First-Ever Layoffs Loom at Postal Service

Let me tell you why all of this has happened.

First, the Postal Service is required to hire people that aren't productive. Ouch. That hurts, right? It's true. We have to hire the lame, sick, and lazy before we can hire young, productive, vibrant employees. You know the groups required as they have already been mentioned in the body of the story above.

Secondly, the Postal Unions are blood sucking leaches who evacuate the life out of everything in our system. Getting paid for work they didn't do is their entire goal. Trust me I know as I deal with labor issues on a daily basis. The local union leadership absolutely LIVES to find any loophole, controversy, or sickly-skewed interpretation of the contract to do their dirty work. What's really sad is our Labor Relations people give the grievance away at step 2 so much that we absolutely have given up. You push grievances back, they give them away. I see it EVERY day!

Thirdly, we are bound to Governmental Purchasing contracts that are so full of price gouging and red tape that being frugal is almost impossible. Only in the Government is a $3 screwdriver $25! And you are bound to purchase it from "approved" vendors due to an "agreement". It's really hard to stomach sometimes.

4th, we are bound to pre-fund the retiree's health benefits. NO other agency is required to do so. Why haven't we gotten relief? Simple. Congress needs the money and it falls into a black hole. Our government couldn't produce that money if they had to. They've spent it as it came in. Will we get relief? Probably not.

5th, Congress won't allow us to be profitable. Example: Why can't we do the 5 day delivery, for Pete's sake? Congress doesn't pay our salaries, the public does. Congress sits on their hands doing NOTHING while we beg for relief. Then, all of the blame will be shouldered by us when it all goes south. It is so wrong!

Now that 30% of our employee base is probably headed out the door (including me, probably; a 25 year employee), I hope that everyone is happy. This didn't happen overnight. Every time the union celebrated a grievance settlement, we slipped a bit more. Every time someone "laid down" on the job, we slipped even a bit more. Every time the management guard changed hands and the new regime took office, the offices all had to be remodeled. We went down a bit more.

Call me "old school", but my parents raised me to use my common sense in every decision I made. If I wouldn't do it for myself, why would I do it to my company? They write my paychecks for God's sake!

Now I'm going to say it. I HATE BEING A POSTAL WORKER! It is the most unbelievable organization to work for I've ever seen. Nothing makes sense and indifference is so rampant you feel like you're in the "Twilight Zone" every time you enter the doors.

I hope the Unions, Management, and Congress are happy. You did NOTHING to secure our futures and now we're all paying the price. End of Story.

I am not really sure why I am bothering to post this comment. Actually I am expecting those who control this site to remove it as soon as they become aware of it because it doesn't fit with what they are trying to promote.
There are not many things I know a lot about. But I probably know more about unions, what they do and how they operate, than perhaps all but about let's say 100 people in the country. It was my job to deal with unions for 22 years.
I have to chuckle at some of the ravings put forth by some on this site. Classic unionized employees response to adversity. For those who whine about the guy who admits that many employees finish their work or could finish it in 6 hours, my reaction is "Hooray for him! An honest man! Those of you who attack him are simply stealing from the postal system and users of that system like myself.
I'm sure you are right about lazy, ineffective, even abusive supervisors being common. I have news for you. the more unionized a business is, the less competent the supervisors are. You don't need competent supervisors when there is a union. All the decisions got made in the adversarial process of negotiations.
A unionized workplace is generally, by definition, an adversarial one. Employees and the union take advantage of it when they can. The employer will when they can. It is the nature of the beast.
Actually, if I am being honest, I have to admit that public employees have benefitted by forming and joining unions. Because public sector officials don't have to operate in an EFFICIENT manner (they just raise taxes or the price of postage) they give in to unions much more easily than does the private sector which must remain profitable or it will go bankrupt and disappear.
As a result you have wages and benefits that are better than the average of those of us who work for the private sector. In case you haven't noticed we resent that fact like hell, particularly when you advocate being paid for 8 hours of work when doing only six. We resent like hell standing in a line in a post office when other postal employees are wandering around chatting with each other doing nothing.
Why should postal employees be exempt from layoff when the postal service is being used less due to technological innovations, and public dissatisfaction with postal service? When conditions change in the private sector people lose jobs. What is so special about postal employees that they should be guaranteed a job whether anyone uses the postal service or not?
As I said, I am sure this will be removed well before most of you get a chance to read it, but I just couldn't help myself. Someone with a sane, realistic, perspective needs to try to convey that perspective to those of you who are feeling so abused.
My most sincere regards to those members of the postal service who actually do the job the way it is supposed to be done.
A Postal System User

