So i made reg in mid august. We are short of subs, and i had some things to catch up on that cant be done during the weekend, so i volunteered to work saturdays and take an x day until Oct 1. Now there is a sub that has been assigned to my route for at least 3 weeks. her name is on my time sheet. I have never met her. But she has been working a different route in a different cluster office. Pm has been avoiding me, as i dont work in the same office as her(actually thats kind of a blessing). But she told the clerk i work with that the other route needs more help than i do. I have a 43 route, the other is a 46, and i think the 3rd is a 46. But heres the kicker. Theres an aux route that is supposed to take at least an hour from each of those routes eventually. But that has been talked about for over 6 months now. So, here i am, getting whatever day off the pm wants to give me, so i cant schedule anything anyway, and the other two are getting their saturdays off. Pm also gives major road construction/detour as a reason to not train a new sub on my route. Is there anything there to grieve? I have not been turned down for any time off, but i havent asked for any either.
what are my options. reg day off.
- Thread starter johnwayne
- Start date
MiddleOfNowhere
Well-known member
put in a leave slip...how do you expect they will give you a day off, if you don't ask for one?
Im not asking for a day off. i want my designated Saturday day off.
johnwayne -- "So i made reg in mid august. We are short of subs, "
-- That combination usually spells disaster for the junior regular in the office.
-- Anyone on the RDWL? Does the office have a RDWL?
-- Has the 46 route put in the 120-day notice to get a sub?
-- Subs belong to the USPS, hence manglement can do as they please, using Article 3 to back them up.
-- To get a day off, you just might have to put in a 3971 and grieve if it is denied.
-- Dragging the ADR in may manglement answering some embarrassing questions like: "Why is the assigned RCA consistently working another route?"
-- That combination usually spells disaster for the junior regular in the office.
-- Anyone on the RDWL? Does the office have a RDWL?
-- Has the 46 route put in the 120-day notice to get a sub?
-- Subs belong to the USPS, hence manglement can do as they please, using Article 3 to back them up.
-- To get a day off, you just might have to put in a 3971 and grieve if it is denied.
-- Dragging the ADR in may manglement answering some embarrassing questions like: "Why is the assigned RCA consistently working another route?"
MiddleOfNowhere
Well-known member
junior carrier, short on subs, not enough rdwl signers or volunteers, you can be forced in every saturday. unlike rdwl, there is no rotation of carriers, not on the list, forced to work relief day. it is the junior carrier. your best bet, is to talk to the pm to coordinate your x day, so you can schedule something.
you also cannot ask for leave, for just your relief day, so you need to put in a leave slip for friday, or monday, to get an adjacent saturday off. just getting a saturday off, is not going to happen
Morty
Well-known member
Sign the RDWL?
You then take an X day of your choice on a leave slip. Bank 5 then take a week off. You'll get the adjacent Saturday off. Since you can't ask for your relief day off.
So start with a Friday as your 1st requested day off 5 weeks out. Then work down Thu, Wed, Tue, Mon.
You then take an X day of your choice on a leave slip. Bank 5 then take a week off. You'll get the adjacent Saturday off. Since you can't ask for your relief day off.
So start with a Friday as your 1st requested day off 5 weeks out. Then work down Thu, Wed, Tue, Mon.
Rt2mailman
Well-known member
At anytime when it no longer is agreeable that you have a different day off than Saturday, you may write a letter to your pm stating that. Then put in a 120 day letter (request for an Rca within 120 days), stating at the end of 120 of no Rca you expect a ptf position to be established. You should get a sub if any are to be had.
Windindaface
Well-known member
I hope you signed the RDWL this past time. If you didn't because you wanted to play along to get along you will lose. There is new wording in the contract. Perhaps try this for your SAT off too.
Article 30.2.D.4.
Article 30.2.D.4.
Utilization of RCAs
- RCAs from another office within local commuting distance may be used before regular carriers not on the RDWL
- Mileage over normal commute will be compensated
i didnt. because i work in a remote one route office. did i misunderstand why i should sign up? I didnt think it would benefit me because of the single route/single sub(i will have one, they supposedly will be full staffed in a few weeks) situation
ALWAYS sign, @johnwayne!
Then it's your choice how to be paid - either 50% pay and an X (DACA 3) or 150% pay (DACA 5).
Don't worry yourself over management's problems. Take care of you and your paycheck.
Then it's your choice how to be paid - either 50% pay and an X (DACA 3) or 150% pay (DACA 5).
Don't worry yourself over management's problems. Take care of you and your paycheck.
Windindaface
Well-known member
@johnwayne .. In your situation of a 1 run office and your SAT off. with coverage on the horizon.
Do you seriously think this RCA will be available every Saturday? Just saying they might have a life too. IE.. weeding to attend, family reunion event, birth of a child, sick child, no ride if POV, etc...
Do you seriously think this RCA will be available every Saturday? Just saying they might have a life too. IE.. weeding to attend, family reunion event, birth of a child, sick child, no ride if POV, etc...
