Chicago gets new postmaster following delivery complaints

CHICAGO (AP) - Months of public outcry about the delays in the delivery of Chicago's mail has led to the replacement of the city's postmaster, the U.S. Postal Service has announced.

Wanda Prater, postmaster since 2018, has been replaced as postmaster by Eddie Morgan Jr., who most recently was postmaster of Kansas City, Mo.

Democratic Congressman Bobby Rush called for Prater's resignation in February after a 2020 audit found the delayed delivery of thousands of letters and packages at four postal stations in Rush's district. Rush said the delays amounted to a total and undeniable failure.

'œI appreciate Ms. Prater's service to our city and acknowledge the barriers she broke in her career; however, it is time for us to move on,'ť Rush said in a statement Wednesday, adding he looks forward to meeting Morgan and working with him to correct past issues.

Mack Julion of the National Association of Letter Carriers says the new leadership was a promising sign for rank-and-file workers grappling with staffing shortages and mismanagement.

Prater will now be Milwaukee's postmaster, according to Elvin Mercado, the Postal Service central area's vice president.