What would you like to see change in the new contract?

[Dominator]

Replace current reps with educated, corrupt, and never-been carriers...OK.

The USPS Law Department spanks us with every passing National Agreement. Don't take my word for it... Just stay tuned.

I agree with @RollinRural in that a rag-tag group of minds that may have carried mail for a small portion of their lives pale in comparison to a group of minds who at least might hold equal footing with those of our contractual adversaries.

I've been in many buildings. That doesn't make me an architect.

The National Board is notorious for its inability/unwillingness to follow its own constitution. As for corruption amongst the union ranks, I can't deny its severity with a straight face.

 

[Jjf133]

They need to implement a path to full-time for RCA‘s just like all the other crafts the Postal Service have. No more of this, luck of the draw aspect of it where either a spot has to open up in your home office or your district.

 

[Dominator]

Our union can't be transparent, then we'd know they are fighting for a 1.4% pay increase, and larger safe driving award pins.

Safe driving championship belt or we go to arbitration.

 

[Dominator]

Cancel the Sunday/Holiday parcel delivery MOU. One of the worst decisions ever made regarding Leave Replacement retention. Give EVERYBODY Sunday's and Federal Holidays off. Most RCA's trying to make a career out of this place would stay. They can almost always find hours during the week covering leave. No office should have Sunday/Holiday parcel delivery unless they can hire and retain ARC's.

While I appreciate the sentiment, I don't hold much hope considering that our labor union negotiated that its bargaining unit members work labor day at the straight time rate.

 

[Surprise!]

I would love to see 2 or 3 options for penalty with successive gains. And have them use the term penalty In the wording so mgrs understand.

Are you certain the word penalty is enough to get the point across to management?

I once filed a grievance, in which district wanted to argue that they had the authority to override Postal Service manuals.

 

[Surprise!]

I would like to see a contract in which there is time and means to discuss what the impact of the changes will be upon the craft and to organize an opposing opinion to the points that are not supported by the craft.

Yes, I think this should actually be in the contract.

I also believe, for those that support a desertification effort. The expiration of the contract is the time it should have been launched. Give us a voice or else.

 

[Sunofa]

I actually think the opposite. Do they even make an attempt to hire ARC's? Ours was hired many years ago when it was first created. He wants this position and would quit if he had to be an RCA. His working Sunday saves someone else from having to do it who doesn't want to. Retiree's etc... may just want that kind of work and our RCA's welcome them.

They do not want to hire ARC'S even though they can hire as many ARC's that they need. WHY?? That is a no brainer and would help the craft in so many ways. I have been advocating it in my office for years and they have NOT hired even 1 ARC. I give up, management likes to make carriers suffer, I'm convinced.
It's like they have this wild card and they don't know how to use it.

 

[Sunofa]

Nope, we had full ARC employment for years since they started the position. But they did it at at a cost to other Craft hours and reputation. ARCs get no benefits and don't work to the same standards as RCA/Regulars. They take hours from RCAs who we need to keep employed to cover days off. I think that's more important than someone wanting to work part time with no benefits. It's also yet another non-career position that has zero interest in joining the Union so there's that. There's plenty of gig/casual/part time jobs as it is.

When you have an office where not even 1 RCA volunteers for Sundays or Holidays, Utilize the ARC position. That is why it was created in the first place. I suppose if they would hire an RCA for every route and keep it that way, the ARC position may not be needed.

 

[Sunofa]

1, pay actual time
2, anything over 8 hrs./day pay 1.5x, over 50/wk. 2x
3. eliminate X days, make them AL days instead
4. RCAs with most seniority get first shot at open jobs (I was an rca for 24 years before I could get a carrier status)
5. retirement does not require 5 years of full time status
6. stop scans like, stamp stock sales, loading, unscanable parcels, etc. (not needed if change 1 is implemented)

Allright, there is something seriously wrong. I had no idea there were people working 21 and 24 years as a sub. Seems like most everything we are suggesting here should have been done ages ago.

 

[Surprise!]

Yes, people work a full career and are thrown in the ash can for their effort. But, think of all the money the Postal Service is saving.

 

[Surprise!]

Safe driving championship belt or we go to arbitration.

I am certain the Postal Service may happily come to agreement with the NRLCA to give us the belt. Just not the way you intend.

 

[U caught my attention]

Here's some union hardball for ya. Because we can no longer get a thug to beat people into conforming to the unions national issues.

NO EVALUATION FOR YOU!

 

[Deleted member 7264]

Since a shortage of personnel has become an big issue in a lot of areas, and rural routes are sometimes having to be worked by non rural carries here are a few ideas that may help:

Allow regulars to volunteer not only in their office but nearby offices that are in dire need of help. I know there is an MOU that states regulars can volunteer to work on other routes within their office. They should go ahead and solidify in the next contract as well as allowing regulars to volunteer to work on routes in other offices. This might help the shortage problem in some offices as well as helping out carriers that are hurting from massive drops in salary earn some extra income. This would be mutually beneficial to both the USPS and the rural carriers.

The current MOU is just a band aid solution and is hurting our craft, not helping it. You have offices where regulars are "voluntold" on a daily basis to case/carry vacant routes or face discipline if they fail to follow a direct order. Why go through the hassle of hiring and training RCAs when a seasoned regular can do the job faster? They should get rid of the MOU entirely so it will light a fire under their ass to raise the pay and improve the working conditions. The so-called "staffing challenges" they cite with each renewal of the MOU will be gone overnight if they do that.

