Staff shortages at the US Postal Service have disrupted service in Berkeley, leaving many customers confused by closed doors and frustrated that there is no information on when they might reopen.
Eight post offices in Berkeley and Albany are affected by staffing shortages, according to Augustine Ruiz, Jr., a USPS spokesperson.
They include the main post office at 2000 Allston Way, station A at 2111 San Pablo Ave., South Berkeley post office at 3175 Adeline St., North Berkeley station at 1521 Shattuck Ave., Landscape station at 1831 Solano Ave ., the Elmwood Post Office at 2705 Webster St., the Berkeley District Unit at 1150 Eight St. and the Albany Branch as 1191 Solano Ave.
Essentially, the post office only has enough staff to serve six of the eight post offices, so it has to move around the postal workers, Ruiz said. Since there is often only one postal worker, he or she will shut down the entire service to take a lunch break. Ruiz said the staff shortage was temporary, but did not know when it would improve.
“I wish I could promise you when we will return to normal,” Ruiz said. “We are working to minimize the impact on the community as much as possible by keeping the operations of the post office nearby.”
The intermittent service has been running for approximately two weeks.
Many Berkeleyside readers said they went to various city post offices to find open doors, but no one behind the counters to weigh and process packages or sell stamps.
“The doors are open, the lights are on in the public area, but the lights are off behind the counter and nobody is there, there is no sign that explains anything,” Marissa Moss said in an email.
“I went this morning at 10:20 to pick up a package,” Eva Schlesinger wrote of her experience at the North Berkeley Post Office. “The lobby was open, but behind the counter it was dark. People arrived with packages to mail in and were frustrated to discover that no one was working. This is problematic for those of us who have boxes there and are waiting for checks, invoices, letters or packages, and those who wish to send packages or other mail. It is also not secure for mail that has been delivered and is visible in the back room behind the counter without personnel. “
This is a long attack on the vote by mail, something tells me that there will be much more for November.
– Sarah Lefton (@sarahlefton) July 27, 2020
Bob Dixon went to the main post office around 11:30 am to send a package. He entered the lobby to see a group of people sitting on benches, waiting. Roll-up doors were closed and no one offered service, despite the website saying service started at 9 a.m., so Dixon crossed town to the North Berkeley branch and arrived around noon.
“Same thing … open lobby, no one works at the counter,” Dixon said. “Someone had put up a hand-lettered sign that said ‘apparently closed.’ I looked at my watch: it was just after 12 noon.
Moss said the Albany Post Office finally opened, but when it did there was a long line and only one employee.
“Someone had a weird conspiracy theory that Trump is trying to make the PO look dysfunctional so that people don’t want a vote by mail,” he said.
Ruiz said the USPS is hiring and encouraged people to apply for jobs to work at post offices or to deliver mail.
Berkeleyside has asked the USPS for more information and will update this story with new information if we get it.
