Two Michigan Congressional representatives are demanding answers from the U.S. Postal Service about the circumstances leading to the Nov. 8 workplace death of a postal worker in Allen Park. 

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Michigan District 6, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan District 12, sent their letter Thursday to Postmaster General David Steiner, citing their concerns over the death of Nicholas John Acker of Trenton and demanding a "full and prompt response." 

"Reports indicate on Saturday, November 8, 2025, Nicholas was found in a mail handling machine and had been dead for 6-8 hours before he was found," the representatives wrote. "We have been told he checked into work at 11 am and his body wasn't found until 12:30 pm the following day." 

The Allen Park Fire Department responded to the emergency call at the distribution center at 17500 Oakwood Blvd., but referred news media to federal authorities for follow-up on the investigation. 

USPS has issued a brief statement: "The United States Postal Service is deeply saddened by the loss of our employee at the Detroit Network Distribution Center (NDC) in Allen Park, MI. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. The NDC is fully operational, at this time." 

Acker was an Air Force veteran and recently engaged to be married, the lawmakers' letter said. He was a maintenance mechanic at the Network Distribution Center.    

Acker "had mentioned concerns about the way the facility was run to his fiancée," the lawmakers wrote. "His union management had also raised concerns about safety measures and procedures at the facility, and more than 90 days ago, the union filed an Article 14 grievance stating that management was putting pressure on staff to look for letters while the handling machine was operating." 

After he failed to return home from work on Nov. 8, the lawmakers said, his fiancée waited outside the facility gates for three hours and watched the emergency response from that location before she was notified of his death.

"We are requesting answers to questions that have arisen from this unnecessary tragedy," the lawmakers added. "We worry what it means for the workers that officials were not called to the scene until hours after Nicholas died. Further, we are concerned how long Nicholas was in the machine before he was found and whether the machine was operating or turned off."