Does an rca have to work short notice

[Charlie Brown]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>Rt2mailman said </strong>
As much as I've been called a "sub basher" lately this will surprise my detractors.

An RCA is a scheduled employee, if you weren't on the schedule for Thursday this week, you can't be fired for not working it, unless you are still in your probationary period of less than 90 worked days (because then you can be fired for any reason except discrimination), and only then if the district manager allows you to be fired, as per the new pmg rules. If you were an "on call" employee you would be paid "something" for being "on call" even if you didn't work, which you aren't or you probably wouldn't have to get this other job. If you do answer your phone you enable your pm to "schedule" you. Your pm can find this information under his management directives on scheduling. Many people here will disagree with me and I would like to also when my sub doesn't want to work for me "at the last minute" , but those are the rules of the contract. It does work out to be counter-productive for any RCA's looking for extra work, because if you apply this rule one to many times your pm will find someone else to do that work and remove it from you at times when you would like it.  </blockquote>
I'm one of the ones that will disagree.

Article 30.2.P section M states that repeated unavailability is just cause for removal.

In my old office that was generally considered 3 times but Mgmt. never seemed to enforce the rule. Probably because they didn't want the extra work of documenting everything and then fighting a grievance.

 

[Rt2mailman]

Charley Brown, Did it say repeated unavailability to scheduled days? Or just unavailability, meaning couldn't get a hold of them by phone. That probably is the reason your pm hasn't fired any rca for that , because he couldn't. To be "unavailable" an Rca has to be scheduled.  

 

[btdtret]

Rt2mailman -- "Did it say repeated unavailability to scheduled days?"

--  No - just "repeated unavailability for work".

--  As far as manglement is concerning, on unscheduled days, RCA's should be sitting next to their phone, anxiously waiting for a call to come to work. (which is BS)

 

[Charlie Brown]

This is from "USPS publication 181 Join our team"

      Rural Carrier Associate Facts

          Variable work hours

As an RCA, you will replace a regular rural carrier on his or her scheduled day off (primarily Sat.) on vacation or on other leave. Work hours will vary depending on the office and route to which you are assigned. You must be willing to work weekends and some holidays AND BE AVAILABLE FOR ON CALL EMPLOYMENT. You may be assigned to other carriers routes, increasing the number of hours you work.

That's pretty much how the job was explained to me 28 years ago and that's how We explained it to the new hires when I was instructing at the academy. Yea, I know if you're on call you should be paid for that time but doesn't happen. Maybe the union can get this changed.   LOL

 

[Deer Smearer]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>Charlie Brown said </strong>
This is from "USPS publication 181 Join our team"

      Rural Carrier Associate Facts

          Variable work hours

As an RCA, you will replace a regular rural carrier on his or her scheduled day off (primarily Sat.) on vacation or on other leave. Work hours will vary depending on the office and route to which you are assigned. You must be willing to work weekends and some holidays AND BE AVAILABLE FOR ON CALL EMPLOYMENT. You may be assigned to other carriers routes, increasing the number of hours you work.

That's pretty much how the job was explained to me 28 years ago and that's how We explained it to the new hires when I was instructing at the academy. Yea, I know if you're on call you should be paid for that time but doesn't happen. Maybe the union can get this changed.   LOL  </blockquote>
Yes, that is how it's posted on line.

But they also post about zero tolerance, safety first, equal opportunity,  and following contracts, MOUs, etc.

Guess it only matters if it benefits the USPS.

 

[Rt2mailman]

Yes all, the USPS and the NRLCA do disagree about the "on call" part of the "training" for RCA's. The grievances filed and won back up that Rca's are not "on call" employees. As I mentioned above, it doesn't work out to be advantageous for RCA's that want hours to "not be available" because if not accepting calls on occasions you don't want to work, you won't receive calls when you want to work. The part about "Must be available for on call employment" is looked at as the manager saying "We are going to need you during this Christmas time from time to time to come in and help, we will call you and let you know". That does not mean you are always on call.