Is our union helping us or hurting us?

[Surprise!]

Is our union helping us or hurting us?

In some ways, I feel the NRLCA has put us in a position in which we have less rights that we would have had with nothing.

They do like to tell us that they gained us the rights that we do have but this is not true. We have our rights because we belonged to the federal government and our rights rolled out with that as did the other crafts.

We just seem to have done more to give our rights up than the other crafts have.

 

[btdtret]

Surprise! et al -- "Is our union helping us or hurting us?"

-- As an outsider, I'd have to say in the case of the avalanche of Amazon parcels, the union hurt the rural craft by not envoking MOU #1.

-- Although the MOU does not specify just whom may initiate a national count, hard to believe the Amazon parcels have not impacted the rural craft on a national-level. The MOU even mentions "a substantial change in mail volume", which should be easy to demonstrate, especially for post offices that got Amazon after a count.

-- MOU #1 has been part of the contract since the 1995-1999 contract -- and probably before. Yet never has been used - as far as I know. ( Anyone? )

-- Not having a scheduled count for the life of the 2018-2021 contract - really? Are the USPS and the NRLCA have that confident in the implementation of the RRECS, they felt scheduled counts not needed any longer. Sure, some carriers have opted not to count, but how many routes are seriously underevaluated because of not being able to have a count? Delivering Amazon parcels for free must be getting old or the carriers are just used to it by now.

 

[Rt2mailman]

We are not HCR carriers. Those are the carriers without a union. The USPS tried a few years ago to make all rural routes become HCR'S after any rural route became vacant, carrier retired. Our union fought that off and we are still rural carriers. You can become an HCR carrier easily if you would like, there are openings, just resign and bid on the next HCR route, then you can do the same work with out a union. Let us know if it is better.

 

[JFT]

I was recently looking into the APWU just out of curiosity and I read somewhere (can’t find it now) that it’s their belief that we’d be better off if ALL crafts were one union. Looking at their benefits versus ours, I’d have to say I agree.

I had a RC explain to me that I should be really really grateful for our union because of all the benefits I get today as an RCA. I’m sure she’s got a point in some instances but when I compare the unions it’s confusing to me. The way I see it, as an RCA I don’t really get “benefits”. I’m not entitled to much of anything really. I guess health benefits?

 

[jtcrapper]

Is our union helping us or hurting us?

In some ways, I feel the NRLCA has put us in a position in which we have less rights that we would have had with nothing.

They do like to tell us that they gained us the rights that we do have but this is not true. We have our rights because we belonged to the federal government and our rights rolled out with that as did the other crafts.

We just seem to have done more to give our rights up than the other crafts have.

I think the union hurts us in a way you don't mention how much information they give us as a whole most news letters are about pac donations NARLC insurance guilds and want adds the meat is hidden in a few paragraphs. How many letters have been sent out to the survey offices to update us on scans that we should be making our office we check ourselves on the scanner management says 6 the scanner goes from 1 to 9 and a to p I think been off this week we give up because the membersheep is weak and noncaring we don't vote we don't read what we don't vote for and the top knows it so they don't have to try that hard the ratification meeting I went to 5 out of the 20 in the room were not officers in locals or state I am neither.

 

[WestCoastRural]

I think the union hurts us in a way you don't mention how much information they give us as a whole most news letters are about pac donations NARLC insurance guilds and want adds the meat is hidden in a few paragraphs. How many letters have been sent out to the survey offices to update us on scans that we should be making our office we check ourselves on the scanner management says 6 the scanner goes from 1 to 9 and a to p I think been off this week we give up because the membersheep is weak and noncaring we don't vote we don't read what we don't vote for and the top knows it so they don't have to try that hard the ratification meeting I went to 5 out of the 20 in the room were not officers in locals or state I am neither.

Looks like you summed up the rural crafts in a nutshell.

 

[DB.Cooper]

...meeting I went to 5 out of the 20 in the room were not officers in locals or state I am neither.

Any "union" meetings I've been to, that's what I've seen... mostly union poobahs there for a free meal... and some travel pay to boot....

Of course they pass the hats for PAC and this and that, several times... ?

 

[Punkie5]

Yeah, those union meetings are useless. They have to go over their treasury crap...future meetings, your board out of your mind hunkering down on the worst cheap ass cookies waiting to blow out your frustration to get an answer only to find, whelp, they used up all the allotted time with ?? and you never get your turn. Typical I say. Never turns out to be a good meeting. A total waste of time. Nothing gets done, nothing answered and this is what we pay for. Wow, what a bunch of ?! Then you drive home bewildered and still frustrated..........the Union is not unionized with its employees/payees. It’s a circus with many clowns! ???

 

[WestCoastRural]

They

Yeah, those union meetings are useless. They have to go over their treasury crap...future meetings, your board out of your mind hunkering down on the worst cheap ass cookies waiting to blow out your frustration to get an answer only to find, whelp, they used up all the allotted time with ?? and you never get your turn. Typical I say. Never turns out to be a good meeting. A total waste of time. Nothing gets done, nothing answered and this is what we pay for. Wow, what a bunch of ?! Then you drive home bewildered and still frustrated..........the Union is not unionized with its employees/payees. It’s a circus with many clowns! ???

They have to answer to their Pro-masters if they tell us some useful informations.

 

[Surprise!]

Do you know the statement at the top of this web site,
"YES, THIS IS THE WEBSITE THE UNION WARNED YOU ABOUT"
It was not placed their to pick a fight with the union.

It was placed their because a leader in the union really did warn people not to come to this web site.

 

[DB.Cooper]

I'm not anti-union... I wish they'd kick @$$ and take names at every contract negotiations... I'm just tired of seeing them constantly losing our @$$es for us, and letting our wages and benefits get continually eroded....