In my opinion the Us Postal service is getting ripped off I know of a man in Scottsdale that is abusing the the priority mail system and has cost the system hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue loss's and management chooses to do nothing about it. They say it is the carriers fault if someone under pays for postage... How many people do exactly what this person is doing ad goes undetected for years. It is very easy to do. I think the troubles began when they made it easy the customers to do this by #1 giving them the tools The free box's and the ability to print their own labels on line through various 3rd party sources. Here people are getting filthy rich off of the backs of the US Postal workers EBay is a breeding ground for this activity. Not to Mention what EBay rakes in from theier cut... If anyone thinks I am kidding email me and I will send you a link to this persons eBay pages you can see for yourself. i know how much it cost for the products and what it cost to ship them. Clearly intent to defraud the Us Postal service. I hope they can straighten out their problems but I think first they need to start listening to their employees and their customers.

I was just wondering if I can appeal an arbitrators decision. My Union says it is final, but the arbitrator was an ex Postal manager, and he ignored the contract, quoting a managers interpertation instead of the joint agreement, which is clearly stated, and is used for his decision. Management clearly violated the contract, but he stated he was unable to override decision.

Yes, go to the nearest Unemployment Office or on-line.

can a PTF get partial unemployment benefits if hours are cut to one day a week??? Been working for 2 years at 40 plus hours, have a family and a mortgage!! What are we suppose to do??

WASHINGTON — The debate over how Congress can best ease the financial woes of the United States Postal Service is likely to intensify in coming months as the Postal Service’s record-breaking losses continue to escalate.

I'd like to know how the union (Pres. Burrus) agreed to the "buyout" without including those of us that retired under VER. I myself, just retired a month ago.....24 days shy of being eligible for the $15,000 incentive. I thought that he would have also had our "backs". I feel like it's so very unfair. If they were planning this for two months, why didn't they make it known that there was a possible agreement on the table? I'm sure that most of is, if not all, would have delayed retiring. Therefore, we have to settle for nothing........so disappointing!!

I'm tired of hearing about carriers doing 6 hours of work for 8 hours of pay. Carriers for many years work through breaks and lunch time to make these automated and unverified numbers by these computer programs. Most employees do there jobs just like the rest of the workforce but are always bash by the public and the government servants, that they are lazy and need to be let go. How good will the postal service be when you have no benefits and minimum wage salaries delivering your mail. Your service would be like any other fast food place, poor service and very untimely. AMERICA don't believe the hype. Keep your postal service alive!!!!

Okay, here's a good one and if anyone knows what steps I need to take beyond union grievances (being processed now for all that's worth!), let me know. I am an above 40 y/o female PTF in a medium sized office outside of St. Louis. Since the day I stepped foot in this office, I have been harassed non-stop by both management and a few employees. Any heavy work management wants done falls to me to do (ex: presort bundles and tubs, throwing parcels, phone books, scanning all parcels as arrived at unit which means staying in a bent over position to scan 27 hampers of parcels.) None of the other clerks help me do this work, yet I'm specifically told to help them if, by some odd chance, I actually get to do something else. But when they see me doing anything else besides the above mentioned, they will pull me off of whatever it is (throwing loose letters or magazines, etc) and make me go to the "heavy work". I have even been pulled off of breaks or out of the bathroom to do something even tho there are four other PTFs in the office. I have been told by management, as well as a couple of PTF "pets" that I should just transfer out of the office--find another office to go to. I only live a mile from this office so what is the feasibility of transferring out? When I went to another office for window training, my office called ahead and told this office I had an attitude problem and I would probably cause them a lot of problems, so be forewarned. I only found this out after working at this other office for four days. When they saw I wasn't anything like they had been warned, they told me what my office had told them about me. Now, as a result of the constant bending, lifting, throwing, etc., I have lower back problems. Two weeks ago I was the ONLY clerk throwing letters--two PTFs senior to me were throwing parcels. The supervisor told me to go "help" them throw. (There were only four cages to throw and these two are just as fast as I am at throwing.) I refused based on the fact it was my first day back from being off a week with back strain. The supervisor put me on heavy work anyway which ended up with me having to leave again--this time with a bulging disc. After doing an MRI, the doc says I have osteoarthritis in my lower back and by doing the repetitive things I do six days a week, it's only accelerating the condition. I was out the second time for two weeks, then placed on light duty with a specific list of jobs I could do by the doc, in addition to having to go to rehab three days a week. Our postmaster decided he "couldn't" put me on the jobs outlined by my light duty slip from the doc (machine operation, throwing loose letters and flats or counter shifts) and therefore, I would not be allowed back to work, even tho I was released by the doctor, until which time I could come back without restrictions. Did I mention the restriction time was a minimum of one month? Did I also mention he has allowed rural carriers to go on light duty assignments i.e., answering phones, paperwork, etc. He said I was a liability to him and the Postal Service and he wouldn't allow me to work. He told me I would have to call my doctor and tell him to take me off restrictive duty, then he would put me back to work immediately. Being a single mother of two, I cannot afford to be on LWOP, so I was forced to call the doc to have the restrictions reverted to unrestrictive full duty. The union has said they will start filing grievances on my behalf the day I step foot back in the office but that isn't going to stop them from continuing doing what they've been doing and treating me the way they have treated me for five years. I am refused sick time or annual leave time based on "needs of service" but none of the others have problems getting days off. I have to go to PT three times a week for my back, yet they schedule me to where I'm working just late enough that I can't go to therapy. I realize they've been trying to force me out of the office and since they haven't succeeded, are they now trying to force me into permanent disability? What steps does anyone recommend I take now. I have filed complaint with the EEOC, but have yet to hear anything back beyond the paperwork.

