USPS confirms ‘challenges’ at Indianapolis processing and distribution center leading to delays

 INDIANAPOLIS – Last week, FOX59 News reported on businesses experiencing significant delays with packages stalled at the Indianapolis Processing and Distribution Center.  Since the report aired, many viewers have reached out with similar concerns and issues.

Andy deLivron said he has been waiting for his medicine to arrive that shipped from Canada on Nov. 26. It arrived in Indianapolis at the processing and distribution facility on Dec. 6, where it remains 11 days later.

“The medication ships quickly,” he said, “the problem is when it gets to USPS and when I placed the order it says it may take you 3 or 4 weeks to get it. This is first class mail.”

DeLivron said the package shipped from Canada to San Francisco, then to Cleveland, making a stop in Akron and then heading to the Indianapolis Processing and Distribution Center.

”When it hits the local post office distribution center it just sits. We’re now 11 days and waiting,” said deLivron.

Fortunately, deLivron said his medication is not vital to surviving, but it is important to his health. “For some people, these medications are life-threatening if they run out of them, especially someone who’s on insulin or something like that.”

He said he orders his medication from Canada due to the steep costs associated with Medicare, but knew he needed to be prepared for delays. “Fortunately I know with medications to keep a long supply because the lead time could be longer.”

“This is a management problem.  This is not a line worker problem,” deLivron said.

Gregory Jones, President of the Indianapolis Local 130 AFL-CIO American Postal Workers Union, said, “it’s kind of been like Christmas for us at the post office every week,” citing surges in package orders and mail volume well before the holiday season.

He said the delays are not a reflection of a lack of hard work on postal workers’ parts. “They’re working employees 12 hours a day and they’re doing as best as they can to get the mail processed and try to get it delivered.”

Jones is concerned about long hours he said are being required of employees right now. He told FOX59 News some people are being mandated to work longer hours, when normally that is a voluntary option.

“It’s a lot of stress involved with what’s been going on,” said Jones. “They doing their best to work with the circumstances they have.”

“We have a lot of people that’s also tested positive and have to quarantine.”

“They’re short staffed out there and at the post office in general. Employees are doing a good job at what they’ve always done and I appreciate what they do,” Jones said.

He said part of the reason for the already heavy volume of packages that comes through the Indianapolis hub is, a few years back, the USPS consolidated many postal operations into Indianapolis.

“It’s a lot of mail coming from different parts of Indiana and other places that has to come here to get processed,” he said, “the high demand is on every postal employee to process and handle these packages and get them out so that’s what we’re up against.”

“I think it goes unseen about what they do, only when something bad happens and they’re chastised for it, but I tip my hat to all of them,” Jones said.

Last week, we reached out to USPS for comment on the staffing situation and delays locally, but the agency would not speak to that, instead, issuing a statement about USPS operations in general.

For the second time in a week, USPS declined an interview Thursday, but admitted challenges are occurring at the Indianapolis Distribution and Processing Center.

Source - https://fox59.com/news/usps-confirms-challenges-at-indianapolis-processing-and-distribution-center-leading-to-delays/