More mandates……

[BubbaGump1964]

I thought we weren’t required to carry other routes other than our own? Or sunday help? Thought the language said we MUST volunteer? Why do we have to follow a direct order if the MOU says we have to volunteer? Had 3 people refuse the mandate waiting to see what the consequences are. Told to carry other routes that were down

 

[Guin]

It's on a VOLUNTEER basis. There are times when the whole "smile and file" bs is well... bs and this is one of them. I would have refused and left too and dealt with the consequences afterward. I'm not even sure how management could fight that and successfully get the carrier in trouble for it in this instance.

 

[Dumbassclerksyndrome]

Finally… carriers standing up for their rights.

 

[Tammy]

It's on a VOLUNTEER basis. There are times when the whole "smile and file" bs is well... bs and this is one of them. I would have refused and left too and dealt with the consequences afterward. I'm not even sure how management could fight that and successfully get the carrier in trouble for it in this instance. View attachment 8312

Where they get you is that you failed to follow a direct order. They directly mandated you to carry another route, while that order itself is not justified, the fact you did not follow the direct order is punishable. Failure to follow a direct order is also grounds for removal. The only time you cannot obey a direct order is if it is unlawful, unsafe or immoral. Have fun at the I and I and make sure you Have your steward present.

 

[TheDude]

According to OSHA, working longer hours can be unsafe.

Long Work Hours, Extended or Irregular Shifts, and Worker Fatigue - Overview | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

 

[Deer Smearer]

Where they get you is that you failed to follow a direct order. They directly mandated you to carry another route, while that order itself is not justified, the fact you did not follow the direct order is punishable. Failure to follow a direct order is also grounds for removal. The only time you cannot obey a direct order is if it is unlawful, unsafe or immoral. Have fun at the I and I and make sure you Have your steward present.

It sounds like local manglement didn’t follow the direct order not to mandate the work.

 

[GApeach]

Where they get you is that you failed to follow a direct order. They directly mandated you to carry another route, while that order itself is not justified, the fact you did not follow the direct order is punishable. Failure to follow a direct order is also grounds for removal. The only time you cannot obey a direct order is if it is unlawful, unsafe or immoral. Have fun at the I and I and make sure you Have your steward present.

Punishable, how? Which Postmaster is going to fire a mostly good RCA?
A letter of warning for failure to follow? Okay, stick it in my folder.
What's that, I have 10 of them? Okay, you want to cover Saturdays/SL on my route?
Wonder if the neighboring PO is hiring. I'll bet they are.
A full-on walk-out strike isn't the only way to protest working conditions.
Have fun at the I and I and make sure you Have your steward present.

 

[Guin]

Where they get you is that you failed to follow a direct order. They directly mandated you to carry another route, while that order itself is not justified, the fact you did not follow the direct order is punishable. Failure to follow a direct order is also grounds for removal. The only time you cannot obey a direct order is if it is unlawful, unsafe or immoral. Have fun at the I and I and make sure you Have your steward present.

They can try, I'm not at management's whim. I'm not being forced to run a route that isn't mine and I sure as heck am not running packages on my only family day (Sunday). Post office can go pound sand. You are the exact reason management pulls the crap that they do, because they know they can bully someone into doing something also knowing that they won't have to pay for months on end waiting for a grievance to be settled.

Don't be so scared to open your mouth and stand up for yourself. I'm not going to partake in something that is such a blatant and obvious contract violation when I know management is going to pull the same bs the following week. I'm not saying ignore every direct order management gives either, I'm saying this specific instance. Sorry not Sorry, sounds like a management problem to me.

 

[HardearnedTan]

Union wanted anyone experiencing "forcing" after this MOU was signed to contact their DR so it could get immediate attention.

 

[Guin]

It’s because management reserves the right to mismanage; and so unless it is an obviously unsafe, illegal according to civil law (regardless of contractual law because that’s what the grievance process is for), or blatantly immoral management can do what needs to be done to accomplish the mission according to their own guidelines.

When they decide to ignore or not understand the contract, then you can grieve for harm. But only really for harm for lost wages, but the lost wages could be for situations that aren’t defined or are beyond what the contract defines. In those cases you get creative but ask for purposeful remedy.

Simply having routes down does not constitute as an "emergency" nor does it fall under "an act of God." Sounds like if management wants the route delivered, that's a management problem not mine.

Don't make your (management's) problem my problem.

 

[Deer Smearer]

Union wanted anyone experiencing "forcing" after this MOU was signed to contact their DR so it could get immediate attention.

Why should I have to contact Manglement’s proctologist to get their head pulled out of their own butt?

 

[Gotrope]

And please be sure you are safe to drive. Fatigue, blood sugar, migraine, dehydration, cramping, muscle weakness can all be medical problems. If push comes to shove, I have told them to take me to urgent care for heat stress/dehydration. Choosing between forcing carriers or having reported work injury...most managers will choose to find another victim or roll mail.
Be responsible and safe.

 

[hunchback]

Wait...
Are you telling me the Post Office isn't afraid of the New, More Sternly Worded MOU?
I'm sorry that's just beyond the realm of possibility.
Who would have possibly seen this coming?

 

[hunchback]

Punishable, how? Which Postmaster is going to fire a mostly good RCA?

I believe we are talking about Regular Carriers here not RCA's.
RCA's can always be required to help on other routes up to 12 hours per day.
And yes they would love to remove a table 1 carrier with a year or 2 left to retirement for trying to follow a "Sternly Worded MOU"
Agreed to by the hard working union

 

[gotstamps]

Why should I have to contact Manglement’s proctologist to get their head pulled out of their own butt?

The Union District Rep. They contact Mgmt’s bosses & heads will roll.

 

[GApeach]

I believe we are talking about Regular Carriers here not RCA's.
RCA's can always be required to help on other routes up to 12 hours per day.
And yes they would love to remove a table 1 carrier with a year or 2 left to retirement for trying to follow a "Sternly Worded MOU"
Agreed to by the hard working union

Ah, my bad. I thought we were talking about RCAs being voluntold to work for straight pay, not Regulars being asked to volunteer for time and a half.
Sorry.

 

[gotstamps]

Punishable, how? Which Postmaster is going to fire a mostly good RCA?
A letter of warning for failure to follow? Okay, stick it in my folder.
What's that, I have 10 of them? Okay, you want to cover Saturdays/SL on my route?
Wonder if the neighboring PO is hiring. I'll bet they are.
A full-on walk-out strike isn't the only way to protest working conditions.
Have fun at the I and I and make sure you Have your steward present.

If you have 10 “Letter Of Warnings” in your file, your mgmt isn’t doing it right.

 

[Deer Smearer]

The Union District Rep. They contact Mgmt’s bosses & heads will roll.

Why should I have to contact Manglement’s proctologist* to get their head pulled out of their own butt?

*sarcasm

Better?

 

[hunchback]

The Union District Rep. They contact Mgmt’s bosses & heads will roll.

Really?
The reason we got a New "More Sternly Worded MOU" is because they ignored the part of the last MOU that said Volunteer ( not Voluntold).
And here they are ignoring it again.
If heads didn't roll last time, what makes you think it will be any different this time?

 

[BluesClues]

Simply having routes down does not constitute as an "emergency" nor does it fall under "an act of God." Sounds like if management wants the route delivered, that's a management problem not mine.

Don't make your (management's) problem my problem.

Now if management is already running a route I can see their point. If they are sitting behind a desk not so much.