RCA Overtime Pay

[bazkitcase5]

I have been working a 46K route as an RCA since my carrier retired. Mail Count proved that it is actually a well overburdened route and will soon be adjusted, but that doesn't solve the current problem.

As an RCA, I get paid the full 46 hours as long as I work under 40 hours for the week, but the moment that I go over 40, I get paid actual time. Even with the overtime pay, I still make less money when I work hours in the 41-43 range for the week. I am currently on a hold down, so lately this happens often and it is basically robbing me of a much needed $50-75 every week.  Basically, I am being penalized for being a good enough carrier to work a route that is overburdened in only 41-43 hours.

Is there anything I can do, other than just go extra slow to make sure I get 46 actual hours and then get fussed at by my PM?  Or I could play around with the lunch time, but that would be falsifying my time, which doesn't seem right.

 

[stillfirstclass]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>Clayton said </strong>
I have been working a 46K route as an RCA since my carrier retired. Mail Count proved that it is actually a well overburdened route and will soon be adjusted, but that doesn't solve the current problem.
As an RCA, I get paid the full 46 hours as long as I work under 40 hours for the week, but the moment that I go over 40, I get paid actual time. Even with the overtime pay, I still make less money when I work hours in the 41-43 range for the week. I am currently on a hold down, so lately this happens often and it is basically robbing me of a much needed $50-75 every week.  Basically, I am being penalized for being a good enough carrier to work a route that is overburdened in only 41-43 hours.
Is there anything I can do, other than just go extra slow to make sure I get 46 actual hours and then get fussed at by my PM?  Or I could play around with the lunch time, but that would be falsifying my time, which doesn't seem right.  </blockquote>
don't lie and keep your job

 

[stillfirstclass]

i want your counter for my next mailcount..  if i am under an hour for the week, i rejoice..

 

[Chwpakabra]

If you took a "cigarette" break at the office before you left and stopped along the route to eat, if you added these times together, like you are supposed to you, may reach your 30 minute lunch time without lying!

 

Not to hijack the thread but i see alot of people post about barely making eval time, i would say 3/4 of our routes (all under 50 years old) finish at least an hour early daily.  I am the oldest in that group and probably finish 5th behind the 2 aux routes and 2 42J's ( im a 42K) though should be 45K after count and both those routes are going to low option K's in the 41-42 range after count

 

[bazkitcase5]

it had very little to do with the counter - the route had not been counted in 5 years and has had a lot of growth, we already knew it was going to be overburdened

so the fact that I have been working an overburdened route, while only being paid like a 46k is bad enough, but I get it... I'm just a lowly RCA and I do what I can, but now when I work hard and do this same route in only 41-43 hours in a 5 day span, I get paid less than I would if I had worked it slower... that not only makes no sense, but it is more of a slap in the face to those who take pride in their job and work hard

 

[rca4ever]

It is a numbers game. Maybe you work on the editbook, do case labels, tag parcels, read service talks, update dog warnings. There IS ALWAYS something to do, something to be updated, something to learn. Its great to be done early, but if we ever go hourly, you will likely find things to do. Consistency is the best. 

IMO, it is what it is. During Christmas you were probably way over eval? Due to package volume? Luckily as an RCA you get OT all year round, not just during guarantee period. 

Helpful? I hope so. Imagine if you only worked 1 day a week again...that'd suck huh? 

 

[Rt2mailman]

You have a choice to make. Do you want to look like  " a good enough carrier to work under" or do you want to be a "smart enough" and well paid carrier?

If you were being followed by an over zealous manager that was looking for any infraction that you could possibly do, would you be as fast as you currently are? If your answer is No, then you are cutting corners and those violations are part of the reason you are beating your time by so much.  You can slow down and follow the actual directives we all hear at the safety meetings or you can falsify the time sheet like many RCA's do in your circumstances and receive the 46-K pay.

There also is an instruction on relief of overburdened routes, which I can't find right now (Btdret??), that You and many carriers would be interested in right now that would give you some relief of the extra work down to the 48-k hours.

 

[shyflyrebelguy]

SLOW DOWN..

I've been In your situation as an rca, playing the game of rushing and trying to stay under 40, only to screw yourself.  I was the go-to sub for extra work because management knew I was fast.  You are lucky to get any praise for it, only more work and less money.  Work as close to the evaluation as you can.  It shouldn't be hard if you do everything by the book, and don't cut corners.  Don't finger mail while you're driving,  etc.  They can't do anything to you for working within the evaluation.

 

[Charlie Brown]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>shyflyrebelguy said </strong>
SLOW DOWN..

I've been In your situation as an rca, playing the game of rushing and trying to stay under 40, only to screw yourself.  I was the go-to sub for extra work because management knew I was fast.  You are lucky to get any praise for it, only more work and less money.  Work as close to the evaluation as you can.  It shouldn't be hard if you do everything by the book, and don't cut corners.  Don't finger mail while you're driving,  etc.  They can't do anything to you for working within the evaluation.  </blockquote>
Good advice!

