Our new RCA was just fired

[lbpd16]

I got the word this morning that our new RCA was just fired. Hes been working about a month now. He was not properly trained. We have been short so they have been putting him on different routes and just telling him "good luck". Yesterday he was on a route he was not familiar with. He brought back the majority of packages for that route. He was fired this morning.

I guess since he's in his 90 day period he can basically be fired for anything. However, I thought the PMG put something out about not firing RCA's unless something major happened.

We have another new RCA who is probably at about 8 weeks. She has had alot of problems. After this incident I expect she will be fired shortly as well.

If so, we will be back to 6 day a week, 12 hour days again, running our primary and then splitting 1 or 2 other routes.

This is madness! Why would you fire someone new for not doing the job when that person was not trained properly?

I'm my prior profession this would be grounds for a lawsuit and improper termination. You cannot fire someone for not doing the job is they are not properly trained.

 

[btdtret]

Ibpd16 -- "I got the word this morning that our new RCA was just fired. Hes been working about a month now. He was not properly trained. We have been short so they have been putting him on different routes and just telling him "good luck". Yesterday he was on a route he was not familiar with. He brought back the majority of packages for that route. He was fired this morning. "

-- Back in 2015, the PMG said she wanted 7,000 new RCAs on board by the Christmas season. And she dictated that they BE PROPERLY TRAINED. She did say that it would take some effort to get the word down through the ranks to district and local managers that these new RCAs were to be RETAINED AT ALL COSTS. ( could be the USPS has passed the 7,000 mark, so no problem firing really new RCAs. )

-- If you see the recently fired RCA, please implore him to write a letter to the PMG, describing his circumstances, and to be sure to name names!!

-- Possibly the PMG is not getting word of what is happening down in the trenches. Of course, she is having problems of her own as regards to reporting to congressional committees.

 

[RDruckus]

PMG Megan Brennan
USPS
475 L'Enfant Plaza 25W
Washington. DC. 20260

 

[formerlyknownas]

Wow. This is very surprising because I thought "they"were told to try and keep the RCA's at all cost. Extra extra training and help. Sometimes it takes a while for it to click. They are throwing them around to different routes at a faster pace than even a few years ago. Sad, especially if they were trying their best.

 

[RDruckus]

Let manager deliver it for a month and see how they do.

 

[lbpd16]

added fuel to the fire here: He is a genuinely nice guy. Came in on sundays and used his POV to help with Amazon before being LLV trained. Came in on his day off and asked if he could help. Always asking for ways to do his job better. This guy is an Iraq War Vet and has PTSD. I think he should push that issue. Not properly training and then firing a Vet with a disability. That won't look good for the USPS at all.

 

[Sandygirl]

I got the word this morning that our new RCA was just fired. Hes been working about a month now. He was not properly trained. We have been short so they have been putting him on different routes and just telling him "good luck". Yesterday he was on a route he was not familiar with. He brought back the majority of packages for that route. He was fired this morning.

I guess since he's in his 90 day period he can basically be fired for anything. However, I thought the PMG put something out about not firing RCA's unless something major happened.

We have another new RCA who is probably at about 8 weeks. She has had alot of problems. After this incident I expect she will be fired shortly as well.

If so, we will be back to 6 day a week, 12 hour days again, running our primary and then splitting 1 or 2 other routes.

This is madness! Why would you fire someone new for not doing the job when that person was not trained properly?

I'm my prior profession this would be grounds for a lawsuit and improper termination. You cannot fire someone for not doing the job is they are

 

[Skierstmoritz]

added fuel to the fire here: He is a genuinely nice guy. Came in on sundays and used his POV to help with Amazon before being LLV trained. Came in on his day off and asked if he could help. Always asking for ways to do his job better. This guy is an Iraq War Vet and has PTSD. I think he should push that issue. Not properly training and then firing a Vet with a disability. That won't look good for the USPS at all.

management has no ability to look at the big picture. If anything, this guy deserved to properly trained. He volunteered to serve his country and after he served, he gets treated like crap! The manager should be fired. His fellow carriers should draft a letter, sign it and send it to the local congressperson. He deserves a job.
Back in the day the USPS was a go to employer for vets. As a matter of fact, I think it still has a large number of vets. Too bad more of them aren't managers. We might actually be better off.

