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I see a great deal of uncertainty. Those employees with less then 20 years are concerned if they will be able to keep a job until they can retire or even if they will have a job next year. Some fear that we will cater to senior employees who are eligible to retire now and retain them while a junior employee will loose his job…..just to have that same senior employee retire the following year.
I'm responding to Anonymous at 1:15 PM on 4/8/09. It would be okay if those employees that have less than 20 years knew how to work. All they want is the money with the overtime and could care less about the USPS. Same with management ALL of the management that I have had has less that ten years and just don't know crap. If we loose a clerk or carrier to retirement we loose the position. And management doesn't change job descriptions. Easy enough to do IF you think about it. Make some of the clerks that don't have 8 hour jobs that have been skipping for the last few years give them the extra but management just isn't smart enoug h. It's sad, I am one of those clerksthat can do a VER but can't afford it NOT because I have alot of bills it's because I just won't get enoughto live on. CATER to senior employees, huh, isn't that a laugh. Management caters to the employees that make the most noise, threaten to file EEO's etc. I'm not real sure if there will be a PO in 2 years if we keep up this kind of mismanagement style.
I believe we will revert back to the beginning of Rural Free Delivery. I think customers will have to come to town to pick up their mail at their convenience.
There are many things we should and could do to ensure the Postal Service survives. If we truly want to cut staffing, there must be some sort of incentive for retirement. If cash is not an option, then reduce the penalty for those eligible for early outs. In my case, I could have retired several years ago. If I was given the option of drawing my full retirement, as if I had worked 40-10, I would retire today.
Another thing we seem to fall behind in, is customer awareness about the products we have to sell. We need to do a much better job advertising our products and services.
I would be happy to take the VER if you can explain to me how I can live on $300/month. I don't believe we can turn things around until we get the unions to understand the impact they have on the business. Stop the petty grievances and large payouts. Before you closed Districts and took away jobs look why didn't we try other alternatives (5 day delivery, telecomuting, 4-10's). Other businesses are doing these things and report a savings. Are we so big we can't think outside the box. Where is accountability to do the right thing? (from craft employees to upper management).
The Postal Service is traveling in unchartered territory now. We really need to quit pointing fingers and start working together. I have seen so many abuses of the system, so many have the "I have put in my time, so they owe me a living" mentality. There are people at plants that are sleeping on the job or sitting full time in the Union office. As far as Anonymous speaking of management not knowing anything, maybe if they are so smart, they should step up to the plate and go into management, then they could share their wisdom. We need to worry less about staying and getting that overtime and more about the solvency of the company as a whole. Let's put the customer first, really work on that service, and use our own product! If we don't even use our own service, how can we expect others to step up and do the same.
I can't help but to think that the Postal Service is somewhat responsible for the mess we are in. When I was a clerk, I worked every day (6 days a week). I had a fellow employee who worked 4 hours a week as a part-time flex and he got the same benefits that I did. He did not know crap but no one would let him go. Management said that we did not have the money to retrain him. But we had the money to lose revenue? If he did not know how to do a certified or an express mail he would talk the customer out of it. Tell me, did that make us any money?
We need to stay up with the times. If paperless mail is the trend for extreme rural areas, why aren't we at the top in providing that service? We don't have the luxury of sitting around and waiting for the business to come back.
I see in the future, small post offices EAS 15 and below, will have their hours of operation matched to the SOV (Small Office Variance)earned hours. Example; level 13 office with 5.50 earned daily hours for Monday - Friday, and 2.90 earned hours for Saturday would earn that post office 30.40 hours or 31 hours per week. This office would be adjusted to operate on 31 hours per week instead of the current 43 hours. This would be a savings of 12 hours per week. This would create many part-time postmasters. This would have to be phased in as current postmasters retire or provide saved grade.
I think that those small offices with Postmasters able to or about to retire will be scrutinized very, very closely. I believe any little excuse to fire a Postmaster and close down the office will be used. No Postmaster, no office, big savings across America. Rural America loses again.
