In our contract it says we must provide a vehicle large enough to accommodate the NORMAL VOLUME OF MAIL. The day after the holiday is NOT normal and neither is Monday. It actually says nothing about parcel volume. Jeeps, Subarus, and equivalent cubic foot volumes are considered ADEQUATE. The way the Usps and the NRLCA have agreed to handle 2nd trips is to finish the route first with all that your vehicle will safely carry and go back out to deliver all that didn’t fit, afterwards. Mileage payment for pov drivers, and all get 3 minutes per mile.
It just so happened that the ones that wouldn’t fit ALWAYS ended up being on the part of my route that was farthest away. After continuing payouts for interstate ( high speed and less time) driving to the far reaches of my route, my manager was able to hire Arcs and RCAs to help us with the excessive amounts of parcels. No carrier should be working 15+ hours per day on a route, RCAs can NOT work more than 12 hours per day as per FLSA-A provisions, in other words federal law. When our rcas started bringing back mail and parcels at 12 hours and placing it on the supervisor desk, they figured out a way to hire people. When second trips are done properly the Usps pays out big time. All this extra time goes towards our 2240/2080 and I know of carriers getting $16,000 extra for going over 2240.
We love taking managers with us on the route for inspections.
We have an unwritten policy among the carriers in our office, if a manager gets dizzy and has to take a break, carrier gets $5, throws up, the carrier gets $10, goes to the hospital for dust allergies, dinner at local restaurant. We haven’t added a “prize” for bouncing the managers head into the ceiling of the vehicle, but it has been suggested
Tiredmailady -- "Anyway, just talked to district union office, they can ask you to buy a bigger vehicle, but they cannot force you."
-- Any routes in the office with a postal provided vehicle?
-- If so, do those routes have to make additional trips for parcels?
-- If so, you can politely tell manglement that as soon as the post office provides larger vehicles for the postal-provided routes, then you will get one!
-- Ask manglement what your route's "normal" mail volume is. And check Section 141.2 of the PO-603 and Section 224.1 of the M-38.
-- Step 4 ( V-2 ) addresses additional trips. If a POV carrier has more than 12 days of additional trips ( not counting the Christmas period ) in any six month period, manglement MAY require the carrier to get a larger vehicle.
- If the carrier is unable to provide a larger vehicle, manglement WILL consider assigning an employer provided vehicle if available.
"You will not believe this, but our 204 b says that if we get any package help right now that we would have to take an annual day to get paid, even if we are out delivering for 15 hours. "
-- Politely ask for documentation / reference.
-- How quickly 204b's forget what it is really like in the trenches.
-- IF your route is technically overburdened per Article 9.2.C.8.a., remind the 204b that the contract provides of assistance to overburdened routes.
-- The 204b could not hack it as a carrier?
The 204b's entire family were rural carriers. His Mom and Dad retired before Recks kicked in and his sister rolled up under a desk at a neighboring post office. They all ran like scalded rabbits,as my Granny would say,lol!!!Also,thank you so very much for ALL the very informative info. Your help is so very much appreciated!!!
