By Jacklyn Chappell – December 23, 2017
DERBY, Kan. (KAKE) – Inside your local post office are packages and cards to loved ones, waiting to make it to their destinations before the holidays.

But on the outside of the Derby USPS, members of the American Postal Workers Union were protesting for their services.

“Our jobs are constantly being cut while people stand in line out the door and around the block in some cities at post offices. We don’t need our jobs cut. We need to keep up the level of service that we’ve had,” USPS worker, Karen Brunson said.

A common concern was customer service.

“We want to do better. We want your mail to get here faster. We don’t want you to have to stand in line. We don’t want mistakes to happen but they keep cutting personnel,” Brunson said.

Patricia Hardin has worked for the USPS for over twenty years and says customers will sometimes wait on the phone for hours to speak with a representative.

“We need more employees. That’s just the facts. They have been chopping us up for so long and now they’re wanting to prioritize the United States Postal Services,” Hardin said.

Some stopped to listen to their message and were surprised to learn USPS is funded through postage expenses.

“I did not know that. I thought they were government funded,” USPS customer, Jessica Bandy said.

Hardin hopes the postal service will change with the times and support their employees.

“We’re not the same as we were. We need to get back into customer service, instead of customer disservice. And build us back up to where we used to be, Hardin said.

We reached out to a representative with the postal service but so far have not heard back.

Video: KAKE.com