Allowing more flexible hiring rules to fill vacant positions at the Skagway Post Office was the subject of testimony yesterday at the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, a member of the committee, questioned two nominees to the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) about the need to customize hiring practices based on the needs of local communities like Skagway. There are currently three vacancies in the Skagway post office, which has resulted in a backlog of mail.

Sen. Begich argued the reason the post office remains understaffed is because the hiring rules are too rigid for seasonal hires, and that the situation requires more flexible hiring rules, schedules and incentives during seasonal service. Skagway is a small, remote town of fewer than 1,000 year-round residents, but its population swells to over 12,000 on summer days when the cruise ships are in town, which can overwhelm the post office.