Postal Service to Probe Harassment Claims

U.S. Postal Service representatives said this week they will investigate complaints from Fullerton post office employees about their working conditions.

At the same time, officials from the Santa Ana postal district said they will send supervisors to Fullerton to oversee operations and to prevent any retaliation against employees while the investigation proceeds.

The decision came after William Malaraz, named just two weeks ago as manager for the Santa Ana postal district that includes Fullerton, met late Thursday with more than 50 employees. Some who attended said Friday that angry and sometimes tearful workers told Malaraz they work in an atmosphere of coercion under which they are badgered about sexual orientation, race and physical appearance.

Postal workers could not confirm how long the alleged harassment has been going on but said they have felt the intimidation for quite a while but didn’t complain.

Postal officials said such an investigation is uncommon.

“I don’t know if it’s unprecedented, but this is certainly unusual,” said Terri Bouffiou, a spokeswoman for the Postal Service. “All their verbal and written complaints are now official and will be looked into.”

Last week, a group of 30 workers said they were being harassed and overworked by their superiors and demanded the resignation of Fullerton Postmaster Tim Bomersback. That prompted Rep. Edward R. Royce (R-Fullerton) to say he would ask the federal inspector general and the U.S. Postal Service to begin a formal investigation.

Bomersback, who was appointed to the position in 1989, could not be reached for comment.

Post office employees and members of the National Assn. of Letter Carriers said 62 complaints are in arbitration. That does not include the complaints made Thursday directly to Malaraz. Postal service representatives said they could not confirm the exact number of complaints filed, nor would they comment on the nature of the complaints.

Besides being harassed, employees said, they have to work long delivery routes that force them to put in overtime.

“You simply cannot do them in eight hours, and if you take overtime, managers harass you too,” letter carrier Eric Murrietta said.