Staffing issues, low wages and higher-than-expected online consumer purchases have all contributed to major worker shortages at the U.S. Postal Service.
John Alexander, who owns a cabin rental business in Twin Lakes said, “The mail delivery has been very erratic to non-existent.” Alexander and other customers say mail service completely stopped in mid-January. “We did not receive mail from the 8th of January to the 18 of January,” Alexander said. “That makes it impossible to run a business. We’re not receiving our deposits. We’re not receiving our bills.”
A problem that’s even worse for those dependent on prescription medications through the mail. Twin Lakes resident Kelly Sweeney told Denver 7, “There people who need their medication. We had no notice of what was going on. I am so disappointed that there is no contingency plan to address something like this.”
Residents in Buena Vista have been missing mail for weeks, especially along rural routes. The Postal Service says these challenges are not limited to mountain towns, but are system wide. In fact, in Colorado, the Postal Service says they could hire an additional 600 people including postal carriers, clerks and other positions.
In a statement, the Postal Service said, “We know we have not met service expectations… and are working hard to restore the respect of the public. In Buena Vista, we’ve been short as much as half of our carrier staff and our current employees are doing all they can to serve their customers.”
Alexander says the Postal Service made things worse by not allowing people to pick up their mail.
The Postal Service is now sending employees from other parts of the state to help. Three employees form the Colorado Springs and Pueblo area were moved to Buena Vista this week, in addition to one employee they brought in from outside Colorado last week.
