USPS mail delays in Superior due to policy changes

USPS has been experiencing some delivery issues in Superior, Wisconsin. While Bayfield’s mailing issue is more significant, with residents not receiving mail up to two weeks. However, the lack of mail delivered by USPS is becoming more of a problem in the Northland.

On average, USPS processes 17.7 million pieces of mail every hour, comparatively to 5,000 each second. Federal law requires the postal service to deliver mail six days a week, as a result USPS is undergoing changes.

The post service’s changes are prioritizing package delivery over mail letter delivery, raising prices and reinforcing facilities to increase revenue. The changes made in 2022 resulted in fewer employees, and less letters delivered by USPS.

Elizabeth Fedorowicz, a resident of Superior, explained the lack of mail from the USPS is becoming an issue.

“It’s been erratic. It’s not like it used to be. You used to get around 11:00 and now sometimes it’s 11:00 and sometimes at 6:30.” Fedorowicz said.

However, in the city of Superior, 17% of mail routes do not have a routine mail carrier. This is an issue, due to Superior’s USPS mail carriers only allowed to work 12 hours. Another issue is the lack of staff, since no one can sort the mail for the delivery trucks.

“Well, anything you get in the mail is important, I think. And I get my pills through the mail, I vote through the mail, and that’s important to me. I have a good relationship with my mail carrier, but I’m concerned that you never know when it’s going to come. And some days, there’s nothing.” Fedorowicz said.

According to a statement by the USPS, they are aware of the issue. Postal workers are working to the best of their availability within their limited means and available resources.

You can find more information about the lack of mail happening in Bayfield at https://www.wdio.com/front-page/top-stories/wheres-my-mail/

The USPS statement regarding Superior Wisconsin reads as follows. We are committed to providing the best possible service to our customers and we apologize for any inconvenience that may have been experienced. Local management in Superior WI is aware of delivery issues and taking steps to address the concerns. Some customers may receive mail every other day as compared to the normal daily delivery as we match the workload to available resources. We appreciate the patience of our customers. We will continue flexing our available resources to match the workload and are proud of the efforts of postal employees as they define essential public service every day.

When mail service issues occur, we take steps to quickly resolve customer concerns.  We gladly work to address any specific issue from the community when brought to our attention. We encourage customers to reach out to their local postal station. Customers can also go to our website https://usps.force.com/emailus/s/. Every email will be carefully documented and appropriate action taken to strengthen service. The official Twitter account of the United States Postal Service, managed by the Social Media staff at USPS HQ, can provide help.