 

[Sandygirl]

I agree, when someone goes to this extreme vet or no vet you should take notice and bring them along gently so as not to scare them off. Sounds like he has integrity and the USPS has NO idea what to do with people like that...….hard worker, integrity, work ethic, team effort, honesty, real effort, inquisitive, willing, intelligent, proven strong and durable, passionate, trust worthy, able bodied, eager, ..... who could possible fire this person? Anyone who thinks this job is easy that is who...…...they are full of crap...….newbies need a whole year before being send from their base office...………..MORONS you just lost a great employee...………..Idiots

 

[yardbox]

Wow. This is very surprising because I thought "they"were told to try and keep the RCA's at all cost. Extra extra training and help. Sometimes it takes a while for it to click. They are throwing them around to different routes at a faster pace than even a few years ago. Sad, especially if they were trying their best.

^^^^
Well, I was given extra tng-3 days-on a 100mi 600box 45k. Bought my own rhd pov. I even came early only to be told I could be fired for doing so. Even went out and painted turn arrows on the unmarked roads to help cipher the route, hoping to make it click. Then was switched to another route, and was "not retained" after 30 days on the new route.
bg

 

[callofthewild]

Stories like this just make me so angry..............this isn't a easy job to learn..........but once you have it down you have it for life on any route in any part of the country. The three day training was when we didn't have scanners and all the stuff we deal with now....it was just letters and flats and a few parcels..........you would think if the USPS really wanted to step up into the 21 century they would update their training............The District Manager during our State Convention told us.........the Post Masters can request additional training time for new hires.......If I was this RCA.....I would write my Congress Man..........he has served his Country...........he can be trained to run a mail route.........this is so shameful.

 

[gerl2]

I agree, when someone goes to this extreme vet or no vet you should take notice and bring them along gently so as not to scare them off. Sounds like he has integrity and the USPS has NO idea what to do with people like that...….hard worker, integrity, work ethic, team effort, honesty, real effort, inquisitive, willing, intelligent, proven strong and durable, passionate, trust worthy, able bodied, eager, ..... who could possible fire this person? Anyone who thinks this job is easy that is who...…...they are full of crap...….newbies need a whole year before being send from their base office...………..MORONS you just lost a great employee...………..Idiots

PO needs to place undercover agents to see first hand what is really going on.

 

[EthelAnne]

Here's something that has occurred to me after dealing with a number of denial of leave and RDWL grievances so far this year (and yes, I'm a little bit stupid that it took so long for me to realize this): PMs and supervisors would rather pay OT to regular carriers out the nose than deal with hiring, training and retaining RCAs, and they see no moral difficulty in demanding carriers work 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. If it were up to them, there would be no RCAs at all and we would all just work all the time.

It makes absolutely no sense to normal people to pay regular carriers $40-50/hr to deliver mail on their relief days when there is the option of paying someone $17 an hour to do it. To managers/supervisors/PMs it makes perfect sense! They don't have to interview/hire/schedule for training, they don't incur the training expense, they don't have to deal with customer complaints, and they don't have to wait for new carriers to get done so they can go home, and the regular carriers don't bitch too much about it because we have too much invested in our postal careers. RCAs require them to work; regular carriers don't.

Another thing that makes me crazy about the contract is the "RCA task force" or whatever it's called. We know how to solve the problem with RCA retention--create career positions. You don't need a "task force" to study the problem. Like the RRECs system--untold number of years, probably millions of dollars spent to find an unworkable (yes, unworkable) solution to a problem that would have been easily remedied by paying us hourly.

 

[hockey94]

First of all Manager idiot could not possibly deliver a route for one day. Many of thses ppl in mgt are not qualified to be the assistant shift leader on the fry station at Burger King. Only getting 3 days of training on a route is a joke. Hey upper mgt morons wonder why your turnouver rate is through the roof, look at your shitty training program. The only thing the PO does well, is treat ppl poorly and WASTE money. 'RCA task force", I am sure that will solve the problem, yeah right, it will be more $$$ thrown in the trash. Anyone with half a brain can figure out the numerous problems with RCA retention.

 

[Justgettingstarted]

Here's something that has occurred to me after dealing with a number of denial of leave and RDWL grievances so far this year (and yes, I'm a little bit stupid that it took so long for me to realize this): PMs and supervisors would rather pay OT to regular carriers out the nose than deal with hiring, training and retaining RCAs, and they see no moral difficulty in demanding carriers work 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. If it were up to them, there would be no RCAs at all and we would all just work all the time.

