Area 6 Report

Safety First Isn’t Always Management’s Priority, So It Must Be Ours

Hello, everyone from the mountains! Hope you survived the summer heat and are enjoying the fall. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great folks the last few months on the District Safety Team, especially the beautiful Lorna Wooding who left us recently. God bless ya, girlfriend; wish you the best!

We’ve visited several stations to speak to carriers and do street observations representing NALC with our management partners. These joint teams were formed to help educate carriers and bring awareness to safety issues in their areas. We discuss local accidents, vehicle issues, check office safety boards and make sure they are receiving stand up talks weekly and ensure that all are equipped with dog spray and bags.

Our street observations are “freebies.” In other words, if we catch you doing something we just let you know it’s wrong and unsafe, but nothing gets reported on the Form 4584 because we don’t use names. We’re unlike other observation teams that are ALL management and could lead to being put off the clock without pay and on Emergency Placement.

Even though NALC grieves and usually wins back pay, the process could take 6-8 weeks! How many of you can afford that? Most can’t, so this is serious and important!

I will start with your vehicle check, which you should be doing first thing in the morning. If there’s something wrong with the vehicle, don’t just go tell the supervisor. Fill out Form 4565, have them sign it and keep your copy as proof. If the vehicle isn’t called in by the time you leave and you feel it’s unsafe, refuse to drive it and request to see your steward.

Unfortunately, sometimes the steward has to file Form 1767 to get action. Put it back on management to find you another vehicle; your life is worth far more than their numbers.

CCA’s, even if you’re coming in later, you need to inspect the vehicle you’ve been given before loading! We recently had a spare vehicle dropped off the night before by VMF to our office and the carrier noticed one tire was missing two lug nuts. Scary, huh? So don’t just check the treads.

We’ve also had managers at another station who are so desperate because of lack of vehicles that they give the unsafe/broken vehicles refused by regulars to CCA’s or RCA’s. This is an indication that some managers really don’t care about carriers’ safety as long as the mail gets out! Sad, but true. Carriers, we have to look out for ourselves!

You need to wear the shoulder harness with the lap band to and from your route, including your lunch break. Once you get to your route, you can wear just the lap band (seat belt). If the vehicle is running you MUST have your lap band on; it’s the LAW!

The doors need to be shut if you’re going through ANY intersections, not just ones with street lights. Recently a carrier in a residential area was hit by a UPS truck and fell out of his LLV into the road because he wasn’t wearing his seat belt. He could have been run over by another car but he got lucky that day, other than possibly being fired by the Postal Service.

When you stop your vehicle to dismount, you need to curb your wheels, put the vehicle in park, set the hand brake, turn the lights off and pull the keys out of the ignition. You also need to have your dog spray on you, even on mounted routes, because dog bites are high on the list and dogs love to hide under cars and on sides of houses. They are also in businesses and apartment complexes. Besides that, getting bit hurts like heck!!!

Always park in a designated area. Do NOT just park in the middle of a business or apartment parking lot, nor behind cars parked in parking places. First choice is a designated area you can swing easily into forwardly and continue. If that’s not available find an EMPTY parking space and back your vehicle into it, so when you leave the front of your vehicle is facing traffic and you can easily proceed forward with a view.

If the designated area is next to a curb on flat ground, curb your wheels towards it. Lock the vehicle and make sure the windows are up and mail is secure, especially if the vehicle is out of sight.

Does this take a little more time? Of course, but if you don’t the alternative is an accident and again the possibility of being put on Emergency Placement with NO PAY for up to 8 weeks! Your choice…

I tell CCA’s unfamiliar with routes that if they approach a house with a screen or storm door and hear a dog, they are to put their foot up against the door so it can’t open and instruct the customer to secure the dog in another room before opening the door.

If you need to back your vehicle, tap the horn first and check your mirrors! How many crazy customers like the one you just gave mail to, think it’s a good idea to walk behind your vehicle waving at their neighbor across the street? You’d be surprised. And my biggest fear is children running to the truck. So, take the time to do this.

Distractions are a major contributor to accidents. Carriers should not have ear buds in their ears or be answering their phones while driving, even at an intersection. If you have to make a call pull off the road and turn the engine off.

