ARC doing clerk work

[Shannonboy]

Ethelanne
"but if I told you how much I do make, you'd hate unions even more."
Yes.....I'm sure, but please do share ethelanne.....inquiring minds would like to know, I'm sure.....I for one dont care what you and other union folks make, but, I do care when your quality of work, or lack thereof, is nowhere in the world close to equaling what you are paid. THATS WHEN I GOT A PROBLEM...

 

[oi veh.]

The only thing I can offer from working at only three stations is that this PO is FAR different than the two other. The two other stations were complete zoos and the pressure was nuts. The other two stations made arcs use static load for example?This is a bad way to start people with no route experience. Where I am now they have developed travel path sheets for every route which I have found to be a god send. These sheets were developed by an ARC who eventually became a regular and my office adopted the sheets as a "go to" for ARCs and new RCAsUnfortunately these sheets are 4-5 years outdated. I asked my PM if it's possible to update In addition the turn over in management, in both of the other locations was high. One had a manager (higher position than a supervisor??) that was there for 20 years and she left while I was there. In the short time I was there three managers came & went. My current office has a PM and SM who work 12 hours 6 days a week. Probably 7 days but I'm off 1 day/wk so I don't know if they are there as well. The PM is there at 6AM and he's scanning, and throwing parcels and packages along with the clerks. Is he stealing money?

I firmly believe that my current station is an exception to most other offices. There has been ZERO pressure from my supervisor and I've had a few simply horrendous runs and, upon returning, I'd apologize. The response was always the same, "no worries, you're new" or something similar. It's simply a great office period. Nearly all of the carriers are great, upbeat people. We all work together and nobody is too busy to help someone else. The unofficial MO is, "I'm happy to help as long as you help someone else who needs it. The only 2-3 inaccessible people are the ones with the large headphones. Wear them so people see," don't bother me".
FWIW my area is growing like crazy and has been growing this way for 20 years. This station went from 17 to 26 routes within the last 8 years fwiw.
Anyway, I think I'm in a great situation that's FAR different than any other I've heard of. Of course I may be wrong.
I've had many friends who are past PO employees and all of them seemed to hate their job??? I suspect some thread participants aren't loving their job??? Several people have told me they "LOVE" working at this station and I do too other than the 13 hour days like yesterday .
Another fwiw if I may. I'm 67 and I don't need to work. I'm far from wealthy but I have enough money for my life style. I feel that I "HAVE TO" work and I enjoy hard work although I don't consider my position as hard work. It's definitely a lot of work but it's not difficult to perform this job. Still I. I feel productive and this is something I need to feel every day. We have another ARC who is 76 and he's awesome at his job. Pretty much proof this isn't a physically demanding job imo. I call my job the hardest easy job I've ever had.

I'm surprised at the tone of several participants of this thread and I'd love to know if anyone else is in a similar situation as I am regarding their work environment. It also seems like most contributors are staunch union supporters. I mean to the point where I'm being told to shut my mouth etc. Ya'll are all about the union which, of course, is fine for ya'll. Personally I feel that unions foster poor work performance and, through many decades of life experiences, foster an attitude that's poisonous and contagious. There are very few union jobs here and I absolutely love it. I came here from LINY 40 years ago. LINY is a God awful place to live and raise a family. My home town for the last 40 years is nothing less than amazing! It's like being on vacation every day. I have a coworker who transferred from LI fairly recently and he is on cloud nine. His attitude is nothing like the prevalent attitude here in this thread and, again, almost the entire station has people of the same mindset.

Lastly I'll say, union or no, postal employees work their gluteous maximus off (is that allowed?). I have a large amount of respect for all of crafts and all who participated in this thread although some do seem to be dissatisfied with their work environment. I can tell that a few here are shaking their head regarding my attitude. That's fine. You do you and I'll do me.

Best wishes to all and if you don't like what you're place in life is then change it. Transfer to a better place or whatever it takes to not be so miserable.
Thanks

so, i don't know where to start.

i don't feel like writing a book...but if you have wonderful management and a harmonious work atmosphere, then bully for you. embrace it.

most of us do not and therefore cannot wait to make parole.

my personal experience is most of my work life was spent in white collar work until coming to the postal service where i started in management (so still white collar), became dual appointed (and now blue as well), but swiftly saw that particular star (management) was not the one to hook my wagon to and switched to the rural craft exclusively. one of my grandfathers was a hardworking union coal miner, so my mother was brought up in a union household. however, once she was an adult, she didn't agree with unions. so i came up in a non-union household and did not hold with them at. all.

until becoming a craft employee.

