U.S. Postal Service Scrapping Usable Mail Sorting Machines

The battle over the US Post Office continues. 20 states have joined to sue the Postal Service over recent changes that have delayed mail, and Michigan is one of them. The Post Office notified 49 states last week that voting ballots could be delayed. There are a couple of lawsuits going on against the Post Office right now. Even with all the talk in the past few weeks of Post Office issues, postal Unions are reporting equipment being removed this week in Grand Rapids Michigan.

Holland Sentinel reports “Amy Puhalski, president of American Postal Workers Union Local 281, told the Holland Sentinel on Wednesday that USPS officials this week took the electrical components out of two mail sorting machines in downtown Grand Rapids. Puhalski said the machines sort letters and that their removal would delay mail processing time. Officials were working on gutting a third machine, she said, but stopped after U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Tuesday ordered a halt to equipment scrapping and other organizational changes until after the election.”

Talk of these machines being scrapped or disabled is due to concerns raised over recent cuts and changes at the Postal Service prior to the general election. Jim Haggerty, President for the Michigan Chapter of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union says “They took out a fully-functioning flat sorter machine. They say it is because the mail volume is down. If Needed, flat mail sorting machines could also sort ballots.” According to the Union this is one of at least several functioning sorter machines being dismantled this week by USPS officials in Grand Rapids.