Who makes the decisions on adjustments?

[vajoker]

Carrier, management, district or combination? We have routes that after mail count have lost hours and routes that have gained hours. Now the bickering and juggling has commenced over who's giving up what to whom and who's taking away hours, mileage and boxes from whom. Who ultimately makes the decision?

 

[Rt2mailman]

There are no adjustments made unless a route is in the "overburdened" status, that is a route that has gained enough to be more than a 46 hour route. Routes smaller than 46 hours can not be lowered, but can be re-arranged or squared up. Often times offices that are "squared up" have all or many of the routes making changes in areas, just not all in hours. These changes are usually done at the district level, especially if there are a lot of changes or the pm is unfamiliar with adjustments. Carriers can have some input, but usually it's just to grant that "token" input and the managers do as they want. If a route is overburdened it will usually be cut back to a 43-K and that is a contractual allowance.

 

[vajoker]

So the routes that have lost hours can or can't take from aux routes or the overburdened routes? 

Sorry if I'm not using the correct postal verbiage here, still learning :~)

 

[Charlie Brown]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>vajoker said </strong>
So the routes that have lost hours can or can't take from aux routes or the overburdened routes? 

Sorry if I'm not using the correct postal verbiage here, still learning :~)  </blockquote>
Routes that have lost hours due to mail count CAN/MAY be adjusted up with hours from other overburdened routes or even from the Aux. route (if available) BUT there is no requirement to do so. This will be decided by your local manager or by the district. Some factors that they will look at include 2080 problems, meeting dispatch, needing a Min. of 12 Aux. hours for the Aux. or the possibility of eliminating the Aux, and territorial adjustments. (squaring up routes)

(just because an office has an Aux. route or overburdened route does mean they will build any routes back up)(it also doesn't mean they can't)

 

[Rt2mailman]

It all depends on how much has been lost and "how" overburdened those routes are.  If there is a route that has lost down to a 42-k and a route that has gained to a 48, and the aux is small enough to remain an aux and take all of the overage from the 48, the 42 will not change.

 

[btdtret]

vajoker -- "Who makes the decisions on adjustments? -- Carrier, management, district or combination?"

--  Go with "combination".

--  Page 45 of the contract:  The regular rural carrier assigned to the route shall be notified in advance of any route adjustments and afforded the opportunity to submit comments in writing.  The comments will be considered as a factor when such adjustments are under consideration and before any decision is made.  ( bottom line -- manglement can utilize carrier comments - or ignore them )   Substantial route adjustments must be approved at a level higher than the installation and, it requested in writing, will be reviewed at the district level, except for adjustments to avoid actual work hours in excess of 2,080 during the guarantee period.

" Now the bickering and juggling has commenced over who’s giving up what to whom and who’s taking away hours, mileage and boxes from whom. "

--  Adjustments should not begin until after 28 April 2018, when the mail count results become effective.

--  Tell those carriers who may be "bickering and juggling" to save their breath and to curb their frustrations -- until 28 April.   If they want to put their adjustment "ideas" on paper - fine, but without manglement's adjustment proposals, it would just be a futile gesture.  If manglement is dropping hints on possible adjustments, politely tell them to wait until 28 April.

--  Posting from other rural web site indicate District has the final say in route adjustments.

--  In case manglement is considering "squaring up" routes as part of the route adjustment process, these are from the "Squaring up routes" thread from a year ago here at RI:  (discalimer -- don't have any references for the following.  Please provide a reference, if you recognize your posting )

--  If your route is NOT overburdened, mgmt can 'square-up" your route but they must maintain the SAME evaluation .

--  If you had a nice 46K before the squaring up then you better have a nice 46K after or you could file a nicer grievance for being cut when you were not allowed to be cut.

--  Typically only 40% of any give route can be used in the "squaring", but if all concerned are agreeable to more than 40% that can happen.

--  Mgmt can change some of your territory but must keep you ( at the very least ) at the same standard.  If memory serves, they have to keep at least 60% of your route intact.

 

[gotstamps]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>btdtret said </strong>
vajoker-- 

" Now the bickering and juggling has commenced over who’s giving up what to whom and who’s taking away hours, mileage and boxes from whom. "

--  Adjustments should not begin until after 28 April 2018, when the mail count results become effective.

--  Tell those carriers who may be "bickering and juggling" to save their breath and to curb their frustrations -- until 28 April.   If they want to put their adjustment "ideas" on paper - fine, but without manglement's adjustment proposals, it would just be a futile gesture.  If manglement is dropping hints on possible adjustments, politely tell them to wait until 28 April.