The clerks and mailhandlers are paying for the problems in the Postal
Service. One reason for the problems the Postal Service is in is poor management. You have supervisors and management that do not know what they are doing and have no interaction with employees except to berate them. In fact they also are very good at harassing employees. The Postal Servie is trying to force the senior employees to retire by given them the worst hours on the night tour. If the Postal Service wants the seniors to retire offer them an incentive not an early out. They can add 5 years to their retirement and many employees will go. Postal Service has nothing to loose won't have to pay for health insurance, night differencial sunday premium, sick leave annual leave and holiday pay. Employees can't leave with the ecconomy as it is now. They couldn't get a part time job to help during their retirement. Look into management and the bonuses and high salaries and the million dollar homes and brand new government vehicles that are spent on each year and also the the 4 star hotels they stay in when they go to a different state for meetings

I work in a office where we are short on clerks and have been for some time and there is a contractual custodian who puts around flat tubs, puts mail in the holes for carriers, scan and throws parcels and the list goes on and on. On top of this the office is filthy. With all of this going on the post office is still complaining about being in a deficit. If they stop doing stupid s _ _ _ like this maybe we might have a chance.

supervisors are very abusive, they lie and do not have respect for their employees. additionally, they take advantage of their authority. what bothers me the most is that they can work only four hours and get paid for eight. thats one of the reasons why we are going down, down, down.

Is anywhere else other than just "Cincnnati" working their PTF's 4 hours or less and that's it???

I left the Postal Service 10 years ago and went back to College. Two degrees later it was/is the best decision I've ever made. I could see the handwriting on the wall; email was taking off, and management was putting all their faith into automation. I remember the 'ol 6 and 2 warning, but they didn't figure there wasn't going to be enough mail to guarantee that!
And the union workers slow down when the volume drops off to get their guaranteed 8. Then 3996's would fly for a half foot over reference volume, yikes.
I hope all you guys and gals trying to hang on till you can retire make it...Peace

I've been a PTF for three years now. For three years I've watched carriers bleed the post office for everything that they can. Now volume is dropping drastically and all they do is go slower and slower to get their 8hrs in. John Potter makes next to nothing compared to a CEO of a private corporation that does the volume of buisness in retail, and has such a large workforce and vehicle force that the post office does. Get some integity and stop whining. If there is 6 hours worth of work, do it in 6 hours and not 8. At least that way I could still count on the post office being a viable job for me and all the other people who believe in an honest days work for years to come.

I am a RCA(Rural Carrier Associate) in Virginia, and I am facing a decline in hours worked. Our Offices have a combined 36 Rural Routes, one Aux Route, and 10 City Routes. Majority of the Rural Routes were K-Routes at the time of my hire in '05. As my position as a subsitute, when I was hired, I was guaranteed one day a week on a K-Route. K-Route are routes whose carrier is off one day during the week, every week. Well we just ended our National Mail Count on 3/14/09, and our offices lost big! We had K-Routes drop to J-Routes, (J-Route Carriers=1 day off every other week), and J-Routes drop to H-Routes (H-Routes=6 days a week, no day off). Now there are only 16 K-Routes in both offices combined. This doesn't really hurt the Regular carriers, as they lose money, but not their jobs, but it adversely affects us subs. I have been in my position for almost 4 years, waiting for someone to relieve their post so i can obtain my own Route as a Career employee. The saddest part of the delimma is, i'm 3rd in line for my own Rural route, but with the recent turn of events, I am facing that my guranteed one working day will be abolished! At our offices, we have about 12-15 subs, so you can image how the ones under me will be affected. Only hope I have is in our Union, but let's see how far I get with that!

