Mending the Mail Mess

May 8, 2007 (WLS) -- ABC7 gets an exclusive inside look on how postal officials are promising to resolve major delays and address mix ups. Cheryl Burton found out how service may have gotten so bad.

Over the past several months, ABC7 has uncovered the latest mail problems in the area. The US postal general called Chicago the worst mail delivery service in the nation.

Jon Paul Cabral is one of dozens of postal auditors in Chicago from across the country to help mend Chicago's mail mess. He is following carriers to correct addresses that don't synch up to the records on file.

"In the city of Chicago, the databases are incorrect, so we need to verify that every address is correct," said John Paul Cabral, Headquarters National Route Inspector Team.

"We will get this fixed. We are in the process of fixing it," said Gloria Tyson, postmaster of Chicago.

Chicago's postmaster says fixing it also includes a major overhaul on the 57 machines that sort the mail. This is the first time for an overhaul of machines since the post office moved to its current downtown headquarters 10 years ago.

Postal officials say these problems are causing many of the delayed deliveries. Late evening deliveries are common in at least one Logan Square neighborhood. On one day in mid-April, ABC7 found carriers working extra shifts and leaving for more routes at 4:45 p.m. They delivered the mail as the street lights turned on-- until about 8 :30 p.m. But residents say a late delivery is better than the alternative.

"Sometimes we don't get it," said Alma Rivera, resident.

"In the last 15 years it's changed to the point where it's running down the tubes," said one veteran postal carrier who did not want to be identified. He blames many of the late deliveries on too many carriers who say they are injured, go on "light duty, " and then get placed into office jobs.

"They know they can go on light duty. So you may have an office with 25 routes; you might have eight of them on light duty, and the rest of them have to pick up the slack, and this is why you se them out late at night sometimes," the carrier said.

Postal officials say about 250 out of about 3,000 mail carriers are on "light duty." ABC7 asked the postmaster if that is part of the problem.

"Like some of the other internal processes being reviewed, that also is being reviewed, and carriers are returning to full duty," said Tyson.

Postmaster Gloria Tyson says the recent announcement to hire another 200 carriers and some temporary carriers should also help.

"Part of our process calls for replacement carriers temporarily being assigned to those positions where carriers have been injured," Tyson said.

Tyson says she believes most people on light duty are legitimately on it and that most employees are responsible. But she also acknowledges mistakes made in the overall postal system in the past several years.

Now, Tyson says, she is looking ahead.

"It's not about what's happened beforel it's about what we are doing today," said Tyson.

About six months ago postal officials showed ABC7 different steps they were taking to fix late and incorrect deliveries. At that time they also promised big improvements. This time, they assure customers, this plan will work.

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