Courtney Luciana photos
Neither pandemic nor systemic cutbacks are preventing New Haven’s postal carriers like Terrence Rogers from delivering the mail.
Employees interviewed said they’re getting the job done, while wrestling with worries about their health.
Rogers (pictured), with eight years of experience in postal service, said workers have been supplied with gloves, a mask, and sanitizer throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, he has been worried about infecting his children, grandchildren, and his 87-year old mother, whom he takes care of.
“Not knowing if you’re getting infected while working has been very stressful, but we had to keep our jobs going,” Rogers said. “I think it’s very wrong that we’re not receiving the funds. We can’t continue like this. If we don’t get the funds then we have to close the post office down.”’
A worker during his route on Chapel Street directly across from the downtown Green, who asked to not to have his name published, said anyone leaving the house is putting their lives at risk of the virus. The fear sets in for him when interacting with so many people while working.
“I’m more uncomfortable being in areas that are hot spots and being around people who haven’t exercised social distancing and wearing masks,” he said.
Mariam De Valle (pictured) transferred to the Yale campus post office located at 206 Elm St. in July to be a window clerk. She’s currently getting paid $21 an hour. Beforehand, she worked at the regional mail-processing plant in Wallingford. There, she dealt with letters; now she handles packages, which she believes puts her at a higher risk of exposing the virus, especially now that Yale students are returning to campus.
“At the plant you don’t see customers. You only see the people you work with,” De Valle said. “It hasn’t been that hard. We’re working behind glass. We have to wear our masks. We’re not allowed to be at the window without our masks or while walking down the hall.”
Elm Street Post Office equipped with plexiglass, social distancing tape, and hand sanitizer.
Del Valle was working at the New Haven Brewery Street Post Office in the early morning hours before the Elm Street Post Office returned to standard business hours for the campus reopening..
“When I go down to Brewery Street, I wear my gloves and my mask,” Del Valle said. “Three people were sick.”
Carrier assistant Renyatta Jackson said she has been mostly concerned about the postal service crisis and losing her benefits. She said she has heard of only one employee being sick with the virus at 50 Brewery St.
“We had to change our clothes; we sanitize everything with Lysol. We can’t wear our uniform twice even down to our socks. So they’re definitely doing protocol, but I just hope I don’t catch it because I don’t want to bring it home to my three kids,” Jackson said. “I think we need more benefits because we only get paid $17 an hour. We walk 10 miles a day each route plus additional routes so I definitely feel like we’re getting paid less.”
David Loebel works at the 754 Chapel St. USPS outlet. He has been with the postal service business for 41 years. With this station consisting of only parcels and not any window service, Loebel works alone the entire shift. Wearing a mask and gloves and cleaning the foyer is still mandated.
“Every day you come to work and wonder what’s going to happen if I do get the coronavirus. It’s something you have to think about the whole time you’re here,” Loebel said. “If you get sick with the coronavirus, you only receive two weeks off. After that, you have to be on your sick time to do that.”
Workers like Luis Mongillo (pictured) have been taking their own precautions against the virus. Mongillo has worked in the postal service for 42 years. His everyday mail route is the central Downtown area.
“I don’t feel like I’m putting my life at risk, because after 40 years I have a good judge of character who to stay away from, who to close the door on, and who to tell to back off. Believe it or not, most people in New Haven that approach me to ask me questions are pretty decent,” Mongillo said. “Plus, I’m very healthy. I’ve been taking vitamins since I was a kid, but I’ve added some more vitamins since the beginning of the pandemic including zinc , D3 , and Vitamin C.”
“We’re still getting paid. How much more does everybody want? There are people that are not getting paid. I mean, I’m still able to make my mortgage payments,” Mongillo said. “I probably do deserve more, but I don’t want to be arrogant about it.”