USPS Says There Are No Delays At Post Office In Bronzeville; Woman Waiting On Workers' Comp Checks Says There Are
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Bronzeville woman relies on disability checks to get through the week.
The only problem is that she says she can't rely on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver.
On Thursday night, CBS 2's Tara Molina headed out one more time to investigate missing and delayed mail.
Earlier this, week a spokesman for USPS said COVID-19 cases in Chicago post offices are behind some of the recent delays.
But when we asked about Bronzeville specifically, he said there are no delays there. But we talked to a woman who said that definitely is not true.
Sandra wants to show everyone her mailbox, because it's empty.
"No mail. nothing," she said.
And Sandra's mailbox has been empty as can be for two weeks. That is how long she said it has been since she got any mail.
"Nobody is getting no mail around here," she said.
A city worker, Sandra said she fell and hurt her shoulder at work. Now she is relying on workers' compensation checks to pay her bills.
But they're bills she says she's late on - because she is never sure when and if she is going to get those checks.
"I'm being penalized for my bills being late," Sandra said.
She even goes to the Post Office a couple times a week to try to get the mail herself.
"I'm going to keep going back up there and raise heck!" Sandra said.
But she said that hasn't worked yet, and that is why she reached out to us.
We know COVID-19 cases in local offices are causing some delays - but is that the case here? A spokesman for USPS claimed there are no delays or issues in Sandra's post office – the Henry W. McGee Post Office at 4601 S. Cottage Grove Ave. - and went on to tell us more than 17,000 employees nationwide have tested positive for the virus.
Sandra said she knows her letter carrier is one of them, and she just wants it addressed.
"Y'all haven't sent no replacement over here to replace the mail carrier - our regular mail carrier - that's out with the COVID," she said.
USPS spokesman Tim Norman said the Post Office is flexing its resources to keep up right now, and said conditions change day to day.
"We encourage customers that have a concern with their mail delivery, questions about specific pieces of mail, and/or other service issues to contact their local Postal station or our Consumer Affairs office at (312) 983-8403," Norman wrote in a statement.
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