Maine Delegation Demands Answers from USPS for Failing to Pay Rockland Contractor More Than $349,000, Jeopardizing Mail Service for Maine Island Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Maine's Congressional Delegation is calling on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to immediately resolve its payment issue with a Maine contractor that serves island communities. In a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner, U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden condemned USPS for failing to pay the Rockland-based Penobscot Island Air (PIA) more than $349,000 for mail-delivery service and demanded answers about why USPS has, according to PIA, repeatedly failed to make timely payments for several years. After PIA announced it would not make its scheduled deliveries on Tuesday in protest, USPS agreed Wednesday to immediately pay 25% of the outstanding balance, and PIA promptly resumed service. But questions and concerns still remain.

"For decades, Penobscot Island Air has helped the USPS deliver essential mail to Maine's island residents. We urge you to immediately resolve the outstanding back payments and provide clarification on how these payment lapses occurred, as well as how delays can be prevented in the future," the delegation wrote. "From Matinicus to Vinalhaven, island communities in Maine rely on the USPS to pay bills, receive life-saving medications, and stay connected with friends and family. Penobscot Island Air is an indispensable bridge between the mainland and islands that helps the Postal Service fulfill its promise of reaching every American, even in the most rural communities."

USPS's failure to pay PIA is the latest example of recent disruptions to mail delivery in Maine. Over the past several months, delegation offices have received hundreds of complaints from constituents about delayed and inconsistent deliveries-particularly in rural communities.

Together, these issues underscore the importance of ensuring that USPS has the necessary resources and staff to fulfill its mission of providing all Americans with reliable, affordable, and universal mail service-and that its agreements with contractors like PIA are fully honored.

The letter is available here and is copied below.

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Dear Postmaster General Steiner:

We write to seek clarification regarding reports of Penobscot Island Air's (PIA) payment issues with the United States Postal Service (USPS). For decades, Penobscot Island Air has helped the USPS deliver essential mail to Maine's island residents. We urge you to immediately resolve the outstanding back payments and provide an explanation of how these payment lapses occurred, as well as how delays can be prevented in the future.

From Matinicus to Vinalhaven, island communities in Maine rely on the USPS to pay bills, receive life-saving medications, and stay connected with friends and family. Penobscot Island Air is an indispensable bridge between the mainland and islands that helps the Postal Service fulfill its promise of reaching every American, even in the most rural communities.

On April 21, Penobscot Island Air alerted island residents that they would be halting mail deliveries for the day due to the back payments they are owed by the USPS. According to PIA, these back payments amount to over $349,000. While PIA had received partial payments for the balance, the last payment they received was on March 13. They had also made numerous attempts to resolve these payment issues through direct outreach to the USPS. The amount owed, the ongoing delay in payment, and the failure to resolve these issues in a timely fashion are alarming and unacceptable.

Mail deliveries for the USPS account for almost a fifth of PIA's annual revenue. We are concerned that PIA's operations will continue to be disrupted without reliable processing of this critical stream of income. The USPS cannot afford to jeopardize a dedicated, decades-long partnership, and Maine island residents cannot afford any discontinuation in service, even for a few days.

Penobscot Island Air is one of many contractors in the state that deliver mail to island communities by air and sea. This incident raises concerns over whether the USPS is faithfully fulfilling the terms of all these contracts.

While it is promising to hear that the USPS has reached a partial payment agreement to pay Penobscot Island Air about 25% of its outstanding balance, we need greater assurance from the USPS that Maine island contractors will receive fair and prompt compensation for the services they provide. We respectfully request detailed answers to the following questions and ask that USPS continue to work urgently with Penobscot Island Air to resolve these back payments immediately and ensure that future payment processing is timely and consistent.

1. What is the current balance of back payments USPS owes to Penobscot Island Air?
2. Can you provide a timeline of the USPS payments to PIA over the past three years, including when payments were due and when they were paid?
3. Can you provide an explanation for these delays in payment to PIA?
4. What specific steps will the USPS take to prevent lapses in payment from occurring in the future and to ensure that payment is processed in a timely and consistent manner?
5. Can you provide a list of all the USPS contractors in Maine who deliver mail to island communities?
6. Do any other island contractors have balances owed to them by the USPS?

Thank you for your attention to this time-sensitive issue. We look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

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