In 2 weeks USPS kicks a money making restaurant out of the DC post office. They're giving that space to Smithsonian RENT FREE. Half a million in rent given up so we can look at stamps instead of have jobs.

I have been a casual for about 2 years now and since I been here its been so many rumors I mean we are all human and the econ is mess up all we can do is pray and keep going on about are day some one come up to me evert day and aske me hey have they said any thing about letting u casuals go all I say is hey if they let us go every thing happen for a reason maybe its somethin out there btter for me I mean when I first came in my time was from 8am to 5 15pm and now since they shut the 2nd shift down I come in at 4pm to 1 15am I mean its hard but that's they only way I can pay my bills and I'm only 19 years old ....I'VE SEEN A LOT OFF MY FRIEND GO A LOT OF CASUALS BUT ALL WE CAN DO IS PRAY ...

I read the comment on retirements , and want to put forth
lets say a hypothetical situation:

a. Small Office, with 2 routes one auxillary
b. enter a hire, orignally hired after 2 year hiring freeze
and told he would not get many hours, decides to go for unemployment
but then due to series of unfortunate events for co workers
he ends up with more hours, first becoming a PTF, than
working up to FTR
c. Series of changes , Old Post master retires,
new PM comes aboard
d. Carrier works for another 6 years, but mangement
style is changed from non comfrontational , orignally
told he is asset to PO, but with new mangement
constantly harrassed , until relations between labor
and managment becomes stressed
e. New mangement makes decisions not on common sense
but more on perception of threats and itimidations
d. Now comes the retirement issue, of 2 retirements
of fellow carriers, for a 2 route, one aux office
e. Injury of fellow remaining carrier, tying up
office, for owcp matters.
f. Due to district numbers, upper management makes
decision of now no hire, leaving carrier as only
carrier for 20 hours of routes a day.
g. eventually allowed one day off for consultation with union
on situation, allowed 10 minutes to fax situation
and eventually gets a hire approved.
h. no new listing results in more months on duty without
help
i. use of duel casual hired, and no time off for carrier
because of duels responsibilty to other office.
j. finally gets help in office with hire of one ptf
but duel casual falls at home and is no longer in office working.
k. both ptf and carrier have weddings, by this time another
ptf hired but limited hours, told can not attend weddings
due to staffing shortage.
l. New casual allowed after fight about weddings
m. Confrontations continue with management about
removal of injured carrier, training of ptf's,
resulting in removal of casual.
n. FTR carrier dies after removal of casual.
o. mangement carrys mail day of funeral even
with 2 ptr in office, refuses to lower flag in honor
of carrier, offers to help with insurnace matters to widow.
p. investigation on behalf of union by postal inspection office
overtime hours of last month reported only, told he was
adequately staffed, and not much rougher than most post offices.
PM is reported to feel as a friend of carrier.
question: is this scenario likely in event of sudden retirments
and no hiring policy to handled finacial situation in mangement
of Postal office and cut backs?
And is management held responsible for carrier becoming only
carrier with 2 routes and one aux?
o. eventually route adjustments are made and now small office
is cut back , 3 routes magically become 2, and thus
nessitating only hire of 2 ptf's, and not 3rd.
p. does the scenario play out on a larger field in bigger
offices with forced layoffs and early retirements and no hiring.
q. questions abound, the carrier widow is told he is not
member of his own union, postal inevestigation is false,
about hours and routes, and policy has been enforced,
protection of managment resulted.
r. responsibillty of reality verses management in the
twilight zone, falls to whom in this situation,
the postal inspectors office for not investigating properly,
so it results are in unions favor for hiring on retirement,
or on union for admitting no calls made from small office,
or on mangement for notice of retirements, and no hire?
s. this senseless case is actually reality not twilight zone.
t. this matter of lay offs, retirements, is complicated
in our day and age of financial insanity, but at what cost
mangement saved how much money from lack of hire,
'and of course carrier did not retire, he expired.
u. I agree with the statement about upper management
is where cut backs need to take place, small offices
do not need to be understaffed, but staffed at a normal ratio
in order to help small towns survive.
It is only the lack of common sense that has died.

