Hey! I’m senior Rca at my office. I am currently on a hold down. The route is pretty good sometimes I get done pretty early. However we are short staffed with Rca’s and clerks soooooo they have Rca’s throwing parcels and Splitting routes. Since I am done faster, I am getting called on just about every damn day to help on other routes and throwing parcels ?. Is there anything I can do for this to stop? Is there anything in the handbook? Please HELP!! Thanks
Help. I am about to go postal!!!
- Thread starter meka620
- Start date
meka620 -- "Hey! I’m senior Rca at my office. I am currently on a hold down. The route is pretty good sometimes I get done pretty early. However we are short staffed with Rca’s and clerks soooooo they have Rca’s throwing parcels and Splitting routes. Since I am done faster, I am getting called on just about every damn day to help on other routes and throwing parcels. Is there anything I can do for this to stop?"
-- Probably be grateful for the extra $$. Be sure to make log on the 4240 all "assistance" you provide - and make a copy of the 4240 and any Green Card(s) used to document you other work.
-- If you really want it to stop, ask your ADR to pay the office a visit, preferably about the time parcels are being thrown. Then the ADR can ask manglement why crossing crafts is being allowed.
-- Remind clerks not in the office that they can grieve and get paid for the work the RCA's are doing. Putting a drain on the post office's budget tends to get noticed higher up the food chain.
-- Otherwise, take "Oi veh's" suggestion and slow down -- might be hard, but...
-- Also if the temperatures are on the rise in your area, don't forget to HYDRATE while you are in the office. Might take NUMEROUS trips to the drinking fountain ( there is one, right? ). And any increase of fluid intake usually requires a trip or two to the bathroom before hitting the streets. ( Step 4 ( L-122 ) -- basically -- bathroom breaks are part of the 5-minute personal time and are not to be deducted from the 30-minute lunch break ) If manglement complains, remind them of all the "safety" heat-related texts on the scanner you had to read. And ask if they have a ready "excuse" for OSHA if you happen to have a heat-related incident out on the route because you were not allowed to hydrate while in the office. If you become thirsty out on the route, you are behind the curve to stay hydrated.
" Is there anything in the handbook?"
-- The PO-603? Aside from Section 152.3 -- Lunch Breaks, of course not! You will have to use your imagination to go beyond your 5-minutes of daily "Personal Time".
-- If you have an LLV, those fleet gas cards can be "troublesome" at times. May need to go inside to get the card to work.
-- Probably be grateful for the extra $$. Be sure to make log on the 4240 all "assistance" you provide - and make a copy of the 4240 and any Green Card(s) used to document you other work.
-- If you really want it to stop, ask your ADR to pay the office a visit, preferably about the time parcels are being thrown. Then the ADR can ask manglement why crossing crafts is being allowed.
-- Remind clerks not in the office that they can grieve and get paid for the work the RCA's are doing. Putting a drain on the post office's budget tends to get noticed higher up the food chain.
-- Otherwise, take "Oi veh's" suggestion and slow down -- might be hard, but...
-- Also if the temperatures are on the rise in your area, don't forget to HYDRATE while you are in the office. Might take NUMEROUS trips to the drinking fountain ( there is one, right? ). And any increase of fluid intake usually requires a trip or two to the bathroom before hitting the streets. ( Step 4 ( L-122 ) -- basically -- bathroom breaks are part of the 5-minute personal time and are not to be deducted from the 30-minute lunch break ) If manglement complains, remind them of all the "safety" heat-related texts on the scanner you had to read. And ask if they have a ready "excuse" for OSHA if you happen to have a heat-related incident out on the route because you were not allowed to hydrate while in the office. If you become thirsty out on the route, you are behind the curve to stay hydrated.
" Is there anything in the handbook?"
-- The PO-603? Aside from Section 152.3 -- Lunch Breaks, of course not! You will have to use your imagination to go beyond your 5-minutes of daily "Personal Time".
-- If you have an LLV, those fleet gas cards can be "troublesome" at times. May need to go inside to get the card to work.
itsabouttime -- "A RCA in my office did two routes a day for years for the USPS, plus working on sundays. The RCA was sure fast. Now the RCA is a regular. The regular has the following health issues, a bad back, carpal tunnel in both hands, and rotator cuff pain in the shoulders. The regular is not fast anymore. I tried talking to the carrier when he was a RCA, to stop running. The RCA would not listen. The RCA would not listen to me, now the regular is a cripple. "
-- If there were city carriers in the office, they were probably elbowing each other -- "look at that ( stupid ) RCA go!"
-- City carrier mantras:
- Go Fast, Won't Last.
- Go Slow, More Dough.
-- If there were city carriers in the office, they were probably elbowing each other -- "look at that ( stupid ) RCA go!"
-- City carrier mantras:
- Go Fast, Won't Last.
- Go Slow, More Dough.
Voglio-il mio
Well-known member
You do realize that if you are beating evaluation and then working additional hours you are most likely working for free? For example you work a 45k you get it done in under 40 hours you get paid for 45 hours. Now lets say you do the same thing and work 5 additional hours you still get paid for 45 hours.
