Why is it Reps don't call back?

gotstamps · Jan 19, 2019

Punkie5 said:
When you file a grievance, shouldn’t there be a “pAcket of information” contain therein?
I filed one, my statement isnt referenced or attachments...only the stewards/union contentions, no manamgnet contentions.......a half ass job for sure.....
What all should a grievance contain?

If the Steward & Mgmt can settle the Grievance without having to send it up to Step 2, then mgmt isn’t req to fill in their areas, only sign the agreement. The Steward has to send the settlements with the Grievants Statement AND a Steward Summary to the ADR or DR. These are scanned into a database for higher-ups to see what is being grieved & settled on the local level.

Punkie5 · Jan 20, 2019

all I see is incompetent, laziness. In my grievance I see nothing referencing attachments of all my coresspndance and my statement. After all this is MY grievance.....I’m not being heard here.

Punkie5 · Jan 20, 2019

I was told it’s going up to step 2 so I asked for a copy of my grievance. Got it back and it doesn’t mention attachments where there are many of email docs, my statement, etc. managements full statement isn’t filled in nor contentions, not signed, doesn’t state denied, not round dated, absolutely a worthless 8191. I have basically nothing for MY grievance, I am not being heard and I was and am being ignored by management and my steward. This crap is not only happening to me but others in our office. Nothing being addressed nor resolved. A hostile work invironment we were deemed as a climate assessment team mandated interviews from all the employees 2 weeks ago.........postmaster is interviewing and looking for another job.....they need to do a clean sweep. In the MEANtime, we are treated with disrespect, reverse insubordination and ignored. We have no union, we have no contract, we are weak because our union is weak and doesn’t stand firm as it should. Join the union.....why? Pay for no support? I think not, they have to support you regardless so no pay because we get no soup anyways.

Rt2mailman · Jan 20, 2019

Sounds like it is time for you to run for steward in your office.

Punkie5 · Jan 20, 2019

I don’t have the time personally even though others want me to. I pay my dues to get the support as others but no soup

12345 · Jan 20, 2019

Just as farming or owning a small business becoming a steward is adopting a lifestyle. Your hours are not 9 to 5 five days a week. If you do not want to give uncompensated time on nights and weekends for phone calls, emails, doing research; do everyone a favor and do not become a steward. This applies to stewards at any level including the local, ADR, DR and NATIONAL. You may know the contract and all the other rules and regulations forward and backward but if you are not willing to use this information at the time a fellow carrier is stressed out and asking for help or advice be like Punkie5, just say you do not have the time to give instead of having the title and not doing the job.

Punkie5 · Jan 20, 2019

Thank you for your support! ?
United we stand, divided we fall.
If a stew, DR was aware, and AD isn’t allowed to be involved in our zip code...what the HE double toothpicks are you doing, nothing. Our stew doesn’t run their route, only cases because we are told they are getting stew time for working grievances. Certainly didn’t and isn’t working mine
If you don’t have the backbone, the knowledge and the fight in you to stand up to management and resolve per our contract expeditiously, at the lowest level and in good faith, why are we subjected to a stew that is weak and DR?
Favoritism rules.......they get paid, special treatment and we get nothing. This is why we all work in hostile environments because we have no union to fight for our rights.
We have nothing but incompetent management and incompetent stews and DR’s.
The carriers are subjected to it all unfairly as we all work our butts off, give it 150 percent and we don’t get paid for it and we get no support. No wonder we can’t keep RCAs.......they all need to go get jobs at Amazon. I took this job thinking I would have union support for the nonsense, not.
Best job in the world, the stupidest place to work.
Thank God I’m strong willed and have great family& friend support and a wonderful life outside of this nuthouse!
Some people call the Post Office their family, certainly not me, my family is at home and my wonderful customers that appreciate me and the great job I do and I do it in good faith, others do not.
Thanks again for the support peeps. It a shame to love your job and others just try to create unnecessary chaos because they are so miserable and only want to TRY to make others like themselves.
If you can’t do a Union Job efficiently, do us all a favor and don’t do it.
Seize the day! The sun is out! Yay!

DB.Cooper · Jan 20, 2019

LOL... no soup for you, mien friend...

Also remember... Arbeit macht frei ...

USPS has slightly modified it to... All FREE work is good... alles ist gut...

Morty · Jan 20, 2019

I disagree with the 9-5 nights weekends ect for free. Its in the contract to get reasonable time to do steward work.

Its the postal culture to work for free. My PM denied steward time. My DR said do it from home.

Its the main reason i resigned. Process 36 denied grievances from home in 5 days to remain timely for free. Each taking 6 hours because of the archaic paperwork system. Oh, and the $8 per in certified and tracking for the duplicate to the steward.

Ive never been reimbursed for postage, hundreds of dollars gone. Ive never been reimbursed for at home work. The steward wouldn't award it, because its AGAINST THE CONTRACT TO WORK FROM HOME!

Maybe if the USPS had to actually start paying for steward time, they would think twice about being twats. But until that changes, they know you chumps will work for free. No thanks.

