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Mail Boxes

Boo

New member
Am I the only one who thinks that since we aren’t just mail anymore and handle a lot of packages that regular size boxes shouldn’t be allowed? At this point the new standard size should be the medium size boxes! My office talks about it all the time and I think we should figure out how to make this change. Who do we send a letter to or make a petition for this change?
 
Am I the only one who thinks that since we aren’t just mail anymore and handle a lot of packages that regular size boxes shouldn’t be allowed? At this point the new standard size should be the medium size boxes! My office talks about it all the time and I think we should figure out how to make this change. Who do we send a letter to or make a petition for this change?
Remember though, you're paid more for going to the door..so in theory you'd be cutting your pay...jat
 
I saw a brand new box today, replacing one that got run down. Same old Walmart special with the spindly metal bars and tiny box. Really think the PM General should drop those for new box sales. Its just out of line with reality. There are so few people that can claim they never order anything.

Its just going to be a matter of whether you want rural delivery or not at some stage.
 
Am I the only one who thinks that since we aren’t just mail anymore and handle a lot of packages that regular size boxes shouldn’t be allowed? At this point the new standard size should be the medium size boxes! My office talks about it all the time and I think we should figure out how to make this change. Who do we send a letter to or make a petition for this change?
there was a study years ago that was done in broomfield, co., where the po erected large size boxes, for everyone that would take them, to see what the time difference would be. it was said that at some point, large boxes would be required to receive delivery. haven't heard a thing about it since.
 
So I will post what I always do when this topic comes up.


Rurals are always cutting our own throats. I audibly groan when that little guy goes up to the mike at National every year to whine and beg the PMG to outlaw small boxes. At least I'm spared that this year.

And I have a crap ton of dismounts for large packages too.
 
So I will post what I always do when this topic comes up.


Rurals are always cutting our own throats. I audibly groan when that little guy goes up to the mike at National every year to whine and beg the PMG to outlaw small boxes. At least I'm spared that this year.

And I have a crap ton of dismounts for large packages too.

The problem is not necessarily larger mail boxes it is Jumbo parcels, accurate mail count methods and the time standards. If you want more dismount time you are not an Amazon, UPS, FEDEX office in which we are currently getting no additional time credit for. As a POV driver I appreciate every driveway and extra mile I don't have to travel for this sub-standard time and pay that is in no way justifies the extra time and work.
 
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So they say but haven't seen any evidence of that yet
Remember though, you're paid more for going to the door..so in theory you'd be cutting your pay...jat
I only want paid for what I actually do. You wouldn't be cutting your pay you would be saving your physical self. I'd rather have more boxes getting out less, than having small boxes and getting out more. I guess of course I'm giving up my built in exercise but I wouldn't have to worry about all of the safety things that go along with getting out
 
The problem is not necessarily larger mail boxes it is Jumbo parcels, accurate mail count methods and the time standards. If you want more dismount time you are not an Amazon, UPS, FEDEX office in which we are currently getting no additional time credit for. As a POV driver I appreciate every driveway and extra mile I don't have to drive for this sub-standard time and pay that is in no way justifies the extra time and work.

First point, I'm NOT well informed on this topic, and not a career guy, so my opinion is just based on what makes the job easier, not tactically thought out.

My beef is that I've read we're not really being paid for these parcels these days, anyway; plus these cowpath driveways are killing me. For instance, I'm carrying probably 50 (of 150) to the door right now, while being counted at maybe 15 to the door (of 60-if you follow)

ie: I'm not being paid to go to the door now, why not stop doing it?

If those boxes were bigger, I might come closer to doing the trips to the door I'm paid for. If you're gonna be cheated anyway, why not ease the pain?
 
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@mwellis32 (and everyone) I DO have amazon and all the rest. Maybe not to the extent you do, but most days I'm at least triple what my count was for packages. Eventually we will be compensated. I'm setting my base. I don't want big boxes, not interested in beating my eval by hours. I am interested in getting paid for what I do and big boxes will cut into my bottom line.

On the other hand, I'm ready for hourly. Either way, I've set my base.
 
So I will post what I always do when this topic comes up.


Rurals are always cutting our own throats. I audibly groan when that little guy goes up to the mike at National every year to whine and beg the PMG to outlaw small boxes. At least I'm spared that this year.

And I have a crap ton of dismounts for large packages too.

You can call it cutting our own throats if you like but I was hired to deliver the mail. If I wanted to take packages to the door I would have hired on to UPS or FedEx. And no, you will never be compensated for the work you're doing now and for which you aren't being paid. Sure, you may be able to take solace in getting paid in the future for the work you're doing in the future. You know - sometime - eventually - maybe. But you will never be paid for the extra work you're doing now.
 
You know what? We never have. See: mail count. ;)

I both agree and disagree. :unsure: I agree in that the current evaluated system has never really worked. I have said so on more than one occasion in the past. But there used to be enough extra time built into some standards that it made up for the standards which didn't give enough time. I believe that's no longer the case. The PO has whittled down the generous standards to the point that there is no longer any 'slop' built in to compensate for the standards which were too miserly.

This is the problem with the evaluated system in general. Assuming the Engineer Study turns out to be "fair and balanced," we will be fairly compensated in the future. The PO, however, will always be greatly incentivized to put downward pressure on individual standards while the Union will likely continue to offer a lame to nonexistent defense. Conversely, any time the Union pushes to raise any individual standard the PO will simply point to the Engineer Study as a perfectly valid reason to leave it as it is. In short, even further into the future we are inevitably going to end up exactly where we are now.

Going hourly won't fix this. I'm not all that familiar with the current city system (we wouldn't have to use that in going hourly anyway but there's certainly an argument to do so), but there are work/time standards built into that system as well. While the PO will certainly have to pay for the hours worked - whether one meets those hypothetical standards or not (which is certainly an improvement over the current system) - much more oversight and harassment will ensue over an hourly system. What's more, I don't see the union defending the standards in that system any more effectively than they have this one. So even then we may end up in the same place we are now.

The only real answer to this problem is effective representation which would protect the time standards in any system used and which I just don't see happening with the current union. Our Association has an institutional culture of mediocrity which is unlikely to ever change. For whatever reasons, and I'm sure they are manifold, the NALC seems to be very much more proactive in the representation of their members. While I'm sure they have plenty of their own warts, I believe switching to that organization would be our best bet in the very long term. Our current association will never willingly countenance such a dissolution of their gravy train.
 
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Can't say I disagree. The only thing I can say about the other crafts and hourly is that they don't seem to worry about standards. "Go slow, more dough." They either get OT year round or they get daily help. Either is fine with me!
Been there, done that, you wouldn't like it (city side).
 
I only want paid for what I actually do. You wouldn't be cutting your pay you would be saving your physical self. I'd rather have more boxes getting out less, than having small boxes and getting out more. I guess of course I'm giving up my built in exercise but I wouldn't have to worry about all of the safety things that go along with getting out
Funny, walking past the safety bulletin board, I noticed a page saying "Rollaways and Runaways are up! Be careful!"

I remember thinking, we're hauling multiples of our normal parcel loads. We're dismounting for all these barstools and dog food. Did you think the R&R numbers would decrease?
 
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