I actually heard about somebody hitting an LLV this week because they were on their phone looking for Pokémon! Some people are so glued to their phones they’ve walked into traffic or fell, tripping on objects, and are dumb enough to drive at the same time!

We are in these vehicles 80 percent of our time and we need to be defensive and prepared every day, every moment. I have a sign given to me by a friend that says “God must love stupid people, he makes so many of them!”

It’s crazy out there, folks! So be on high alert and take the time to be defensive and safe; your families are counting on it!

Just Don’t…

Unlike the Nike motto “Just Do It,” this article is titled the opposite. The below circumstances most would consider common sense, but since we’ve had to represent carriers on these, not everyone is getting the message. Not to offend but to educate, so here goes.

If you call in and request sick leave, don’t forget to write down the confirmation number. Just Don’t! Because by the time you’ve received a suspension letter and are charged with being AWOL four times because management has no record of you calling in, I’m going to have trouble proving it.

No matter whether a customer has told you in their absence to sign for a signature confirmation package and leave it…Just Don’t! You don’t know what’s in that package; could be drugs etc. Numerous customers are coming in the following day to P.O. stating they never received it and never gave you permission! You think you’re doing customer a favor, but they played you.

If you receive a discipline letter, don’t forget to notify your steward immediately. Just Don’t! We only have 14 days to represent you. Just because you thought the suspension letter was ridiculous doesn’t mean you can ignore it and it will go away. Guess what, that’s in your file for two years…two more steps is removal!

Those of you who think they resemble Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, don’t flirt and make remarks to every new CCA or transfer. Just Don’t! Because after they throw up in their mouth a little bit, they’re coming to me or the supervisor to report sexual harassment.

If you’re brought into the office and the 204B states, “This is an Investigative Interview, that may or may not lead to discipline,” don’t neglect to request steward for representation. Just don’t! Just because you’ve had no trouble with the 204B as a supervisor doesn’t mean that you give up your Weingarten Rights and think you won’t receive discipline. They’re just doing the fact finding. A resulting decision isn’t always theirs (which we argue), but we know the truth.

No matter how tired you are or pissed at management, don’t throw parcels/packages over gates or up on porches or shove them in boxes so tight that they can’t be taken out. Just Don’t! Take the time to walk them up or Notice them if you can’t get through the gate. Video cameras are everywhere folks and it’s a whole lot easier to explain to a customer why a package would have been damaged had you thrown it over a gate onto their property. If needed, you can amend P.S. Form 3996 when you get back for additional time on your route that day.

If your vehicle is defective, even minor as windshield wipers or horn not working, don’t forget to write it up and tell your steward. Just Don’t! A CCA didn’t and a major rainstorm came later in the day. They broke a mirror because they couldn’t see where they were going due to windshield wipers not working properly. They were fired three days before making their 90. They told their supervisor about the wipers but they instructed them to take out the vehicle anyway. They never called steward.

CCA’s, please ask questions, come to meetings and learn your rights! You don’t have to do anything that’s unsafe, illegal, or immoral. Your boss isn’t always looking out for your best interests. This is sad… but true.

No matter how many years you’ve been on the same route or swing, don’t let down your guard/awareness of what’s going on around you. Just Don’t! A carrier serviced a gas station/convenience store every day. Leashed to the register was a huge German shepherd named “Bear” he always petted after dropping mail on the counter. The carrier has a long weekend off. He comes back Monday delivering mail and notices “Bear” is leashed outside away from customers. He drops mail on the counter and as he’s leaving he walks over to the dog outside and reaches down to pet him and dog bites the living heck out of him! The owner comes running out of the garage and explains that good ole “Bear” got run over on the weekend and this is a new German shepherd that doesn’t like people, hence the reason he’s leashed OUTSIDE.

Pay attention! If something doesn’t look right, it’s usually not… but I must confess, this one made me laugh!

Even if you think your customer is being thoughtful and offering you a place to use as a comfort stop, don’t ever accept house or office keys from them. Just Don’t! If they get robbed or vandalized, you’re now the number #1 suspect. Enough said.

