A review of the testimony presented by the president of the NALC in the contract arbitration proceedings reveals the huge chasm existing between the philosophies of representation between the two unions. In that both unions operate within the same work environment, with the same employer, one would expect that each would respond similarly with duplicate demands. One could reasonably expect that since the financial condition of the Postal Service exists for all postal employees regardless of craft, the union negotiation positions would mirror one another, yet the APWU’s position was that sacrifices were in order for future employees negotiated wage adjustments and other changes that will shift one billion dollars each year from the employees to postal management.
The APWU’s public position was that the regressive changes were necessary to “save” the Postal Service. The alternate positions were that: 1. An arbitrator would have imposed more onerous reductions or 2. The union negotiators outsmarted management and achieved unprecedented changes that will be paid for by future employees who can refuse postal employment and seek better jobs. The contrasts between the unions could not be more diverse.
In this day of deficits, turmoil and congressional inaction the NALC response is an appeal to the arbitrator to upgrade every letter carrier. The reader is invited to refer to the Exhibit authored by President Rolando (page 56 Conclusions). After thorough justification, over two thirds of the brief the NALC demands of the arbitrator “to upgrade every letter carrier now and forever to Level 7 and 8.” Contrary to the APWU’s negotiated provisions, this upgrade would apply to all present and future employees, not just those on the rolls on the effective date of the award but every letter carrier from this date forward. I guess, if they are successful in keeping with the APWU justification for reduced wages, we can advise prospective future employees that if they want to enjoy a middle class standard of living, they can apply to become letter carriers.
One cannot suggest that letter carrier leadership is unaware of the Postal Service’s finances, the onerous health care payment and reduction of single piece first class as they have retained the services of professional consultants to review the books and verify their authenticity, but they have made an institutional decision that the role of a labor union is to take circumstances as they exist and represent the interest of the members without qualification.
This is not to suggest that the NALC’s arbitration decision will be superior to the APWU negotiated contract because so many other factors are involved, but it illuminates the different philosophies of leaders and their response. One reacts with concessionary bargaining justified by the excuse of the day because it changes dependent upon the audience. The comparable union reacts with aggressive proposals that place the focus on the employees as opposed to the employer. It is the lives of affected employees that are changed by the outcome. There will be a Postal Service 50 years from today and the negotiating philosophy embraced by the leaders today and into the future will determine the rewards for postal activity.
Greetings Mr. Burrus. Another fine article with future insight. When I first started working at the Harrisburg, PA office some 15 years ago the very topic that you now write about struck my thoughts. My Father was a Steel Union man and upon entering the USPS, realizing that there was a union for the clerks; the mailhandlers, and the carriers, I must admit I didn’t join right away. But I worked with a steward with quite a few years under his belt and so this gave me the opporunity to ask questions and get answers. This particular steward, a good one at that, didn’t try to push and shove me into signing up; which I thought was rather note worthy. Instead he simply told me how it was; and had been, and what the hopes of the future were within the Clerk’s Union.
I joined later after my start date but realizing some simple facts: Knowing when I took the Oath to be a USPS employee I knew I could not strike; The grievence process was one form of leverage, and Arbitration was the strongest tool. I should point out upon starting work for the Post Office my wife and I had moved into a house that just happened to be owned by a retired Navy man (my Father was Navy Reserves; Marines; Army, and National Guard) who I had know for years; but most notably he and his wife were the Uncle and Aunt of the Harrisburg, PA Plant Manager at that time. As I worked PTF Tour 1 four 4 years I met many of the workers since having to stay after Tour or come in early begin Tour. But at that time there were also Supervisors who I can honestly say cared about the Postal Service and what the mail meant. Our Plant Manager was one of them. I’m not saying that there weren’t any problems or that management didn’t have a slight upper hand, but for the most part I can honestly say that I actually respected a number of upper management and basic supervisors at that time.
Then years passed and Mail conscious managers and some of the workers of course retired or passed away. I never had any problems working with Mail Handlers on the ever changing machines or on the dock when I expedited; or with the Carriers when I worked in the City Section working my city scheme. But as the machinery changed it was quite noticable that so did the new PTF’s and Casuals. They didn’t need to know zip codes, and more of the machines were becoming automated; and yet these folks were in the same union as I.
