COLUMBIA, S.C. — The United States Postal Service (USPS) continues to work in overdrive this holiday season, and with Christmas tomorrow some folks might not receive their gifts on time.
“We have been busy since the pandemic, Christmas has just thrown us into a different gear,” American Postal Workers Union Columbia President Betty James-Leaks said. “We’re bombarded with packages because of the conditions.”
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Leaks said USPS employees have been working in high gear since the November election and it will continue past the holiday season. Leaks noted some postal couriers have worked 10-12-hour days, seven days a week just to keep up with the demand.
“As far as volume we've been on 20, usually you're on 10, but we've been on 20 since 2020 because of the pandemic has pushed us to a different level,” Leaks said. “We've had increase in packages especially, 50% to 60%. Letter mail, standard mail, what we call marketing mail, all that volume has been up, so we've just been crazy."
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Leaks said they have been bombarded with packages and hopes people will be understanding this holiday season.
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“We just ask people to be patient and understanding because the workload and the volume is high, and the workload is heavy, so just be patient and understanding and Christmas gifts are going to be good, even if you get them after Christmas,” Leaks said.
Leaks said she expects the USPS will continue to be busy even after the holidays because of the overall increase in online shopping.