Hate to go here but it’s an issue. Most of you who know me, know I’m unfiltered and don’t mince words. If you’re single, don’t cross that line and start something up with a married carrier! It never ends well and affects the whole office. Yeah, we all know it’s no secret. Just Don’t!

Just one scenario… single Rural Carrier starts affair with married City Carrier. After three months the married carrier feels guilty and tells her he wants to break it off. Rural Carrier doesn’t, so after calling his wife and telling her about the affair she calls him and says OK, but wants to meet him one more time for goodbyes at a mail room on his route. Unknown to him she’s anonymously also called the postmaster to report two carriers are having sex in a mailroom.

So, you get the picture. Her revenge backfired and BOTH were fired! Won’t go into the outcome but folks please try to use common sense more, because I know I’m not the only steward whose head hurts from banging it against the wall!

Work Safe, Work Smart, Work Proud! ☺

Safety: Now More Than Ever, It’s a Challenge

Hello everyone from the mountains of WNC! Hope all of you had wonderful days off with your families for the holiday’s. Unfortunately, with the winter months also comes the hazardous condition of snow and ice! I don’t know about the rest of North Carolina but Storm Jonas hit us with 15” of snow that we haven’t dealt with since the last blizzard in 93’. And in the mountains even with chains and weights in back of LLV’s, it’s very treacherous.

Which brings me to the subject of “SAFETY.” Now more than ever it’s a challenge because our LLV’s are ancient and consolidations in the Postal Service have resulted in a shortage of vehicle maintenance carriers to service our vehicles. It’s up to each and every one of us to be diligent checking our vehicles every morning and writing them up for deficiencies on PS Form 4565 ( Vehicle Repair Tag). We’ve had way too many lately catch on fire from possible fluid leaks!

Whether it’s bald tires, broken windshield wipers, lights burnt out, slipping transmission, worn brake pads, etc… anything that impedes you doing your job safely, you need to write it up!

Once you’ve filled out the PS Form 4565 and given the supervisor their copy, it’s up to them to report it to Vehicle Maintenance. If they don’t come out that morning to fix it, personally I (Big Mama Blue) would refuse to drive it that day because I feel it’s unsafe.

I don’t care if a supervisor has to drive me around to deliver the mail in his own personal vehicle, it’s not worth risking my life. Plus I have the tendency to make their life miserable until they do something. But depending on the vehicle’s deficiencies, it’s going to be YOUR call.

Of course if given a direct order the rule is to obey first, grieve later, but arbitrators in the past have backed us on safety issues.

At that point I would fill out PS Form 1767 and report it as a Safety Hazard, which they also have to reply to. And in front of them, inform your local safety committee and then use their phone to call someone on the District Safety Team!

Notify your steward that you wrote it up (reported it) to management and they did nothing. The reason for reporting it to your steward is because I’ve seen supervisors, (especially the know-it-all-204B’s)who have turned around after regulars have reported unsafe vehicles and reassigned those vehicles to another unaware regular or new CCA in the same day! CCA’s please hear this: You have the same rights for safety as regulars!

Our jobs are hard enough due to inclimate weather conditions like rain, wind, snow or ice, shouldn’t have to worry about our vehicles being so defective we get into an accident that could take our lives or others!

We need to watch out for ourselves and our brothers and sisters. If you as a steward become aware of carriers being ordered to drive unsafe vehicles, or if management is knowingly reassigning these to unaware carriers, make sure you file a grievance under Article 14, including copies of forms filled out and statements from carriers.

ARTICLE 14.1

Section 1. Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of management to provide safe working conditions in all present and future installations and to develop a safe working force. The Union will cooperate with and assist management to live up to this responsibility. The Employer will meet with the Union on a semi-annual basis and inform the Union of its automated systems development programs. The Employer also agrees to give appropriate consideration to human factors in the design and development of automated systems. Human factors and ergonomics of new automated systems are a proper subject for discussion at the National Joint Labor-Management Safety Committee.

