• Please keep questions in the Questions forum to contract, procedures, and requests for documentation. Vehicle, TSP, retirement, etc questions please post in the regular forums. Thank you
  • Everyone, please help make our jobs easier and choose the correct category. Thank you

Training a RCA

gemini68

Well-known member
A new RCA is training on 1/2 the route for a few days and then the full route another day. PM said that the regular has to wait in the office until they're finished. Is this true?
 
No. Unless you are the only the job trainer, a job nobody wants. OJI is a carrier that is a trainer for newbies.
Unless your office has access to an extra government vehicle, your pm is out of luck. Or he can drive the newbie around in his Corvette.
You don't wait for anything, you're a regular. If your pm wants training for a new rca he needs to do it without ADDING to your day.
Here's what we do in my office.
First day I take the last 2/3rds of my route and newbie takes the first 1/3. If we have an extra vehicle he will use that, if we don't, he will wait until one of our fast carriers are done, and take their vehicle.
2nd day second 3rd, 3rd day, 3rd 3rd..
After that the new rca is ready, although help is expected to be given to them as needed.
 
No. Unless you are the only the job trainer, a job nobody wants. OJI is a carrier that is a trainer for newbies.
Unless your office has access to an extra government vehicle, your pm is out of luck. Or he can drive the newbie around in his Corvette.
You don't wait for anything, you're a regular. If your pm wants training for a new rca he needs to do it without ADDING to your day.
Here's what we do in my office.
First day I take the last 2/3rds of my route and newbie takes the first 1/3. If we have an extra vehicle he will use that, if we don't, he will wait until one of our fast carriers are done, and take their vehicle.
2nd day second 3rd, 3rd day, 3rd 3rd..
After that the new rca is ready, although help is expected to be given to them as needed.
Thanks for the reply.
I'm not an OJI. We've always trained new rcas like you described. Its the new PM that wants me to wait for their return.
 
A new RCA is training on 1/2 the route for a few days and then the full route another day. PM said that the regular has to wait in the office until they're finished. Is this true?
No....this is not true.....unless you are given a direct order, in which case, you should grieve it immediately. Your pm is a MORON...🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🤠
 
Thanks for the reply.
I'm not an OJI. We've always trained new rcas like you described. Its the new PM that wants me to wait for their return.
Ask your new pm to show you in the Contract or any Usps manuals that you are responsible to add to your normal work day hours without additional pay to train a new rca. There is nothing that describes you as the oji, on the job instructor. Our contract does say if there is ANY new duty added to your day, you are to be paid on form 8127.
 
Last edited:
A new RCA is training on 1/2 the route for a few days and then the full route another day. PM said that the regular has to wait in the office until they're finished. Is this true?
You do not split the route when training. The new RCA is required to have 24 hours of training with the Regular or OJI ( if there is one in the office). You must be with the RCA in order to train them. You have no idea if they are doing the job correctly if you aren’t there to witness & correct.

Requirements are 24 hours of training with the Regular but mgmt can allow more. Then the new RCA cannot case/carry any other route for the 1st 2 Pay Periods & the Regular cannot work their Relief Day. FYI: new RCA is an RCA fresh out of Academy with no previous RCA experience.
 
Page #5 on the first attachment has this ;

Assignment

Rural carriers’ assigned new employees on their routes as rural carrier associates (RCAs) will normally provide OJT. Classroom instructors may also be used as OJT instructors in their own stations.

As @gotstamps stated, it's ON THE JOB training. You sitting in the office IS NOT on the job. And it is a MINIMUM of 24 hours OJT. When and while you are with the new hire, you can immediately point out things that occur. How something got mis- cased , the new hire forgot the SPR, watch this house as kids always dart out, etc. The second attachment is the complete OJI instructor manual for anyone interested.
 

Attachments

Back
Top