Online shopping has become more of a regular thing over the years. Billions contribute to the growth of e-commerce, but reports say that it might be affecting other aspects of delivery, particularly the regular mail that gets delivered with Amazon packages.
Prioritizing Amazon Packages
If you got your Amazon package on time or even earlier, then you might live in an area where the retail giant's packages are being prioritized by post offices. Postal workers themselves have already complained about the practice.
While this has been a problem with many locations, the situation is worse in Bemidji, Minnesota. The issue has even gotten to the point where the carriers held protests before their shift began so that the problem may be addressed.
It was reported on November 15th that rural mail carriers protested outside the Bemidji Post Office before sunrise as they carried signs, mainly calling out their workplace's "unsustainable working conditions and the prioritization of Amazon deliveries over actual mail."
As mentioned in Ars Technica, mail carrier Dennis Nelson himself said that management told employees that Amazon packages are now the most important thing they do, and that mail is only secondary. It is likely due to the new policy prompted by the post office's agreement with Amazon in early November.
Nelson claimed that they spend 12 hours a day delivering the retail giant's packages and that there are about five or six routes where mail wasn't delivered. To make matters worse, the carriers are being unfairly treated due to the workload.
Aside from being forced to work 12-hour days six days a week, the district manager already canceled the workers' days off. Nelson added that they have "gone so far as to say they will not honor sick leave."
The issue even caught the attention of US Senator Tina Smith. In an effort to address the issue, Smith sent a letter to US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, informing him of the current situation at hand where workers are spread too thin.
In the letter, the Postmaster General was called out since he was responsible for ensuring that the Postal Service met its service standards. US Senator Smith expressed that entering contracts that their system cannot support is a breach of his responsibilities.
It Might Get Worse
The complaints refer to the average number of deliveries by Amazon's standards, and that might even get more hectic during the holidays when discounts and deals are presented to customers, urging them to buy from the retailer.
Last year's holiday saw a 3.5% year-over-year increase due to online holiday deals, marking the peak of e-commerce sales. Between Cyber Week to Cyber Monday, online shoppers contributed to a total of $35.3 billion, as per CNBC.
The holiday season isn't over yet, and with Christmas around the corner, online orders are sure to increase, adding to the already heavy workload that carriers have to fulfill. This can be a huge problem for rural carriers since Amazon isn't likely to have its own drivers in these areas.
