Just days after the Postmaster General warned of the dire financial state of the U.S. Postal Service, one employee in Dallas is speaking out over concerns for their health as they work on-site during the pandemic.
The employee who works at the Distribution Center in West Dallas spoke anonymously about their experience. The Postal Service says at least one employee who works there tested positive for COVID-19.
“We can’t even practice the 6-foot rules because there are so many of us that work here and we are in close contact at all times,” the employee said.
“I’m scared to take something home from work,” the employee said. “It’s always an unsettling feeling when you come to work because of the work that we do.”
In Coppell, the Postal Service said at least 11 employees tested positive at the North Texas Processing and Distribution Center campus.
On Sunday USPS sent WFAA a statement outlining several steps they are taking to ensure safety.
“[The Postal Service is] working to overcome the challenges in the supply chain to ensure that our employees have access to hand sanitizer and receive surgical masks and gloves upon request,” the statement said. “We have shipped 15 million masks throughout the country to ensure that they are available for our employees and are working tirelessly to keep the supply chains for these items flowing in the face of national challenges.”
The independent federal agency outlined several more steps, adding that they’ve updated their cleaning policies, and are allowing liberal use of leave so employees can stay home whenever they are sick.
The employee who spoke with WFAA said they hope for mandatory testing.
“We can’t stop,” the employee said. “The mail can’t stop. So we need to be tested.”
The concerns come at a challenging time for the Postal Service. Last week the Postmaster General addressed members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee to discuss the “devastating effects” the coronavirus has had on the operation.
Among several points, Postmaster General Megan Brennan noted that the Postal Service will “run out of cash this fiscal year” without help from Congress and President Trump. Brennan also stated that the Postal Service anticipates a $13 billion revenue loss directly tied to COVID-19 this fiscal year and $54.3 billion in additional losses over 10 years.
"The Postal Service is holding on for dear life, and unless Congress and the White House provide meaningful relief in the next stimulus bill, the Postal Service could cease to exist,” Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said.
"We cannot allow the Postal Service to collapse," Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. said. "To do so would deepen our nation’s economic crisis and eliminate an important lifeline to the one million individuals who receive lifesaving prescription deliveries, and eviscerate the very infrastructure we need to administer the upcoming elections.”
But as the challenges continue work continues too. The employee who spoke with WFAA says they plan to keep working and earning the check they need.
“I’ve upped my life insurance, which is sad, but I have to figure out and think about my family in the future,” the employee stated.
More on WFAA:
- Coronavirus live updates: Christians in US, worldwide celebrate Easter like no other
- MAP: These are the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
- Live COVID-19 updates: As North Texas cases near 4,000, Dallas County reports 4 more deaths
- Abbott extends Texas disaster declaration | Here's what that means
- 'I owe them my life' | Boris Johnson hails hospital staff, discharged after contracting coronavirus