USPS Takes Low Road
Bill Thornton
Vice-President
Its not like we didn’t see it coming. Management
unilaterally withdrawing from the Employee Involvement Process was a
warning
that management would throw out any pretense at progressive management.
What the Union has learned (Memorandum to
Postmasters
City Delivery Offices -Subject Carrier
Efficiency, from Kathy Ainsworth,
Manager Postal Operations) is the intention of management to attempt to
capture costs that they feel are not justified by workload.
("...identify
, by individual carrier , the worst 10% in terms of MPF
performance...")
" ...improvement plans for each of these carriers...to include
...performance
discussions,office counts, and street supervision..."
Although this memorandum was directed only to
the Associate Offices under her jurisdiction (including Branch 214
Offices
: San Rafael , Novato , Daly City) this kind of approach is likely to
be
used other places. Management may have already instituted such a policy
in San Francisco of this nature but the Union is not currently aware of
a formal one. We do know that attacks on certain carriers (the 10% ?)
are
increasing , including those with 25 years and more of service. Lists
of
"improper office practices" are circulating.
Management is worried about" minimum
acceptable
productivity " and wants to turn " performance around ". They claim
that
the " minimum acceptable productivity " is 15 MPF. Even though the
Union
does not like to play their numbers games ( we are paid by the hour and
not by the foot and are only required an honest days pay for an honest
days work ) this figure is not reasonable and nowhere near 18/8 ( a
standard
really which functions only as means of adjusting routes from 6 day
route
count data.) Consideration of other activities that carriers must
perform
in the office everyday , the fact that were not machines, etc.) is
forgotten.
They are going after the carriers first that
they
feel are most vulnerable. It’s like the law of the jungle. (the lion
picking
first on the wounded zebra) But there is no reason that management will
stop with the first 10 %. (there will always be a 10%) Imbued with the
corporate greed of the 80s and bonuses at the end of the rainbow , the
cost cutters will never be satisfied . It is GREED pure and simple.
What we can do as a Union
- Solidarity-there’s more of us than
them-but
the numbers
advantage doesn’t count if we don’t stick together.
- Attend union meetings/ After work/break
meetings.
- Don’t speed up ( if you are targeted as
part
of 10%
or not -in the long run you’ll end up with more work).
- 3996 hassles?-demand to see a steward.
- Called into the office-demand Weingarten
rights-shop
steward-if any questions are asked or there is more than one supervisor.
- "Ownership" of your route ? . In a better
world it
would be OK. But not in the current circumstances .It’s management’s
route.
This is not to demean the loyalty that carrier’s have to the people on
their routes. But it is to be realistic. If you die tonight , they’ll
get
someone to do the route tomorrow.
- Are you over 40? Or do you feel you are
being
discriminated
based on your race, nationality, sex etc.? Consider filing an EEO
complaint.
- Don’t let management bend your ear to bad
mouth other
carriers work performance.
- Remember! There is nothing in the M-39 or
M-41 (the
manuals that govern most carrier activities) about minutes per foot.
Furthermore
, we are paid by the hour and all that is required is an honest day’s
work
for an honest day’s pay.
- You cannot be disciplined for not meeting
standards.
Management will attempt to disguise their
attempts
to speed people up and drive from the Postal Service carriers they find
undesirable. They’ll try to justify the attacks based on management
rights
to operate the business efficiently. They’ll attempt to hang people
with
"poor performance " or "failure to follow instructions " disciplines.
They
will attempt to rid the Postal service of their so called 10% -and they
won’t stop there.
But they won’t succeed if we take care of
ourselves
and take care of each other.
Click here to
return/view
the "Memo"
Click here to view a REAL
"Minutes per Foot" chart based on 18 & 8
"Please
contact Officers or Stewards by phone or regular mail, and DO NOT use
email for important communications."
Our email system is regularly trying to deal with onslaughts of 'Spam',
and your important message may not reach its destination via email!
This page was last updated on: April 2, 2008
© September, 1996.
All rights reserved by
the webmaster and Branch 214. Permission is given
to trade unions and labor publications to copy information contained on
these pages, as long as appropriate recognition and notice is given to
the
author and webmaster
(Spence F. Burton). Permission to others must be granted in writing by
the President of Golden Gate Branch 214 and the webmaster . Copying of any
"graphics" contained on these pages is
also restricted by the preceding language (except for graphical links
to this page). This page was originally produced using Netscape Gold
Version 3.0, and is best viewed with Netscape Version 4.0 or better
at 1024 x 768 pixels! It was designed, constructed and is maintained by Spence F. Burton . Some of
these pages require the use of a "browser" that will display "tables"!
This page is JAVA enhanced! NB: Any link
contained on these pages, does not in any way imply that the linked
site is endorsed directly or indirectly by Golden Gate Branch 214 or
the webmaster. All "links" are for informational purposes ONLY!
