“It is critical at every level of government, that we continue to keep the pressure on Postmaster Louis DeJoy as the impacts of his short-sighted efforts to dismantle and to privatize the USPS play out across our communities and impact our neighbors.”

Video (YouTube)

BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) testified at the Boston City Council’s public hearing to discuss inadequate delivery services by the United States Postal Service (USPS) throughout Boston neighborhoods. The USPS declined to join the hearing.

Recently, Rep. Pressley joined the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation on a letter urging the USPS to re-open postal facilities and improve service, spotlighting a larger statewide problem with postal service in Massachusetts. Last week, Rep. Pressley rallied with postal workers from the American Postal Workers Union to sound the alarm about the USPS’ failures and to demand first-class service year-round.

Responsive to concerns she raised, the USPS Inspector General recently announced an audit to evaluate the efficiency at the Boston Processing and Distribution Center, and Congresswoman Pressley is encouraging constituents who have experienced postal issues to contact her office so their concerns can be included in the audit.

A transcript of her testimony is available below and full video is available here.

Transcript: Pressley Testifies at Boston City Council on USPS Service Failures

October 8, 2024

Boston City Council

Thank you, Chairwoman Breadon for the opportunity to share testimony on Docket #1425 An Order for a hearing to discuss inadequate delivery services by the United States Postal Service within Mission Hill and other Boston neighborhoods.

And thank you to the sponsors of today’s hearing, Councilor Durkin, Councilor Santana and Weber, for shining a spotlight on an issue of vital importance to our shared constituencies.

And thank you to the members of APWU, the American Postal Workers Union, who I was honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with for a day of action last week, as they continue to fight for better service and reliability and for their own rights.

And to the hundreds of constituents who have reached out to our office—hundreds— from Mission Hill, to Roxbury, to Somerville, to Grove Hall, to Allston Brighton and all across the Massachusetts 7^th—thank you for raising your voices and demanding to be heard.

The USPS belongs to all of us—it connects us to our family and friends, we rely on it for daily medications and prescriptions, Social Security checks, veterans’ benefits, our small businesses rely upon it.

I’ve heard from important community-based organizations and non-profits who have been unable to meet payroll because they didn’t receive the checks that they needed. And it plays a larger role in our elections and the very expression of democracy.

It is critical at every level of government, that we continue to keep the pressure on Postmaster Louis DeJoy as the impacts of his short-sighted efforts to dismantle and to privatize the USPS play out across our communities and impact our neighbors.

It’s an honor to testify before this esteemed body, a body whose impact I know personally from my eight years as an At-Large Boston City Councilor, to share the challenges that we have heard from community and continue our partnership in improving the working conditions and services that we know USPS can deliver.

When the Mission Hill branch was threatening to close, community raised the alarm and city, state, and our office worked together to avert a crisis that would have impacted hundreds of families.

But even when branches remain open, too many constituents, from Somerville to Roxbury, report that their mail was delayed or not even delivered for weeks…for weeks!

And when constituents try to visit branches in person, they find that they are under-resourced and understaffed branches that simply cannot keep up with the need.

My team and I have seen this up close and personal. We made an unannounced visit to the Roxbury and Grove Hall branches, and we have seen DeJoy’s contempt manifested.

These deep cuts have impacted staffing levels and in turn, impacted service. And it’s been a frustrating and demoralizing experience for the workforce as well.

All of this is unconscionable. 

So, I have advocated to secure the funding and oversight necessary to restore the integrity of USPS, to hold leadership accountable for its performance, and that I’m a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and I have led calls for necessary reforms, such as ending their two-tier wage system stifling hiring, and instead investing in the USPS workforce to restore the standards that guarantee timely delivery for all.

In fact, just last month, my colleagues in the Massachusetts delegation and I sent a letter to the Postmaster General outlining the depth of the problem and their response has been underwhelming and insufficient to say the least.

But we will not let them off the hook. The collective advocacy of the Boston City Council, the APWU, and most importantly, the USPS’ bosses, the residents of the City of Boston, will keep applying the pressure we need to remove this inept Postmaster General and let the hardworking men and women of the USPS do their duty, which they take tremendous pride in.

So thank you for allowing me a moment to share with our constituents direct feedback and please do consider me your partner in this work going forward.

I regret that I could not join today in person due to scheduling conflicts, however a dedicated member of my District Office team, Colin Remal, is there and he’s been ably representing the office and has been point on these issues, engaging the many constituents who have been experiencing inadequate and uneven service delivery. So he is there – wave your hand Colin – and we stand ready to continue the fight with all of you for the services that our communities deserve.

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Throughout her time in Congress, Congresswoman Pressley has championed for federal resources to support the United States Postal Service and its employees:

• In August 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Markey on a letter urging USPS to re-open postal facilities and improve service, spotlighting a larger statewide problem with postal service in Massachusetts.

• On December 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Reps. Lynch and Raskin in leading their colleagues on a letter urging the extension of COVID-19 workers’ compensation benefits for postal workers.
• On February 25, 2021, Rep. Pressley called for postal banking to advance racial and economic justice during a House Committee on Oversight hearing.
• On February 19, 2021, Rep. Pressley urged President Biden in a letter to replace Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and appoint a diverse United States Postal Service Board of Governors.
• On August 22, 2020, Rep. Pressley delivered remarks on the House floor slamming Republican attacks on the United States Postal Service and shared constituent stories.
• On August 21, 2020, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Payne lead their colleagues in a letter pushing party leadership to stand firm on postal service funding.
• On August 25, 2020, Rep. Pressley questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the United States Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Robert Duncan about the harmful impact policy changes at USPS had on the workforce during a House Committee on Oversight hearing.
• On August 6, 2020, Rep. Pressley, and her colleagues sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy expressing deep concerns about operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service that could have negative impacts on service standards and cause significant delays in mail delivery.
• On May 29, 2020, Rep. Pressley joined progressive Members of Congress in a letter urging House and Senate leadership to include public banking in COVID-19 response.

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