ARTICLE 14.2

Section 2. Cooperation

The Employer and the Union insist on the observance of safe rules and safe procedures by employees and insist on correction of unsafe conditions. Mechanization, vehicles and vehicle equipment, and the work place must be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition, including adequate occupational health and environmental conditions. The Employer shall make available at each installation forms to be used by employees in reporting unsafe and unhealthful conditions. If an employee believes he/she is being required to work under unsafe conditions such employee may:

(a) notify such employee’s supervisor who will immediately investigate the condition and take corrective action if necessary;

(b) notify such employee’s steward, if available, who may discuss the alleged unsafe condition with such employee’s supervisor;

(c) file a grievance at Formal A of the grievance procedure within fourteen (14) days of notifying such employee’s supervisor if no corrective action is taken during the employee’s tour, and/or

(d) make a written report to the Union representative from the local Safety and Health Committee who may discuss the report with such employee’s supervisor.

Upon written request of the employee involved in an accident, a copy of the PS Form 1769 (Accident Report) will be provided.

Any grievance which has as its subject a safety or health issue directly affecting an employee(s) which is subsequently properly appealed to arbitration in accordance with the provisions of Article 15 may be placed at the head of the arbitration docket at the request of the Union.

As regulars we take for granted that the CCA’s have been properly trained before they arrive in our unit Trust me, either they

haven’t been, or so much info was crammed in their brains in such a short time that they only remember the basics.

I encourage the seasoned carriers (not just the OJI’s) to take a few minutes with them and go over with them the vehicle check list, show them where the accident report forms along with vehicle tag forms are kept. Make sure they know to call the steward along with supervisor if they have an accident etc. Encourage them to come to union meetings and ask questions and learn their rights. I try to let ours know, there are no “stupid” questions. If you want to learn you need to ask because you won’t get it from management.

My favorite thing to teach the CCA’s and my T-6 is to show them where the gas goes. And if they use my vehicle, they best leave it with the same amount in it…lol. Can I get a witness?

Actually, I must say we’ve been blessed with a great bunch this past year and they’re doing a great job!

Stay safe, my brothers and sisters, and continue to lift each other up, have each other’s backs and remember in unity we can make a difference!

New Postal Game: Tag, You’re It!

With the presence of our new scanners comes the new tracking system DMS (Delivery Management System). And, as with all technology, there is good and bad. Yes, the scanners are faster and they are more convenient to have customers sign on them for accountable mail or packages as opposed to filling out PS Form 3849s. And the tracking of parcels for our postal customers has improved but the recently added GPS tracking program can be a Pandora’s Box for carriers.

Now they want us, when prompted, to scan letter mail at certain deliveries to replace the Price Waterhouse contract on EXFC (External First-Class Measurement), per clerk union. Some of the carriers weren’t told ahead of time of this recent addition and freaked when their scanners started speaking to them! Personally, I was hoping mine would sound like Gordon Ramsey instead of the monotone robot voice it has: “You missed the bloody MSP you frigging disgrace!” At least I’m used to that tone from management. Ha! Ha!

They have already stopped this feature in some areas because the program has several bugs. Go figure.

Along with the technology (GPS) for customers to know if we are within an hour of their houses for delivery of parcels and the ability to text carriers’ messages instead of phoning them. So, what could be so bad about this? Even though most of this is great for our customers, let me share with you remarks from a recent letter to ALL managers about the new system and how it will also help them to track their carriers:

1. You will know where he or she is at, minute by minute, which includes their timed lunch.

2. Your 17:00 projections are updated hourly depending on where the carriers are.

3. You will receive a message if two carriers are within 50 feet of each other for more than five minutes.

4. You will receive a message if a carrier doesn’t move for 10 minutes.

5. You will receive a message if a carrier leaves his or her route.

6. If a carrier is falling behind, you will be notified.

7. If a scanner is turned off for more than five minutes, you will be notified.

That’s right, the old joke about us having a microchip up our rear ends has become a reality! So far we haven’t received much discipline locally from the results of this new GPS system because they can’t just use the data but have to actually catch us physically on the street doing something wrong, but it’s coming, especially if you create a pattern each day.

Management may insist that this is for better customer service, but we all know of an overzealous postmaster or 204b/supervisor that thinks every carrier is out to screw the Post Office and is going to use this as an intimidation tool to make their numbers, especially with new employees. I have actually seen where supervisors have sent texts to CCAs on scanners that say things like, “You need to pick up the pace!” Really.

