Mail delivery issues has consequences for some Williston residents

Over the past several months, Williston residents have reported issues with receiving medications, checks, and other important items through the mail. For some, the problem is having life-threatening consequences.

Williston resident Jessica Bratko said her cat nearly died because the post office did not deliver the cat's medication on time.

"My 15 year old cat has hyperthyroidism and is on a 2x/day regiment of methimazole," Bratko wrote to the Burlington Free Press. "It's crucial she doesn't miss a dose of this medication or it can send her body into crisis."

In February, the postal service failed to deliver the cat's medication on the day it was scheduled, so Bratko had to ration three days of her cat's medicine. Bratko said that on the third day of rationing, the cat went into hyperthyroid crisis and had to go to the emergency veterinarian.

Eventually, the cat was able to access emergency medication, but this crisis could have been avoided if the mail had arrived on time.

"We are aware of some recent mail delays in the Williston area related to employee availability. We have been aggressively recruiting for the past several months," U.S. Postal Service communications specialist Stephen Doherty wrote in a statement to the Burlington Free Press. "The current low unemployment rate in Vermont has made attracting and retaining qualified letter carriers a difficult task in some communities.

Staffing shortages across New England

To attract new employees, the Postal Service held job fairs at post offices across Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine on Feb. 27, as well as another job fair in Hillsborough, NH on March 8. Doherty said that well-staffed USPS offices can typically move personnel to nearby short-staffed post offices, but this can't be done right now because there's a general staffing shortage across the Northern New England region.

"We are currently using all of the resources at our disposal to make sure that our Vermont customers get the kind of First Class service they’ve come to expect and deserve. This includes authorizing overtime where needed to deliver the mail," Doherty said. "You also may see carriers or, in emergency situations, management officials, delivering on Sundays as a way to keep deliveries current."

Impact on Vermonters

Williston resident Molly Cort has been having issues receiving medications in the mail since last summer, and she said it's only getting worse.

Cort is in her seventies and her insurance company requires that she receives by mail her medications for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and neuropathy. She said the medications for the neuropathy in her feet have been late every month since October, causing her feet to go numb, which makes walking difficult.

Williston resident Linda Scott has a daughter with Down syndrome and Crohn's disease who relies upon post office for specialized vitamins and probiotics that cannot be bought locally. Scott said that in December she ordered medications for her daughter that needed to be refrigerated, paying extra for iced packaging, but ended up receiving the medications too late for them to be usable.

"I'm not ordering things that are extraneous — they are necessities! It's sad what has happened," Scott wrote to the Burlington Free Press.

In addition to Scott, Cort, and Bratko, over 20 Williston residents wrote to the Burlington Free Press that they have been having issues receiving mail over the past several months.

Welch, Sanders and Balint seek action

“Vermont faces serious challenges when it comes to postal service – too many folks struggle to get bills paid on time, prescriptions delivered when they need them, and packages sent out for their businesses, all because the USPS is struggling to keep up with demand," Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., wrote in a statement to the Burlington Free Press.

In addition to Williston, residents of Hinesburg, South Burlington, and Windham County have also reported mail delivery issues over the past several months, according to a statement from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

"There are a few root causes driving these issues," Welch said. "First, the Postal Service is struggling to recruit and retain new employees. USPS simply doesn’t have adequate staff to meet their needs."

Welch, Sanders, and Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., sent letters to USPS on Feb. 16 calling for answers and accountability regarding the mail delivery issues.

"USPS also has major organizational challenges," Welch said. "And, we have a Postmaster General who’s determined to cut costs across the organization, at the expense of delivery service, with some troubling results."

Contact April Fisher at amfisher@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AMFisherMedia

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Williston residents face mail delivery issues amid staffing shortage