(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A United States Postal Service employee works outside a post office in Wheeling, Ill., Dec. 3, 2021. Four environmental groups that want the U.S. Postal Service to buy more electric delivery vehicles are suing to halt further purchases. The lawsuit, filed Thursday, April 28, 2022, in federal court in California, asks a judge to order the Postal Service to conduct a more thorough environmental review before moving forward with the next-generation vehicle program. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvanians mailing holiday cards and gifts may face delays due to proposed postal changes. The Postal Service costs-cutting plans include ending evening pickups in remote areas, holding mail overnight, and reducing transport frequency. Kimberly Miller of the American Postal Workers Union says Postmaster Louis DeJoy’s ten year “Delivering for America” plan seeks to break even and stabilize the finances but changes delivery standards and is causing widespread delays and slow mail. Miller points out that DeJoy replaced first-class parcels with “ground advantage” parcels, consolidating all mail onto trucks without prioritizing express or priority packages. This shift has disrupted delivery reliability, leaving the service less dependable than before.