Депутаты Конгресса требуют расследования условий труда на почтовом складе после гибели сотрудника

This story was originally published by Michigan Advance. Sign up for their weekly newsletter here.” By Katherine Dailey, Michigan Advance In a letter sent late Wednesday to U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner, U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) demanded answers about working conditions at the Allen Park U.S. Postal Service facility where a worker died last year. They say staff, supervisors and union representatives at the USPS Detroit Network Distribution Center have raised concerns to each of their offices over labor conditions. “These reports include the improper rescission of positions, failure to provide fair and equitable treatment, denial of contractually guaranteed bathroom and meal breaks, inadequate training, intimidation through disciplinary write-ups and threats of termination, and management performing bargaining-unit work, including the elimination of overtime opportunities,” the letter states. “Employees have also expressed concerns about safety hazards, citing an expedited mail process from management pressure, reductions in staffing, and minimal specialized training.” The facility came under scrutiny following the November 2025 death of Nicholas Acker, a 36-year-old employee from Trenton, who was found stuck in a mail handling machine. Emergency responders said he had been for up to eight hours before firefighters arrived. Tlaib and Dingell’s letter asks Steiner about measures taken to ensure proper training of employees and fair labor practices at the facility, as well as the accessibility of safety and grievance procedures for employees. It also asks about the effect that staffing shortages and pressure for on-time mail delivery have on safety practices and the impact of voluntary early retirement on operational strain. They request that he provide a “full and prompt response,” though they do not provide a specific deadline for him to respond. In May, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued more than $26,000 in fines to the Postal Service following Acker’s death. OSHA found that the agency failed to conduct periodic inspections of the conveyors at least annually and to review each authorized worker’s responsibilities, as well as that employees were exposed to caught-in hazards while the conveyors were running or unexpectedly starting up. That amount was lowered from the initial penalty of $66,200, according to OSHA records, after an informal settlement. At the time of Acker’s death, Tlaib and Dingell sent an initial letter to Steiner asking for answers about his death, including details about the specific machine in which his body was found and details around why it took so long to notice that he was missing — they add that he checked into work at 11 a.m. and his body was not found until 12:30 p.m. the following day. They also asked for details about training and guidance that employees received about how to handle fallen packages and mail inside machines such as the one in which Acker died, as well as the process for employees to express safety concerns. The legislators noted in January that the Postal Service responded that Acker’s death was being investigated by OSHA, as well as the Postal Service Serious Accident Investigation Board, and as such they could not respond with more details. “Other employees who work at the facility have expressed concerns to us about their safety and seriously question if the factors that contributed to Mr. Acker’s death pose an immediate risk to their safety on the job. In addition, while the response we received stated, “no management official instructed Mr. Acker to disregard any safety policies while he was working at the Detroit National Distribution Center,” it did not mention the union filed an Article 14 grievance,” Tlaib and Dingell said at the time. “The grievance stated that management was putting pressure on staff to look for letters while the handling machine was operating, and while we appreciate your assurances, we request a copy of the official response to the union grievance.” At that time, they also requested a tour of the facility, but a spokesperson for Dingell’s office confirmed they did not do so. Michigan Advance is an affiliate of State Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. To support, its journalism, donate here