</blockquote>
Actually, mgmt can start planning route adjustments at any time. Our district wants all adjustments turned in for approval ASAP to be ready to go by April 28. No adjustments can be implemented until the following pay period "start" since the count results aren't in effect until that date. One pay period must be allowed. That would put the earliest possible cuts on May 12. 

Although carriers are supposed to have input, mgmt typically doesn't listen or care. Adjustments are usually done on a local level by mgmt (or a growth mgr) but district does have the final say. District does want all overburdened routes cut to 43k and there is no requirement to build back any routes that lost time.

 

[Shafted]

Said route adjustments also usually have the biggest suck ups in the office doing overtime on the “I’m your new BFF “ to whatever mgt clown is doing the adjustment packet.  It’s nauseating to watch.  Our scamass cheater suck up extraordinaire was knocking herself out trying to offer advice, and recommendations for what parts she wanted to cherry pick.  This chick would sell her grandkids down the river for a quarter.  

 

[formerlyknownas]

Okay, so I kind of asked this question on a different post and got several answers.  We have six routes and an aux.  We moved into another office with 16 routes, but we are still considered separate and one day might go back to our own office.  I am the aux and it became a 43H.  We had two J routes..one which became a K and the other a J.  The other routes went up and one stayed the same.  I have just completed 90 days on the aux so (if I understand right) it is no longer considered vacant.  Before count they were going to pull me apart to pad the two J routes which I did understand.  Now though the PM or the union guy don't know whats going to happen to me.  Am I real route or what?!  The PM says he has to do what downtown tells him.  Even if they pull an hour off me to make the new J route a K I will still be a route.  Help  Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

[Rt2mailman]

Every carrier has an opportunity to give their input concerning the needed route adjustments with their route. That being said, your office doesn't sound like it qualifies for any route adjustments, because no route is overburdened. If management wanted to keep the (your) aux from going regular the time to do those cuts was before it went regular during this last count. They do have until April 28 to cut part of it off and make the J route larger, but from what I've seen, that is rarely done, because most Pm's want more routes to "earn" a possible higher level office. The district managers (downtown in your office) do usually make changes that save the most for the USPS and making a J route larger and paying more overtime to an "older" (higher paid) carrier is not necessarily a savings to the USPS, compared to a new regular (pay table 2) working a 43-H. I doubt any routes in your office will be changed from the count stats you've seen, unless the district managers can "square up" the routes (usually an aux route is running all over town picking up whatever the others wanted to get rid of) and lower the aux route miles enough to make it lower than the 42 maximum hours.

 

[gotstamps]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>formerlyknownas said </strong>
Okay, so I kind of asked this question on a different post and got several answers.  We have six routes and an aux.  We moved into another office with 16 routes, but we are still considered separate and one day might go back to our own office.  I am the aux and it became a 43H.  We had two J routes..one which became a K and the other a J.  The other routes went up and one stayed the same.  I have just completed 90 days on the aux so (if I understand right) it is no longer considered vacant.  Before count they were going to pull me apart to pad the two J routes which I did understand.  Now though the PM or the union guy don't know whats going to happen to me.  Am I real route or what?!  The PM says he has to do what downtown tells him.  Even if they pull an hour off me to make the new J route a K I will still be a route.  Help  Any info is greatly appreciated.  </blockquote>
Once an Aux route hits 42 hours, it's automatically changed to an H route. If the count is the reason it has become a Regular route then that won't take effect until April 28. Your completing your 90 days doesn't change the route. It only changes your designation code to leave earning. The route is Vacant until it has a Regular carrier assigned to it which won't happen until it's posted, awarded, then carrier placed. As for you, you'll continue as the primary RCA until you choose to change routes. Once the route is officially an H-route, it could take another 2+ months to have an assigned Regular. 

 

[stillfirstclass]

<a class="spLink spProfilePage" title="" href="https://www.ruralmailtalk.ruralinfo.net/forum/profile/5039/">formerlyknowna</a>

where are you in the seniority mix??

 

[Rt2mailman]

Two months is maximum time to get a new carrier onto a new route, unless route adjustments are needed. They can and always do add 60 days if adjustments are required, if more than that a grievance nerds to be filed asking  for back pay and proper start time of your career. 

 

[btdtret]

PastOThirty -- "10 months for a new route to be awarded last time here from the time the previous count went into effect because adjustments took forever and no time frame for that; also because it was a totally new route, skipping aux status entirely, they were able to letter of the contract, stretch it out."

