Vol 108

Postmasters Online

Volume 108

June 8, 2001

Contents:

EDITOR: EVA Under Fire

1) Postmasters' Fairness Act Likely to Pass Under New Leadership

2) Whose Turn Was it To Watch the Trucks?

3) Potential Assets Become Liabilities

4) We are Paid to do the work

5) Independent Contractors in Charge

6) Put the Decision Making in the Hands of the Those Who do the work

7) Salary Roundtable Proposed

8) All Computers have secret tales to tell

9) That Accident Was On Purpose

10) Winners and Losers Detriment to Service

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EDITOR: EVA Under Fire

A writer asked me "Does anyone know if Postmasters will EVER get back the cost of living adjustment?"

I believe we will. The reason is that the EVA `Bonus' system will come under increased attack as we move closer to reform. The argument from some Senators, like Fred Thompson - R (TN), is how can the PO justify paying millions in bonuses when we are millions in debt.? Since the EVA bonus is a key ingredient to our compensation, it should be dealt with in light of other employee compensation. While the craft continue to receive regular step increases and Cost of Living Adjustments, EAS employees are saddled with this unwieldy monster called EVA. Senator Thompson did not ask why the craft continued to receive COLAs and step increases while the Post Office loses money, did he? It's because the COLA would never be considered a bonus. The EVA, granted, does come in a check, but it does not add to our base salary nor does it increase our retirement, thus it is called a bonus.

Many feel that the EVA is unfair to the lower level offices. We should all be eligible for the same percentages The larger offices and PCES employees would receive increased monies because their salary base is higher, recognizing their increased responsibility. The worse thing of all, As Ted Carrico said in last week's Federal Times, is the EVA program drives the wrong behavior. It makes us base decisions on the EVA program rather than what is right for the service, what is right for the customers.

I believe as the heat is turned on, EVA will be turned out. But what will replace EVA if it is taken off the table? Our old friend the COLA and some sort of Step program. Every other company in America does it and so can we.

1) Postmasters' Fairness Act Likely to Pass

Passage of The Postmasters' Fairness and Rights Act of 2001 is highly likely during this congressional session.

H.R. 250 must be approved by the Government Reform Committee, but most of the committee's members are co-sponsors. In fact, 250 House members are co-sponsors. The House bill was introduced by Rep. Constance A. Morella,D-Md.

S. 177 was introduced five days before its House counterpart, on Jan. 25, but no action has taken place since March 20, when the bill was referred to the Senate Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on International Security,

Proliferation and Federal Services.

The Senate version was sponsored by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii. Akaka is now chairman of that subcommittee, thanks to the Democrats becoming the majority party.

The bills are identical, and both have well-placed backers. Sen. Thomas A. Daschle, D-S.D., the new Senate majority leader, is a Senate co-sponsor.

The bills call for the Postal Service to discuss adjustment of postmasters' compensation in accordance with any agreement with the largest craft union within 45 days of an agreement being signed. If agreement cannot be reached within 60 days, postmasters can get binding arbitration. The arbitration board would consist of three members- once each chosen by the Postal Service and the Postmasters Organizations. The third member would be selected by

the other two.

The bill would also provide a mechanism for postmasters to raise operational concerns. At present, postmasters have no authority to make management changes at local post offices in order to improve mail service. "The ultimate goal is to provide procedures to resolve differences and improve service without creating an adversarial relationship. Postmasters will become full partners with the Postal Service in order to improve services," said Morella.

2) Whose Turn Was it To Watch the Trucks?

The U.S. Postal Service just realized that two if its 48-foot-long semi-trailers haven't been seen since November. The trailers were reported stolen May 24. They were taken from the Postal Service lot in Elk Grove Village, Ill. The Postal Service says that both trailers were empty at the time.

3) Potential Assets Become Liabilities

Our mandatory poster in every Post Office directs us to report: Fraud, Waste & Mismanagement, etc. Just how many Postmasters out there report things like this to this telephone number? I would be very curious as to see how many changes we could actually make if all employees & Postmasters actually used this number. Is there any type of record kept of the calls and the action taken on these calls? Would it not be considered Waste when a POOM actually uses 3 Postmasters to assist her in doing her "pet jobs". Especially when she already has a Postmaster as her "assistant". Totalling 4 Postmasters assisting the MPOO. I have requested a job description for the MPOO position. I have yet to see where the MPOO position has assistants listed in the job description. The MPOO position is definitely a waste. In our area alone, most feel that the MPOO is only promoting her best friends & their relatives or those of her or her husbands. All you have to do is look at the assignments handed out by her or the new hires in the area. It is such a joke. The last few OIC assignments all went to the same person, the brother of one of the "assistants". Talk about favoritism. Who actually wants to work for a person like this? I guess the MPOOs are just too wrapped up in their little power world to actually care about morale. Do they think we are just all too stupid to know what is going on? It is a pity. The MPOOs could be an asset but all they really end up being are a liability. Too many of them are the reason for the low morale. Bad MPOOs are like bad Postmasters, they do not inspire anyone to work or give employees a reason to be productive. Headquarters had better be looking at these positons to see just how productive they are or if they are actually a liability for productivity. Everyone is tired of giving to the Service when these people use the Service for their own benefits.

Very Disappointed

4) We are Paid to do the work

Dave,

In responding to the note from Lorraine Lindsey about all of us doing our jobs (scanning express mail), you replied:

>(EDITOR: I too am frustrated by a lack of scans, misdeliveries, no 3849 signatures in the system and the like. I know its more work, but our customers depend on our consistency. Lets get it right the first time.)

