Should I or should I not??

[Wsopgal]

Hi Y'all. I am an RCA of 10 years. I am in a small office 4 K routes and 1 aux. I thought the aux route was about to go full....but alas, the post master has decided that some needs to be taken away and put on a 40k to bring it up to 43k. This means that it will be another 10 years likely until I am able to go full time....and I am no spring chicken. 47 actually, which is relatively young.....but tell that to my retirement account...or lack thereof.

Anyways....I recently bid on several positions that came up on ebidding. I was pre-selected for a route.....OMG the excitement (literally was jumping for joy). That was until I found out it was for a PTF rural. I had no idea there even was such an animal.

So I am torn. I am a tier 1. I get paid well. $22+. No benefits or any of that good stuff though.

I am trying to find out if I will take a pay cut or if I will be able to go forward with the 10 years I have under my belt if I should accept the assignment. I can't find a lick of information regarding the PTF rural payscale. I have to give them an answer pretty quick.

Please, information needed.

Thanks bunches.

 

[Shafted]

Do you mind if I ask why this 40K has to be made a 43K? Is there any chance you just got DPS, and this is because of a rebuild? I’m lost because just snatching boxes deliberately off of an aux for no reason is fishy. Hell, we had 3 J’s, and an H, and our aux was never even considered ripe for the taking in regard to boxes. Sounds to me like either a pet carrier of the PM, or the district trying to keep the aux from going regular due to growth is pulling a fast one. Better find out why the sudden removal of boxes. Get your steward involved ASAP before the edit book, and 4003 is a done deal, and if that steward just happens to be the carrier on the receiving end of your snatched aux route boxes, then go to the state steward to get an answer.

 

[Wsopgal]

I could have had aux route but I let another RCA have the route it like an idiot because I was supposed to be moving out of state (which never happened). I am senior sub.

yes carrier in aux was a favorite....you are correct there.

This is what went down.

We have 5 routes. 1 overburdened. 2 40k, 3 43k, 4 overburdened, 5 4.5 hours daily. Instead of bringing 2 up to 43, pm gave it to aux (favorites route) to bring it up to just under going full.....in which I would have taken it.

What they did..... Took 2 hours a day from 4 and put it in 5. Took 1 hour from 1 and put it on 4. Voila......a route that is just shy of going full.

 

[Wsopgal]

Maybe I should just stay put.

 

[Charlie Brown]

If you're worried about the future and retirement then take the PTF position. It's a career assignment and includes benefits including FERS retirement and TSP (thrift savings plan) also health insurance. A ptf assignment must sub for at least 2 K routes and can be assigned on up to 5 routes. The PTF in an office is required to take the next regular route vacancy. (when it occours) Sounds like you need to research the PTF job and find out how many routes are assigned to it and if there are any other PTF's in the office. Is it an LLV office or do you have to use you POV how many total routes and do any of the regular carriers have one foot in the grave or are ready to retire. The down side here is that I think your hourly rate will go down. I'm not sure but I believe that if you were hired 10 years ago and earn $22 an hour the PTF hourly rate is lower. After a couple of years with step increases your hourly will be right back to where it is now or higher and you'll have been a career employee for that time. Good luck!

 

[Wsopgal]

Yep.....I have all of those questions written down and ready to ask tomorrow.

thanks oodles. Any further input is much appreciated.

 

[gotstamps]

If you won the bid for the PTF position, I believe you have to take.
The PTF rates are at the bottom of the Schedule 1 & 2 tables and since you were hired prior to November, 2010, you’ll be on the Schedule 1 table. It depends on how much you are working as an RCA now & how many routes are on your “string” as to whether you take a pay cut. At least you’ll have benefits.

 

[Wsopgal]

5 routes on the string. I would be going from Georgia to Florida, but I have been trying to get back there for years.

I was going to wait for aux to go full, then swap to Florida....but now I don't think it is worth the wait.

I hope I am still in tier 1. Here in GA, an RCA converting to RC goes from a tier 1 to tier 2. Not sure what that is all about it if it is just an error.....but there are a few carriers unhappy about the pay cut here.

Thank you all for your imput.

 

[Shafted]

Swaps barely ever happen. Lots of people advertising to swap, but I haven’t heard of many that do.

 

[Morty]

You should be able to step advance in PTF. So when you go regular, if you're on step10, you start at step10, not step1.

Also, when a career position opens up district wide, you will have bidding power over RCAs.

 

[gotstamps]

5 routes on the string. I would be going from Georgia to Florida, but I have been trying to get back there for years.

I was going to wait for aux to go full, then swap to Florida....but now I don't think it is worth the wait.

I hope I am still in tier 1. Here in GA, an RCA converting to RC goes from a tier 1 to tier 2. Not sure what that is all about it if it is just an error.....but there are a few carriers unhappy about the pay cut here.

Thank you all for your imput.

RCA conversion to Regular- Pay Schedule depends on RCA hire date. If an RCA is hired prior to mid-November of 2010, they will be on Schedule 1. After that date will convert on Schedule 2. RCAs hired between mid-November 2010 and mid-August of 2012 are the ones that take a major pay-cut since they were hired in on Schedule 3 RCA pay but will convert on Schedule 2.