 

[BeatsAll-IEverSeen]

They do like to tell us that they gained us the rights that we do have but this is not true. We have our rights because we belonged to the federal government and our rights rolled out with that as did the other crafts.

LolololoL.....this is ignorant, delusional nonsense. Your rights, your pay, your benefits, the very fact that you can challenge your own employer’s idea of what your work rules are and what your compensation should be were never an inalienable right endowed with simply being a government employee.

People fought for the rights YOU enjoy. Hell the concept of the weekend itself was brought to you by organized labor dating back to the early days of the railroad, steel and mining industries. Read a friggin’ history book every now and then.....about the accomplishments of organized labor to the American worker. Your attitude is an insult to the people who devoted their whole lives to making your situation better.

Union sucks blah blah blah union sucks blah blah blah...honestly some of you are disgruntled with life in general, and there ain’t nothing the union can do about that. For years y’all complain about table 2 inequality, lack of good health insurance for RCAs, etc. and then we get a contract fixing those issues and y’all still complain.
The contract could have converted all routes to a 4 hour daily evaluation with a salary of 250K a year and it’d still be a bitchfest up in here.

 

[DB.Cooper]

I do like those ideas about the 4 hour routes and $250K salaries....

I guess I'm not a RCA or a table 2 peep... ?

 

[tabletwoblues]

LolololoL.....this is ignorant, delusional nonsense. Your rights, your pay, your benefits, the very fact that you can challenge your own employer’s idea of what your work rules are and what your compensation should be were never an inalienable right endowed with simply being a government employee.

People fought for the rights YOU enjoy. Hell the concept of the weekend itself was brought to you by organized labor dating back to the early days of the railroad, steel and mining industries. Read a friggin’ history book every now and then.....about the accomplishments of organized labor to the American worker. Your attitude is an insult to the people who devoted their whole lives to making your situation better.

Union sucks blah blah blah union sucks blah blah blah...honestly some of you are disgruntled with life in general, and there ain’t nothing the union can do about that. For years y’all complain about table 2 inequality, lack of good health insurance for RCAs, etc. and then we get a contract fixing those issues and y’all still complain.
The contract could have converted all routes to a 4 hour daily evaluation with a salary of 250K a year and it’d still be a bitchfest up in here.

ok i'll pass this onto the 4 subs we have for 31 routes. They love the way they're treated.. It honestly wouldn't be as bad if the union actually communicated but we're here for information.. Enjoy that comfortable bed at the convention...

 

[tabletwoblues]

Talking to my son... Eat half of those veggies and you can go play... "ok, love this idea daddy"
USPS "we'll give you 2 more years no counts and no end in sight for rrecs, screw your carriers for 12 years on lower wage even though another union fixed it a year ago"... NRLCA "You have a damn deal, I love this idea <insert daddy if you'd like>"
Like i understand people having a different view but FFS dude don't try to convince anyone this union is looking out for them..

 

[DB.Cooper]

And the AC... think of those payin' the dues and sweating it out here in the August sunshine... so the union poobahs can party on down... yea union... ?

 

[tabletwoblues]

Summing it up if you support this union you're a damn fool. Will enjoy the conversation on how much i'm disgruntled and hate my life in the morning..

 

[Surprise!]

LolololoL.....this is ignorant, delusional nonsense. Your rights, your pay, your benefits, the very fact that you can challenge your own employer’s idea of what your work rules are and what your compensation should be were never an inalienable right endowed with simply being a government employee.

People fought for the rights YOU enjoy. Hell the concept of the weekend itself was brought to you by organized labor dating back to the early days of the railroad, steel and mining industries. Read a friggin’ history book every now and then.....about the accomplishments of organized labor to the American worker. Your attitude is an insult to the people who devoted their whole lives to making your situation better.

Union sucks blah blah blah union sucks blah blah blah...honestly some of you are disgruntled with life in general, and there ain’t nothing the union can do about that. For years y’all complain about table 2 inequality, lack of good health insurance for RCAs, etc. and then we get a contract fixing those issues and y’all still complain.
The contract could have converted all routes to a 4 hour daily evaluation with a salary of 250K a year and it’d still be a bitchfest up in here.

This is an example of the highly manipulative postings that are destroying the value of this board.

First, the post launches by being extremely abusive.

Second, it moves completely off topic to tell us the value of unions in general. Inferring that if unions in general are of value then the NRLCA must be of value also.

Third, it lets us know that we are the scum of the earth by daring to state our feelings on the subject. Wich is facinating when one considers that the Union Bill of Rights makes it clear that we do have the right to state how we feel about the union representing us.

 

[Oi veh.]

Well, that poster has a right to his/her feelings as well.

If I see it getting it out of hand, I will give 3 warnings (as per usual) and then will shut it down.

EVERYBODY has a right to their opinion and a right to express it out loud without fear of repercussion. This is, after all, America, dang it.

Y'all be sweet now, y'hear? But not quiet.

 

[Morty]

I think it was a miss understanding.

What Surprise was saying is that most of our contractual language is pulled from federal law. All our rules are federal statutes.

For example: you can point out that a UPS package car driver makes $18.xx/hour for 3 years then $36/hour. Yet we get a federal pay table(15 years), with federal increases, and we cant compare to private? Why? Because all our rules and laws are federal based.

We tend to lose a grievance if it's not federal law already. Or the Step4 peeps defer it back to Step3.

So essentially our "rights" come from federal law. And heck, look at our breaks rights. We get a grand total of 35 minutes in breaks to work in some instances 12 hours. So progressive.

But the other poster has a point in that really if you don't like it, at least you can give notice and leave. And that really is the only difference between this and slavery. We have the freedom to quit and go be a wage slave for someone else.