The potential to not be able to make payroll is very real. As that reality closes in on us the Board of Governors or Congress will be forced to either let us cease delivery to see if another organization can pick up where we left off or send in a new Executive Staff that owes nothing to nobody. Then we will see the changes we should have been implementing over the past five years. We can only blame ourselves for our current situation; the economy only worsened an already suspect business model.
Our future can be profitable. Eliminate Saturday delivery but keep the Saturday office hours. This would make PO boxes a very premium service and customers could come in to pickup express and prioity packages. Allow subs 2 hours to case the Saturday mail (until we all have DPS). On Mondays only add in First Class, Priority, and express, leaving the bulk business mail and parcel post for Tuesday.
WE NEED TO HAVE ONE DISTRICT OFFICE PER STATE . THERE IS COMPUTERS IN EVERY OFFICE NO NEED TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE . WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE SMALL OFFICES AND CROSS CRAFTS . IF WE DONT CHANGE WE WILL BE THE NEXT ENRON ON GM . ALL WAGES SHOULD BE FROZEN FOR A YEAR BUT WE WILL CONTINUE DOWN THE PATH OF TAKE , TAKE , TAKE THEN IT WILL BE DESTROYED .
closing small offices would be a big mistake.employees that can retire and already recieving social security should retire.and let the ones that need years to retire take over their positions.there are alot of employees out there with plenty of years and age to retire.if they don't retire because they will be bored they can volunteer their time.at schools , etc
I see a RIF so drastic that many will lose their jobs, the Postal Service will save millions of dollars with the RIF , Tour compression, and VERA. However the millions, possibly Billions of dollars saved will ironically be given back out as bonuses to those poor top execs, who have had their salaries frozen by PMG Potter at the 2008 level.
USPS is cutting jobs because it can't make payroll, yet we pay individuals outside of the Postal Service to serve as Mystery Shoppers that mail fake packages. Then, we need employees to spend hours monitoring and enforcing this program that simply is not working! Let's bring customer service back with a smile and cut out the robotic ramblings that a retail clerk needs to say to make sure that they incorporate all the mystery shop requirements.
The person that stated how bad management is mismanaging and there probably won't be a PO in 2 years really isn't intouch with what's going on with USPS. We are performing better than we have ever performed in the past, and this didn't all come about because all of the craft employees decided they wanted to work harder. It came about because of the initiative put forth by management to improve in all areas. That's why the overtime is at an all time low, and productivity is at a all time high. It's amazing how we have employees in the business that loves to bad mouth management, but are not willing to join management and make it a positive difference in the work place.
The post office needs to offer the people that can take the early out some sort of incentive to go. There are thousands out there that would go if they were given something to go. In the long run it would save money for the PO and save jobs for the people that are still working. They really need to think about that.
Its a shame the way the post office is going, but I for one can not possible retire on the amount that is offered with the VER. Do I worry about younger employees losing their positions? Sure I do, yet the smart mouth lazy youngsters that work in my plant make it hard to sympathize with them. They act like being told to work is going to cause them harm! And the fake limited duty people are the ultimate mistakes that the post office allowed to be created. Try getting one of them to perform any work and they call in IOD for a week. No wonder the post office is in such dire straights.
The future should bring evaluated routes to city delivery like the current rural route system of pay. If you work under your evaluation, go home early, work over, no overtime so the incentive is do it within evaluation. No overtime or penalty time saves money.
LETS SPEND MILLIONS ON MYSTERY SHOP PROGRAMS THAT DONT SEEM TO BE WORKING AND THEN COMPLAIN BECAUSE WE LOST MILLIONS. I THINK OUR NEW MOTTO SHOULD BE "IF IT AINT BROKEN FIX IT TILL IT IS"
Is it fair to categorize everyone of a certain age as the same? I am "one" of the youngsters, yet I realize how much change we all must make to keep our company and future solid. Age is just another excuse, I have seen all ages work hard and have seen groups believe they are "owed".The mentality of being owed, at any age, has to stop. Perform your duties as though you owned the company, and your own actions affect your bottom line. Is it that easy? Yes it is, unless you continue to use the same they "owe me" attitude.
