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Annnnnnd it's time for the postal hearing!
DeJoy says that removing postal boxes and sorting machines was business as usual, and suggests that he didn't order it. âI was made aware when everyone else was made aware.â
Also, says sorting machines typically run at 35 percent capacity, and that they were being cleared to make room for package processing capacity.
He says the overtime changes were aimed at saving $1 billion, but misjudged how long it would take to adjust. The "recovery process in this should have been a few days, but has run a few weeks."
DeJoy says he has not curtailed overtime. âSince Iâve been here we have spent $700 million on overtime. It ran at 13 percent before I got here, it runs at 13 percent now.â
Important, because in theory that's verifiable data.
Important, because in theory that's verifiable data.
Says he's never discussed any changes to the Postal Service with Trump or Mark Meadows. Says that while negotiating the $10B loan with Treasury, he only told Mnuchin that he was "working on a plan to improve service and gain cost efficiencies" with "no great detail."
Tells the committee that they will advance all election mail as first class, and sometimes ahead of it.
DeJoy also says he won't be reconnecting idled sorting machines, because they aren't needed.
For some context, here was what the head of the American Postal Workers Union, Mark Diamondstein, said yesterday about them.
For some context, here was what the head of the American Postal Workers Union, Mark Diamondstein, said yesterday about them.
I'm pretty sure Senator Carper was having technical problems on Zoom and shouted "fuck fuck fuck." Anybody else catch that?
DeJoy: âI have had nothing to do with collection boxes.â
His refrain this hearing is that he was only personally responsible for two policy changes: The changes in delivery trip schedules (he claims there's been no reduction in overtime) and the executive reorganization.
His refrain this hearing is that he was only personally responsible for two policy changes: The changes in delivery trip schedules (he claims there's been no reduction in overtime) and the executive reorganization.
Regarding overtime: On the ground reports suggest otherwise. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-20/usps-cutbacks-post-office-chaos
DeJoy commits to meeting the same delivery schedule for election mail as in 2018.
Under pressure from Hassan, he says he will talk to his team about getting some sorting machines back up and running, potentially.
DeJoy's story is basically that he's a logistics executive who showed up, made one policy change that was in line with how his industry handles thingsâ"The only change I made maâam was the trucks leave on time"âand it went much, much worse than he expected.
Assuming the other things he's said under oath hold up (and that's a big if), that's not a totally unbelievable story.
During today's hearing, Democrats shared this chart showing that USPS's on-time delivery rate did in fact drop significantly starting in mid July in the Eastern region of the country.
https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2020-08/AIM%20Eastern%20Area%20Service.pdf
https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2020-08/AIM%20Eastern%20Area%20Service.pdf
The chart is from an industry presentation. It's useful, b/c the service stats USPS regularly publishes are only current through June.
I found a similar chart for the Pacific. Same story. So nobody's imagining it: The mail really did slow down. https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2020-08/Pacific%20Area%20AIM%20Meeting%20Presentation%20(August%2013,%202020)_0.pdf
I found a similar chart for the Pacific. Same story. So nobody's imagining it: The mail really did slow down. https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2020-08/Pacific%20Area%20AIM%20Meeting%20Presentation%20(August%2013,%202020)_0.pdf
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that these slowdowns might not be super severe, on average. I've talked to private companies that track data on millions of client mailings, and they're saying they're noticing a difference of a day or so, if that.
