U.S. Sen. Tina Smith highlighted recent picketing at the Bemidji Post Office in a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General relating to service agreements with the online retail giant Amazon.
Bemidji postal workers picketed in the early morning hours Nov. 13 and 14 to protest working conditions. These conditions, according to the Bemidji Pioneer, include 12-hour workdays, six-day schedules, and paid leave requests repeatedly denied.
Smith pressed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on these issues, arguing the service agreements with Amazon are “interfering with timely deliveries and stretching the agency’s already-overburdened workers too thin.”
Smith said millions of Minnesotans rely on the U.S. Postal Service to pay bills, receive prescriptions and conduct essential businesses. In the letter to DeJoy, Smith wrote that “entering into contracts that your system cannot support is a breach of your responsibilities.”
The Brainerd Post Office experienced similar delays after an Amazon service agreement was implemented last holiday season and continues to struggle to maintain staff.
Smith also recently pressed the postmaster on issues relating to mail and payroll delays within the Postal Service.
The situation in rural Northern Minnesota caught the attention of the Washington Post, which published a story Tuesday featuring the Bemidji Post Office.
Listen to our KAXE Morning Show conversation on the topic above.
-
People filled the chairs, stood in the doorway and sat on the floor in Grand Rapids City Council chambers, and commissioners said it might have been the most well-attended Human Rights Commission meeting ever.
-
Plus: Mahnomen Health Center CEO speaks on proposed service change; Hwy 34 construction set to resume; and Cuyuna City Hall may join the National Register of Historic Places.
-
Plus: Man dies in fatal ATV crash; and the new Itasca County Jail opens for tours.
-
KAXE Staff Phenologist John Latimer provides his weekly assessment of nature in Northern Minnesota. This is the week of April 23, 2024.
-
Three students from the Grand Rapids High School production discussed the show which will be performed April 26 and 27 at 7 p.m. and April 28 at 2 p.m.
-
And: a new bill in the Legislature would prohibit employers from misclassifying workers, the University of Minnesota is working with the White Earth Nation to provide support to families caring for people with dementia, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation is seeking more groups to 'Adopt a Highway.'
-
Minnesota Forest to Tap highlights the importance of forest industry and management and systems to protect water resources. Participating breweries in Northern Minnesota are offering free seedlings with purchase of local craft beer from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 26.
-
A Beltrami County judge dismissed Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life's claims against a Bemidji man, who canceled checks totaling more than $800,000 after his father's apparent suicide.
-
AirCorps Aviation, founded in 2011, restores vintage airplanes and manufactures unique parts in Erik Hokuf's hometown of Bemidji.
-
Students and listeners from across the state send in their nature reports. Depending on the season, reports may cover wildflowers, animal behaviors, weather patterns and other wonders.