EthelAnne
Well-known member
Generally, I agree that signing the RDWL is a no-brainer, but I can tell you how it has played out in our office, where none of us want to work our relief day (if you want the OT, then obviously, sign the RDWL!): the junior carrier, who is a very young guy (early 20s) wants to have his weekends free to party and hang out with his girlfriend (I do not blame him!) and he has never signed the RDWL since he's been regular (about a year now). Since he's been a regular, we've gone through four different supervisors, and each one has moved heaven and earth to find coverage for his relief day because he's not on the RDWL. Meanwhile, the rest of us, who do not want to work, either, just get scheduled without any effort made to find coverage because we're on the RDWL.
So think about this for a moment: this junior carrier gets this special effort made to keep his relief day, while the rest of us, who are all making crazy OT, are automatically scheduled. If you're trying to manage costs effectively, the exact opposite should occur: they should try to find coverage for the carriers on the RDWL and avoid paying us $40+ (or whatever it is) an hour, not him (which would cost them nothing, as he would just get some random day off during the week instead).
I still sign the RDWL in my office because, as someone mentioned above, I want to control the situation as much as I can with the three options, and not be at the mercy of some idiot supervisor (but so far being at the mercy of idiot supervisors has worked out well for the junior carrier in my office!)
This is just another example of how management's decision making process defies reason and logic.
So think about this for a moment: this junior carrier gets this special effort made to keep his relief day, while the rest of us, who are all making crazy OT, are automatically scheduled. If you're trying to manage costs effectively, the exact opposite should occur: they should try to find coverage for the carriers on the RDWL and avoid paying us $40+ (or whatever it is) an hour, not him (which would cost them nothing, as he would just get some random day off during the week instead).
I still sign the RDWL in my office because, as someone mentioned above, I want to control the situation as much as I can with the three options, and not be at the mercy of some idiot supervisor (but so far being at the mercy of idiot supervisors has worked out well for the junior carrier in my office!)
This is just another example of how management's decision making process defies reason and logic.
Last edited:
Deer Smearer
Well-known member
Where to start???
Costs nothing extra for him? Wrong, DACA 3. 50% pay PLUS the X Day.
Finding coverage for HIM? He's junior, YOU signed the RDWL, that's not special effort.
Following the contract is bad management?
Don't sign the RDWL. Now they can go outside the office to find coverage before forcing non-RDWL.
I thought you were a union steward???
EthelAnne
Well-known member
I am a union steward. What are you getting your panties in a wad about? I'm a little tired of anonymous randos on this site taking out their hostilities in posts. Have a nice day and enjoy my blocked list.
BeatsAll-IEverSeen
Well-known member
Johnwayne: you're in an RMPO for which your route is the only one, correct? And there is a sub of record assigned to your route?
You're correct in that there is no need for you to sign up on RDWL. Your sub can't be borrowed and used in another unit on your relief day because if a shortage of coverage exists in a unit, the shortage must be absorbed in that unit. In other words if your unit is not short on your relief day you can't be mandated to work because this would require your sub to be used out-of-unit for the relief day, and this is prohibited because if mandating carriers to work their relief day then the sub for that unit must be used in that unit.
Just grieve for being improperly scheduled to work your relief day when a sub for your unit was available. This is the reason why each unit has its own RDWL.
Last edited:
gotstamps
Well-known member
Deer-
You are correct. If a Carrier signs the RDWL, mgmt CANNOT use any subs but the ones in the delivery unit to cover their route. ONLY when all available RDWL Carriers are scheduled can mgmt borrow subs.
How about if the sub of record gets hit by a train on the way to work and the regular is called in for that unit?
Does that regular just get DACA 3 because there was no need to sign the RDWL?
I sign just. in. case. If there is ever a time that I am called in on my relief day, then I'm going to choose how I want to be paid by gum.
BeatsAll-IEverSeen
Well-known member
How about if the sub of record gets hit by a train on the way to work and the regular is called in for that unit?
Does that regular just get DACA 3 because there was no need to sign the RDWL?
I sign just. in. case. If there is ever a time that I am called in on my relief day, then I'm going to choose how I want to be paid by gum.
Your basing your opinion on the specifics of your office, I guess? "If there is ever a time that I am called in on my relief day" doesn't sound like you get mandated very often.
I would never suggest to a carrier to sign the RDWL "just in case." By signing you are obligating yourself to be there potentially every relief day. If that's not what you're prepared for then don't sign. In my neck of the woods carriers who sign the RDWL work. every. single. relief day.
Second, the OP asked how to be off on her designated relief day....so I don't see how advising her to volunteer for it accomplished that. As far as a sub getting hit by a train, I didn't know that was pertinent either....the OP has a sub that is still in one piece as far as I know and can deliver mail
. This thread had a very simple question with a very simple answer that morphed into a debate on the merits of signing the RDWL.