I agree with Anonymous (April 13, 10:39). I am also "one" of the youngsters. I have seen more slacking and don't care attitude from pre-retirees also. It doesn't matter what age you are. There will be hard workers in the workplace and there will be slackers. I am young...but I go home every evening feeling good about my productivity each day. Fair days pay for a fair days work...just remember that!!!
Expecting the Post Office to offer some wonderful incentive for employees to retire now is crazy. Really.... with such hard times happening and millions in the hole where do you want this money to come from? Hard times usually dont give you a fancy package to retire!!
i take great offense to the comment that all employees that haven't been Postal Service Lifers are lazy and have smart mouths. At my distribution center its quite the opposite. Many of the long time employees are extremely lazy and abuse there breaks in a very costly way. All the while moaning and groaning they need more overtime. When they are given the overtime they can usually be found sitting in the breakroom playing cards!!!
I agree with the person who wrote "I am one of the youngsters". Although I am in my 40's, I am a "youngster" with the post office (3yrs). Many of the lazy and least productive workers in our plant are those that are able to retire. I work my tail off every night, and it really bothers me that there are those that continually slack and are definately being paid far more than what they are worth.
I love hearing my felow carriers say, don;t do extra you have to "protect your route". Good luck with that! I have no mail volume compared to when I started this job 14 years ago, heck I have no volume compared to 2 years ago, but these jokers don't want to absorb more street time and give up office time...it's that "I deserve more money for less work" crap that keeps digging our graves. I would rather "protect my JOB"...
USPS will have to use every available means to stay solvent. That may include closing small offices, consolidating operations, cutting out Saturday delivery, and laying people off. Compensation for sick leave for FERS employees may help to thin the work force. USPS becomes increasingly paperless each day. We are quite adept at electronically communicating, monitoring, and reporting data within our organization and we have to accept that other businesses are doing the same.
30 comments:
I see a great deal of uncertainty. Those employees with less then 20 years are concerned if they will be able to keep a job until they can retire or even if they will have a job next year. Some fear that we will cater to senior employees who are eligible to retire now and retain them while a junior employee will loose his job…..just to have that same senior employee retire the following year.
I'm responding to Anonymous at 1:15 PM on 4/8/09. It would be okay if those employees that have less than 20 years knew how to work. All they want is the money with the overtime and could care less about the USPS. Same with management ALL of the management that I have had has less that ten years and just don't know crap. If we loose a clerk or carrier to retirement we loose the position. And management doesn't change job descriptions. Easy enough to do IF you think about it. Make some of the clerks that don't have 8 hour jobs that have been skipping for the last few years give them the extra but management just isn't smart enoug h. It's sad, I am one of those clerksthat can do a VER but can't afford it NOT because I have alot of bills it's because I just won't get enoughto live on. CATER to senior employees, huh, isn't that a laugh. Management caters to the employees that make the most noise, threaten to file EEO's etc. I'm not real sure if there will be a PO in 2 years if we keep up this kind of mismanagement style.
I believe we will revert back to the beginning of Rural Free Delivery. I think customers will have to come to town to pick up their mail at their convenience.
There are many things we should and could do to ensure the Postal Service survives. If we truly want to cut staffing, there must be some sort of incentive for retirement. If cash is not an option, then reduce the penalty for those eligible for early outs.
In my case, I could have retired several years ago. If I was given the option of drawing my full retirement, as if I had worked 40-10, I would retire today.
Another thing we seem to fall behind in, is customer awareness about the products we have to sell. We need to do a much better job advertising our products and services.
I would be happy to take the VER if you can explain to me how I can live on $300/month. I don't believe we can turn things around until we get the unions to understand the impact they have on the business. Stop the petty grievances and large payouts. Before you closed Districts and took away jobs look why didn't we try other alternatives (5 day delivery, telecomuting, 4-10's). Other businesses are doing these things and report a savings. Are we so big we can't think outside the box. Where is accountability to do the right thing? (from craft employees to upper management).