Just before turning Regular I was assigned to expedite on the Inbound Dock. An incident occurred one night when a particular truck, that always arrived at the same time every night that just happened to be right when the Mail Handlers were to come back from lunch. But the Mail Handlers always took a little extra time getting back, and the driver was an elderly man, and it was Winter. So eventually when the truck would pull in and I would open it and the Mail Handlers took their extra lunch time, I began to help the driver unload the truck. We were always finished before the Mail Handlers came back; but one night, a newly assigned PTF Mail Handler, who was also a union steward, approached me and said, “Jeff, you know you shouldn’t be doing that. I could file a grievence against you for doing a Mail Handlers job.” I said, “Jim (not his real name) every night I watch this old man moving heavy equipment off of his truck just because some Mail Handlers want some extra time before coming back to work. I’m not going to watch him keel over from a heart attack in this cold weather if no one is going to do it.” Both “Jim” and I unloaded the truck, and that night we made an agreement that when we turned regular we wouldn’t be cynical and not do our jobs. “Jim” stayed on Tour 1 to this day. I bid to Tour 3, and some of the better Mail Handlers eventually got to day light, with weekends off; but we remember and laugh at the times we had at the “old” Post Office.
Now I work on the FSM 100. Upper Management has changed as well as “right off the street” supervisors. The 2010 Clerk’s contract passed which no one can understand how. And PSE’s are now the new casual and PTF. Our current union, at least on our local level, but National as well, which dictates things to our local, gave up our most powerful tool: Arbitration; agreeing with current management’s every whim and ridiculous desire. We are told, “Don’t worry, just do what you’re told to do even if it’s against the contract and we’ll file a grievence.” I don’t file grievences, I take up the issue with the supervisor or manager, and even yes the Plant Manager with issues that I am faced with and question.
The Mail Handler’s and Carrier’s contracts are still in arbitration if I’m not mistaken, correct me if I’m wrong. My warning is: DON’T SELL OUT!!!!!!! like our union did. In this article Mr. Burrus states that at least the Carriers are looking toward their future craft employees; whereas I’m working next to PSE’s, who I am not begrudging them for wanting a job, that will eventually replace my job in the near future because our union made it so. A slight flicker of hope has recently arisen, so says the rumor, that there may be some changes in our local; but the 2010 contract is signed and sealed and so even the hope of good union stewardship may be at had for us we are still bound by the rules and the rule of a supervisor who after their 90 days went on light duty; became a 204B, and then became a supervisor; a supervisor who directly from high school started “working” for the USPS, noted for being one of the worst workers, moving up the ranks to now an MDO (both of these supervisors have a wee bit of trouble with the English language); and another supervisor, also not a very good worker, went from 204B to his current position who uses his latent racial tendencies now that he is in “power” to push people, and worst of all a male MDO who was sexually accused of harrassing another male worker to the point of instead of being fired was moved to the back offices to work a psuedo job title for two and a half years, only now to come out, no pun intended, at take the helm of Head MDO of our office.
Now, Mr. Burrus, some of my remarks may seem off of the topic at hand, but the bottom line is that the Mail Handlers and Carriers need to make sure that their contracts at least protect their member’s salaries and of those of the future; because management is going to test, and break the signed contract when ever possible for their gain. But if you must be at the mercy of an almost seemingly slow thinking; inbred, filtered from the shallow end of the gene puddle Management, at least get paid properly for the inconvenience; mental abuse; degrading treatment that you will receive on the job.
As always, thank you Mr. Burrus for bringing up yet another pertinent issue that some may be neglecting. And for any readers of my comments, ask your Mail Carrier how his or her Christmas Eve was? You may be suprized.
Quote from Federal Times:
“The NALC, for example, is proposing to create a new class of lower-paid, non-career employees dubbed “city carrier assistants” that would replace an existing classification known as transitional employees. Although those carrier assistants would earn less than today’s transitional employees, they would get first shot when it comes to applying for career letter carrier jobs, Sauber said.”
“Under the NALC’s proposal, “both sides kind of get what they wanted,” Sauber said. “Even though the pay is lower, we think it’s going to be a better result for the people who take these jobs.” But in written testimony to the arbitration panel, union President Fredric Rolando underscored that the organization is only reluctantly pursuing this option. “We trust that the panel will appreciate that, but for the present crisis, the concept of a lower paid, non-career letter carrier workforce would be totally unacceptable to the NALC,” he said.”
Can anyone say PSE? So it appears that the NALC is willing (and indeed proposing) to sacrifice future worker’s salaries for the benefit of current employees.
Gee, isn’t that what Mr Burrus continues to bash the 2010 APWU contract for. Enough already!
I have been a Letter Carrier for almost 20 years now. I worked in Diplomatic Security for 5 years & was a United States Marine for 5 years & I can say that the job of Letter carrier is the hardest & most physically demanding job I have ever held. Letter Carriers work ten times harder, work longer, take all the risks, & work in inhumane weather conditions then any other Postal Employee. Letter Carriers should be paid at substancially higher pay then clerks or mailhandlers or any other craft employee because the Letter Carrier position is so difficult & physically demanding over the long haul. That is why the NALC needs to negotiate separately from The APWU & other crafts. I would be willing to place a 3 year freeze on Carrier salaries, however I believe that clerks & mailhandlers should take at least a 20% pay cut in their base pay.
