CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Complaints over delays in mail delivery have led to the Chicago postmaster being replaced.
The postal service has heard from citizens, aldermen, congressmen, and state representatives about delays.
"There's another epidemic that's happening," said one woman.
"It's never been this bad," said a man.
"The fact that it's been taking two weeks at a time for residents to get their mail is completely unacceptable," said another.
The Chicago Postmaster, Wanda Prater, has now been replaced by Eddie Morgan Jr., who most recently was postmaster of Kansas City, Missouri.
In February, Democratic Congressman Bobby Rush called for Prater’s resignation after a 2020 audit found the delayed delivery of thousands of letters and packages at four postal stations in Rush’s district. According to the report, the Auburn Park, Henry McGee, Ashburn, and James E. Worsham stations had a cumulative 62,866 letters, flats, and packages delayed during investigators’ visits on Sept. 21 and 22.
Rush said the delays amounted to an “absolute, abject, total, undeniable failure.”
On Wednesday, Rush made the announcement that the United States Postal Service replaced Prater.
“There has been an undeniable, unacceptable, and unprecedented breakdown in mail delivery over the past year, and unfortunately, my constituents have borne the brunt of it,” Rush said in a statement. “After a damning Inspector General investigation — and an equally damning lack of response from management to the investigation — I am encouraged that USPS has finally heeded my call for new leadership in Chicago. This is about getting a fresh perspective on the problems we are facing and the solutions for restoring first-class mail service to my constituents.
“I appreciate Ms. Prater’s service to our city and acknowledge the barriers she broke in her career; however, it is time for us to move on. I look forward to meeting Mr. Morgan — who is also African American — in the coming weeks and working together to correct past issues and move forward in a constructive manner. My constituents depend on the prompt delivery of their mail, and they deserve no less.”
Postmaster Morgan will be responsible for over 1.3 million possible deliveries, 4,363 employees, 48 delivery units, and 2,143 city routes in the City of Chicago. Mr. Morgan is an Air Force veteran who began his postal career more than 22 years ago and his most recent assignment was as the Executive Postmaster for the Kansas City, MO Post Office.
Mack Julion of the National Association of Letter Carriers said the new leadership was a promising sign for rank-and-file workers grappling with staffing shortages and mismanagement.
Prater will now be Milwaukee's postmaster, according to Elvin Mercado, the Postal Service central area’s vice president.
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