Network also will address offices with routine mail delivery well past traditional delivery hours

Dec. 9, 2013—NALC President Fredric V. Rolando has released the following statement on a new joint effort to identify and address safety issues that pose threats to America’s letter carriers:

The dedicated men and women who deliver our nation’s mail should not work in environments that pose threats to their health or safety. I approached the Postal Service with the idea of identifying and addressing what poses such threats. After a meeting with high-level USPS management, we have agreed to establish a nationwide network to jointly look at offices with safety issues, whether during the daylight hours or after dark, and at those offices that routinely deliver mail well past traditional delivery hours.

This nationwide network will identify the cause of these issues in each office and address them based on the facts and needs of each office. While there are common causes of some problems, the causes of safety issues often differ from office to office, so the solutions will differ as well. Identifying the causes will involve looking at all factors including letter carrier start times, transportation schedules, staffing, route adjustments and the structure of routes, just to name a few.

We are committed to identifying the true causes of these safety issues and addressing them in a way that provides the highest level of safety to letter carriers and highest level of service to postal customers. NALC will spare no effort to keep letter carriers safe.

More information will be available in the near future.