Of course this is total harassment since we have NO street standards. But if carriers haven’t come to their local monthly meetings to ask questions and learn their rights, management is going to abuse this system and push them even more.

We already live in a world where cameras are now everywhere. What blows my mind is that I still hear every week about a carrier throwing a parcel like a football up to someone’s front door or trying to dispose of mail/circulars in a dumpster! Not only are they ruining the public’s trust and the credibility of all the dedicated letter carriers, but they’re setting themselves up to be terminated and could be brought up on criminal charges and go to jail. Why? Do they really think they’re going to get away with it?

Most of us just want to do our jobs, then go home. The job has gotten much tougher with the Amazon contract, which is even more reason to stand our ground and take the time to do our job professionally, every single day.

Take your lunch and breaks and don’t be speeding to and from the office because with this new technology, unlike the rural craft that get to run their routes and go home, all you city carriers are going to get is more work to do. You will get this either in tail-ups or additions to your routes. There will be no gold stars or pats on the back from the Boss because you’re so good! Trust me, in 35 years that hasn’t changed.

So, carriers, please, PLEASE, do your jobs professionally and safely and let your stewards know if you’re being harassed because you weren’t at the same delivery point at the same exact time today as you were yesterday because we all know the variables that come with our job like mail volume, accountables, weather, parcels, tail-ups, etc. that change our travel times daily and create the inaccuracies of the DMS! These supposedly infallible scanners have already created problems with carriers being accused of going off the grid in investigative interviews when all that was determined was that the scanner decided to just completely shut down on the carrier. As with DOIS, which is just a tool, we will embrace this for the good of our customers.

But we will fight the misuse of this technology because TOGETHER we are UNION strong!

Back Ringing: What it is and Why it’s Important

Hello from Area 6, everyone! I hope you all are having a blessed summer and have had time off to spend with your families. The mountains will be beautiful soon, filled with warm autumn colors, so hopefully you will get to visit us in Western North Carolina.

I wanted to touch on the subject of “back ringing” because lately we’ve had discipline issued here on it. I was shocked by the amount of seasoned carriers who weren’t doing it. I’ve heard so many excuses from carriers why they don’t do it: “I’m not on the ODL,” “I don’t have time,” “I don’t want to show down time on my route,” “Nobody trained me how.”

My question to them is, “Why are you giving management even more control over your clock rings and pay when you can take the responsibility and know it’s accurate?”

How many of you have worked in offices where clock rings are manipulated by management? At least if you input them, the only way they can change them is by putting in their I.D. code, which shows up on the Everything Report.

For those who don’t know what “back ringing” is, it’s done on the time clock by carriers who have to carry a route different from their own assignment. Different terms are used such as a “piece” or a “bump.” Back rings must be put in whether you are on the ODL, a CCA, or being mandated for overtime.

Unlike moves in the office on 0722 in the morning when casing different routes, “back ringing” is done in the P.M. when you return from the street before the carrier moves back to the office on the time clock. It takes less than a minute and can not only affect your route but other routes in the office.

If you do part of a pivot and don’t “back ring,” your route looks like it’s 10 hours and the route being pivoted is lucky to show 6 hours for the day.

Multiply this by 10 carriers, then the CDRAAP team comes in and doesn’t have good info to do an adjustment in that office. Management’s 3996s are going to disappear, so unless carriers have kept their documentation, it’s very difficult to pull good information.

Personally, I write down what I do every day along with hours worked because management in my 35 years experience, has proven to be untrustworthy. Not all, but my pay has been askew enough times in the past so that now I keep on top of it.

Here’s an example for CCAs on how to do it. First thing I do, because it’s military time, is round off my minutes to hundredths. Say my route is #04006 and I was given a piece on route #04004. It took me an hour and 15 minutes. I started at 1 p.m. and finished at 2:15 p.m. So, when I get back to the office, I proceed to the time clock and do this:

I move to 721 (street), key in #04004, then key in 1300 (time started), swipe my badge, I move to 721 (street), key in #04006 (back to my route), then key in 1425 (time finished), swipe my badge. I move to 722 (office), key in #04006 (my assigned route that day), swipe my badge.

So, Brothers and Sisters, let’s take control of our clock rings and pay and do what’s best for ALL.