as a whole, our employer embodies every single reason unions were formed in the first place. there may be outliers, but the majority of management are bullies who run roughshod over the weak and uninformed. or they act like they are your friend when in reality they are constantly sharpening their stilettos. i shudder to think what our already toxic workplace environment would be without the union presence.

most of us replying to you are regulars. regular (career) carriers cannot transfer as simply as other crafts, so there goes that suggestion.

i agree with @EthelAnne - if i were making 200 clams an hour and could also be enjoying being retired along the way, the LAST thing i would be thinking of doing would be schlepping packages on a sunday...or any other day of the week. but that's me. been working since i was 10. i am ready for relaxation and fun.

oh Lord help. the post turned into a novella.

p.s. anywhere below the mason-dixon it's spelled y'all.

 

[oi veh.]

Ethelanne
"but if I told you how much I do make, you'd hate unions even more."
Yes.....I'm sure, but please do share ethelanne.....inquiring minds would like to know, I'm sure.....I for one dont care what you and other union folks make, but, I do care when your quality of work, or lack thereof, is nowhere in the world close to equaling what you are paid. THATS WHEN I GOT A PROBLEM...

@EthelAnne (a woman btw) is referring to her (our) wages as regular carriers.

she is a local stew and as such receives no monetary compensation. only a day off when she has accrued 8 hours of steward work.

 

[Hamparc]

so, i don't know where to start.

i don't feel like writing a book...but if you have wonderful management and a harmonious work atmosphere, then bully for you. embrace it.

most of us do not and therefore cannot wait to make parole.

my personal experience is most of my work life was spent in white collar work until coming to the postal service where i started in management (so still white collar), became dual appointed (and now blue as well), but swiftly saw that particular star (management) was not the one to hook my wagon to and switched to the rural craft exclusively. one of my grandfathers was a hardworking union coal miner, so my mother was brought up in a union household. however, once she was an adult, she didn't agree with unions. so i came up in a non-union household and did not hold with them at. all.

until becoming a craft employee.

as a whole, our employer embodies every single reason unions were formed in the first place. there may be outliers, but the majority of management are bullies who run roughshod over the weak and uninformed. or they act like they are your friend when in reality they are constantly sharpening their stilettos. i shudder to think what our already toxic workplace environment would be without the union presence.

most of us replying to you are regulars. regular (career) carriers cannot transfer as simply as other crafts, so there goes that suggestion.

i agree with @EthelAnne - if i were making 200 clams an hour and could also be enjoying being retired along the way, the LAST thing i would be thinking of doing would be schlepping packages on a sunday...or any other day of the week. but that's me. been working since i was 10. i am ready for relaxation and fun.

oh Lord help. the post turned into a novella.

p.s. anywhere below the mason-dixon it's spelled y'all.

Ha! I just use the suggestion my keyboard app provided and "ya'll" is what my keyboard suggests.
After working at 2 other offices, short term albeit, I feel like my office is an oasis in the dessert. These were in a much larger town just south of my town. The 6 USPS stations are run by one PM whom I never once saw. I felt like an unwanted spec of dust at these places and I was afforded zero help. My "shadow" days consisted of taking parcels, packing my vehicle, and leaving. My PM is here 80+hours a week since peak. He's a frigging animal. My supervisor is the same with 70+hours a week.

I've met at least 20 regulars, in my 40 years here, who transferred from that wretched place called LINY so I can't gauge the difficulty in transferring. I believe, and respect, your stance that transferring isn't as easy as simply putting in for it.

My BIL transferred here about a year after my wife and I came here (unfortunately ). He transferred as a regular and ended up as PM in a tiny podunk station about 15 years later. He continuously complained about the job yet he was a 100% supporter of the USPS UNTIL he retired. Then he was happy to expound upon why he thinks usps is a horrible place.
How about Christmas time? During peak, (which hasn't ended BTW right?) there was a seemingly unending supply of cakes, candy etc that people brought in. Many regulars also gave the ARCs gifts like flashlights, hand warmers (almost never needed in my climate). As I said, the regulars and RCAs, PTFs LOVE us ARCs. Maybe because myself, and the other 5 ARCs, work late and don't complain.

I have found that the few, who are chronic complainers - not just about their job iykwim) hang around with fellow complainers and are somewhat avoided by the other 40,or so, employees. The toxicity doesn't seem to spread.

Sorry so long bros.

 

[EthelAnne]

Let's talk about real delivered volume not pretend pre delivery volume.

