ALLEN PARK, Mich. – A close friend and coworker of the man who died at the Allen Park postal facility said he feels as though the death could have “absolutely” been prevented.
Nicholas John Acker, 36, of Trenton, was found dead at a postal facility in Allen Park. His body was discovered stuck in a machine on Nov. 8, 2025, and had reportedly been there for hours before first responders arrived at the facility.
Recommended Videos
Postal maintenance mechanic Matthew Stiffler was one of Acker’s coworkers, and he’s also the union representative.
When asked if Stiffler feels like Acker’s death could’ve been prevented, he said, “I absolutely feel that way.”
“I think safety takes a back seat, and it has for quite some time,” Stiffler said about the conditions at the facility.
He explained that the machines were built in the 1970s, and there are often problems with them due to changes in packaging.
It takes time to lock out these machines for safety, when something goes down, and Stiffler said management doesn’t want production to stop.
“The general culture at work is the mail must move at all costs,” Stiffler said, noting that safety issues have gotten worse recently with new management and fewer staff members.
“They don’t want to shut down the machines for anything,” Stiffler said. “That’s the culture, that’s the message.”
While safety protocols are in place, Stiffler said most aren’t followed or enforced, and the overall attitude is to “Get it done as quickly as possible.”
“Production is the most important thing to him,” Stiffler said about the plant manager, who allegedly prioritizes production over safe working conditions.
Stiffler didn’t discuss specifics to avoid impacting the investigation, but said he helped move Acker’s body. He is urging a thorough investigation into what happened and is working to make sure the issues are addressed.
“Nick was a good man, and he deserves this to be examined at the highest levels, and for the people that contributed to this to be dealt with and changes to be made,” Stiffler said.
For more on what Stiffler told Local 4 --> Close friend says he helped pull Allen Park postal worker’s body from machine, slams ‘toxic’ culture
Local 4 reached out to USPS on Monday, requesting a response to Stiffler’s comments. We received the following statement:
“The Postal Service is deeply saddened by the loss of life suffered recently involving our postal employee. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time. This incident remains under investigation by OSHA, and the Postal Service is fully cooperating. We do not have any further comment at this time.”
USPS Statement