Tester Grills USPS Leadership on Staff Shortages in Bozeman, Pushes for Solutions

Senator: “Both postal workers and customers deserve better than short-term ideas and band-aid solutions.”

As a part of his continued effort to ensure that all Montanans receive the highest quality service from the United States Postal Service (USPS), U.S. Senator Jon Tester today sent a letter to USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy grilling the agency for its lack of long term solutions to the staffing shortage at the Bozeman post office.

“Montanans depend on reliable postal service to pay their bills, receive their medications, and support small businesses,” wrote Tester. “While I appreciate USPS’s efforts to bring in short-term help and deploy additional resources to the community, I am alarmed that little has been done to address the underlying lack of resources that make it impossible to hire and retain adequate staff in Montana communities with high costs of living. While I believe that similar interim measures are needed to address the immediate crisis in Bozeman, I once again ask that you work with the Board of Governors and Congress to find a lasting solution that increases pay for these employees.”

Senator Tester has been Montana’s leading champion on ensuring reliable mail service across Montana and has been pushing the USPS to improve service in Bozeman through the addressing of staff shortages. Last year, Senator Tester urged USPS leadership to find immediate solutions to the challenges facing the Bozeman office and restore timely mail service as quickly as possible. He has also urged Postmaster DeJoy to provide meaningful Cost of Living (COLA) increases for employees in high cost-of-living regions, like Bozeman, and has urged the local offices to host job fairs in the region to attract workers.

Read Tester’s full letter to Postmaster DeJoy below:

Dear Postmaster General DeJoy:

I am writing to draw your attention to significant mail delivery delays due to staffing shortages in the Bozeman post office. I remain concerned that United States Postal Service (USPS) leadership has not yet found a solution to address low pay in high-cost areas. Both postal workers and customers deserve better than short-term ideas and band-aid solutions. 

Montanans depend on reliable postal service to pay their bills, receive their medications, and support small businesses. I am alarmed that this ongoing staffing crisis in Gallatin County imperils the ability of postal customers to receive these essential services.

As you are aware, I sent a letter to your office last spring about similar staffing challenges and delays in Bozeman. While I appreciate USPS’s efforts to bring in short-term help and deploy additional resources to the community, I am alarmed that little has been done to address the underlying lack of resources that make it impossible to hire and retain adequate staff in Montana communities with high costs of living. While I believe that similar interim measures are needed to address the immediate crisis in Bozeman, I once again ask that you work with the Board of Governors and Congress to find a lasting solution that increases pay for these employees.

I commend the Postal employees who continue to work tirelessly to fulfill their critical obligation to ensure mail service to Montanans in Bozeman and across the Treasure State. These workers continue to put in long hours to keep mail moving in and out of Bozeman, I thank them for their dedication to Montana. 

I appreciate your immediate attention to this matter and stand ready to work with you.