The Postal Service is traveling in unchartered territory now. We really need to quit pointing fingers and start working together. I have seen so many abuses of the system, so many have the "I have put in my time, so they owe me a living" mentality. There are people at plants that are sleeping on the job or sitting full time in the Union office.
As far as Anonymous speaking of management not knowing anything, maybe if they are so smart, they should step up to the plate and go into management, then they could share their wisdom. We need to worry less about staying and getting that overtime and more about the solvency of the company as a whole.
Let's put the customer first, really work on that service, and use our own product! If we don't even use our own service, how can we expect others to step up and do the same.
I can't help but to think that the Postal Service is somewhat responsible for the mess we are in. When I was a clerk, I worked every day (6 days a week). I had a fellow employee who worked 4 hours a week as a part-time flex and he got the same benefits that I did. He did not know crap but no one would let him go. Management said that we did not have the money to retrain him. But we had the money to lose revenue? If he did not know how to do a certified or an express mail he would talk the customer out of it. Tell me, did that make us any money?
We need to stay up with the times. If paperless mail is the trend for extreme rural areas, why aren't we at the top in providing that service? We don't have the luxury of sitting around and waiting for the business to come back.
I see in the future, small post offices EAS 15 and below, will have their hours of operation matched to the SOV (Small Office Variance)earned hours. Example; level 13 office with 5.50 earned daily hours for Monday - Friday, and 2.90 earned hours for Saturday would earn that post office 30.40 hours or 31 hours per week. This office would be adjusted to operate on 31 hours per week instead of the current 43 hours. This would be a savings of 12 hours per week. This would create many part-time postmasters. This would have to be phased in as current postmasters retire or provide saved grade.
I think that those small offices with Postmasters able to or about to retire will be scrutinized very, very closely. I believe any little excuse to fire a Postmaster and close down the office will be used. No Postmaster, no office, big savings across America. Rural America loses again.
The potential to not be able to make payroll is very real. As that reality closes in on us the Board of Governors or Congress will be forced to either let us cease delivery to see if another organization can pick up where we left off or send in a new Executive Staff that owes nothing to nobody. Then we will see the changes we should have been implementing over the past five years. We can only blame ourselves for our current situation; the economy only worsened an already suspect business model.
Our future can be profitable. Eliminate Saturday delivery but keep the Saturday office hours. This would make PO boxes a very premium service and customers could come in to pickup express and prioity packages. Allow subs 2 hours to case the Saturday mail (until we all have DPS). On Mondays only add in First Class, Priority, and express, leaving the bulk business mail and parcel post for Tuesday.
WE NEED TO HAVE ONE DISTRICT OFFICE PER STATE . THERE IS COMPUTERS IN EVERY OFFICE NO NEED TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE . WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE SMALL OFFICES AND CROSS CRAFTS . IF WE DONT CHANGE WE WILL BE THE NEXT ENRON ON GM . ALL WAGES SHOULD BE FROZEN FOR A YEAR BUT WE WILL CONTINUE DOWN THE PATH OF TAKE , TAKE , TAKE THEN IT WILL BE DESTROYED .
closing small offices would be a big mistake.employees that can retire and already recieving social security should retire.and let the ones that need years to retire take over their positions.there are alot of employees out there with plenty of years and age to retire.if they don't retire because they will be bored they can volunteer their time.at schools , etc
I see a RIF so drastic that many will lose their jobs, the Postal Service will save millions of dollars with the RIF , Tour compression, and VERA. However the millions, possibly Billions of dollars saved will ironically be given back out as bonuses to those poor top execs, who have had their salaries frozen by PMG Potter at the 2008 level.
USPS is cutting jobs because it can't make payroll, yet we pay individuals outside of the Postal Service to serve as Mystery Shoppers that mail fake packages. Then, we need employees to spend hours monitoring and enforcing this program that simply is not working! Let's bring customer service back with a smile and cut out the robotic ramblings that a retail clerk needs to say to make sure that they incorporate all the mystery shop requirements.