It makes absolutely no sense to normal people to pay regular carriers $40-50/hr to deliver mail on their relief days when there is the option of paying someone $17 an hour to do it. To managers/supervisors/PMs it makes perfect sense! They don't have to interview/hire/schedule for training, they don't incur the training expense, they don't have to deal with customer complaints, and they don't have to wait for new carriers to get done so they can go home, and the regular carriers don't bitch too much about it because we have too much invested in our postal careers. RCAs require them to work; regular carriers don't.

Another thing that makes me crazy about the contract is the "RCA task force" or whatever it's called. We know how to solve the problem with RCA retention--create career positions. You don't need a "task force" to study the problem. Like the RRECs system--untold number of years, probably millions of dollars spent to find an unworkable (yes, unworkable) solution to a problem that would have been easily remedied by paying us hourly.

My husband and I were just talking about this. Where he works (factory) for the last two years they’ve worked almost every Saturday and on thirds they are working sundays as well. It’s mandatory for the Saturdays sundays are voluntary only because state laws. Corporate says they can’t hire anyone which is probably some truth because they insist on everyone doing swing shifts but I think they’ve figured out that they can get just as much production by forcing the overtime and not having to pay bennies and whatnot to more employees, and they are fine with their workers only having one day a week. In fact just recently one of the higher up’s at the plant let it slip that having everyone work six days a week is better for their supply chain. Doesn’t matter how much they pay in overtime or that they are bleeding workers who leave and take lower paying jobs just so they can have a life,nope they don’t care.

 

[yardbox]

^^^^
Well, I was given extra tng-3 days-on a 100mi 600box 45k. Bought my own rhd pov. I even came early only to be told I could be fired for doing so. Even went out and painted turn arrows on the unmarked roads to help cipher the route, hoping to make it click. Then was switched to another route, and was "not retained" after 30 days on the new route.
bg

And, the new route was changed after only 10 days,but the case was not updated with new addresses so I didn't what was mine. Was told I could not change case. Had to go ask other carriers if the mail was theirs. I finally just started putting it aside and told clerk.
Funny thing was one day SPV asked what I was doing and I replied "Most of this isn't mine". She and PM came over and culled several flats of dps.
bg

 

[Rt2mailman]

In some areas managers are trying to get around the "No firing Rca's rule". They are supposed to get approval from the district manager, but if they "tell" the under 90 day worker they are fired , and that employee doesn't show up for 10 days, they can report him as "resigned" for which they can fill out the resignation paper work.
Have your steward or District representation check to see that the signature from the district manager is on the "fired " paper work. If not that manager maybe seeing the same "Your fired" letter.

 

[btdtret]

Ibpd16 -- "added fuel to the fire here: He is a genuinely nice guy. Came in on sundays and used his POV to help with Amazon before being LLV trained. Came in on his day off and asked if he could help. Always asking for ways to do his job better. This guy is an Iraq War Vet and has PTSD. I think he should push that issue. Not properly training and then firing a Vet with a disability. That won't look good for the USPS at all."

-- If the vet won't take his story to the local media, maybe an anonymous tip might generate a human interest story.

-- Any VA facility in your area willing to go up against the USPS?

 

[yardbox]

In some areas managers are trying to get around the "No firing Rca's rule". They are supposed to get approval from the district manager, but if they "tell" the under 90 day worker they are fired , and that employee doesn't show up for 10 days, they can report him as "resigned" for which they can fill out the resignation paper work.
Have your steward or District representation check to see that the signature from the district manager is on the "fired " paper work. If not that manager maybe seeing the same "Your fired" letter.

I showed up every day as assigned. Well, earlier until warned.
When called in by PM on an unexpected day, I asked why I was there. He said you are consistently over eval. I said doesn't changing to another route, altering the new route without updating case count for something, I know I'm slow casing but I'm gettin better on the street. He said that is just a part of your pay to adapt to those changes.
So I asked what is upshot of this meeting. SPV asked "will you resign"? I said no, I'm doing better. That was when PM said I would not "be retained", PM's words
OK, I was under 90 days, at their mercy and BTW no Steward was present.
Y thanks for info, I'll review my paperwork.


Ok

 

[Skierstmoritz]

For whatever reason, you got played. The supervisor asking you to resign is his/her attempt to get around the " retain rcas at all costs" mandate. Rte 2 is right on! If you liked the job, follow up. Good folks like you are highly desirable by your fellow carriers. We have all been there at some point.