SCARBOROUGH, Maine — The U.S. Postal Service is urging Maine customers to order and ship holiday gifts early this year amid ongoing staffing shortages and a steep increase in mail volume due to the pandemic.
Several Maine communities have experienced delivery delays in recent weeks, including Cape Elizabeth just last week.
"The volumes have increased and the staffing is down," Scott Adams, president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 458 told NEWS CENTER Maine. "Those are two really big issues for us so we really need to push through to make this a successful Christmas."
Adams said volume at the Southern Maine processing and distribution plant in Scarborough is up as much as four times compared to most years.
Workers inside the plant are taking extra precautions, including wearing masks and sanitizing often, according to Adams, but there has been an uptick in postal workers testing positive for the virus across the state in recent weeks.
"Between the plant and delivery workers you're probably looking between 15 to 20 percent of employees not being there for some reason or another," local carriers union president Mark Seitz said.
The pandemic is making an ongoing issue with retaining staff worse because many are forced to work longer hours.
The USPS pointed to "struggles" with employee leave due to COVID-19, including employees who have contracted the virus and those who are quarantining because they came in close contact with someone who tested positive.
Spokesman Stephen Doherty said that any existing delays in Maine have been cleared up for now.
"Because of a dedicated workforce, committed to delivering for our Maine neighbors, we’re able to flex our resources daily and put the necessary personnel in place to assist with delivery in affected areas," he said.
Doherty told NEWS CENTER Maine they are "aggressively" hiring.
2020 USPS Delivery Deadlines
Dec. 15 - Standard Ground
Dec. 18 - First Class
Dec. 19 - Priority Mail
Dec. 23 - Priority Express
Adams said delays in general will likely continue through the peak season due to processing. He urged customers to try and get their deliveries out sooner than the standard delivery deadlines.
"We're gonna get through this. It's a different Christmas," He said. "You had a different Thanksgiving. It's gonna be a different Christmas."