Residents Say No Mail Delivered for 7 Days; Carriers Blame Shorter Hours

Some residents in parts of Bethesda and elsewhere in Montgomery County say they haven’t received mail in a week – including medications, checks and other necessary letters – because postal carriers are being told to end their workday at 6 p.m.

Laurie Gross, who lives in Bethesda's Whittier Woods neighborhood, told WJLA TV she hasn't received any mail since Feb. 12.

"I have prescriptions that are supposed to come by mail. I've called the post office daily and ultimately came to realize there's nothing I could do about it," Gross said.

Dozens of residents in Bethesda's 20817 zip code have complained to supervisors, who say all the mail is out for delivery, but carriers tell resident the mail is back at postal center.

The National Association of Letter Carriers Capitol Branch 142, which represents USPS employees across Washington D.C., Montgomery County and Prince George's County, says such widespread non-existent service is utterly unacceptable.

Local mail carriers told the TV station that management recently began ordering them to clock-out by 6 p.m., which has forced many carriers to leave work with piles of mail undelivered. As a result, homes near the end of mail routes from Foggy Bottom to Potomac have gone without letters and packages for up to seven days.

A Postal Service spokeswoman told WJLA that last week’s snowstorm delayed delivery, but denied the agency is cutting employee hours.

With little assistance from the post office, residents have flooded members of congress, including Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), with calls and emails.