Postal workers in New York and nationwide face workplace safety issues and union representatives said they are going ignored.
Beyond heat exhaustion, physical injuries and mechanical issues, letter carriers are also frequently bitten by dogs, particularly in New York State. Their union contracts guarantee the right to a safe and healthy workplace.
Michelle Nadeau, president of the American Postal Workers Union-Long Island Area, said a former safety program is still the best way to handle this.
“They need to bring back a program that used to be referred to as safety captains in each office,” Nadeau urged. “Which they’ve done away with, which is a very important tool to use in each individual facility to quickly recognize safety issues in the workplace and address them.”
Many postal union members expressed concerns when the Postal Service rebranded the safety captains as safety ambassadors. The American Postal Workers Union filed a grievance but before it could be heard, the Postal Service pulled the program entirely. Nadeau argued the agency should do more to address worker safety complaints and provide more training.
Despite workers’ concerns, the Postal Service reported safety improvements in its 2025 report to Congress. The report attributed it to increasing motor vehicle safety and fewer driving accidents during the year.
Jeffrey Lizardi, director of industrial relations for the American Postal Workers Union-New York Metro Area, said the Postal Service focuses more on productivity and numbers than the well-being of employees.
“You’re worried about the numbers more so than the safety of the employees,” Lizardi contended. “Once you have an injury, everything shuts down, depending on how serious it is. If they took initiative to worry about the safety of the employees and the health, people would probably work better. But, when you don’t care about us, it’s hard for us to care about the job.”
The safety concerns come as the Postal Service faces a budget crisis. Due to cuts from the Trump administration, the Postmaster General said the agency could be out of money by 2027 unless Congress provides it with a budget increase.
