US Postal Service Warns Rural Mail Carriers: Don't Publicly Blame Delays on Amazon

15,279 people live in the rural Minnesota town of Bemidji. But now mail carriers there, 'overwhelmed by Amazon packages, say they've been warned not to use the word 'Amazon,' including when customers ask why the mail is delayed,' reports the Washington Post:

'We are not to mention the word 'Amazon' to anyone,' said a mail carrier who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their job. 'If asked, they're to be referred to as 'Delivery Partners' or 'Distributors,'' said a second carrier. 'It's ridiculous.' The directive, passed down Monday morning from U.S. Postal Service management, comes three weeks after mail carriers in the northern Minnesota town staged a symbolic strike outside the post office, protesting the heavy workloads and long hours caused by the sudden arrival of thousands of Amazon packages...

In addition to being banned from saying 'Amazon,' postal workers have also been told their jobs could be at risk if they speak publicly about post office issues. Staffers were told they could attend Tuesday's meeting only on their 30-minute lunch break if they changed out of uniform, mail carriers said. One mail carrier said he'd been warned there could be 'consequences' for those who showed up.

Postal customers in Bemidji have been complaining about late and missing mail since the beginning of November, when the contract for delivering Amazon packages in town switched from UPS to the post office. Mail carriers told The Post last month that they were instructed to deliver packages before the mail, leaving residents waiting for tax rebates, credit card statements, medical documents and checks...

The post office has held a contract to deliver Amazon packages on Sundays since 2013. The agency, which has lost $6.5 billion in the past year, has said that it's crucial to increase package volume by cutting deals with Amazon and other retailers.

Tuesday the town's mayor held a listening session for the state's two senators with Bemidji residents, whose complaints included 'missing medications and late bills resulting in fees.' Senator Amy Klobuchar later told the Post that 'We need a very clear commitment that we're not going to be prioritizing Amazon packages over regular mail,' promising to explore improving postal staffing and pay for rural carriers.
On Monday, the Minnesota senators introduced a bill called the Postal Delivery Accountability Act, which would require the post office to improve tracking and reporting of delayed and undelivered mail nationally.

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