these recommendations and request an update on USPS management’s response to each.

Further, we note that the report emphasizes that understaffing represents a significant barrier to efficient and quality service in Southern Maine. To this end, we additionally request an update on USPS’s progress in implementing the recommendations made by OIG in its April 2023 report on Postal Service Non-Career Turnover, after a nationwide audit found that schedule flexibility and supervisor relations are major challenges to retention.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our offices.

                                                                        Sincerely,

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