Future is bleak. There is just isn't any mail.
35 years is enough for me...I'm out of here at the end of June...
Good Luck You all..
The person that stated how bad management is mismanaging and there probably won't be a PO in 2 years really isn't intouch with what's going on with USPS. We are performing better than we have ever performed in the past, and this didn't all come about because all of the craft employees decided they wanted to work harder. It came about because of the initiative put forth by management to improve in all areas. That's why the overtime is at an all time low, and productivity is at a all time high. It's amazing how we have employees in the business that loves to bad mouth management, but are not willing to join management and make it a positive difference in the work place.
The post office needs to offer the people that can take the early out some sort of incentive to go. There are thousands out there that would go if they were given something to go. In the long run it would save money for the PO and save jobs for the people that are still working. They really need to think about that.
Its a shame the way the post office is going, but I for one can not possible retire on the amount that is offered with the VER. Do I worry about younger employees losing their positions? Sure I do, yet the smart mouth lazy youngsters that work in my plant make it hard to sympathize with them. They act like being told to work is going to cause them harm! And the fake limited duty people are the ultimate mistakes that the post office allowed to be created. Try getting one of them to perform any work and they call in IOD for a week. No wonder the post office is in such dire straights.
The future should bring evaluated routes to city delivery like the current rural route system of pay.
If you work under your evaluation, go home early, work over, no overtime so the incentive is do it within evaluation. No overtime or penalty time saves money.
LETS SPEND MILLIONS ON MYSTERY SHOP PROGRAMS THAT DONT SEEM TO BE WORKING AND THEN COMPLAIN BECAUSE WE LOST MILLIONS.
I THINK OUR NEW MOTTO SHOULD BE "IF IT AINT BROKEN FIX IT TILL IT IS"
Is it fair to categorize everyone of a certain age as the same? I am "one" of the youngsters, yet I realize how much change we all must make to keep our company and future solid. Age is just another excuse, I have seen all ages work hard and have seen groups believe they are "owed".The mentality of being owed, at any age, has to stop. Perform your duties as though you owned the company, and your own actions affect your bottom line. Is it that easy? Yes it is, unless you continue to use the same they "owe me" attitude.
I agree with Anonymous (April 13, 10:39). I am also "one" of the youngsters. I have seen more slacking and don't care attitude from pre-retirees also. It doesn't matter what age you are. There will be hard workers in the workplace and there will be slackers. I am young...but I go home every evening feeling good about my productivity each day. Fair days pay for a fair days work...just remember that!!!
Expecting the Post Office to offer some wonderful incentive for employees to retire now is crazy. Really.... with such hard times happening and millions in the hole where do you want this money to come from? Hard times usually dont give you a fancy package to retire!!
i take great offense to the comment that all employees that haven't been Postal Service Lifers are lazy and have smart mouths. At my distribution center its quite the opposite. Many of the long time employees are extremely lazy and abuse there breaks in a very costly way. All the while moaning and groaning they need more overtime. When they are given the overtime they can usually be found sitting in the breakroom playing cards!!!
I agree with the person who wrote "I am one of the youngsters". Although I am in my 40's, I am a "youngster" with the post office (3yrs). Many of the lazy and least productive workers in our plant are those that are able to retire. I work my tail off every night, and it really bothers me that there are those that continually slack and are definately being paid far more than what they are worth.
I love hearing my felow carriers say, don;t do extra you have to "protect your route". Good luck with that! I have no mail volume compared to when I started this job 14 years ago, heck I have no volume compared to 2 years ago, but these jokers don't want to absorb more street time and give up office time...it's that "I deserve more money for less work" crap that keeps digging our graves. I would rather "protect my JOB"...
USPS will have to use every available means to stay solvent. That may include closing small offices, consolidating operations, cutting out Saturday delivery, and laying people off. Compensation for sick leave for FERS employees may help to thin the work force. USPS becomes increasingly paperless each day. We are quite adept at electronically communicating, monitoring, and reporting data within our organization and we have to accept that other businesses are doing the same.
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