USPS mail delays: Postal workers speak out as senators demand accountability

PALMETTO, Ga. - If you've been anxiously checking the mailbox, you aren't alone. For weeks, viewers have contacted the FOX 5 newsroom complaining of missing checks, bills, absentee ballots, medicine, and more. 

Sen. Jon Ossoff is stepping in to get to the bottom of things. This week, the senator launched an inquiry with USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in search of answers regarding delays stemming from the processing and distribution center in Palmetto.

"When I hear from my constituents that they're having issues with the postal service that impact families' safety and security or just the orderly delivery of mail necessary for quality of life and commerce, I take action," Sen. Ossoff said.

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Allegations of delayed mail in stacks and trucks queued for hours are coming from inside the Palmetto processing facility. "It's very bad. It's very bad. I've found mail in there from October," Emi Collymore, an employee at the Palmetto facility, told FOX 5. According to Collymore, the sheer volume of delayed mail is making it difficult to move around the facility. "People's packages are just sitting in there, piled up everywhere. Everywhere you look, you see packages. It's ridiculous," Collymore said.

At a press conference Friday, Sen. Ossoff said the inquiry is meant to "establish the facts. Once we have a fuller accounting of the postal service's position, then we'll be able to contemplate what further action may be necessary in the senate."

Sen. Raphael Warnock backed his counterpart with the following statement: 

"Georgians depend on a reliable postal service to pay bills, do their jobs, and connect with loved ones. While human error and obstacles may arise amid consolidation of distribution centers, these delays have been going on too long and the onus falls on the United States Postal Service to provide transparency on what is happening and what they are going to do to fix it. My office will continue to monitor these developments and help Georgians where we can to hold USPS accountable."

Sen. Warnock's office also pointed to a 2022 audit of several metro Atlanta post offices. The audit found more than 16,000 pieces of delayed letters and flat mail at one facility in a single morning. 

USPS apologized for the problems and stated, "Local management has been made aware of the concerns of some local customers regarding their mail delivery and are working quickly to resolve any issues." They also ask customers experiencing problems to call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).