Seriously, the US Postal Service should start firing the abusive Supervisors in the San Diego. One Supervisor from Tour 1 has been brought to court for harassment of a female employee. The complainant was awarded $1 Million together with 3 of her co-workers. She sued the female MDO and this abusive Supervisor. What is amazing is that they are still employed by the Post Office. With the economic crisis and fear of massive lay-offs left and right, shouldn't the Post Office think twice and fire these people. You guys will be suprised how many complaints were filed against them at the union office and EEO. Please Mr. Postmaster General, look at this case and fire them.

How could unemployment rate drop, if lay off is continuously going? The “market” has fallen and with this, many companies around the country are starting to collapse, which results to lay off employees. We aren't out of the woods yet, but we have the tools to get us there. On the other hand, the payday loans that are about to be made to the nation from the stimulus package, there is more good news on the horizon. Retail sales have stopped falling, and in fact, retail spending has risen. I think so many layoffs and the drop in economic activity had more to do with consumer panic, than anything. This is good news for the economy.

There are so many solutions, that are so simple. Allot of which are common sense. Closing Saturdays since that is also the lowest days of revenue, and the elimination of paying employees. Make all routes managed routes, like with the rural carriers. That would give more incentive for all carriers to get the job done. Go to 4 - 10's, with it being straight pay, only overtime after 10hrs. And that will save the T-6 positions. Have one postmaster for every 3 to 4 offices, pending on the size of the offices and consolidating smaller offices into 1 location. Downsize the number of supervisors to the minimal amount and have a floating supervisor to cover several offices when someone calls in sick etc. With giving more responsibility to supervisors and postmasters, you will find that only the more competent are up for the challenge.
The unions need to work more with management in eliminating the walk and talk in the offices and see that everyone is earning there pay, how many carriers do you know that work maybe 6 hrs total and "milk" it up too 8 to 10 hrs. Don't get me wrong, I have survived on overtime for the entire 14 yrs here at the postal service. But I also know that I can't go anywhere else without a degree (or maybe even with a degree) and make $25.00 hr. The real world out there beyond the postal service is hard, and we have it very easy, so I would rather give of myself too keep my job, then go out into that other job market. We all may need to understand that overtime is a privilege, and we need to learn to live within our means. At least we would still have a paycheck.
One last thing is the process to remove the slackers in the postal service needs too be easier.

Now here this all dvd casuals strap up the ax is finally coming down hope you are one of the 14 good luck

i would gladly take a reasonable paycut until things got stable again.
but the po needs to hold a lot of these carriers, sup, and so called managers. i see carriers everyday falsifying there 96's and asking for more time to finish their routes than they actually need. i see waste, fraud and abuse in my post office everyday. too many supervisors, and they're letting carriers become 204b's (trng sup) while another carrier gets paid overtime to do the 204b's route everyday. it's sickening how they pick their supervisors and managers, they really don't know much and they're not helpful at all. management "is" the problem and has alway been the problem no doubt.

I worked for the Post Office for over 20 years. If you think that approved fmla for a chronic condition is safe, think again. I have fmla approval for a chronic condition and for my childs condition,since birth. Postal management went out of their way to target me. Not only that, they altered my clock rings in order to take away overtime that I had worked. This is fraud. The postmaster,in a state capital admitted in e-mails that this is "stealing, plain and simple." I still have never been compensated for this. Management targeted the clock rings of women over the age of 40. Management, and the postmaster, managed to generate ,falsly,a way to fire me. The management responsible for fraudulently altering clock rings still have their jobs. Wow

after 38 yrs. and having my route re-adjusted to managements whims without route evaluations in at least 20 years or since DPS when i decided to start driving again and have had my route changed more times then some supervisors have years on the job!!!!

where does the s___t stop ???

how about starting with the brass with all their vacation homes and can't get us toilet paper or paper towels !!!!!!!!

This strikes me as a total battle of lobbyists. Whether the postal service has to lay people off depends on government funding and regulations, and government funding & regulations depend on how money money big mail donates to the people in power. Business as usual in Washington.

I know this is a format for regular and career workers but is there any concern for casuals that pick up most of the slack and looked upon for most of the grunt work what is our future like in the p.o. I need an answer not a rumor