New Berlin veterans blame postal service changes for delayed prescriptions

OAK CREEK, WI (CBS 58) -- Two New Berlin Marine Corps vets blame changes to the United States Postal Service for delaying their prescription deliveries. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) toured one of Milwaukee's sorting facilities after hearing similar complaints about the postal service from across Wisconsin.

Baldwin wants to the postal service to reverse changes its made in recent weeks. She said the Postmaster General's promise to halt changes until after the election don't go far enough to protect people who rely on their mail.

"We've never had problems before, my parents haven't had problems before, it wasn't until they started messing with the post office," said Marine Corps Veteran Beth Medina.

"I've seen other mail delayed, the normal mail we usually get, I've noticed it because I normally pick it up from the mailbox," said Beth's husband and fellow Marine Corps Veteran Manuel Medina.

They contacted Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) after they noticed a big mail slowdown starting last month. Manny relies on the postal service to deliver medicine from the Veterans Administration. Without it, he said life is difficult.

"Pretty uncomfortable, sometimes unbearable," said Manny.

Baldwin toured the Milwaukee package sorting facility in Oak Creek. She said people from across Wisconsin have contacted her office about delayed mail.

"I know when my phone starts ringing and I'm getting these comments, something is going wrong," said Baldwin.

American Postal Workers Union Local 3 President Paul McKenna said the mail delays go against what he was taught to expect decades ago.

"What mail comes in today gets processed today, there is no delay and that is part of postal workers' DNA," said McKenna.

The Postmaster General told Congress the changes are needed to cut costs and improve the postal service's package handling capability. Baldwin wants those changes reversed. The Medina's just want their mail on time.

"Some of its caught up, not all of it," said Manny.

Both Baldwin and McKenna said the postal service will be able to handle election mail, but they urged people to mail in their ballots sooner rather than later.