The local President of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 5516 that represents letter carriers assigned to the Kailua-Kona Post Office says the lack of janitorial services has created unsightly and unhealthy work conditions.
“The Kailua-Kona Post Office has not had a janitor or custodial team for months,” said union representative Christopher Reed. “I’ve filed complaints with OSHA, State DOH, Senators, and local politicians to no avail. I’ve sent emails to local management and individuals higher up in the Postal Service regarding these issues and all I get is, ‘We are working on it.’”
In an email sent to USPS management in Honolulu, Reed stated “We do not have a custodian and even when we did he rarely showed up to perform his duties. The employee restrooms are disgusting. Water is coming up from under the floor and that has been an issue for months. The men’s bathroom sinks and toilets are appalling. The break room smells like a critter died in there. One of the toilets in the women ‘s restroom has not worked in quite some time. If you district members were to make a visit unannounced to our facilities you would be horrified.”
He said supervisors should not be the ones cleaning the facilities, especially when they are being forced to deliver rural routes.
Reed said management within the Postal Service is working on the situation, however toilets are constantly broken, sinks are still black and grey, insect infestations running amok, garbage is not being taken out.
The State’s Department of Health Vector Control Branch conducted an impromptu inspection of the facility on August 16.
The investigation report found rodent droppings in the kitchen behind the refrigerator and in cabinets. Additionally there were rodent entry holes in the ceiling and in the package room there were chewed up candy wrappers and mongoose feces behind the machinery.
Reed said due to DOH being a state agency and the Postal Service being a federal agency, the findings report was not released to the complainant.
“Myself and the local President for the American Postal Worker’s Union (APWU) Ellen Poai have been pleading with management for something to change,” he said.
The U.S. Postal Service leadership team said they appreciate hearing of the concerns of its Kailua Kona postal employees.
“Nothing is more important to our leaders than the health, safety and general welfare of our employees and customers,” said Duke Gonzales, USPS Strategic Communications Specialist. “Our Kailua Kona postmaster has been working for some time with his facility’s custodial services contractor to fill the vacant position that is responsible for the regular cleaning of the Kailua Kona Post Office. A solicitation for applicants for that position is currently posted in the lobby of the post office.”
Gonzales said USPS maintenance personnel conduct repairs at the facility to the best of their abilities. When specialized skills are required to effect repairs, they solicit the assistance of external contractors.
In response to pest control concerns at the facility, the Kailua Kona postmaster recently contacted his facility’s pest control contractor and made arrangements for pest control services, which were provided. The facility is now on a scheduled pest control maintenance plan Gonzales told West Hawaii Today.
“The Kailua Kona Post Office management team will hold a safety and health meeting with its employees in order to hear their concerns and provide them with updates on the recent actions that have been taken to address those concerns,” he said. “The Kailua Kona postmaster arranged for an interim cleaning of his post office Thursday. He is continuing his effort to find a permanent custodian to service the facility. This issue is a top priority for him.”
