New rules for RCAs Saturday only

littlesew&sew · Aug 15, 2017

Found out today that in our office RCAs are no longer required to be available any other day than Saturday. If you've got another job that's just fine. Refuse to work your primary route as much as you want, no repercussions.

I guess the rest of us -- three other RCAs in the office that are trying to figure out how to cover all week for the regulars that are out sick (without working the NOT ALLOWED six days), the one regular (my primary route) who was told to find a driver for tomorrow because there was no one to cover her route, the new-ish sub who will be training with me tomorrow (her second route trained on this pay period) -- might need to decide we'd like to do the same.

We have six subs for eight routes. One sub is the blessed one - only has to work Saturday, another sub only is allowed to cover his primary (J route) because he still can't make dispatch after over a year. The other four of us are expected to cover at any time on any route - which I have no problem doing, that's what I signed up for. I'm thinking there might be a disparate treatment grievance here somewhere? Regular carrier on the RDWL is thinking maybe she's got some kind of grievance because keeping this Saturday only sub around just to keep her from getting OT has to be wrong.

I did ask management this morning that if I decided to suddenly only be available on Saturday would I still have my job. Reply - "We know you wouldn't do that. You like to get the hours. But yes, you would still have a job if you decided to only be available on Saturday." I may have to get that in writing and test it out during the Christmas No-overtime period....

faceindawind · Aug 15, 2017

You thought is correct in getting this new offer made by pm in writing. If I were you I'd support their brilliant plan.

The reality is the PM will be buried in grievances from REGS who are habitually denied leave and /or have to fight to carry over AL days (if it exceeds the 55 day limit) into the next year because of denials. If carry over days become involved it raises a giant red flag to the higher ups.

If PM has time to spend on workroom floor not enough grievances have been submitted.

MiddleOfNowhere · Aug 15, 2017

I guess the rest of us — three other RCAs in the office that are trying to figure out how to cover all week for the regulars 

that should never be a concern - it's management's job to schedule- doing the schedule for them, would be crossing crafts. i'm sure they'd allow it though...

we have several rca's that only work when they want to - since the pmg mandate to keep rca's at all costs, discipline is gone.

littlesew&sew · Aug 15, 2017

MON - I worded that part of my post poorly. We, as subs, are not doing the schedule.

Management asked me if I would train another RCA tomorrow in case she's needed on my secondary route (which I am covering all week).

I suggested that I should be able to cover my primary route tomorrow (my regular carrier was denied the day off), help the other RCA case my secondary, carry my primary and then help the other RCA on the street, since she hadn't been trained on my secondary route.

Management decided it would be better to deny a regular the day off and give the RCA the training day. I hope my regular carrier files a grievance for being denied the day off while two RCAs cover another route, one RCA sits at home, one RCA has to take a day off (six days not allowed), and yet another RCA can have another job be more important than being available to run a route.

gotstamps · Aug 15, 2017

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote">littlesew&sew said 
MON - I worded that part of my post poorly. We, as subs, are not doing the schedule.

Management asked me if I would train another RCA tomorrow in case she's needed on my secondary route (which I am covering all week).

I suggested that I should be able to cover my primary route tomorrow (my regular carrier was denied the day off), help the other RCA case my secondary, carry my primary and then help the other RCA on the street, since she hadn't been trained on my secondary route.

Management decided it would be better to deny a regular the day off and give the RCA the training day. I hope my regular carrier files a grievance for being denied the day off while two RCAs cover another route, one RCA sits at home, one RCA has to take a day off (six days not allowed), and yet another RCA can have another job be more important than being available to run a route. </blockquote>
IMHO that 'six days' stuff is grievable also. Our district says 'no 7-days' while another on here has said 'no 8-days'. Nowhere in our contract nor PO-603 says that there is any limit on how many days a carrier can work. Especially if the 'off-day' falls early in the week when they haven't even hit 40 hours yet.

why is the carrier on the RDWL with the 'Sat only schedule sub' not allowed OT? If others on the same day & list are allowed, then it must rotate to that carrier at some point. They cannot be skipped due to having a picky sub.

shyflyrebelguy · Aug 15, 2017

I guess our pm didn't get the memo from Pmg to keep rcas at all costs. A sub trained on my route , did it only a couple days on his own, was told he was too slow and was told to resign. Recently, another sub was called into office and was told to resign, based on being unavailable to work 3 or 4 times.

littlesew&sew · Aug 15, 2017

why is the carrier on the RDWL with the ‘Sat only schedule sub’ not allowed OT? If others on the same day & list are allowed, then it must rotate to that carrier at some point. They cannot be skipped due to having a picky sub.

Sorry for not being more clear on that -- In our office R1 (K) has a sub, only regular on RDWL, R2 (J) has no sub, R3 (K) has a sub, R4 (K) has a sub, R5 (J) has a sub, R6 (H) has a sub, R7 (J) Saturday only sub, R8 (H) no sub. It seems that R1's regular carrier would be able to get OT (in certain situations) if the Sat only sub faced consequences for repeated unavailability.

Deer Smearer · Aug 15, 2017

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote">shyflyrebelguy said 
I guess our pm didn't get the memo from Pmg to keep rcas at all costs. A sub trained on my route , did it only a couple days on his own, was told he was too slow and was told to resign. Recently, another sub was called into office and was told to resign, based on being unavailable to work 3 or 4 times. </blockquote>
Told to resign is not the same as getting fired.

It's manglement's gutless way to deal with the "keep RCAs" plan.

w2e2w2e · Aug 18, 2017

According to the order of consideration and contract, any sub that is under 40 hours should be scheduled before a regular is denied a relief day.

heyman1104 · Aug 18, 2017

This is becoming more and more the norm. We have 4 subs for 5 routes. 2 of us are always available. The third was only available Saturdays and only when her primary scheduled vacation ahead of time. She quit her other job when she realized that she could "farm" herself out and make better money. The forth is a regs sister and treated like a God. Only available for her primary. Works a 40 hour job. Doesn't have to take call-ins or anything. We all make the same $17.40, even with varying amounts of experience and service.

It's an unintended but very predictable consequence of retaining subs "at all costs."

And yes, disparity of treatment is running rampant in your office. Talk to your steward or ADR about it. I'm sure they'd love to get involved.

Rt2mailman · Aug 18, 2017

Your office is not following (or maybe doesn't even have one) the matrix, properly. Call your Adr or Dr, and have them "teach" your manager how the matrix works. When this happens, subs will either quit or be hurting for hours, especially the ones that are doing most of the work now.

wolfound · Aug 19, 2017

Heyman said....We all make the same $17.40, even with varying amounts of experience and service.

And doesn't it just bite you?

faceindawind · Aug 19, 2017

Here are the guidelines for a matrix for those who don't know.

http://knowledgebase.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/leave_replacement_matrix_guidelines-1-copy.pdf

littlesew&sew · Aug 19, 2017

I will be calling my union rep on Monday to see if there's anything that can be done in our situation. Our "Saturday only" RCA tried to resign when told that he was required to work other days when called, but our OIC wouldn't accept the resignation and told him it was fine to be available only on Saturday. Since I couldn't get my "Saturday only" agreement in writing, I'm thinking disparate treatment fits nicely.

Our office is a total mess right now with OICs in and out, 204b's that are really nice but somewhat clueless about the rural side, PM that's constantly out of the office on other pet projects. The city side and clerks have a ton of grievances filed over crap that's done wrong on their side. It's about time the rural side starts standing up and not taking the crap any more.