Postal workers say they'll face rain, sleet and COVID-19, but they're 'not doing bullets'

CHICAGO - Postal workers gathered together Thursday night to pray for their injured coworker who was shot near 91st and Ellis in the Burnside neighborhood last week.

The 24-year-old postal worker remains hospitalized.

Mail is getting delayed amid safety concerns. While letter carriers face snow and rain and even COVID-19, postal workers are putting their foot down at shootings.

“There’s a war going on. These gang members are fighting for turf, for blocks that they don’t even own,” said Linda Hudson, the vigil organizer.

Mail delivery just resumed Thursday in the Burnside neighborhood, but not fully at this point. 

The head of the letter carriers union says if his members don’t feel safe, they don’t have to deliver the mail. 

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“We want to deliver the mail, but if we can’t be safe, they are not going to deliver that mail. I mean customers have to pick up their mail then so be it,” said Mack Julion, President of the National Association of Letter Carriers Local Branch #11.

The shooting has left some mail carriers rattled. Their co-worker was just six months into the job she loved, and although she is doing better, they’re not sure if she’ll be back on her route after getting shot multiple times. 

“We may do rain and sleet and the pandemic, but we’re not doing bullets,” said Julion.