I get your point, but it's NOT more work - it's the work that we're being paid for. That's the assignment we've been given. There's nothing more frustrating than standing in front of a customer and trying to guess what happend to his most important letter/package. They wouldn't spend the $12.25 if it wasn't critically important. Of course, we could just call the Plant and ask what they did with it - NOT.

Thanks for a GREAT publication. Love to hear what's going on in other areas.

-Rich D.

PM in NY

5) Independent Contractors in Charge --- Although a scary idea to run each office independently, it appears we already do. Seems the rules change from post office to post office anyway. So why not? So let the post offices that want to try their wings do so. I think our office would do great by such freedom of micro-managing.

We are in a retirement area with a large portion of the population moving back to the north during our summer months. We could expand on services we already offer.

Our office tries to put the "service" back into the name United Postal Service. Our customer base has grown already since neighboring post offices on the other side of the state line is not that service oriented.

Not to mention the word is out that we love EBay customers.

A little competition amongst us might be just what we need. And allow employees to have some ownership (if they like).

6) Put the Decision Making in the Hands of the Those Who do the work

I read your articles on what the Post Office could do to save money. I am NOT a PostMaster, I'm not a Supervisor, but I am a worker. I have worked for the USPS for 24 years, and have seen many ways to improve the service, and save money at the same time.

Today the people who run the service has never carried mail, or even been a clerk, yet they tell us how to do the job.

Lets get real. They are having us use more hours to do the same thing we could do in less time.

For example:

No wrapping of any mail, carrying all occupants flat, forcing us to take more time that we should, rather could to do the same thing.

Supervisors that have never carried mail, telling a carrier of many years how to do the job.

Route checks that have been fixed, and we know what I'm talking about, to make the carrier stay out on the street longer.

Adding to routes because of the fixed check, then when the real mail volume starts back up, use overtime every day, and wonder WHY.

Station Managers who know little about what the real Postal Service is about, SERVICE,

and the Post Masters who dont really give a damn about anything except how much time they have left, and their pay checks.

The highers up have taken the word SERVICE out of the Postal Service and have made it political.

If the workers who make the money for the USPS had a say so in the way things are run, we WOULD save money and MAKE money at the same time.

We do know how to do the job right, but we are NOT ALLOWED to do that.

So why should any carrier worry about how the job is done? If they are fast, and care about their customers, and keep their route clean, you can bet you ass next route check they will be added to. GOOD JOB, now let me break you down some more.

Am I mad about the way things are done? Yes

Could it be better for all workers? Yes

Could the USPS make money? Yes

Will it happen? NO

Only when you get someone HIGH UP that can understand all aspects of the service, and care about the workers will things change.

It could again be a place we are proud to work at insted of dreading going to work.

I hope someone can understand what I have been trying to tell you, and do something about it before there is NO USPS as we know it.

Thanks

Pat

7) Salary Roundtable Proposed

I would like to know what "common threads" managers in the USPS have with our counterpart managers in companies like UPS, FEDEX, EMERY and other large delivery firms. Although our salaries can be found for the asking, the salaries and benefits of these other firms are kept as secret as TOP SECRET government data.

I would also like to know if these companies have management organizations much like our NAPUS, LEAGUE, and NAPS. Im sure if they do and we get a round table meeting we all could learn from each other

8) All Computers have secret tales to tell

In a past issue a reader lamblasted the USPS computer deal with IBM and Compaq. He went on to praise Dell Computer and their systems. I think the deal the Postal Service negotiated is great and a real benefit for our employees. Both are reputable companies and will save folks a lot of anguish dealing retail with salespeople who sell computers, refrigerators and stereos all in the same store.

I have nothing against Dell and do agree that they sell good systems. However, the writer sounded like a Dell clone. For the record: when I started our local computer lab eight years ago we purchased 12 Dell systems because the Postal Service had a dedicated contract with Dell. Three of the systems had motherboards replaced in the first six months.

All big computer companies have bad tales they don't tell. MJoyce8456@aol.com

9) That Accident Was On Purpose

I am mad we received in our district today from the mpoo a threatening letter stating that if we had an avoidable accident we would pay for it with disciplinary action what is going on in this post office today. I could retire in two more years but don't know if I can wait that long. Maybe he thinks that somebody who has an accident was planning it . Marlin

10) Winners and Losers Detriment to Service

If you want happy satisfied customers, you must practice what you preach, from the top down. That does not happen, especially in two critical areas: EAS and craft, District and Postmaster. The karma of many years of poor treatment of clerks and carriers has come back to us in the past and present National Agreements and thousands upon thousands of grievances that clog our system. What do we hear? Officially, we are studying, approaching, asking Congress, etc., but unofficially it all comes back to who wins and who loses. With that attitude, is it no wonder that customers wonder whose side we are on? That competitive spirit is part of American culture, but as long as the competition is between craft and management, and between District `A' and District `B', we will only accomplish self-destruction. Placing blame is never a solution, so lets just skip that step, and decide to work together. We need to compete externally, not internally. It is always very difficult in a political organization (and we are one, like it or not), to set the goal, but that must be done, and must include everyone. That, clearly, is still not happening. Wade Rumney (Editor - the above was an exerpt)

Postmasters Online is the brain (small) child (midget) of David Rupert, Postmaster of Wilson WY 83014. While we talk a lot of postal here, the opinions are solely those of the newsletter and its contributors and should be construed as an official Postal Publication. While we have nothing but the Greatest , um, respect for the DMM , IMM, and the Postal Bulletin, we are not in the same class. To write the editor, send an email to Rupzip@cs.com. To use the mail for comments, flames, or monetary contributions, send it to David Rupert, POB 3, Wilson WY 83014.

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