Letter Carriers also deserve a better health benefit plan as they are out in the elements all year long & constantly exposed to the elements & getting sick. Letter Carriers are always getting injured on the job but do not report it at of fear of being ” written up ” by management & thus incur substancially more medical costs throughout the year then other crafts. The bottom line is that Letter Carriers have the hardest job in The USPS & should be compensated appropriately. This can only happen if The NALC negotiates separately from The APWU. It is right & the correct thing to do. Mailhandlers & Distribution Clerks can now be replaced by part-time contract workers due to automation that has greatly reduced their workload. Letter Carriers are the core of The USPS & have seen their workload increased, their routes have gotten bigger while every one else in The USPS works less. If you haven’t worked as a Letter Carrier for The USPS you have no clue as to how they work us like slaves & treat us in a disrespectful manner on a day to day basis. Letter Carriers have been & will always remain the workhorses of The USPS & thus deserve higher wages & benefits then the other crafts & must negotiate separately to attain what is right for their members. Thankyou & God Bless America.
Hello Lusabia. Perhaps I misread Mr. Burrus’ article. I read and usually comment on his articles because he seems to have his head in the right mind set. I read this article, with the knowledge of previous Burrus articles expressing his point of view, as him saying that the NALC is looking to support the future of the carrier’s craft by thinking about the employees before the employer. This would be consistent with other views that Mr. Burrus has taken a stance on in other articles expressing that the APWU basically screwed the clerks with the 2010 contract.
Please step in Mr. Burrus and clarify that that is your position; or have I in fact misread this article?
What I don’t understand in your comment Lusabia is why you think the clerks and mail handlers should take a 20% cut? If you read my comment you will note that I support all of the unions across the board. I talk with my mailman (and I’m not being anti feminist in saying so); the two people that carry my mail are both men or I would use woman. One of my mailmen is a Letter Carrier Union steward and we talked after the holidays were over and he told me that carriers were out in my town until 6:45pm Christmas Eve. They were forced; thus breaking agreements in your contract. I told him that we at the main office in Harrisburg, PA were also forced to stay on Christmas Eve even if you weren’t on the overtime list. And what was worse was that people were forced on Christmas Day itself!!!!!!! Up until now we have always taken volunteers; only a few people are needed to handle any Express mail that may come in, and as you know must be delivered even on Christmas. My other mailman oddly enough is the son of a woan that I worked with years ago, and so have seen him grow up; be a carrier in the Harrisburg office; get married and transfer to our hometown, and have kids. He isn’t on the ODL and yet was forced.
I have respect for all of the crafts and I know I personally give it my all everyday and can say that I truly earn my pay. The story in my comment about working with the PTF union steward was to show that we can work together for a unified goal; and that would be getting the mail to the customer. The carriers are the final connection of the working chain. I do admire the carriers weathering out storms and making the last effort to deliver the mail, but, at least at our office, when I was a PTF we were told, certainly during our 90 days, not to miss a single day even if sick or you would lose your job. Even now we are told, basically, to make every effort to get into work in any conditions weather wise or other or be possibly written up.
Lusabia we are on the same team. Our health is also at risk as yours. We don’t have any windows in our office. The air circulation is poor. The dust is a constant. And the USPS actually had to have the upper duct work cleaned to get rid of mold of which the spores we were daily breathing in. And as you mentioned, if you read my comment I mention, we are constantly faced by rude; unapologetic, supervisorial stupidity on a daily basis. Being told to do things that we know are incorrect and not to the customers best interest. I believe what Mr. Burrus was saying is that your union still has a chance to keep the carrier job as a good paying job with good benefits; unlike what our clerk’s union did to us by undermining our jobs, allocating them out to PSE’s; skipping a much needed COLA that didn’t even take care of the cost of our health benefits costing us more.
I don’t want to harp on Lusabia but we are all pulling for the USPS as an entire group where everyone is a concern: carriers; clerks; custodians; truck drivers, etc…………. Make sure that through arbitration your union doesn’t settle for less. Our union didn’t even take our contract to arbitration. We are behind you. Not as a Letter Carrier but as a fellow Postal employee.
Please take care; blessings, and prayers.
How can you bash the nalc for fighting for better wages. especially before the arbitration is settled you should mind your own business. carriers deserve better wages than clerks and besides you guys settled you r own contract. dont blame it on carriers union.ive been a carrier for 26 years and it pisses me off that you would even comment on our negotiations clerks stand around with their thumbs up their asses all day in a controlled environment never once being checked on every minute of their day like carriers must do. so next time keep your comments to yourself and think about what your saying and to who your talking to