Neither I nor anyone else here knows where a small or large parcel is delivered on your route, so it's not something I can talk about. I shared a figure (70% of USPS parcels are classified as a small parcel or roll) that I have heard USPS uses in its various projections. It was in response to your comment that 230 parcels might seem like a lot, but really probably isn't all that much. I agreed with you, because we all know a big chunk of those are SPRs. Whether it's 70% or 80% or 50% or 40% of a route, it's a good sized chunk that under normal circumstances would not require dismounting/walking (or auxiliary assistance), i.e. means less work/less time for a carrier.

Where you deliver a package does not stop it from being a SPR; it just (we think/hope!) gives you additional time under RRECS.

I hope I don't sound like I'm being argumentative. That's not my intention. I understand that your specific route data is very relevant to you, but not so much to everyone else. That 70% number may be accurate or it may be not, but AFAIK it's the number the USPS uses, and, FWIW, it jibes with my own experience as a carrier.

 

[U caught my attention]

Where you deliver a package does not stop it from being a SPR; it just (we think/hope!) gives you additional time under RRECS.

I read through what I wrote and its a bit rambled. My only point was data sources available can contradict themselves and I personally (because I m a nerd) like the whole picture to make sense.
one thing should be able to balance out another thing. I kniw I need to try and stop trying to have it all mke sense.
It will NEVER make any sense to me .

 

[oi veh.]

Ha! I just use the suggestion my keyboard app provided and "ya'll" is what my keyboard suggests.
After working at 2 other offices, short term albeit, I feel like my office is an oasis in the dessert. These were in a much larger town just south of my town. The 6 USPS stations are run by one PM whom I never once saw. I felt like an unwanted spec of dust at these places and I was afforded zero help. My "shadow" days consisted of taking parcels, packing my vehicle, and leaving. My PM is here 80+hours a week since peak. He's a frigging animal. My supervisor is the same with 70+hours a week.

I've met at least 20 regulars, in my 40 years here, who transferred from that wretched place called LINY so I can't gauge the difficulty in transferring. I believe, and respect, your stance that transferring isn't as easy as simply putting in for it.

My BIL transferred here about a year after my wife and I came here (unfortunately ). He transferred as a regular and ended up as PM in a tiny podunk station about 15 years later. He continuously complained about the job yet he was a 100% supporter of the USPS UNTIL he retired. Then he was happy to expound upon why he thinks usps is a horrible place.
How about Christmas time? During peak, (which hasn't ended BTW right?) there was a seemingly unending supply of cakes, candy etc that people brought in. Many regulars also gave the ARCs gifts like flashlights, hand warmers (almost never needed in my climate). As I said, the regulars and RCAs, PTFs LOVE us ARCs. Maybe because myself, and the other 5 ARCs, work late and don't complain.

I have found that the few, who are chronic complainers - not just about their job iykwim) hang around with fellow complainers and are somewhat avoided by the other 40,or so, employees. The toxicity doesn't seem to spread.

Sorry so long bros.

just so you know, a regular can only do a mutual transfer. that means you have to find someone who wants to transfer to where you are so you can transfer to where you want to be. both postmasters also have to agree. there are rules in the contract which have to be adhered to.

i have fantastic customers. they are my route family and spoil me all year long. when i have a good sub, i spoil that person as well.

my office, the peons get along, and yet. there are those in the office who smile up in your face while putting you down behind your back. so you learn who to trust. (read no one)

do i love my job? yes, i love what i do for my customers. i do not, however, love management and what they have done, and are doing, to destroy the best position in the USPS.

 

[RammerJammer]

The only thing I can offer from working at only three stations is that this PO is FAR different than the two other. The two other stations were complete zoos and the pressure was nuts. The other two stations made arcs use static load for example?This is a bad way to start people with no route experience. Where I am now they have developed travel path sheets for every route which I have found to be a god send. These sheets were developed by an ARC who eventually became a regular and my office adopted the sheets as a "go to" for ARCs and new RCAsUnfortunately these sheets are 4-5 years outdated. I asked my PM if it's possible to update In addition the turn over in management, in both of the other locations was high. One had a manager (higher position than a supervisor??) that was there for 20 years and she left while I was there. In the short time I was there three managers came & went. My current office has a PM and SM who work 12 hours 6 days a week. Probably 7 days but I'm off 1 day/wk so I don't know if they are there as well. The PM is there at 6AM and he's scanning, and throwing parcels and packages along with the clerks. Is he stealing money?

I firmly believe that my current station is an exception to most other offices. There has been ZERO pressure from my supervisor and I've had a few simply horrendous runs and, upon returning, I'd apologize. The response was always the same, "no worries, you're new" or something similar. It's simply a great office period. Nearly all of the carriers are great, upbeat people. We all work together and nobody is too busy to help someone else. The unofficial MO is, "I'm happy to help as long as you help someone else who needs it.

