So, here you are with NO RCAs and heading into the busy season at that. Overall Nationwide , relief days will soon become just as rare as an RCA before long. While it is certainly NO consolation, there are and have long been many offices with very little to no RCA relief. You mention that there are 5 K routes and 1 J route. That now really means nothing as they are all basically H routes with the regular carrier working 6 days a week. Yeah, there may be a few of you on the list that can choose 3s or 5s but that too will soon get old. X days for those mandated to work and not on the list will end up getting cashed out because of no relief. Someone from WAY up top needs to actually see what is and has been going on with the pathetic retention rate of RCAs. What is it , $8000.00 invested in a new hire ? That's a lot of Amazon parcels we could NOT deliver and KEEP an RCA. There have been quite a few RCAs on this very forum that have left the PO and these RCAs were long time battle tested carriers. They know what a "bad day" is like because they have worked them. They know what "bad management" is like because they have experienced it. Yet, they still chose to leave because the quality of work and life was just pathetic. Those who represent us and the PO have a much higher priority placed upon delivering Amazon than EITHER of them place upon the actual employee. Investing in your employees is SO MUCH more than money. Investing in your employees also includes treating them in a decent manner. Showing compassion and understanding. There are many more ways of investing in the workforce but you get the idea. Our employer is hemorrhaging money on new hires and this has an effect on each employee in each craft. I wish you and your coworkers all the best and hope you each try to "keep it light" with each other as the strain on each of you WILL take its' toll.
Just highlight the bold part.
There are a lot of other issues too, but you hit the main ones. You have to take the time and effort to invest them to make them good carriers too.
I know in my old office, one regular just dump it on and basically good luck not answer phone or anything. The best trainers in my area (not trying to brag myself up) are RCAs who have done work all over and can share experiences of many offices. I've trained 2 RCAs and both are still at post office. Why? Because I made sure I was thorough and taught them everything I knew (besides edit books & other non-important stuff to them). I have worked mail out of RHD vehicles, LHD vehicles, & GOV vehicles. I've done bookcase & carousel.
The last one had the cake walk. I was working as hold on this route since regular retired and no one else was trained. Between the other RCA who worked Jan & part of Feb before coming regular & myself who worked Feb to mid April, this route had EVERY BOX WITH NUMBERS ON IT, case was redone with sticky notes on side and updated names, forwards were wrote down on sheet, route adjustment was made to make the route easier (instead of driving around a tiny village 3 times, you made one lap)(lost a mile, but was that worth the confusion) & case was updated to have what was vacant and not. It was to the point anyone could go in that day and run the route and be ok.
So that is another part in it is the regular have to take the time to train them properly.
Part 2: Management just screws over so many people, especially if you have some dummy in charge who doesn't know crap about contract or care about your feelings/life.
I ran 2 routes every Saturday for 10 months basically because of screw job by stupvisor, but I made sure I got them back. They kept saying you are getting help. I refused. WHY? Because the second I took help, they would screw me over on evaluated pay and only pay me for working route. I put the screw to them since the freaking union wouldn't help.
Oh also what in the world they thought basically mandating RCA to work within 50 miles was a good idea.........
The union definitely deserves some heat here along with USPS.