Slow down work the evaluation so that at least if required to work additional hours you will get paid for them and possibly they will be at an overtime rate!
Rt2mailman
Well-known member
You could always use the contract to get out of some of the work your manager wants you to do. If you are evaluated at 8, they are only able to use you for 4 evaluated hours on another route. It only takes one time to go over 12 and then grieve that you were worked over 12 hours to be never asked again.
Boston65
Well-known member
Out of respect for those that were killed just doing their job when a disturbed co worker took his anger on all near him, I implore you to seek EAP first, and take Oi Veh’s advice.
Using that phrase is NOT cool!
Yeah it's a loaded term to be sure (pun NOT intended) - but, while we are more sensitive to the reality of workplace violence, it's clear many managers - both lower and upper - in the USPS have not taken it to heart as to what conditions can lead to such breaking points.
Postal-xam@58
Well-known member
When I was on a hold down. Our supervisor was always pulling me off to case PO mail and other RCAs to throw parcels. We filed over and over, and lost every time. They would throw their ( in case of an emergency line in ) and we were told we would only be used in case of emergency. ??
In your situation you’re fast, mine was the opposite I am slow. By the time I would get back all the fast subs had all gone home and I was the one that had to go back out.
So I understand how you feel,take Vogili’s advise and others. SLOW DOWN, TAKE YOUR LUNCH BREAK, IF YOU ARE RUNNING ,NOT ONLY ARE YOU HURTING YOUR HEALTH, YOU ARE COSTING YOURSELF MONEY, you should know that almost every time you go over forty you start losing your evaluation. Your manager don’t care, it makes them look good to their supervisors.
To make a long story short, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF ???
Poatal-xam@58 et al --"When I was on a hold down. Our supervisor was always pulling me off to case PO mail and other RCAs to throw parcels. We filed over and over, and lost every time. They would throw their ( in case of an emergency line in ) and we were told we would only be used in case of emergency."
-- " We filed over and over, and lost every time." Apparently your steward was not "up to snuff" nor was really familiar with Article 3 ( Management Rights ), section f.
- To take whatever actions may be necessary to carry out it mission in emergency situations; i.e., an UNFORESEEN circumstance or a combination of circumstances which calls for immediate action in a situation which IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE OF A RECURRING NATURE.
-- IMHO -- the shortage of clerks to throw parcels or to case PO mail, etc seems to have been a RECURRING circumstance and hardly qualified as UNFORESEEN.
-- Using RCA's to throw parcels just showed higher ups that the office didn't really need additional clerks as the job was getting done, albeit with RCA's instead of clerks. Chalk one up for the PM.
-- " We filed over and over, and lost every time." Apparently your steward was not "up to snuff" nor was really familiar with Article 3 ( Management Rights ), section f.
- To take whatever actions may be necessary to carry out it mission in emergency situations; i.e., an UNFORESEEN circumstance or a combination of circumstances which calls for immediate action in a situation which IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE OF A RECURRING NATURE.
-- IMHO -- the shortage of clerks to throw parcels or to case PO mail, etc seems to have been a RECURRING circumstance and hardly qualified as UNFORESEEN.
-- Using RCA's to throw parcels just showed higher ups that the office didn't really need additional clerks as the job was getting done, albeit with RCA's instead of clerks. Chalk one up for the PM.
Postal-xam@58
Well-known member
I agree with everything you have said. They say hindsight is 2020. A lot of us start out just trying to learn the job and don’t have the time, energy, money or knowledge to fight the USPS machine. Thinking we have ourself a good job to support our family. We’re excited and our friends are congratulating us on landing a PO job.
Then realizing what you have gotten yourself
into!!!
I was probably into my 5th year before I found this site, no one in my office was willing to help with advice.
Anyway it’s hard to fight, if you are over worked. But this site taught me more than anybody was willing to do.
For people like Meka620 it is a valuable asset.
Thanks ruralmailtalk !!!!!!
Skierstmoritz
Well-known member
What do you mean " work for free?" Don't ever work for free! That's falsifying a federal document and could result in dismissal! Seriously! If you get hurt, "working for free. Management will throw u under the bus. Now you have me worried! You are too good an rca to lose because management is cheating!
FwdUbbmScanScanScan
Member
Your management is out of control.
And contrary to advice you received on the other thread, the way they stay in line is to file grievances. They are not naïve little children who when shown the error of their ways are then going to say thank you and sing kumbaya with you. Yes, you will probably receive retaliation.
And then you will file a grievance for that.
Eventually, you will stand tall and wear them down. Then they will move on to someone weaker.
If we say no then we are told we will get a PDI, so how do you avoid that?
Itstillfun
Well-known member
Got to grieve unfortunately. It's hard to figure out but it's the only recourse and with Union putting out mixed messages makes it worse. Somethings gotta give. No respect.
My Abrasive PM threatened me with one this past week.
Bring it.
I did nothing wrong. If it happens, there will hostile work environment and retaliation grievances filed. I will also ask for paid training for the non-existent rules I supposedly violated.
Really. Bring it.