EthelAnne · Jan 20, 2019

Morty said:
I disagree with the 9-5 nights weekends ect for free. Its in the contract to get reasonable time to do steward work.

Its the postal culture to work for free. My PM denied steward time. My DR said do it from home.

Its the main reason i resigned. Process 36 denied grievances from home in 5 days to remain timely for free. Each taking 6 hours because of the archaic paperwork system. Oh, and the $8 per in certified and tracking for the duplicate to the steward.

Ive never been reimbursed for postage, hundreds of dollars gone. Ive never been reimbursed for at home work. The steward wouldn't award it, because its AGAINST THE CONTRACT TO WORK FROM HOME!

Maybe if the USPS had to actually start paying for steward time, they would think twice about being twats. But until that changes, they know you chumps will work for free. No thanks.

I'm sorry this was your experience as a steward. The USPS does pay for steward time at the local level--regular carriers are compensated in "Z" time (accumulate 8 hours of Z time and you get a day off) and RCAs who are stewards are paid auxiliary time. Here's a link to the tracking sheet: https://www.nrlca.org/Documents/WebContent/3ddf96e1-0a84-4cb5-a655-df4217b6efd7-04012017-Z-10.pdf

I understand your frustration as a steward. When I first became one, I had a PM who thought he would harass and try to intimidate me. One of the things he did was deny the carriers permission to speak with me, believing this would stop grievances. Long story short, and a few grievances later, that PM requested a transfer to a different department because he didn't want to deal with the union any longer. He was replaced by a supervisor who is crappy in different ways, but at least he's smart enough to know that it's better to work with the union than try to harass and intimidate.

DB.Cooper · Jan 20, 2019

EthelAnne said:
...He was replaced by a supervisor who is crappy in different ways....

The USPS has a gift for being able to make sure each one is $#!++y in *some* way... maybe they're a drunk and obnoxious, or maybe they're all smiling in your face, while stabbing you in the back... but they *ALL* seem to have some sort of little devious and obnoxious quirks...

oi veh. · Jan 20, 2019

Morty said:
. Oh, and the $8 per in certified and tracking for the duplicate to the steward.

Ive never been reimbursed for postage, hundreds of dollars gone.

Then you should have followed up. There are forms to be filled out for reimbursement for travel AND postage. Reimbursement comes from National, if I'm not mistaken. If your DR did/said all you say (and I believe you), then you should have reported him to National.

Punkie5 · Jan 20, 2019

How exactly does one report to National?

oi veh. · Jan 20, 2019

Director of Steward Operations:
Susan T. Knapp
703-684-5545
National Rural Letter Carriers' Association
1630 Duke Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3467

Wsopgal · Jan 20, 2019

In was actually told by the rep when I worked in a different state that they didn't want to confront PM because it could upset their relationship. They prefer to "get along".

Punkie5 · Jan 21, 2019

Oi veh. said:
Director of Steward Operations:
Susan T. Knapp
703-684-5545
National Rural Letter Carriers' Association
1630 Duke Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3467

12345 · Jan 21, 2019

Morty said:
I disagree with the 9-5 nights weekends ect for free. Its in the contract to get reasonable time to do steward work.

Its the postal culture to work for free. My PM denied steward time. My DR said do it from home.

Its the main reason i resigned. Process 36 denied grievances from home in 5 days to remain timely for free. Each taking 6 hours because of the archaic paperwork system. Oh, and the $8 per in certified and tracking for the duplicate to the steward.

Ive never been reimbursed for postage, hundreds of dollars gone. Ive never been reimbursed for at home work. The steward wouldn't award it, because its AGAINST THE CONTRACT TO WORK FROM HOME!

Maybe if the USPS had to actually start paying for steward time, they would think twice about being twats. But until that changes, they know you chumps will work for free. No thanks.

Your DR definitely needs to have an attitude adjustment. Reimbursement for postage is a no brainer. Nights and weekends are when the "I need to vent or can they do this to me calls" generally come in. Every State steward I have ever known always talked about all the hours they spent on the phone listening and visiting with carriers with actual or perceived problems. Under the National system the ADRs and DRs not so much. They seem to be more of the 8 to 4 or 9 to 5 types.

The time it takes to prepare a grievance compares to the time it takes to case the mail. The more repetition the easier it is. Your keyboard speed is a big factor also. It may take me 2 hours to type when someone else will do it in 15 minutes. I do not expect 2 hours of compensation just because I am uncoordinated. If you ask a steward that really knows their stuff and can answer you with, " that is covered under article whatever, section whatever, paragraph whatever, subsection whatever" the time needed to do a grievance is much shorter than someone with general knowledge that needs to look up the information.

You must have used a bit of dramatic license with your example. 36 grievances at 6 hours each equals 216 hours divided by 8 hours is 27 days. I also fudge a few numbers occasionally to keep my anonymity.

DUPED · Nov 23, 2019

Can anyone tell me if Union Stewards are allowed to complete “Union Work” from home if they have been injured on the job?

callofthewild · Nov 23, 2019

I would say no. You can't be in sick leave status to do Union work, go to training or go to the National Convention. Being injured on the job would be the same...as you are not able to complete your duties as a rural carrier.