I came here from LINY 40 years ago. LINY is a God awful place to live and raise a family. My home town for the last 40 years is nothing less than amazing! It's like being on vacation every day.

What is a SM? Is LINY Long Island? So I guess you weren’t in the Hamptons huh? I thought LI was the preferred place to be in NY.

 

[Hamparc]

What is a SM? Is LINY Long Island? So I guess you weren’t in the Hamptons huh? I thought LI was the preferred place to be in NY.

Sorry. I meant to write supervisor. I wasn't close to the Hamptons. Li isn't the preferred place for any human being living on earth.

 

[hockey94]

Sorry. I meant to write supervisor. I wasn't close to the Hamptons. Li isn't the preferred place for any human being living on earth.

Long Island is a great place to live if you are a high income earner.

 

[Hamparc]

Sorry but I disagree. Traffic is nuts. The weather is awful, the people are stressed out to the snapping point. It's like everyone works for the PO.

 

[RammerJammer]

Sorry but I disagree. Traffic is nuts. The weather is awful, the people are stressed out to the snapping point. It's like everyone works for the PO.

A friend’s sister lives in Stony Brook. I’ve never heard anything one way or the other about it. I like their Post Office. My bucket list is to play at Bethpage State Park golf courses one day. Long ago I heard that you had to show up the night before you wanted to play and spend the night in your vehicle to get a tee time at dawn.

 

[Hamparc]

I've heard the same about playing golf at bethpage. All I know about bethpage is we used the hills to go down in the snow. Doesn't snow much there anymore so I'm told.

 

[hockey94]

Sorry but I disagree. Traffic is nuts. The weather is awful, the people are stressed out to the snapping point. It's like everyone works for the PO.

Well, I agree with you about the traffic/weather. I moved out of Long Island, a LONG time ago !

 

[hockey94]

I've heard the same about playing golf at bethpage. All I know about bethpage is we used the hills to go down in the snow. Doesn't snow much there anymore so I'm told.

i played Bethpage (not the black course), course kicked my a$$ ! I went sleigh riding there, as well. You cannot sleigh ride there anymore.

 

[RFD]

I don't want to make enemies here so please understand I'm learning BUT it's management that sees how much help it is to have ONE HOUR of extra help with emptying buggies. It helps EVERYONE.
The shop steward is

The clerks were glad to have my help. It saves them a lot of time and effort having someone clear the overloaded buggies. It's the shop steward that's having the problem with it. I understand her position.
I'm in NC which is a free to work state but, of course, the postal union trumps the state in this regard.
This is purposeful inefficiency IMO and it frustrates me. As everyone says, "it's the post office" but I will never be a fan of inefficiency.
Now I go in at 8:30 and have to stand around like an idiot until I get a route. This took 30 minutes yesterday because the boss couldn't yet get determine where I was needed. Standing around makes me feel useless and totally sucks.

Have a clerk bring a pallet of parcels to your case, and declare them all for your route. You will have no choice but to "hand off" the packages to each route, so to speak. There are no where near enough clerks in my office. Regulars have been known to take matters into their own hands, just to get out the door before the sun sets. Ok, the sun setting is an exaggeration, but you get the picture. And before anyone jumps on me, when I say there aren't any clerks, I am being literal. The shortage is quite acute. That being said, local management would gladly bring more clerks in if they could. I'm just thankful our start times aren't pushed back to something stupid, like 9:00.

 

[hunchback]

Is a Regular Rural Carrier remapping other rural routes, while not on a 204b assignment, ( management work? ) while an RCA runs their route, a violation of the contract?
Is it the Stewards Job to make sure no one, no matter how close they are with management, gets sweet heart deals, desk work, while someone else runs their route?

It appears the consensus is doing clerk work is crossing crafts and Stewards don't like that.
But is it OK to cross crafts and do Management work if you are not on a 204B assignment?

 

[hunchback]

Is a Regular Rural Carrier remapping other rural routes, while not on a 204b assignment, ( management work? ) while an RCA runs their route, a violation of the contract?
Is it the Stewards Job to make sure no one, no matter how close they are with management, gets sweet heart deals, desk work, while someone else runs their route?

Can Rural Carriers be used to do route inspections / observations?

If memory serves me right, I think someone on here sometime back mentioned Rural Carriers in their own office were doing Route observations.

Is there no limit on crossing crafts when it comes to Rural Carriers doing Management functions?

 

[Hamparc]

The shop steward wasn't in last week. My understanding is that she's got problems with her broom.

 

[Shannonboy]

Well...if she put in a request for a new ride, I wouldnt expect to see her anyttime soon, as slow as the nrlca moves, she may never come back.....