 

[All Saints Day]

The current MOU is just a band aid solution and is hurting our craft, not helping it. You have offices where regulars are "voluntold" on a daily basis to case/carry vacant routes or face discipline if they fail to follow a direct order. Why go through the hassle of hiring and training RCAs when a seasoned regular can do the job faster? They should get rid of the MOU entirely so it will light a fire under their ass to raise the pay and improve the working conditions. The so-called "staffing challenges" they cite with each renewal of the MOU will be gone overnight if they do that.

I haven't witnessed any regular carriers being mandated to work on other routes but I'm sure it's happening in places. What I have witnessed is CCAs and management carrying routes (when the regulars in that office declined to volunteer) which is terrible for the craft because I doubt any CCA is worried about performing the tasks and scans that are beneficial to maintaining a routes evaluation. And as far as I know when a PM carries a route there is no extra pay for them carrying the route. So is the usps getting that route delivered for free in that instance?

I'm a step 12 carrier and would love to help in a nearby office and get paid time and half for doing so. Especially since I lost 10K salary the past year. Instead the PM in that office is having to carry an aux route because there is no other alternative. And there are lots of carriers like me out there who experienced massive pay cuts during a time of record inflation and find ourselves in a position of looking for a second job. Wouldn't need to look for a second job if the job we already do is in need of extra work. I don't think it would deter from the hiring of an RCA. If anything I think paying a step 12 carrier time and half plus travel time and milage would be more of an incentive for USPS to hire and keep an RCA to do that same work. I do agree they need to raise the pay to make the RCA job more attractive but there will always be shortages in some offices and I think regular rural carriers (outside of the office) should have that option to volunteer over non-rural carriers.

 

[too many yrs left]

I haven't witnessed any regular carriers being mandated to work on other routes but I'm sure it's happening in places.

Ours has been totally voluntary also. And frankly, besides grieving which would be totally a win I would have to disagree with the prior post that said regulars are being "voluntold" because they are so much faster. First, unless it's a newly hired regular they probably haven't carried other routes in years so they will be pretty slow at casing. Secondly, any carrier I know of that didn't want to work but was "voluntold" would make a point of dragging out that time and a half pay to show mgt. they really don't want to make that choice again. They are paid hourly not evaluation and there is no discipline for being slow.

 

[Gotrope]

I haven't witnessed any regular carriers being mandated to work on other routes but I'm sure it's happening in places. What I have witnessed is CCAs and management carrying routes (when the regulars in that office declined to volunteer) which is terrible for the craft because I doubt any CCA is worried about performing the tasks and scans that are beneficial to maintaining a routes evaluation. And as far as I know when a PM carries a route there is no extra pay for them carrying the route. So is the usps getting that route delivered for free in that instance?

I'm a step 12 carrier and would love to help in a nearby office and get paid time and half for doing so. Especially since I lost 10K salary the past year. Instead the PM in that office is having to carry an aux route because there is no other alternative. And there are lots of carriers like me out there who experienced massive pay cuts during a time of record inflation and find ourselves in a position of looking for a second job. Wouldn't need to look for a second job if the job we already do is in need of extra work. I don't think it would deter from the hiring of an RCA. If anything I think paying a step 12 carrier time and half plus travel time and milage would be more of an incentive for USPS to hire and keep an RCA to do that same work. I do agree they need to raise the pay to make the RCA job more attractive but there will always be shortages in some offices and I think regular rural carriers (outside of the office) should have that option to volunteer over non-rural carriers.

Most of your argument would support hourly pay as the remedy.

 

[All Saints Day]

Most of your argument would support hourly pay as the remedy.

The main point I'm arguing is that regulars should be allowed to volunteer in nearby offices. As it is now only RCAs are allowed. But with the shortage of RCAs it makes sense to allow regulars. Which would be hourly of course as the regular would only be delivering a portion of a route.

 

[Worve]

The main point I'm arguing is that regulars should be allowed to volunteer in nearby offices. As it is now only RCAs are allowed. But with the shortage of RCAs it makes sense to allow regulars. Which would be hourly of course as the regular would only be delivering a portion of a route.

It would open the door to be mandated to work other offices as a reg. I understand you want the extra money etc, but as a craft it would be a huge step back. Just my 2 cents.

 

[All Saints Day]

It would open the door to be mandated to work other offices as a reg. I understand you want the extra money etc, but as a craft it would be a huge step back. Just my 2 cents.

I would not be in favor of it being mandatory. If it is strictly voluntary in the wording I would be in favor. Only in instances where non-rural carriers would be delivering the route. Regular clerks have been allowed to volunteer to work in other offices for a while and it has not opened the door for them to be mandated to do it.

 

[Worve]

I would not be in favor of it being mandatory. If it is strictly voluntary in the wording I would be in favor. Only in instances where non-rural carriers would be delivering the route. Regular clerks have been allowed to volunteer to work in other offices for a while and it has not opened the door for them to be mandated to do it.

The volunteering mou for regs now has been used to mandate regs. Yes, some do file and get paid beyond 150%. Problem is it allows a way for management to pay regs. Instead of trying to find ways to make more money for more time. Why not go for higher working wages across the board. It might help offices such as the one you are describing, and yourself.