The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has asked the Biden administration for temporary relief from new vaccine or testing requirements covering large businesses for its 650,000 employees, warning of potentially 'catastrophic' impacts.
Deputy Postmaster Doug Tulino, in a letter dated Tuesday seen by DailyMail.com, asked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to delay by 120 days the deadline for USPS to comply with the agency's vaccine-or-testing mandate for large businesses, covering more than 80 million American workers.
USPS, one of the largest civilian U.S. employers, says it cannot meet the requirements under the current deadlines. The agency also faces time-consuming legal requirements to use and collect medical information and collective bargaining requirements.
USPS also cited a lack of adequate staffing and says it will need to train 'tens of thousands of local supervisors and managers' to monitor employees compliance.
USPS wants approval to continue using its current COVID-19 mitigation policies while the request is being decided. USPS has 30,000 U.S. locations.
'We respectfully suggest that the nation cannot afford the additional potential substantial harm that would be engendered if the ability of the Postal Service to deliver mail and packages is significantly negatively impacted,' USPS wrote.
Deputy Postmaster General Douglas Tulino said in a letter addressed to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that the vaccine or testing requirement or is 'likely to result in the loss of many employees' at USPS
In his letter, Tulino asked federal labor officials for temporary relief from the Biden Administration's coronavirus employer vaccine mandate, warning of potentially 'catastrophic' impacts if the agency isn't given more time to cover its 650,000 against COVID-19 by Jan. 10
Tulino added in the letter that requiring workers to be vaccinated against COVID or present weekly negative tests would hurt USPS' logistics to deliver mail on time and strain the nation’s supply chains, setting up a showdown on pandemic safety measures between President Biden and one of the government’s largest agencies
USPS is not covered by Biden's separate rules, which mandate 3.5 million federal workers be vaccinated or win medical or religious exemptions by November 22.
USPS warned the rules are likely to result in the loss of 'many employees.'
Requiring USPS, it added 'to absorb what could inevitably be a dramatic loss of employees at a time when the labor market is extremely tight and in the middle of the Postal Service's Peak Season would have a potentially catastrophic impact on our ability to provide service.'
OSHA and The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) issued in November requires employees in organizations with more than 100 workers be vaccinated or tested weekly and subjected to strict face mask requirements. Last month, a U.S. appeals court reinstated the ETS mandate.
The Supreme Court on Friday is set hear arguments on the issue.
Biden's coronavirus employer vaccine mandate takes effect Jan. 10, but OSHA officials said the agency would not issue citations for violations until Feb. 9., bidding big companies and federal agencies time to vaccine employees
OSHA extended compliance time last month, saying it would not issue citations before Jan. 10 and will not issue citations for noncompliance with testing requirements before Feb. 9.
It remains uncertain as to if the USPS that it will be in compliance by those dates.
'The Postal Service is seeking temporary relief because it wants to ensure that its ability to deliver mail and packages is not hindered amid the current disruptions in the nation's supply chain,' USPS's statement read. 'In addition, the Postal Service wants to adopt policies and procedures that comply with the [OSHA standard] while also fulfilling the organization's other legal obligations.'
'The Postal Service will continue to enforce the existing extensive COVID-19 mitigation program to protect our employees and customers nationwide against the effects of COVID-19,' the statement added.
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