Jack Bergman

IRON MOUNTAIN, MI -- Continued delays to the mail service in the western Upper Peninsula have prompted a Michigan congressman to once again question the United State Postal Service’s efficacy.

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, who represents all 15 counties in the U.P., wrote his constituents are calling him saying “they have not received normal mail service for more than a week.”

In Bergman’s letter to Postmaster General David Steiner, dated Jan. 20, he acknowledges the busy postal season coming off the holidays, but emphasizes time-sensitive mail delivery is even more important at the start of a new year.

“The impacts are particularly acute at the turn of the calendar year, when households and businesses depend on prompt receipt and processing of mailed items that carry firm deadlines – such as utility bills, payments, business licenses, and other financial documents."

The U.P.’s swing into arctic weather is impacting delivery, not processing or staffing changes, said Elizabeth Najduch, USPS Strategic Communications Specialist.

“While there are no delays at the processing plant, there have been some limited local mail delivery delays due to the weather,” Najduch said.

“The Iron Mountain Post Office is working diligently to deliver mail and packages to all customers, even delivering during these extremely frigid temperatures and on Sundays in some places.”

Blizzard Warning in the Upper Peninsula: ‘Travel should be restricted to emergencies only’

In his letter, Bergman addresses constituent complaints on delivery and staffing from the first two weeks of the new year.

He questioned if the recent operational changes at the Iron Mountain Processing and Distribution Center were to blame.

To recap, this particular U.P. facility was caught in the crosshairs of the contentious 10-year strategic plan, Delivering for America, ushered in under former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

In May 2024 the USPS announced outgoing operations were moving to a facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The change came after months of Yoopers, state and federal legislators voicing concern over timeliness of mail delivery and postal worker jobs.

In a bipartisan letter 26 members of Congress urged DeJoy to pause consolidation and reroute plans outlined in the USPS’ $40 billion investment strategy.

Michigan opponents emphasized that the remote nature of the western U.P. adds to the reliance on USPS for medicine, legal documents and veteran services.

As plans marched on to reroute U.P. mail to Wisconsin, Bergman had harsh words for DeJoy, writing on Facebook:

“Based on the horrendous handling to date of the Iron Mountain USPS processing facility, it unfortunately comes as no surprise that USPS blatantly ignored the voices of each of us that raised rational concerns...”

Earlier in the spring of 2024, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, led an oversight hearing with DeJoy and other USPS officials to discuss the proposed changes.

Senators on the panel grilled DeJoy about the loss of services under the plan, noting cities such as Richmond, Va., and Atlanta, Ga., had slower delivery times after centers were consolidated.

The USPS defended its change at Iron Mountain saying it could save up to $1.5 million in streamline packaging and mail processing because the majority of mail is destined for outside of the region.

In February 2025, the USPS seemingly reversed course and announced it would retain certain local mail processing operations at the Iron Mountain postal facility.

The announcement stated a $3.75 million investment in technology was coming to the Iron Mountain facility in an effort to modernize its service.

A year later, Rep. Bergman, who co-chairs the Congressional Postal Service Caucus, still has questions around timely delivery and adequate staffing.

Bergman is being told by constituents that while regular mail is still going out, packages are being prioritized. This is because the Iron Mountain facility is working through a backlog. Customers are told that staffing shortages are to blame.

In his letter, Bergman asks current Postmaster General Steiner to explain these statements and give a timeline as to when Yoopers can expect normal service standards.

The congressman asked for a reply within 30 days. In a statement to MLive the USPS said it will respond to Bergman’s questions directly.