Well, right after reading their saying that RRECS was agreed upon by both parties, nothing else they say is credible. The Author did not do their homework, obviously.
Previous of RRECS, mail counts were more BS as mgmt would hide mail for those 2 weeks and would argue every single Column R/17 credit we would try to claim. Every package or flat was argued regardless of a scan bar. I had to recount every single piece, sometimes 4 times, to get proper credit. I had to come in on my Relief Day to observe or the sub would miss things for timing or counting. I DO NOT miss those days.
Route adjustments were more of a guestimate than it is now. Now is 3 minutes per mile so at least that is better than before. There are a lot more details to the RRECS adjustments now than the old way. I used to get cut 2-3 times a year due to my route being all new territory with some older low-volume curbsides. 48k to 43k to 48k to 43k. Over & over & living paycheck to paycheck. The curbside was the 1st to go & if you gained a large pickup from a company, too bad, figure it out. If the package wasn’t a priority or 2 lbs+, you got a letter credit.
I don’t see any ratified Agreement as “paving the way” to privatization. The no-layoff clause is still there and Congress would still need to makes big changes to the laws to allow that.
Having NO Agreement at all would leave us defenseless as At-Will employees. I’ve been in the private sector before coming to the PO. Ain’t nothing like coming back from lunch just to get fired because a supervisor doesn’t like you & found a way to blame you for their own mistake. No recourse to be had; no grievance to file. Just go find another job & unemployment until then. Or come in still sick after having the Flu for 3 days to be fired on the spot because you had the audacity to be “out-of-town” when it happen. I lived “out-of-town”.
This job is nowhere near perfect but a lot of laws have changed to make worklife better. I do wish I had started this career earlier so I’d be closer to 30 than 20 years.