 

[btdtret]

Wsopgal -- "5 routes on the string. "

-- Have your Assistant District Representative check with manglement about having 5 routes on the string. Manglement may be posting a position with incorrect information ( gasp ! ).

-- Step 4 ( J06R-4J-C13046230 - 15 NOV 18 ) sounds as if it is limiting a PTF to 40 hours per week ( at least that is how I read it ). In part:

A PTF rural carrier should be scheduled on their string assignment, if such assignment would not result in exceeding 40 hours at the end of the work week.

The decision of whether the proposed assignment will exceed 40 hours is made by calculating the following:

-- the actual work hours for the week
-- the number of hours scheduled to work the remainder of the week
-- the number of work hours of the proposed assignment

-- On the plus side, PTF's get Step Raises as well a regular route when a route goes up for bids, not necessarily the vacant route, but a route.


-- What is the collective evaluations of the 5 routes on the string?

 

[Lou Paloma]

If you won the bid for the PTF position, I believe you have to take.
The PTF rates are at the bottom of the Schedule 1 & 2 tables and since you were hired prior to November, 2010, you’ll be on the Schedule 1 table. It depends on how much you are working as an RCA now & how many routes are on your “string” as to whether you take a pay cut. At least you’ll have benefits.

I believe you are correct. Bids can only be withdrawn during the posting.

 

[NHPilot]

I didn't understand this post really...PTF is a bid position....you win it you got it, you can't refuse it later. Also, it's not a route....simply put, it's an RCA with benefits.

 

[Wsopgal]

Wsopgal -- "5 routes on the string. "

-- Have your Assistant District Representative check with manglement about having 5 routes on the string. Manglement may be posting a position with incorrect information ( gasp ! ).

-- Step 4 ( J06R-4J-C13046230 - 15 NOV 18 ) sounds as if it is limiting a PTF to 40 hours per week ( at least that is how I read it ). In part:

A PTF rural carrier should be scheduled on their string assignment, if such assignment would not result in exceeding 40 hours at the end of the work week.

The decision of whether the proposed assignment will exceed 40 hours is made by calculating the following:

-- the actual work hours for the week
-- the number of hours scheduled to work the remainder of the week
-- the number of work hours of the proposed assignment

-- On the plus side, PTF's get Step Raises as well a regular route when a route goes up for bids, not necessarily the vacant

-- What is the collective evaluations of the 5 routes on the string?

Wsopgal -- "5 routes on the string. "

-- Have your Assistant District Representative check with manglement about having 5 routes on the string. Manglement may be posting a position with incorrect information ( gasp ! ).

-- Step 4 ( J06R-4J-C13046230 - 15 NOV 18 ) sounds as if it is limiting a PTF to 40 hours per week ( at least that is how I read it ). In part:

A PTF rural carrier should be scheduled on their string assignment, if such assignment would not result in exceeding 40 hours at the end of the work week.

The decision of whether the proposed assignment will exceed 40 hours is made by calculating the following:

-- the actual work hours for the week
-- the number of hours scheduled to work the remainder of the week
-- the number of work hours of the proposed assignment

-- On the plus side, PTF's get Step Raises as well a regular route when a route goes up for bids, not necessarily the vacant route, but a route.


-- What is the collective evaluations of the 5 routes on the string?

I don't even know. I am still trying to find out any information, or what was misinformation. Can't get ahold of PM at installation until after holidays. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[Wsopgal]

I didn't understand this post really...PTF is a bid position....you win it you got it, you can't refuse it later. Also, it's not a route....simply put, it's an RCA with benefits.

Oh. That's fine. If I can't refuse it i will be there with bells on.....but my PM told me that I was not committed to it yet.

 

[NHPilot]

I just bid on a PTF position myself and won't find out for a little bit if I got it. Sometimes I wish I COULD refuse it because I love the office I am in now, but it's a career position with benefits and retirement and in my town instead of 15 miles away.....last RCA to make regular in my office was an RCA for over 15 years....like the song says, "If it's meant to be, it'll be"....good luck to you!

 

[Wsopgal]

Is RCA to PTF

I just bid on a PTF position myself and won't find out for a little bit if I got it. Sometimes I wish I COULD refuse it because I love the office I am in now, but it's a career position with benefits and retirement and in my town instead of 15 miles away.....last RCA to make regular in my office was an RCA for over 15 years....like the song says, "If it's meant to be, it'll be"....good luck to you!

Thank you. Good luck to you as well.

 

[Wsopgal]

So I start new role as PTF on Saturday. Still have no idea how much my pay will increase or decrease.....but will find out soon enough. Thanks all for your imput.

 

[NHPilot]

So I start new role as PTF on Saturday. Still have no idea how much my pay will increase or decrease.....but will find out soon enough. Thanks all for your imput.

I'm starting as a PTF Saturday too. I started as an RCA in March of last year, so my pay should go up about $3 an hour plus benefits (if I am reading the chart right.) Of course those benefits will wipe out any pay increase, lol. It really depends on if you are table one or table two. The pay scale chart is here...

New Rural Carrier Salary Charts – March COLA included