--  10 months!!  Route wasn't awarded until March of 2017!?!   Someone or several someone's were asleep at the proverbial switch for that to happen!

"adjustments took forever and no time frame for that"

--  I'd say the 60 days mentioned on page 25 of the contract would be the time frame for adjustments to be made.

--  Effective date for the previous count of 2016 was 14 May.  Worst case scenario of using every day possible:

--  30 days to post a vacant route ( IMHO -- manglement should have had the route bid posted 14 May, but...)

--  60 days extra if consolidation, adjustment, or conversion needed with notification of the union ( was the union notified? )

--  10 days for posting the route

--  10 days for awarding the route

--  21 days to place the awardee on the route ( there is an exception if placement it December - but not applicable here )

--  131 days total in the worst case.  Route should have its new carrier around 22 September.

--  The carrier needed to file a grievance to be made "whole" as in back pay and almost 6 months service time.

 

[formerlyknownas]

I'm the senior sub which is why I get to do the aux.  Thanks much for your answers

 

[formerlyknownas]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>gotstamps said </strong>

Once an Aux route hits 42 hours, it's automatically changed to an H route. If the count is the reason it has become a Regular route then that won't take effect until April 28. Your completing your 90 days doesn't change the route. It only changes your designation code to leave earning. The route is Vacant until it has a Regular carrier assigned to it which won't happen until it's posted, awarded, then carrier placed. As for you, you'll continue as the primary RCA until you choose to change routes. Once the route is officially an H-route, it could take another 2+ months to have an assigned Regular.   </blockquote>
Okay, thank you.   Sooo...I'm the senior sub and can't imagine anyone else would bid on it.  But, I am being told that the PM still wants to bust it up. They already found a mistake to make it a 42H in lieu of a 43H.  We had two H routes:  during count one went to a K and the other a J.  The J is happy cause he wants to work 6/5.  Supposedly the PM wants to bust it so the J can become a K and he doesn't want the PO to pay the benefits etc. that comes with starting a new route. We also had two routes that are supposedly going to be cut.  Would it make sense to cut off the aux only to add to it or am I just a little crazy?  Thanks so very much for all your help.

 

[faceindawind]

This is what happened in my office to the AUX without overburden status involved and REG routes cross/deadhead across areas served by the AUX. When an AUX is awarded to an RCA, the AUX is technically vacant until the RCA who was awarded the AUX enters leave earning status. 

There were a couple of REG routes in office that criss crossed areas served by the AUX. PM pressure issued by in house stewy to investigate cost savings. Their special alignment program showed a savings of over 10K a year to award a few select routes which crossed the existing Aux territory. Granted it pushed 1 of 2 routes involved into L status. I was already there but glad to accept the hour bump. The other route involved in this move lost 2 hrs due to new L status, from 41 K to 42J, and the AUX is still here but barely after last count at 12:26. 

Stewy is the one who lost hrs. LMAO!!!!

 

[gotstamps]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>Faceindawind said </strong>
This is what happened in my office to the AUX without overburden status involved and REG routes cross/deadhead across areas served by the AUX. When an AUX is awarded to an RCA, the AUX is technically vacant until the RCA who was awarded the AUX enters leave earning status. 

There were a couple of REG routes in office that criss crossed areas served by the AUX. PM pressure issued by in house stewy to investigate cost savings. Their special alignment program showed a savings of over 10K a year to award a few select routes which crossed the existing Aux territory. Granted it pushed 1 of 2 routes involved into L status. I was already there but glad to accept the hour bump. The other route involved in this move lost 2 hrs due to new L status, from 41 K to 42J, and the AUX is still here but barely after last count at 12:26. 

Stewy is the one who lost hrs. LMAO!!!!  </blockquote>
That's AWESOME! Can't believe a stew would bother doing that so they got what they deserved! ?

 

[faceindawind]

Asked PM today what the bottom line was in savings were for all routes involved. + $6000. All LLV office so DPS factor in play too. Low mail volume for all Rural routes.

Pressure started by stew because of loss of industrial plant closing and new CBU development delivery locations which they never had while I did. 3rd route involved only gained 12 boxes. There was no mileage change for REG routes. This is where the savings came from. The AUX lost miles. 

 

[ruraltech]

On your 90th day on the Aux, you should have been given Des 79 option form.  You choose to continue to sub on reg route, or 100% to the Aux. Either way, you start earning sick and annual leave when working the Aux.