 

[bazkitcase5]

unfortunately the regular was still here during Christmas, so I didn't get any OT then... and I also realize this won't be a problem for long, once this route finally gets cut back - for me it is the principle of it... just from a logical, moral stand point, it doesn't make sense to work a route in 39 hours and you get paid 46, but work it in 41 and only get paid for 41 - I feel like our union really failed on the negotiations on this part...

the hard part, is that occasionally I am under 40 hours for the week, especially now that most of the hard days are over with, which means I get paid the full 46 - so slowing down on purpose would hurt me on those weeks, because then I would be getting paid basically the same, to work 4-5 hours longer - and even then, it can be really hard to predict if you will go over 40 at the beginning of the week... once you realize you are going to be over 40, you really need to be around 44-45 to make enough OT to make up for not getting the 46.. so it literally has to be either under 40 or 44-46 every week in order to not lose out on the full amount of money

plus at my office, if I work all the way until my evaluation, then I would be pushing dispatch every day - small office, so we start at 8 and the truck comes at 5, but it is a 9.2 hour route

 

[heyman1104]

Honestly, the only thing you can really do is drag a** a little bit. Case a little sloooooower. Talk to your neighbors while casing. My personal favorite suggestion for people in your situation is to read the PO603 and deliver your route 100% by the book. That usually does the trick.

 

PS moving this thread to "Leave Replacements"

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Thus is the life of an RCA. Decisions, decisions.

 

[btdtret]

Et al -- "There also is an instruction on relief of overburdened routes,"

-- Page 14 of the contract:

b.  Relief of Overburdened Routes

Permanent relief will be arranged as soon as practicable for overburdened routes.  Auxiliary assistance may be provided as a temporary means of providing relief of those routes as defined in ( 1 ) above  - standard hours for the route are outside the Table of Evaluated Hours ( over 57:36 ); or the regular carrier who is assigned to the route does not, or it not expected to, meet the requirement to stay withing the annual guaranteed for the route [ 2080 ].

Assistance is provided, equivalent to the lesser of the following:

(1) the regular rural carrier's actual weekly work hours are in excess of 48 hours ( K classification); or

(2) the standard hours for the route that are in excess of 57:36.

=====

-- Chapter 8 of the M-38 covers Relief of Rural Routes.

820 - Permanent Relief / 821 Types:

a.  transfer territory between existing rural routes

b.  establishment of new regular rural routes.

c.  Establishment of auxiliary routes.

d.  conversion of rural to city delivery.

e.  a combination of one or more of the above.

=====

--  M-38's Chapter 2, Section 214.3 and beyond spells out manglement's responsibilities in dealing with 2080 / 2240 problems.

=====

I suppose the BIG question is:   Are routes considered overburdened NOW or will it officially take place on 28 APR 2018 when the count results take effect?

 

[shyflyrebelguy]

Not meeting dispatch is not your problem, it's management's problem.  They created an unrealistic schedule.  You are pressured to work fast and potentially unsafe in order to meet dispatch which is under the routes evaluation.  Article 8.2 states:

<em>Daily schedules shall be established to coincide with the daily evaluation of the route and adjusted periodically as required. The carrier’s work day may vary above or below the daily eval- uation of the route as mail volume fluctuates and road and weather conditions change.</em>

Mail volume changes.  We all know that.  There is no even flow of mail.  For instance, today we received no fss flats, and no Amazon.  Tomorrow will be hell.  Evaluation is an average.  There are heavy days and light days.  You just work safe, and it takes what it takes...

 

[gotstamps]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>Clayton said </strong>
I have been working a 46K route as an RCA since my carrier retired. Mail Count proved that it is actually a well overburdened route and will soon be adjusted, but that doesn't solve the current problem.
As an RCA, I get paid the full 46 hours as long as I work under 40 hours for the week, but the moment that I go over 40, I get paid actual time. Even with the overtime pay, I still make less money when I work hours in the 41-43 range for the week. I am currently on a hold down, so lately this happens often and it is basically robbing me of a much needed $50-75 every week.  Basically, I am being penalized for being a good enough carrier to work a route that is overburdened in only 41-43 hours.
Is there anything I can do, other than just go extra slow to make sure I get 46 actual hours and then get fussed at by my PM?  Or I could play around with the lunch time, but that would be falsifying my time, which doesn't seem right.  </blockquote>
Sorry, RCA rules... If under 40 hours will get paid evaluation. Once you hit 40, you're hourly. So slow down & do the job correctly.

More bad news... technically you're not overburdened until the numbers say you are & that will be ON April 28 when the count goes into effect. 2 weeks after that will be the soonest any route gets cut. Mgmt can't cut a route that isn't showing Overburdened. If your Regular was around during Christmas, then you likely also haven't hit your 90 days on there yet. On the 91st day, let Mgmt know that they need to submit a change of Designation for you to Des. 74 so you can earn Leave from day 1. Good luck!

 

[bazkitcase5]

unfortunately, my carrier didn't officially retire until Jan 31st, so I have another month to go before I can get the 90 days.  I'm sure by then, the senior sub will get promoted and I will go back to being a regular sub.  Although the good news is our office will be getting an Aux route, so it appears that I will get that.

 

[D.B.Cooper]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>heyman1104 said </strong>
Honestly, the only thing you can really do is drag a** a little bit. Case a little sloooooower. Talk to your neighbors while casing. My personal favorite suggestion for people in your situation is to read the PO603 and deliver your route 100% by the book. That usually does the trick.

 

PS moving this thread to "Leave Replacements"  </blockquote>
I see some peeps reading some of the magazines that come in the mail... might be just a tad more interesting than the PO603... also adds some time to your 4240... <img title="Embarassed" alt="Embarassed" src="https://www.ruralmailtalk.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/sp-resources/forum-smileys/sf-embarassed.gif" />